In other magazine news, NYC gay bar rag HX magazine (and the HX website) was sold due to the financial instability of parent company HX Media. The new owners of HX will make a statement about their plans for the publication/website soon.
I never really read Vibe, but I was a devout reader of HX Magazine. When I started visiting NYC (from PA), the FIRST thing I tried to do was locate a copy of HX so I could find out what was happening in the club scene. HX started out as a pamphlet (called "Homo Xtra") as a way for party promoter Mark Berkley (and his business partner Matthew Bank) to promote parties at Limelight and other clubs. Soon Homo Xtra added listings for other gay clubs/bars and various places of interest, becoming HX - a must-read for club-loving gays (like me at the time).
With the popularity of the internet, do magazines stand a chance anymore? What magazines do you guys subscribe to and/or read? I think I only subscribe to Vanity Fair now ...
Please help me wish go-go dancer James a very happy birthday today. You can go HERE and read more about James - my first "husband", and one of the first Papis to be featured on DavidDust (back when no one was reading but me!).
I am CLUELESS when it comes to music. I like the music I grew up with (from the 80's), the house music I danced to in the clubs (from the 90's), and some of the Top 40 that's on the radio now - and that's about it. Hell, I only recently stopped listening to cassettes, and I still have no idea how an IPOD works.
On the other hand, My friend (and Dust Bunny) Howard is extremely knowledgeable about a wide variety of music. Howard has also proven to be an excellent blogger/writer with his own blog - Soundtrack to my Day.
Therefore, I would like you to help me welcome Howard as the official Music Editor of DavidDust. However, when welcoming him, please do not let Howard know that the title of "DavidDust Music Editor" will most definitely not get him access to the Grammys, The American Music Awards, or even the annual Polka Music Awards. In fact, if I were Howard, I wouldn't mention it at all for fear of open ridicule and/or damage to his credit rating.
But in all seriousness, please take a look at Howard's first "Music Notes" post - where he tells us about Gene Dante and the Future Starlets...
Gene Dante And The Future Starlets - by Howard
Gene Dante and the Future Starlets are set to release their first CD, The Romantic Lead. The band came together in 2007, formed around the talents of lead singer Gene Dante. He is not only the nucleus of the band, but also the songwriter behind the endeavor. Lyrically, the song is smart and real.
The music is definitely current, but presented with a definite nod to the past. On the first single, A Madness to his Method, Dante's vocals harken to those of David Bowie, circa Thin White Duke era, crooning in that over-the-top style, but they are layered over music that is very now. His performance style seems an homage to Freddie Mercury, an in your face confidence which exudes, unlike the Thin White Duke's aloof coolness. He is no reluctant frontman, that is for sure.
A Madness To His Method, the first video release, is an anthem for the ages, the outcast giving the finger to the world. 'There is nothing in this brave new world wrong with me,' the chorus tells us, while be watch a young man apply makeup to his flawless skin. Dante himself is singing in the video in a tuxedo and full warpaint, eyes well painted and his lips a deep red, even while his bow tie dangles and the collar lays open. He's not diseased, not broken, just different. 'I am gorgeous, I am finally free,' he tells us, not letting society hold him down.
There is also C Star, which starts with a scorching guitar lick reminiscent of the pop rock of the 80s and Pat Benatar, only followed with the voice of Bowie and the phrasing of Lou Reed. This song would be toying with an 'X' rating, but the intelligence and humor might deliver the 'R.' The video, however, is not safe for most office situations, but well worth a look once you get home. Click HERE to see it.
The Young Starlets are comprised of drummer Tamora Gooding, bassist Jim Collins, and guitarist Scott Patalano. You can find out more about Gene Dante and the Future Starlets at their website.
Thanks Howard, for that excellent review. If you are a music lover - please start following Howard's blog - Soundtrack To My Day. And while you're over there, congratulate him on earning the EXTREMELY PRESTIGIOUS title of DavidDust Music Editor. Or not...
If you like your men big, hairy, and daddy-ish - please start following Dust Bunny Behrmark's blog - Behr Blather. These pictures are a sample of what you will find.
Fort Worth's Rainbow Lounge was raided by police on the EXACT 40th anniversary of the initial raid on the Stonewall Inn in NYC (June 28). Many of the Rainbow Lounge Patrons were rounded up and charged with "public intoxication" - and some experienced excessive force from police. From Daily Kos, a dancer from the bar recalls:
I was one of the dance entertainers last night at Rainbow Lounge. I was dancing on a box in the VIP lounge and was looking right at the first guy that was arrested. The male patron was standing at the bar doing nothing but having a having a drink and a fun time (like people do in bars) when an officer entered that section of the club and made a beeline straight towards him. The officer forcefully spun the man around, shoved him against the bar and placed plastic restraints on his wrists. The officer then marched the man out the club. The guy was stunned and obviously really scared.
I then noticed another officer in the VIP section and several other officers filtering into the club. I made the decision at that point to go ahead and get dressed in case they were going to start arresting everyone in the entire place.
When I got inside the dressing room there were other dancers already in there getting dressed. They were panicking and saying that this is not something they have ever had to deal dancing in Dallas.I got dressed and walked out the door and saw that several more officers had made their way into the club. I went into sort of a surreal haze at that moment. I was so disturbed and saddened because it occurred to me in that moment that being after midnight, it was actually the exact same day as the Stonewall Riots. I just couldn’t believe what was happening.
I was still standing near the entrance to the VIP lounge with a friend when an officer approached a man standing there. The man had water in his hand. The officer asked him how much he had had to drink and the man said that he didn’t have to answer that. The officer then said that he was going to arrest him for public intoxication. The man said,"You can’t do that I am just standing here right now drinking water." At the time the officer shoved the man over towards the wall near the dressing room and then back to the rear wall near the men’s restroom, then down onto the floor. Several other officers, made their way back there to hold that ONE MAN down on the ground as they placed restraints on him. At the time I noticed that all of them did not have FWPD uniforms on. Some of them were actually State Police.
There is now a Facebook Group dedicated to discussing the raid. Here is their group summary:
Last night around 1 a.m., on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the Fort Worth Police Department raided the Rainbow Lounge and began randomly handcuffing and arresting patrons and shoving anyone who dared to ask why. It was a sobering reminder that on this pinnacle date in the history of gay rights, we still have a very long way to go. I created this group to give folks a chance to discuss it, share stories, pictures, etc.
Apparently eighteen people were arrested and one was actually hospitalized. It's things like this that remind us that we still have a long ways to go toward equality.
My dear 'sister', the Mistress Maddie, recently dined at a fabulous Arby's restaurant and sent me this adorable picture. That's the newest member of the family in Maddie's arms - Buster.
If I remember correctly, "Please Drive Thru" WAS Maddie's motto back when we were young blonde Twinks ...
The NYC Pride March was fantastic! The weather was great, the crowds were upbeat, and the floats and marchers were fun and entertaining. Here are some of the many diverse groups that marched.
