this is fyf

Patti Smith wants to talk with you tonight at St. Mark's book shop.

Have you read Just Kids?  It's been my holiday read, but I'm only on page 130 or so because of assorted distractions.  The tale is lovely and florid with precise prose that just puts you there in the room with these two amazing people finding their way in a Manhattan of another time.  It's a reintroduction to a time of legends, written from street-level.   While not the type to go for the autograph, I would like to hear her accounts first-hand.  (Side question:  do people with Kindles and Nooks and iPads get those signed or something?  Another reason to keep buying books!)

Going out tonight?

For those of you going out for more tonight on this extended holiday weekend, we salute you. There are lots of things to do, but maybe a trip to Westside Tavern for the Third Annual New Year's Day Potluck and DeeJay Showcase would be in order? And since you're in the neighborhood, stop into The Eagle as all you survivors can enjoy the beer blastings of Mister Paul Ferrer. Then skip (literally as it's good skipping weather out) down to Vandam for basemental shenanigans with Mister Michael Magnon. And do head upstairs to see what Susanne Barsch is wearing (since you can't always ready her amazing fashion diary in the Times every week). Or just go all the way east to Nowhere where the long running Beetlejuice carries tonight.

But seriously, Happy New Year. Let's get to the gym.

Obligatory "It's Labor Day!" Round-up of Gay (and Not So Gay) Goings-on This Weekend...Posted Halfway Through Said Weekend on Sunday "Morning"

So...It's Labor Day Weekend and - if you live in a city with even a moderate-sized gay population - you know that means everyone and their sister's mother's gay aunt are throwing a party.

Guess what? This is exceedingly true here in New York...all reports of New York nightlife being dead to the contrary.

Sooo...There was Summer Snaxx by the Sea last night in Cherry Grove, while the Matinee children came all the way from Spain - the reigning Queen of all things Circuit after biting off the head and ingesting the fetus of Saint At Large (I'm not sure if I'm talking about Spain or Matinee at this point) - to carry on at the Pavilion.

The night before was Clubber Down Disco which must have been overrun with fashion-types as it's nearly New York Fashion Week (but you knew that, Good Gay). It sees a slew of fashion kids on a regular night, much less those in such close proximity to Fashion Week...

Yesterday day saw that merry band of Disco divos, Horse Meat Disco, spinning at Warm-Up at PS1.

They'll also spin the closing set for today's SPANK/Rocket collaborative party, SProcket! at The Palms, not far from PS1. Party started at 12pm and goes 'til 10pm. The Palms is a temporary party spot in an old bank building with three container pools outside in the parking lot for good measure. Co-host Alberto Cortes says be your swimsuit!

Tonight, in addition to the regular Sunday night options that also involve pools - whether somewhere else in the building, as part of the party...or of vomit (I kid! These kids know how to hold their liquor!) - there's Michael Tee, Benjamin Ickies, Shien Lee and Twig the Wonderkid's Oh! You Pretty Things extravaganza at Le Poisson Rouge. This one's a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen so should be right up most readers' alley. If you go, don't be a scaramouche - give a great moustache a la the incomparable Freddie.

Oh and the Matinee kids are still going...

 

Tomorrow is Labor Day and if you don't know what that's about, give yourself (and the day) a little moment of your time and read Marx or Engels or watch Norma Rae or read about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire or inflate a giant rat... For advanced readers, ponder how far Labor and trade unions have come and whether they've outlived their usefulness or - if not - why not and how they are continuing to further the project of safe work conditions and prosperity for all.

Images via Tribe of Dad, U.S. Department of Labor and _______

FYF Goes Out: Clubber Down Disco

FYF is guest-hosting tonight. Well, half is, at least. Will you be out? Do you know Clubber Down Disco? Basement of the Chelsea Hotel (23rd Street btwn 7th and 8th). A little fabulous, but not too and genuinely so when it is. A Ladyfag joint with Tai Chi Alfonso and Jason The Black Teenwolf co-hosting and Honey Dijon spinning GOOD disco tracks. Ryan Smith at the door. Tell 'em you're "with FYF" for a little help down the stairs.

This weekend: 1. Stay Warm 2. See below (Pt. Deux)

They made a movie about me!

I am winging my way to less-enlightened warmer climes tomorrow to visit my parents but for those of you huddling together for warmth over this bitter cold weekend, I highly recommend (for smartphone owners)

1. Grindr
2. Jackd
3. Radar by Adam4Adam and
4. Manhunt (the App blows AND sucks - both in the bad way.).

Down in Alabama (my homestate), I plan to get to the bottom of this whole "brother and sister" thing, in particular as it relates to Alabama's sordid reputation for incest (obviously, I'll be doing more research into who is my "brother" than who's my "sister".). Wish me luck avoiding prison/a bashing/being lynched!

Tonight, however, there's a rare (the first in New York, actually!) opportunity to hear THE MAGICIAN (formerly of Aeroplane) spin at the FIXED party at PUBLIC ASSEMBLY. Tickets seem to be available only online. If you haven't gotten into his mixes, I highly recommend.

Also tonight, the CLUBBER DOWN DISCO kids celebrate passing their police, fire and buildings (maybe some other agency, too.) inspection last week with..MORE disco! Genius! (Basement of the CHELSEA HOTEL; LADYFAG, LADY TAI and JASON THE BLACK TEENWOLF host with RYAN SMITH at the door.)

Cross town, MICHAEL T.'s birthday extravaganzaS continue tonight at his residencey at WHITE NOISE (the old Hose) with guest DJ RICH KING (and others).

For those who prefer laughing to cutting a rug/fist-pumping, ELIOT GLAZER's hosting a viewing of OPRAH'S LEGENDS BALL: LIVE at UNION HALL. The footage is from 2005 when O invited nearly every female African-American celebrity to her Malibu home for a weekend retreat. The ensuing mayhem sounds rife for comedic interpretation. Also: Giveaways! Surprise guests! "Just like Oprah would!".

On the other hand, dance like no one's watching under the masterful musical programming of DJ STEVE TRAVOLTA at the THE 128 WEST HOUSTON EXPERIENCE at CAYENNE. Go on. DO it!

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Tomorrow, there's SPANK Mag launches and FAMILY FUNCTIONS to attend, Geeks at auction, CHERYL for Londoners and TRIPPIN' ON THE MOON VI/6 where it's REAL old school. There's Daniel Naridicio's party for the young BUCK! and a new party from DJ Nita & Co. called BILLY CLUB?! Hit me with it! Me!!

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Sunday, SNAXX: TEA IS THE TIME completes its transition from Friday night dance party to Sunday Tea Dance and relocates to the basement of the MONSTER, Bears snuggle (and provide their own warmth?) at ROCKBEAR BEER BLAST, the (real) kids carry on at GRIFFIN SUNDAYS and LADY BUNNY, ARI GOLD and FORMIKA join PEPPERMINT to take a (dim?) REAR VIEW of XES LOUNGE.

Everything's "spelled out" in the FYF Calendar, as ever. Hit it up for more events, too.

Be back Wednesday! Pray for me!

Speaking of birthdays...

Some good buddies of FYF are celebrating this weekend and just so happen to be hosting parties that all our readers are welcome to attend! How generous! Unfortunately, all hell is breaking loose in the computer/Google Calendar/my work email world and nothing works right, so the FYF Calendar is (finally) fully, freshly fucked (Update: er...I think I got it sorted?). Because of this, I'll be going old school and hot-linking parties to their Facebook invites in the posts to follow (and this one...and the previous one about Sugar Daddy.).

But back to friends' birthdays...

First, Mr. Erick Ruales turns a dry-aged and mellow 34 on the dancefloor at Clubber Down Disco under the Chelsea Hotel and hosted by FYF Sister Tai Chi and La Ladyfag...spun right 'round by Ms. Honey Dijon!

Come Sunday, Mr. Desi Santiago a/k/a Desi Monster will return to his "disco dungeon" at Vandam where La Lady hosts once again and he and DJ Will Automagic celebrate their birthdays in conjunction with Vandam's 3rd Anniversary (Shocked it's been that long!?).

So...FYF wishes you all a very happy birthday...and best wishes for many more!

This weekend: 1) Stay Warm 2) See below

Reindeer games, indeed!

Tonight, shop at Limelight with Next Magazine, bring a new toy for the toy drive at David Barton - Astor Place, check out Justin Bond and the Pixie Harlots in Christmas Spells at The Abrons Arts Center and then press to the function at The Chelsea Hotel...Clubber Down Disco, I mean. There's also the aforementioned grand opening of Uncut out in Queens (very Krash circa 2001?).

Tomorrow, don your best Santa suit and join the drunken hordes of Santacon. Make them all stop in at Art Jamboree #3 and buy stuff from your talented artist friends. Later, if you missed Justin and her harlots, they're on again tonight (and until the 18th, in fact! Don't sleep though...they may sell out - or be already!). Afterward, there's a swirl of parties to decide amongst...from Sugar Daddy (see Paul Short's promo photo above.) to Family Function; from Mister Saturday Night to Spank Actions 3-D: Spank's 3 year Anniversary, and from Cheryl: WYZZRD BLYZZRD to Miracle on 36th Street with Steve Travolta, Quentin Harris, Cevin Fisher and DJ MSG and the New York Cares Coat Drive. Choose wisely!

Specially for the hefty set, Bearracuda hits New York for the first time tonight, as well. Apparently, it's the next Blow-off? Better? Something.

Sunday, the Art Jamboree and Justin Bond continue, while Griffin Sundays and 718 Sessions help you keep your blood moving (unless you're too busy posing?).

And that, my friends, is what to do this - the first truly cold weekend of the winter.

For more, hit the FYF Calendar.

What to do: this weekend

This.

First? It's cold. Bundle up...and I'm not even saying that 'cuz I'll be doing coat-check at Snaxx (Westside Tavern. All the way to the back. See you at 10pm? 10:30? 11? Come when you're ready.).

Not this.

Earlier, there's a Toys for Tots thing that's not Toys for Tots -- however that works (The organizers were scolded by the Marines for calling it that, apparently?), and this Toys for Tots thing that's not allowed to be called Toys for Tots is THE place to see and be seen from what I hear...sort of like Cherry's in Cherry Grove?

Like Cherry's, it's a wonderful place to get a drink - the event is one long open bar...though every open bar I've ever been to has actually been a pretty fucking miserable place to get a drink because of all the queens crowding, elbowing and generally giving all kinds of entitled realness effeckssscksckss trying to get their measly shot glass of juice w/ splash of vodka.

Wait...did I mention there's an open (beer) bar at Snaxx from 10-11pm? No? Well there is and...ignore what I just said about open bars, 'k? Seriously, if there's an open bar I WILL go to, it's Snaxx'. 

Also, I've never been to the Not-Toys-for-Tots-"Toys for Tots" event myself, so you really shouldn't base any of your expectations about the event or the attendees on anything I've said. Clear?

Ok. So there's NTFTTFT, Snaxx...and Clubber Down Disco under the Chelsea Hotel with Ryan Smith at the door and my partner-in-crime(s committed long ago) Tai Chi inside. I'm not sure who's spinning tonight, but it doesn't really matter cuz they'll play disco and it'll be cute and that's that.

What else? Let's see...there's Paul Alexander (The Ones) MC-ing again (you know he was one of the MC's for the famed Jackie 60 parties back in the day at Mother?) at a party at Sugarland with DJ Emjay (He of Wonderbar and Starlight fame). 

Also in Williamsburg, Mondo returns just in time for FYF Friend and Fashion contributor Kiger Hansen's birthday. He'll be celebrating Mondo-style (does he do anything any other way?).

If you walk for body, head over to Splash and enter to win $250 at the F*Word in their stripper contest. James Anderson has a new(-ish...I think it's the second one?) party at The Monster, and Gumbo hosts the first of two parties this weekend - this one in DUMBO, Sunday's down in Miami!

There's stuff tomorrow, including Cheryl at Brooklyn Museum's Free Saturdays, a coat/clothing drive at Excelsior in Park Slope, a Hanukkah Pink Mafia for media networking at Julius', Xanadude on Ice at Public Assembly Loft and FYF Contributor Dave Huge's A Very Collider Christmas at Stonewall, and Sunday...but I really don't have to tell you about them, do I? You know to look at the FYF Calendar for more/details by now, surely!

Regardless, stay warm and have a great weekend!

Everything you always wanted to know...but couldn't shut up long enough to listen to the answer.

Via: Pharmacy Technician

Going out? Here's some things you might do...

Like Rod, who feels empowered to do anything this weekend (by Cher), last week, people felt they could "be" anybody...or at least look like them. You could be Snooki (and were hopefully punched if you were? Though you gotta admit, Vinny dressing as Snooki is kind of meta?) or Daphne from Scooby-Doo or even a fucking graffiti artist's comment on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict!? The possibilities were endless!

Tonight too, you can do nearly anything and be nearly anyone if you so desire. This IS New York and, while the ability to blend in and/or remain anonymous and thus change up your personality at will isn't limited to ONLY this city, it's certainly a place where that option is readily available to you.

Sure the aftermath of Tuesday is, and will be, a bitch, but let's end this week on as high a note as possible, shall we? And I mean high in spirits, just to be clear (though what you do with your money, your time and your chemical receptors is entirely up to you, as is all this other we're mentioning.).

So...here's some stuff going down this weekend:

TONIGHT (Friday) -

A comedy about Muslim terrorists opens tonight at Angelika Film Center and the director, Chris Morris, will be in attendance at evening performances (7:20 and 9:45) both tonight and tomorrow. Sounds a mite offensive, no? Rumor is, Mr. Morris started to make a drama and was given access to tapped calls made by alleged terrorists plotting to bomb different targets and ended up making the film a comedy after having heard how often the plans were unbelievably absurd and hilariously stupid. Check FYF's Calendar for a link to the trailer, etc.

Clubber Down Disco and Snaxx make it a one-two punch on West 23rd Street again. Clubber Down's under the Chelsea Hotel (now up for sale!?) while Snaxx is across 8th Ave under the Westside Tavern. Fun stuff, either one.

Downtown a bit, DJ James Anderson returns to the city with a regular gig at The Monster, every Friday. 

Many more to be found by checking the FYF Calendar, including FriskyDisco, Mister Saturday Night (tomorrow night, obviously), Banzai!!! (kooky fun, also tomorrow), Vandam with Lady Miss Kier (Sunday), 718 Sessions (Danny Krivit spins on Sunday), Griffin Sundays (scream it, girl!), Beetlejuice (Sunday), etc.

Whatever you do, have a great weekend!

What are you doing for Hallowe'en?

Yes. That IS a Labryinth t-shirt!

What are you going to be (I still haven't a clue, but it's not likely to be either Luke Perry or David Bowie in Labyrinth.)?

Ancient Celts believed the membrane separating this world and the underworld, or afterlife, became thin and was breached by various spirits on All Hallow's Eve (they traditionally called it Samhain, I believe?). See, Samhain is believed to have marked summer's end (the word derives from the phrase for that in Old Irish, supposedly.), and the border between the "light" part of the year and the "dark" part may have seemed related to a thinning of this barrier between worlds.  The spirits who came through could be harmless, but were also potentially harmful. Costumes were worn both as a means to confuse the harmful spirits and - by young men - to symbolize the spirits of family who had crossed over, that viewers might remember those who had passed and respect their memory.

So...what are you going to wear?

Regardless, here's what you might want to do:

FRIDAY (Tonight):

Ladyfag's new Clubber Down Disco returns for its second night with Honey Dijon DJing and Tai Chi, One-Half Nelson and Casey Spooner hosting. Ryan Smith at the door, whore! Word to the wise? Arrive on the early side. There's more than one reward (i.e. - entrance) awaiting you if you do.

Similarly, Mr. Rich King and Mr. Gustavo Motta offer incentive to arrive to their Snaxx shindig early. They'll be wigging out (as you should be!) but the beer will be free (from 10pm - 11pm)! Also popcorn, peanuts and a surprise!

Uptown at mine and Tai's (well, EVERYone's) old haunt - Rebel - Peter Rauhofer and the WORK! crew (DJs Corey Craig & Nita Aviance spin upstairs and Ms. Roze BLACK is BACK hosting the party!) throw a night of Hallo-weenie craziness.

Bana is back, but they've been kicked out of their Downtown Fulton Street baths location at the last minute so are moving the VIP portion of the party out to Brooklyn to the site of the original banya party several years ago that kicked the whole shebang off. The baths there are SITTing, is all I'll say. Oh and transportation is provided (via go-go equipped...or equipped go-go? party bus.) from 15th and 8th Avenue (in front of Starbucks) three times: 11pm, 12am, and 1am with two return trips at 3am and 4am. I think you may have to already have a ticket to ride the bus, so hit up the website for full information and the ticket purchase link.

There's (what seems like) a thousand other options, as well. Find the FYF Calendar for those.

This Weekend...

 
 Malcolm McLaren

...Snaxx returns as if from the heavens (Friday, 10pm, Westside Tavern basement), DJs Bill Coleman and Lina were birthed at F Word where they're The Ones (Friday, 10pm, Rebel), Sparber and Ladosha are giving me a banjee effeck when they Move It (Friday, 11pm, Sugarland), Ricardo Studmuffin brings a dance party to the Eagle (Saturday, 10pm, The Eagle), Amanda Lepore is/is not in CRISIS (Saturday, 10pm, Elevate) Family Function continues to DYS all haters (Saturday, 10pm, Woody's), House's roots are showing at Trippin' on the Moon 4 (Saturday, 10pm, Santos Party House) while its legends continue to age (Danny Krivit's Birthday/718 Sessions - Sunday, 6pm, Santos Party House) and sister homo-pub GAYLETTER enters "midlife" to tunes from Michael Magnan and Telfar (Sunday, 10pm, Hiro),  

Other things happening this weekend (and just slightly less obviously gay/cruisy?): 

• Dunno him well, but Mr. John J. Zullo has a dance company that's performing at a festival happening in Long Island City this weekend (who knew?) and - shallowly - he's hot and looks extremely flexible (Saturday, 8 - 9pm, Green Space Studio) 
• Malcolm McLaren's death this week sent me down the Wiki rabbit hole after details of his life and others of his ilk. There, I learned a lot more about Jayne County ("Legendary!" was the previous extent.) that only increased my respect for her. I'll leave you to trace the degrees of separation, but a weekend long event at the Chelsea Hotel is named in her honor and is displaying some of her artwork. (Friday - Sunday, Chelsea Hotel - Opening event at 8pm on Friday)
• Speaking of queer rock and post-punk...QxBxRx may be showcasing the next wave this weekend? (Saturday, 10pm, Cake Shop)
• Girlfriend Greg Lockard and co-creator Mike DiMotta are debuting their new comic book  "Miss Thing Werk" at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Fest 2010 this weekend. Hi-larious! Congrats, boys! (Saturday & Sunday, 11am-6pm, 69th Regiment Armory)

And to all your birthday boys out there, Happy Birthday!

Image via