Hard Times Press Releases Issue #9! Come Help Us Celebrate!

Hard Times Releases Issue #9!!!
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
@ Electric Tea Garden (1402 E. Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122)
No Cover! Awesome Entertainment! Stiff drinks! Just like Wednesday’s used to be!
21 + W/ID 9PM – 2AM
...
We at Hard Times Press are super excited to announce the release of the next issue of Hard Times on September 28th at Electric Tea Garden. This issue is jam packed with so much amazing content; it’s likely to make your eyeballs pop right outta your head! There are pieces by and about: Chi Chi & Chonga, Katey Pants, Phyliss Navidad, Sean Fancy, Sylvia O Stayformore, L.A. Kendall, Debora Spencer, Dustin Curtis and SO MUCH MORE! You’re really going to have to get your hands on a copy of this, hot off the presses, and see for yourself!

We have an extra special trick up our collective sleeves…we’ll be conducting a raffle for a chance to win a 2 nights stay in Palm Springs, Ca. for our gay pride event "COMPOUND”. November 4, 5 and 6 2011.

On top of having plenty of copies on hand, we also have the following fabulosity planned in celebration of our launch:

DJ Sets by:
L.A. Kendall
DJ Skiddle
Tony Burns
General Meow
Hooker

Performances by:
Glitterbang (Happy Birthday Nicki Danger!)
Jinkx Monsoon
ArtStar Charlatan

Visuals Installation by: Hooker & Tony Burns

***More fun to be announced! Stay tuned!

ABOUT HARD TIMES:
Hard Times was created by Seattle natives David Richey, L.A. Kendall and Jared Lovejoy. Hard Times IS an idea, an experiment, a concept, a reaction to our collective cultural and financial recession/depression. From the beginning our mission statement, our mantra was “From Hard Times Comes Great Art!” Our mission was to provide a space - a container for people to engage, experience and experiment. Hard Times started a revolution and blew the roof off Seattle’s queer night life. The artists, musicians, freaks, straight and gay alike came together under one roof and engaged, experienced and seriously experimented! Come continue the tradition with us!

For press inquiries, contact:
LA Kendall lakendall.qq@gmail.com 206 915 8033
David Richey drichey.qq@gmail.com 206 356 6872
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Gabbin' With Fannie Mae About Shorty Shorts!

Portland's darling, and one of my favorite Genderfuk drag artists, Fannie Mae Darling, who reportedly has been out of commission somewhere in the middle of nowhere recovering from a nose job, is heading home to Portland pretty soon here and has big plans in store! Amongst those big plans, God Save The Queen (a party celebrating her return), the release of Trannysnatchers (a film that features her baring her acting chops), and Shorty Shorts (a film festival that her and her dear friend Gula Delgatto have teamed up on). Fannie Mae was gracious enough to take time away from her painful recovery to answer some questions about Shorty Shorts for me. You must save the date! Shorty Shorts is going to be AWE-mazing!


LAK: What is Shorty Shorts?

FMD: Shorty Shorts is a Portland film festival, of sorts, that highlights peoples ability to tell a story in 10 minutes or less. Tons of people have submitted their Shorty Shorts and we show them and judge them and prizes will be given for the best films.


LAK: How did the idea come about?

FMD: It came about because Gula and I have been making fun little shorts clips and films for several years now and through that have gained lots of attention and recognition. We believe everyone deserves to have the same chance to show off their films. Gula and I have been dying to do something together for a long time, so if anything this is a chance for us to do a show together!


LAK: When and where will Shorty Shorts take place?

FMD: We actually just set the time and place today! It'll be at the Portland Q-center, 4115 N Mississippi Ave, at 7:30 pm


LAK: You are involved with Gula Delgatto in this venture. How did you and Gula come to be such good friends?

FMD: Well, Gula was invented at a photo shoot we did once for Alicia Rose several years ago. The two of us have not only been friends ever since in drag, but also out of drag! Eric Seller, aka Gula, is one of my dearest and closest friends so it's only natural that Fannie and Gula are besties too! Eric is one of the most talented people in Portland in every aspect of art! WE got much closer when he did the costumes and makeup for "Whatever Happened to Fannie Mae" and also joined the Sissyboy team in New York for a couple shows!


LAK: The deadline for entry’s was March 27th. Have you had a chance to sneak a peek at any of the entrys? If so, what can we expect?

FMD: I haven't seen any yet. The deadline was March 27th for people to hold a slot in the show, but the actual entry's aren't due until about a week before the show! Since this is the first year, we decided that we ill still take entry's for another month or so! I personally know all the people submitting films and all I can say is, Fuck YA!


LAK: Will this be an annual event?

FMD: Well, we sure hope it will be! We hope people will enjoy themselves and want to make it out every year! Fingers crossed!


LAK: There’s a strict NO PENETRATION rule for Shorty Shorts. Is this for legal reasons?

FMD: Well, we just feel that we don't want to promote porn. We want it to be fun and open for everyones comfort zone. The last thing we want to do is make anyone feel unsafe... well... feel REALLY unsafe! :)


LAK: This seems like a uniquely Portland undertaking. I think Portland has a unique way of approaching queer culture. Do you?

FMD: Portland has a very raw, dirty, and almost thrift store way of approaching queer culture. We have some fierce drag queens, but I feel we have one the strongest scenes for genderfuk people that don't like rules. We have fun and we don't really get into the whole, "I'm from the west coast" mentality. Portland is full of more people NOT from Portland than people actually from here. We are all very close and we all have extremely similar sense of humor.


LAK: What do you hope to achieve with Shorty Shorts?

FMD: WE want to give everyone a chance to sparkle! Also, Gula and I need some money cause we broke!!!! :)

Amen sister! To learn more about Shorty Shorts, click here.

Also, there's this hilarz vid that Fannie and Gula did for submissions. Check it out:



Can. Not. Wait!

XXX

L.A.K.

What's In My Box Now? Princess Superstar! Ah Yeah...

I'll tell ya what. There ain't no one like Princess Superstar in my book! She's an excellent performer and has shaped up to be whiz bang DJ as well. Her original tracks, her remixes, her DJ mixes. I die for it all. I've had the priveledge of working with her on several occasions and she's as nice as she is talented. I have loved her since she was a bad babysitter, and I know why she has a mirror chair. It's because you can see her ass much better there, to kiss it, kiss it. If you don't get that joke, then you need to study up yo!

Am very excited about this new mix that she posted up on Faceplace yesterday. It's been in my box since this morning and I'm tellin' all y'all fools you need to get up on this right away!




Fall 2011- princess superstar dj mix!!! by princess superstar

Now tell me you don't love Princess Superstar! I'm thinkin' we need to have her here for Pride this coming year....must get to work on that.

XXX


L.A.K.

Qulture Qreative Takes Palm Springs - AGAIN!

The last two years were so much fun, we decided to do it again! Hey - it never hurts to get out of the Pacific Northwest and enjoy some desert sun in November. For reals. This year we are extremely excited, as we are working with a new property (which my biz partner and good buddy David Richey helped to open), that holds tons of promise for amazing adventures! You know we know how to bring you amazing adventures! I am super stoked to get to work it out with some of my favorite peeps in the sunshine! Mostly, I am excited to see this years offering of packages. You know I'm gonna have to write a "Packages Of Palm Springs 2011 Edition". What? Don't act shocked. It was one of the most read blogposts I've ever done so I know all y'all bitches read that shit (or more likely looked at the pictures)!

Here's the skinny from the press release, copied and pasted here so you are IN THE KNOW! Be sure to read every little bit, there's tons of info about who's performing, but also little treats about deal codes for booking rooms, etc. So don't be a scanner, take a minute to take it all in. I don't wanna hear any whining later on 'cause you missed the boat! ....and I certainly don't want you to miss the boat!

COMPOUND
GAY PRIDE WEEKEND
November 4, 5, 6, 2011
@ Cheeky’s, Birba & Alcazar
Palm Springs, CA

...

Qulture Qreative continues their now 3 year tradition of bringing queer events to the Gay Pride mix in Palm Springs, CA.
From the folks that brought you the “West Coast Love Train” 2009/2010 at The Ace Hotel http://blog.acehotel.com/pridecomes http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2010/12/nark-goes-to-palm-springs-pride.html
comes “COMPOUND” This year we are excited to be working with our new partners; Cheeky’s, Birba and Alcazar to celebrate Gay Pride. Qulture Qreative is curating an all-star event that will be taking place on all three property’s and will offer a diverse array of artists and performers.

“Compound”, will provide an alternative choice for a more inclusive “Gay Pride”. There are so many options for people in Palm Springs for this infamous city wide event and Qulture Qreative aims to curate a “refuge” from all the madness. A place where all kinds of queer people that seek something different from the usual fair can come and relax, exchange ideas, eat, drink and yes celebrate! Compound pride is about Collective individualism that includes L.G.B.T.Q. and ALL People who love freely!

Scheduled to appear:

Lady Bear (L.A. San Francisco)
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lady-Bear/1201811851?sk=info&closeTheater=1

Phyllis Navidad (L.A.)
http://www.facebook.com/msnavidad

Raja (L.A., Rupaul’s Drag Race)
http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_3/series.jhtml
http://www.newnownext.com/2011/07/27/check-out-drag-race-season-three-winner-raja%E2%80%99s-new-music-video-%E2%80%9Cdiamond-crowned-queen%E2%80%9D/

L.A. Kendall (SEA)
http://www.seattlegayscene.com/page/375
http://blogout.justout.com/?tag=la-kendall
www.theeyesoflaurakendall.blogspot.com

Blueeyedsoul (SEA)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blueyedsoul/139994806080129

Mr. Charming and Roy G. Biv (Gaycation, BlowPony, PDX)
http://www.facebook.com/bentpdx
http://www.blowpony.com/

Victor Rodriguez (L.A.)
http://djvictorrodriguez.com/

Chris Bowen (L.A.)
http://facebook.com/djchrisbowen
www.facebook.com

Susan in accounting (L.A.)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-In-Accounting/118521484389

Billy Francesca (L.A.)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58413919746
http://www.facebook.com/billy.francesca

PERMS (L.A.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3u0nhE5mIc&feature=youtu.be

Call 760.318.9850 to Book your room now at the newly remodeled ALCAZAR HOTEL! and Use rate code “COMPOUND” to receive package discounts-rooms starting at $120 + tax per night.

This package could include:
A discounted room rate, priority seating at the pool, “Birba Bucket of Beer”, invitations to all of our scheduled events-Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a complimentary breakfast buffet provided by the infamous Cheeky’s restaurant on Sunday From 10am-12p only!

For all press inquiries, contact:

David Richey davidrichey.qq@gmail.com 206.356.6872
LA Kendall lakendall.qq@gmail.com 206.915.8033


Hard Times http://hardtimesrevolution.com/
Cheeky’s: http://www.cheekysps.com/
Birba: http://birbaps.com/
Alcazar: http://www.alcazarpalmsprings.com/
I can feel the sunshine on my shoulders now! Hopefully I will see YOU in November!

XXX


L.A.K.

Gay Bingo Rides Again!

Amore Infused (Italian and French Style Cuisine) and Miss Gay Washington 2011-2012, Taylor Couture Presents: GAY BINGO

Co-Hosted By: Harmony Princess of The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle

This will Be a Monthly event to be held at Amore Infused on 6th and Wall Downtown Seattle.

This Month's Date is September 24th (THIS COMING SATURDAY). 50% of all proceeds go to The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization.

$10 dollar door Cover, Bingo Cards are one for $2 and three for $5 dollars

5% off all liquor sales will be donated by Executive Chef and owner of Amore Infused: Sean Langan

Come out for a night of entertainment, with Host and special guest performers, amazing food, and great Infused Cocktails!

This Months Special Guest are Seattle's very own Diamond St. James and the Gorejess Mimi Montgomery.

Tons of prize give aways, SAVE THE DATE, GET INVOLVED AND BE FABULOUS!!!

DOOR 8PM, SHOW 9PM DON'T MISS OUT OUT

CONTACT TAYLOR COUTURE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
JOSH.TROTTER@YMAIL.COM OR 206-250-1626

Support your local community folks!


XXX


L.A.K.

In My Box: Roy G Biv's Summer Mixtape

So yesterday I was stumbling around on the internet doing some research for work, and putting the final touches on the rough draft of the Qulture Qreative press release for our upcoming Gay Pride Palm Springs parties, and I found myself at the soundcloud page of my pal Katey Pants.

Now, those who read and follow my blog on the regular know that I am a big fan of Katey Pants, also known in Portlandia's queer scene as the DJ, Roy G Biv. This gals got it goin' on in my opinion. Her club night BENT, which I have guested at, was voted best new club night of 2010. She's queer to the core, pretty bad ass, smart as hell and knows how to work a barbecue. She's every woman. It's ALL in her girl!

Anyway, yesterday I decided to stream her Summer Mixtape while I worked away on the computer. Damn. How'd I miss this mix the first time around? I love all the songs she selected. As I listened, it made me sad to see the summer fading away, but gave me some much needed motivation to get through my "to do" list! I decided to put it in my box, here on my blog, and share it with all of you! Enjoy!



Roy G Biv Summer Mixtape by Mr. Roy G Biv

Enjoy!

XXX


L.A.K.

I Heart Secret Shoppers

When I was much, MUCH younger, working my jobs in fastfood so that I could afford to purchase myself those albums, posters and T Shirts that my mom forbade, the term "Secret Shopper" was one that struck fear in the hearts of myself and my coworkers. You never wanted to encounter a "Secret Shopper". A "Secret Shopper" was a spoiler. Someone sent to ruin our good time. Someone who could submit a report that cost you your job. All because you forgot thier sauce, or you didn't upsell! My how times have changed....

My first encounter with the Secret Shoppers was when they played Hard Times, back when it was still a club night. Sexy Josh had suggested we bring them in as one of our featured performers. We did. They were amazing. It took me a good week to get their song "Genie" out of my head. The 2nd time was this past summer during Pride. As most of you know I work closely with Egan Orion of One Degree Events on Seattle PrideFest, on behalf of my collaborative company, Qulture Qreative. This year Egan wanted to open a new stage that was completely dedicated to live music. He asked for my top picks from Seattle Queer musicians for booking the stage, and Secret Shoppers were among the first off my tongue. Their performance, presence and professionalism made me really proud to have been involved in that decision (thanks guys!). The third time was in July when we were both on the bill to play Portland's First Annual Queer Music Fest. During my performance it was incredibly endearing to me to look out among the faces and see the members of Secret Shoppers out there. Clearly supporting and not hating. Great musicians and good people. Two great tastes that taste great together. During their performance, between the chemistry, Evan in his spandex, and that damn "Genie" song (which is clearly my fav), they clinched it for me. I heart the Secret Shoppers. These guys are great. The sky is the limit for them, and I truly mean that. I know I'm gonna book them every chance I get!

Plus, Evan Rodd has, and don't puke when I say this, an "Elvis" like quality. Early Elvis. Elvis joining the military. Not old bloated Elvis overdosing on a toilet. That milky skin and sweet smile. He's gonna need a huge stick to shake all his stalkers off with! He also recently started a new blog, which I would highly suggest checking out:http://diaryofanamateurpopstar.blogspot.com/.

Since this is my blog and it's aptly named with the expectation that you are going to see things through my eyes, I've decided to devote this post to Secret Shoppers. To indulge my obsession. The band was gracious enough to sit down and tolerate my barrage of questions. Read on....

LAK: Who are the Secret Shoppers?

SS: Secret Shoppers are Garrett Vance, Ash Goodwin and Evan Rodd. We play Pop music with strong Shoegaze and Punk/Post-Punk undertones. Our live shows feature a combination of live and electronic instrumentation.


LAK: How did you all come together to make music? Walk me through the evolution of the Secret Shoppers.

Evan: I was playing drums in a band which was starting to wind down. I'd played drums or guitar in bands for years, but had never sang because I was too scared. I started to experiment with electronic music and Pop song structure a lot more, so myself and another member formed Secret Shoppers. After our first guitarist didn't work out, we were in a rush to find someone a month before a big show we had coming up. Garrett and I had been friends for a while, and I knew he was a super talented musician. He subbed in for the show and learned all of our songs almost instantly, and put his own spin on them. I loved working with him so much that we asked him to join the band. A wonderful friend named Stefanie played keys for awhile, but she moved to New York, so I started to play keys. We liked the balance of the two of us and were a duo for awhile, but we knew we could only be better by finding a drummer.

Ash: My old bandmate, Kyle, recommended that I play with Secret Shoppers. He gave Evan my contact info and Evan ended up finding me on Facebook. The three of us meet a few weeks later and I started practicing with them. It was a good fit from the start!


LAK: When and where was your first show, and what was it like for you?

Evan: The first official Secret Shoppers show was at the Rendezvous, before Garrett joined the band but he was present. The second show we played was with Garrett so I'd consider that the real first show. It was a Chop Suey benefit for a local Roller Derby Team, with our friends Nightrain.

Garrett: It was a strange non coalescing melting pot of our friends and a large influx of serious metal heads to see Witch Burn who were also on the bill. They were kinda scratching their heads, perhaps a tad freaked out at our queer little styings.


LAK: My favorite Secret Shoppers song is "Genie". Whenever I hear it I can't get it out of my head for days after, and it's the one I look forward to when I see you perform live. So, I'm curious about the story behind this particular track.

Evan: Genie was the first recorded case of a feral child in the United States. She was discovered by Child Protective Services in 1970 after being locked up in a tiny bedroom for the first 13 years of her life. She was mentally disabled, and her abusive father kept her strapped to a chair, and beat her when she attempted to talk. She never gained linguistic skills and many Social Workers and Psychologists worked with her for a number of years in an attempt to socialize her, and teach her to talk. There's a documentary about her that's pretty easy to find online.

I learned this when I was taking a Sociology class in the context of Primary and Secondary Socialization as well as Deviance and Social Justice politics. I saw Genie as a metaphor for queer people who experience this delayed period of adolescence, so to speak, because they're too scared to express their true feelings or ideas. A lot of us, myself included, enter adulthood and the mainstream gay community and jump straight into unsafe situations and dysfunctional relationships because we deal with so much internalized shame and stigma. Overall, I think it's about how Queer and Radical Feminist Politics ultimately gave me the courage to assume the identity I wanted to in the context of gay culture.


LAK: What would you say your influences are? Both individually and as a group?

Ash: Some of my influences as a drummer are Janet Weiss from Sleater Kinney, Erin Tate from Minus the Bear, and Jason McGerr from Death Cab For Cutie. They all have such great style and I try to incorporate some of those styles in my own playing.

Evan: I think we do a really good job of bringing our influences together, but we have similar tastes a lot. Personally, I'd say one of my biggest influences as a front-person is Kathleen Hanna, hands down. I also love powerhouse, super energetic performers, so Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Beth Ditto, Klaus Nomi, Glenn Danzig, Aaron Behrens, people like that. Really Punk/Post-Punk, Hip-Hop, R'n'B, and Pop are my biggest performance influences.

Garrett: I’m more into atmospheric, shoegaze, dream scape-y stuff.


LAK: You guys have had a busy summer with lots of high profile gigs which included Seattle PrideFest, Portland's First Annual Queer Music Festival and most recently a show with Peaches at Neumo's (congrats on that by the way). How was all of that?

Evan: Thanks! All those shows were so fun to play. Pride was really wonderful, and Portland was one of my favorite audiences so far. So much energy, and a great festival.

Ash: Peaches was an amazing show!


LAK: Do you consider yourself a "queer" band?

Evan: I feel like I would. I think it's important to be open and honest about that, if anything to present visibility. I feel like sometimes gay or queer artists shy away from talking too much about their sexuality or politics, and I think that now more than ever we really need to be open about who we are, and the values that are important to us as a community. Also, no one in the band is straight.

Garrett: We joke about our homo pure-bred ness. It ain't a melting pot up in here!


LAK: Where do you see things headed in the Seattle music scene?

Evan: There's a lot of fantastic Pop music happening right now, and the Punk scene is still going really strong. Something I'm really stoked on is Seattle Hip-Hop, I honestly think that's going to be one of the next big musical exports. The queer dance and DJ scene is starting to blow up, so I can't complain. I sometimes wish that there would be more mixing of genres and audiences, but it's starting to happen.

Garrett: Nightmare Fortress is my current favorite band, they are melodic slightly epic atmospheric goth, right up my alley. And you can dance to it.


LAK: What's next on the agenda for Secret Shoppers?

SS: We're gearing up to record our first official EP, which we'll release with some cool merch we're in the process of designing. We want to continue to play great shows locally, and outside of Seattle more. Start thinking nationally. We have some exciting opportunities we are starting to sort out.


LAK: What would your dream bill to play on look like?

Evan: The Peaches show was kind of a dream bill. More like that would be fab.

Garrett: I just had dinner with Fred Schneider of the B-52s at Queen Sheba on Capitol Hill, then took him to Pony (where else?) to meet Evan. He was the sweetest old southern belle ever, we both did a relatively good job at playing it cool and not falling out of our fucking seats. Though we both had B-52's riffs and funny vocal phrases running through our heads all while hanging out with him. Especially when he started talking about his giant station wagon he drove to do meals on wheels in his youth, it reminded me of the car that's as big as whale that seats about 20. He jokingly remarked about me drinking champagne and adderall after I was talking about my champagne and Aperol drink, it sounded like the lyric to a song. I have not come down from the whole experience and certainly that would be another dream bill.

Want more goodness from Secret Shoppers? Check out these HOT videos:






Sigh.

XXX


L.A.K.

Remembering 9/11

You know, on the morning of 9/11 I was sleeping over at an ex girlfriends house. We had gone on a date the night before. She was trying to get me to begin dating her again. well, you see, no one liked this girl. None of my friends anyway. So I kept the date real hush hush. Ignoring my when anybody called(yes, this was back in the days of pagers). I stayed over at her place thinking I was going to get lucky (I didn't). It was an uneventful night.

It was super early in the morning and my pager started blowing up. It was the same number. My home number. My roommate, Ginger Vaughn, was trying to get a hold of me. Desperately judging by the amount of paging happening. I thought for sure I was in trouble for having gone on this secret date. After avoiding it for a while, I decided to grab a phone and call her up, bracing myself for the lecture that lay ahead.

When Ginger answered the phone she cut right to the chase. "We're under attack". "Where are you?" "I'm coming to get you right now" ...and she did. Once she picked me up, she filled me in. My friend Pat had called (she lives on the East Coast) and woken everyone up in my house. Let everyone know about the first place that had flown into the World Trade Center.

Needless to say, the rest of the day was spent in front of the TV - self medicating- crying our eyes out. If ever I needed to be afraid of flying more than I already was, bam, there was another reason. How did the people in those planes feel knowing they were flying into their deaths? How did the people in those building feel, all in a panic trying to recreate exit strategies that had never been covered in their fire drills. What about all those police and firemen that rushed in, never to come out again? I haven't shed that many tears since that day.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It's crazy to think it's been a decade. Even more bananas to think about all the things that have happened since - economic collapse, war for wmd's that never existed, another war, the kill and capture of Saddam Hussein, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama's election, uprisings in many Arab states, more terrorist attacks, the death of Osama Bin Laden, the Tea Party.

In my own life I have a 10 year old boy who was born 17 days before 9/11. His world will always be a post 9/11 world. I worry about what he will be taught about that day. I worry that he'll get some glossed over version of the truth. I worry that it won't be discussed at all. I worry that some religious extremist will teach him to hate Muslims. I worry that the truth will never be told. I worry that for some people, oil is more important than his precious life.

It's been 10 years and I am not sure what we've learned. We have a nominee for president that got more applause for his massive record on execution in his state. What could we have possibly learned?

Oh USA. How conflicted you make me feel sometimes.

XXX


L.A.K.

Another Installment Of Lezbro! Get At It!

The August installment of Lezbro was an absolute blast! It was Madonna's birthday month and dammit, we set out to celebrate it! We had multiple performers cancel due to illness or emergency, but I still belted out a cover of Burning Up that I've been practicing for since I was 11! We played NOTHING BUT MADONNA. All night long. After a few minor complaints early on about "too much Madonna", we had the dance floor packed and jammin'. Big ups to Tony Burns for that outrageous catalog of music (Dude, you're a bigger Madge freak than I could ever hope to be and that's saying something). The dance floor was full of people, some of whom had donned their Madonna themed garb to take advantage of getting in free. Bless all of those people's hearts. It was a sight to behold!

It's now September, and that means another 2nd Friday, and another installment of Lezbro. Check out the details from this month's press release:

LEZBRO
Featuring special guests: Lili Delight & EmpeROAR Fabulous
Friday, September 9, 2011
@ The Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St, Seattle, WA, 98122)
9PM – 2AM $5 Cover CHEAP ASS DRINK SPECIALS!
... 21 + W/ID

Last month was SO MUCH FUN! Everyone came out and gave it up for the material girl! This month, LEZBRO continues, Friday, September 9th at The Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St., Seattle). LEZBRO is the lovechild of DJ’s LA Kendall and Tony Burns. This night for fag hags (ladies that love themselves some gay boys), dyke tykes (guys that pal around with ladies who love ladies) & fruit-flies (straight people that like to hang with the queers) has become quite a happening and the antithesis of what you normally see at The Wildrose! COME AS YOU ARE! As always, the dance floor will be flooded with all kinds of party jams!

This months special guests include Lili Delight & EmpeROAR Fabulous! That Latina spitfire, Lili Delight will surely mesmerize with her sultry moves! The “Exposing Composer”, EmpeROAR Fabulous, promises a jaw dropping expose! Resident DJ’s L.A. Kendall, and Tony Burns will provide the partyrockin’ soundtrack!

The Wildrose also offers super economical (and by that, we mean CHEAP) cover charge – a mere $5, as well as some incredibly unbelievable drink specials (varies from night to night). This makes Lezbro hard to pass up! So come early for your pre-funk, stumble in late for your wrap-up, or stay all night and don’t miss a thing – but GET THERE! Lezbro….LET’S GO!

Come out tomorrow night and see what all the fuss is about!

XXX


L.A.K.

VAIN BLAZES A TRAIL TO THE WEST!

VAIN, one of my favorite places in Seattle, is opening yet another location! This time, in West Seattle. Evidently, owner and founder Victoria Gentry has found the perfect spot. I received this friendly group e mail from her a few days ago:

Hello Friends!

I wanted to make sure you heard it here first. It's official VAIN is opening a third location. I found a fantastic space right in the heart of the Alaska Junction in West Seattle. For those familiar it is the space the liquor store is moving out of right off of the free parking lot. (yup free!) This location will have a stronger retail focus in keeping with the needs of the neighborhood. Both in the salon and behind the register there will be some familiar VAIN superstars. We will also be hiring on some fresh talent so please spread the word.

The building will be undergoing a major rehab in the next few weeks. We will be starting work on our portion of the building starting October 1st with the goal of being open winter-ish.

As a resident and huge fan of West Seattle I am excited for the opportunity to join such an active community! There are so many great businesses, community activists and fun neighborhood happenings, I look forward to bringing what we can to the mix. If you want more check out the attached press release. I will send more details as it all comes together.

Onward!
Victoria

I for one can't wait to see what this new location boasts! In keeping with the fierce VAIN tradition, you can bet it's going to be stellar! CAN. NOT. WAIT. for more details on this!

To indulge yourself in all things VAIN, click here! I highly recommend!

XXX


L.A.K.

Hard Times Teaser

Well, September is here and that means that the little elves behind Hard Times Press, of which I am one, have been hard at work on the next issue - due out later this month! A Few weeks back we had a lovely photoshoot with Jinkx Monsoon, Debora Spencer, a slew of hot boys, and some of the Hard Times crew. It was an amazing time! We got some great shots, and we polished off 4 bottles of champagne, 2 bottles of white and 2 bottles of red wine. Proof that things went well! Right?!?!

One of the wonderful things about this shoot was that Debora Spencer hosted it at her personal studio. Which happened to be in the 619 Western Building (in Pioneer Square). Coincidentally, it was also her last week at the studio.

The entire building is scheduled to be demolished as a part of the Viaduct project. A lot of the tenants were moving thier things out as we were loading in for our shoot. The 619 Western Building is an historic building that has played host to so much urban culture in this city (I myself have attended so many after hours parties, and many artwalks in the space). It's a sad loss, but I feel really proud that our shoot was one of the last things Debora did in her studio there.




Here are some other pictures from the shoot:















David Richey & Debora Spencer on the ladder lookin' at some pre shots....






Craft services. Because it's important to keep everyone happy during a long shoot. Booze and snacks always helps!

















The Ginger Girl. Transfixed by the scene unfolding in front of her.

You are probably wondering where the pictures are from the shoot, right? Well my friends, you are going to have to get your paws on a copy of the new issue of Hard Times Press, due out later this month. We gotta keep some stuff secret! In addition to featuring photos from this shoot we have some incredible people involved in this next issue! Stay tuned for more details on when the launch party is happening, where it's happening, and what we have in store for you (LOTS of incredible surprises!).

XXX


L.A.K.

DJ Skiddle Sits Down With Alex Garcia Of The Social!

My good pal DJ Skiddle turned in this guest interview spot for my blog! He gets the scoop on The Social, and one of the men behind the much buzzed about venue, Alex Garcia. Read all about it!



DJS: Alex, thanks for taking the time to tell us about your bar! For those of you that may not be entangled in the Capitol Hill grapevine, Alex Garcia is a co-owners of Seattle's soon-to-be newest nightclub, The Social. Let's talk about you and The Social a little. What inspired
you to open a club on Capitol Hill?

AG: Well I really enjoy social media, being around a bunch of people and the lgbt nightlife so this was an opportunity to bring all the things I love together under one project.

DJS: You've quickly become a key player in the Gay Nightlife scene over the year, throwing parties as Ruckus Seattle (with Shanon Thorson, another co-owner of The Social) in venues like Grim's, Rosebud, Purr, Baltic Room, the list goes on. You also have pulled together some insanely fun bar crawls and private events. Why did you start throwing parties?

AG: I absolutely love to see people laugh, make new friends and have a good time. It's also an opportunity to help businesses out and introduce people to places they might not typically venture out to.

DJS: Do you think you'll continue to do parties around Seattle after The Social opens?

AG: Yup, I plan to continue to throw random parties at new and interesting venues.

DJS: Tell us about your bar. I've heard it's going to be a huge space. What's the aesthetic of The Social?

AG: The Social is inspired by my favorite nightclubs, Splash (NYC), 560 (Vancouver BC) and The Abbey(LA). The dance floor is inspired by Splash and 560, the size with the various rooms is definitly inspired by 560 and the lounge feel from The Abbey. It's going to be a lot of fun bringing all my favorite things together in one bar/club

DJS: I've heard rumors about a few state-of-the-art features The Social will be the first to bring to the Seattle. iPads for drink ordering? Liquid oxygen cannons? Any juicy details you can divulge?

AG: Well, alot of that is still in the works and we'll have some surprises but we will be one of the first to have an integrated ipad ordering system, we plan to have huge projectors to make it easier to interact with the bar both via facebook and twitter and well have an awesome smartphone app that will leverage several apps from instagram to facebook. On top of that we have some top secret stuff we are working on that is more on the tech side. :)

DJS: Thanks for your time, Alex! We're all excited to see your new addition to Seattle's LGBTQ Nightlife. If you want to experience a taste of Alex's party-throwing abilities, check out the Rosebud on Mondays for the "Young, Gay, and Working It" Meetups or The Baltic Room on Thursdays for Threesome Thursdays. Both events are free every week and have massive drinks specials and DJ's.



For more on DJ Skiddle or The Social, click on their names above!

XXX


L.A.K.