Haute Coature

Unexpected gifts can come with a fantastical night out in New York. At Vlada, Kyle (pictured above to the right of Nancy Nosecandy) brandished two from his visit to Barracuda just beforehand: fancy, expensive coats, both with rabbit fur. I can't remember the labels now; but I loved how Kyle kept referring to his coature all night. For example, at Vlada, when he was off to get another round, he asked, "Keep an eye on my coature, OK?" Walk, walk, fashion baby Kyle!


Of course, Kyle and Nancy were dancing and posing up a storm all night. So was I, apparently, from looking at the pictures from the night shot by Eric Halliwell (pictured below on either side of Demanda Dahling).

It was that kind of night. The crowd was feeling DJ Nita Aviance and fêting Ongina (pictured below left), who was there celebrating her birthday (whenever that may be).

I was certainly feeling the vodka--and was happy that three of my de la Blanca family members were there: Celso (pictured below right), Ricky, and Dallas DuBois (pictured below center with Kyle).

It seems that Celso and Jonté (pictured above left) were feeling the fur fantasy that Kyle's winter coat caller supplied him with. Kyle managed to lose one of the $200 gloves in his coat pockets. I managed to lose track of time when all of a sudden it was after 3:00 a.m. and Celso and I were still dancing away. We weren't sure where everyone was. We could see host Jackie Birdy (pictured below) off to the side. No matter. Celso and I headed out to Posh an then Urge to walk home after 4:30 a.m.

Excuse Her Beauty

"Anyone doing anything tonight," Kyle texted Monday night. (This is the Kyle that Geraldine Visco of the New York Press calls a "hunky club kid Kyle"). I say there's an open bar from 11:00-11:30 at Eastern Bloc (one of their stools is pictured above) for Sherry Vine's Big Sexyland party. We decide to meet there and then make our way to Barracuda for Peppermint's show and Miss-ter T-Boy DJ'ing. Kyle brought his friend Shane. The crowd at Eastern Bloc was dancing to Sherry's beats--she DJ's the night--and keeping the bartender busy. Between cuts, she came out to talk to Kyle and me. I told her again how much fun I'd had the night before at the Bar d'O reunion.


After a few rounds, we hopped in a cab. We didn't want to miss Peppermint (pictured above and below). We had plenty of time to make our way through all the people, grab our next round, and say hello to T-Boy. Peppermint's show was fantastical. She did her standards and danced up a storm. She even brought up a lesbian onstage for some play bondage (pictured below).


Peppermint also showed some footage from her new video, "Excuse My Beauty" (a still from that footage is below). She looked amazing in it. Can't wait for it to premiere!

After the show, T-Boy kept us dancing all night--even Peppermint. She rarely left the stage. Sometimes, when I'd look up past my cocktail, she was onstage with others. One guy played Omar to her Janet as Peppermint nailed the choreography for "If." 

Jonté came by to say hi to T-Boy. I told him again how much I liked his performance. Kyle (pictured below) and I had a few more rounds before he vanished off into the night. I knew he was leaving because he asked if he had his coat. Again, I managed to close out the bar. Peppermint, T-Boy, Jonté and I said our goodbyes outside.

Queens That Read Are the Best

"It's important to get your balls in every shot," I advised Demanda Dahling once I saw the extra Christmas cheer in her look. She chuckled, agreed, adjusted her wardrobe malfunction in the hallway mirrors by the bathrooms at Vandam. I didn't notice her, um, balls when I first saw her upstairs. I must have overlooked them due to my sensory overload. I was also trying to dance but not fall off of the glass table I was on.

Kenny Kenny (pictured above, with DivaSteve in the foreground above right) was cutting a rug before Jonté (pictured below) showed everyone how it's done.

Celso and Jordan Fox (pictured with Celso and alone below) were giving good face.



And I was sweating up a storm downstairs well into the night morning, wishing the DJ would play more than the short vocal samples from Franklin Fuentes' "Tyler Moore Mary" and from Sweet P*ssy Pauline's notorious a cappella that he was featuring. I wanted to flit to some Queen's English like José and Luis tell it, tell it, tell it.

It was getting late so my crew and I headed over to Arrow Bar to see Drew Zailen. We wanted to close out the night East Village style, with cheap drinks in a cozy dive bar. Of course, we couldn't go home until we chased those drinks with a 5:00 a.m. diner meal, something to help absorb the night. I had the veggie burger deluxe.

B*tch You Betta!

"If I didn't grab a promoter," Scott Anthony (pictured below right) told me once I pulled him up onto the table I was standing on, surveying the sea of people, "I wasn't sure I was going to get in." I'd seen Vandam's line when I peeked outside earlier. Now, I wasn't moving off this table because I wanted a good vantage of the back area where Jonté (pictured above) was soon to perform.

I'd popped down briefly to greet my de la Blanca sister Celso (pictured above left). It took me quite a while to squeeze my way back. Despite everyone's relative immobility, the crowd was happily grooving to DJ Johnny Dynell's set. Dirty Martini (pictured below) was not only shaking her money maker; she was shaking her money, too.

Kenny Kenny (pictured below) perched himself above the fray, near the DJ booth, to give everyone a gander of the fantasy he was serving that night.

But the entrée that night was Jonté. There was no room for dessert. His fantastical set showcased tracks from his upcoming CD that he was just promoting in Japan. Vandam doesn't have a proper stage; and Jonté is petite, even when sporting pumps. Still, amidst the hundreds of people and the wave of cell phones and cameras held above them recording the moment, Jonté popped. Most of us couldn't see his legwork--except when he broke into his standing splits, with his legs in a straight line perpendicular to the floor--but you could feel it. He moved so quickly and cleanly that I could barely get a shot in focus. Vocally, he was giving me Jamie Principle. Choreographically, I wanted an extended break with verses and background dancers to the side so that Jonté could rule the stage alone. The seemingly effortless poise he has deserves to be admired apart. Nevertheless, he had me gagging when he did a a little of a spaced-out version of Vanity 6's "Make Up." For the rest of the night, Jonté had me singing his cuts "Ya! Who?" and "B*tch You Betta" no matter what was actually playing up or downstairs.


I wasn't the only one left inspired. After the show, I made my way over to get some shots of the always c*ntational Jordan Fox (pictured below), who was working the hell out of her powdered wig look. Jordan said that tonight was a preview of the coming year, which she's going to amp up: "2010 isn't about hosting parties. It's about performing, like Jonté." I can't wait.