West of Hollywood

MOPLA CLOSING PARTY

At the beginning of the month I went to Month of Photography Los Angeles' opening soiree at the Pacific Design Center and had a blast.  Tonight's closing party looks like even more fun -  and the Cobrasnake will be there.  The last time I partied with him he took one of his trademark guerilla candids for his blog that made me look like a mongoloid wanting cake.  Let's see if we can manage a worse shot tonight.

I'll see you there.  Bring a camera.  I'll bring the fug.

MOPLA Closing Nite

May 1, 7-10pm

3542 Hayden

Culver City 

 

THE RETURN OF HOTDOG

I am so excited I could just spit.  After an absence too long and painful to remember, Hotdog is returning with a new location West of Hollywood.  I've been going to this Saturday night party since Mario Diaz gave birth to it at The Parlour, through its explosion at 7969, its short run at Dragonfly and will now be checking it out at the revamped Palms.  

This gives me a needed reason to stay in my 'hood at least one night a week as I have been drawn downtown most of my weeks lately.  Sadly, I am spending the premier night on Santa Cruz Island but I will be back to check it out on the sophomore weekend after all the kinks, but hopefully not the kinky has been worked out.

If you aren't familiar, Hotdog is a dance party mixing a sleazy 70's vibe, go-go dancers, edgy pop music and an off-kilter stage show generally containing at least three of the following ingredients: mustaches, power tools, drag, hard hats, sequins & hairy asses in jock straps.  

I'll see you there.

Hotdog

April 25, 10pm

The Palms

8572 Santa Monica

 

EXPLOSURE

Last night I went to the opening reception of Explosure, Tierney Gearon's new collection of photographs at the Ace Gallery, for two reasons:

1. I love Tierney and her work.

2. I wanted to look at my friend's ass with a room full of strangers - and Diane Keaton.

Mission accomplished.

I won't say whose ass I enjoyed looking at but it was lovely and I think the best part of the collection.  The exhibit runs through April.  Go look for yourself.

Explosure

Ace Gallery

9430 Wilshire Blvd

Beverly Hills

(preview the beautiful bottom after the jump)

RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNS

Put your eatin' dress on, dineLA's Restaurant Week is coming back.  

In an effort to drum up business for restaurants we may not know or know but haven't tried, dineLA has arranged for over 100 of the city's best eateries to offer a prix fixe three-course menu at a very reasonable rate.  Starting Jan 25 you can choose lunch or dinner from the list and try to fit in as many as possible over the ten days of the promotion; as much as your wallet and eatin' dress will allow.

As for me, I'm booking all the dates I've been putting off and saving my pennies while impressing the pants off them at places like The Bazaar.  If you have pants you'd like impressed away, book now.  Reservations are filling up.      

 

ART FIX: RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE ART SHOW

World of Wonder is hosting the opening of their latest group show tonight.  Tonight folks! (Sorry for not mentioning earlier.  It's been a crazy week.)  

In honor of everyone's favorite drag queen getting her own WOW reality show on Logo, RuPaul's Drag Race, the boys behind the series have commissioned a drag-themed art show that promises to be flashier and trashier than a sale on Wet N' Wild lipstick.  Join me for drinks and culture served up gay.

Tonight, Jan 15

8pm

World Of Wonder Storefront Gallery

6650 Hollywood Blvd

 

WIGS ON WHEELS

 

Last night I went to the gayest place on earth.  The Abbey?  Fubar?  Disneyland?  Any alley West of Hollywood?  No.  I was at the Moonlight Rollerway for the lovely Ongina's birthday celebration on wheels.  A pack of grown-up boys in hats, headbands, short shorts, half-shirts, tights, eyeliner, suspenders, wigs and sequins made their way to Glendale for the Rollerway's weekly Rainbow Night - and it was fabulous fun. 

If you have a pack of gays who are itching to get out of the bars and burn off some energy popping and locking to the beat of Stacey Q with the wind in their wigs, go. Go and tear that rink up.  After all, you may look cute standing up against a bar in the dark but who can really appreciate that outfit highlighted by yellow suspenders until they've seen it head-to-toe and in circular motion?  At the roller rink you can feel free to pretend you're in junior high again and make all the same mistakes you did back then, but this time for all the right reasons.  

If you want to check out the weekly Wednesday gay nights, now is the best time to do it because it is still cool outside.  It gets mighty hot over Glendale way and the A/C inside the rink only seems to lightly wheeze.  Yes, the Moonlight Rollerway is a place you might call "vintage", "rustic" even, meaning it's kind of broke down and old.  It's seen its heyday but that day was in 1986 and nothing has been touched since then.  The upside of this is that it isn't crowded.  There is plenty of space to do your dips, hand jives, spins, or just fall on your face.  I did the first two.  

See you in the round.  

 

WHAT YOU MISSED WHILE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

But I was there and believe me, some things are meant to be missed.  

photo by Gabe Ayala 

ON THE TOWN: JAMIE KING'S NEW YEARS DISCO

 

Well, my peaceful vision of a New Years in the calm of the desert morphed into the grandest party in the hills of Beverly last night - and I'm not complaining.  

Jamie King, choreographer to all the big bitches, transformed his Coldwater bachelor villa into a modern nightclub and invited 275 of his closest friends. Actually, there were only about twelve or so of his truly closest friends invited. They had a private dinner in the tented backyard/disco while the rest of us hangers-on packed into the staged house with no music wondering just what was going on.  At just about the time that everyone was restless and asking when things would really get going, the screens blocking our view of the back came down in a sweep as the host and his closest appeared and the music and lights kicked in.  Fabulous, yes.  A little over the top for a private party with your friends, also yes.  But we're dealing with Madonna's choreographer here.  It is to be expected and enjoyed.    

In the back, my agent friend who had invited me to come with her and her girlfriend took over a booth near one of the bars and overlooking the dance floor.  From there, adjacent to the Dsqaured² twins' booth, I had the best people-watching perch as partiers in sequins and furs - and not just the women - came to introduce themselves and dance around us.  

I gave myself over to having the exact opposite New Years I had pictured and let my eyes drink in the scene, loving it.  It was Fellini-esque for sure though definitely more gay and like one of those fake Hollywood parties you see in a movie about Hollywood that don't seem to really exist outside of cinema. 

At just before midnight when I made my way to the bathroom, a flat-ironed cherub who looked to be about seventeen scooted in along with me to tell me he loved my bow tie before kissing me hard and then asking if I had any coke.  I did not.   

He followed me back over to our table to toast the New Year with another kiss but before we were allowed, Jamie stopped everything to introduce his spiritual advisor that he had flown in from London.  He asked us all to turn to the person next to us and make a wish for their new year.  I wished for the cherub that at some point he wakes up next to someone who doesn't scare the shit out of him in the morning.  

And I wish the same for all of you.

Happy New Year!

 

TIPSY TRIVIA

Last night I drove through The Great Rainstorm of '08 to meet friends for our weekly trivia night at Finn McCool's.  I like this Monday night tradition, catching up on whatever we missed from the weekend and resuscitating our brains over drinks.  

King Trivia hosts these quiz nights all around LA every night of the week and they're free to play.  You just show up, form a team with friends, pick a stupid name, and write down answers as your MC calls out rounds of questions.  Winning teams get gift certificates and it's amusing to see how competitive some people get for a few free drinks.  

I've found the key to winning is to diversify your team for ample trivia coverage.  A good mix would be:  a couple of art fags, one musician, an ex-frat boy, anyone old, a comparative literature major now working as a tour guide at Universal Studios, and someone French.  You get that kind of dream team together and you'll be drinking for free every week.  Just don't come to Finn's.  We don't need that kind of competition. 

 

ART FIX: YIORGOS KORDAKIS OPENING

If I wasn't headed to Palm Springs I would be here tonight.  

M+B, one of my favorite galleries, is holding an opening reception for Yiorgos Kordakis.  He has put together a collection of photographs called Global Summer and they look amazing.  I'm disappointed I can't be there.  M+B always puts on a good party and I can walk from my house.  One of you will have to go and enjoy doubly for me.  

Dec 13, 7-9pm

Yiorgos Kordakis

Global Summer

M+B Gallery

612 N. Almont Drive

West Hollywood