Gay Place
The Gay Place celebrates the gayest SXSW ever
By Kate X Messer, Fri., March 19, 2010
WELCOME TO TEXXXAS, YOU DELIGHTFUL FAG-A-TRONS! Welcome to Austin! Is it gay, or is it me? This year is nuts. 2010: Who put the queer juice in the Ozarka bottle over at the South by Southwest office this year? And, gosh, every place else. Seriously. This is my two-decade mark for SXSW attendance, and I can say with conviction that I have never before seen a queerer South by. You want more? Check this column in each of the dailies, and look up our online resources:
For the Gay Place Blog, see austinchronicle.com/gayplaceblog.
For additional event listings, see austinchronicle.com/gayplace.
And to interact directly with us (Share! Your queer gossip! Info on upcoming events! And tiddy li'l tidbits!), e-mail us at [email protected].
All events listed are for tonight, Thursday, March 18, unless otherwise noted.
RADIATING BEARITUDE On Tuesday, at my other mediating gig, co-hosting over at KOOP 91.7FM's OutCast (www.outcastaustin.com), Bear Nation director Malcolm Ingram and local soul hottie Nakia appeared as guests. In the same room. Smells like bear heaven. Grrrrr. So, in honor of all this, I'd like to share something special: I can bearly contain my thrill at printing this additional snippet of my interview with Ingram in last week's SXSW Film issue, (see "Country Bear Jamboree," Screens, March 12):
MORE ON BOB MOULD (DJ AT BEAR NATION PAR-TAY)
photo courtesy Amy Cook/Gay Place archives (Photo courtesy of Amy Cook/Gay Place archives)
Malcolm Ingram: Are you a fan of Bob Mould or ....
Austin Chronicle: Who me? Yeah. You know when I was 20, 21, I made a shirt. I took a Q-tip with bleach on a blue shirt and painted Hüsker Dü on it. I traveled all around Florida to follow their tours; oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
MI: Want to hear something weird? I actually made one of those shirts, too, but mine said: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. I swear to god. When I was like 16, I took this old Ron Jon shirt that I had, and in bleach I wrote, "Beyond the Valley," and then on the back, "Of the Dolls." I cut off one of the sleeves and sewed on a dress-shirt sleeve. It was the dumbest shirt ever, but I loved it. I had good queer sensibility when I was young, or I was just kind of insane. I don't know.
SPEAKING OF BEARS KOOP's OutCast was not the only place I ran into (and hugged ... and jumped on ...) Nakia. I ran into him all right, but totally missed his slot on the KGSR live morning broadcast from the Four Seasons. Boo! Don't be like me. Go see this badass belting bear-itone at his official SXSW showcase, tonight. 8pm. Bethell Hall, St. David's, 301 E. Eighth. www.nakia.net.
SPEAKING OF FOUR SEASONS Dang, that's a nice setup in that there hotel lobby. Another great hotel gig is down South Congress. And we don't mind any excuse to mention the smoky sensuality of Austin's own Amy Cook. The silver lining to missing Nakia at the KGSR thang was catching this other certain bit of loveliness. Holy smoky. Ethereal and earthy all at once, whoa. Now, we've always dug Amy's bag, but her new slab, Let the Light In (dropping April 6), is one giant evolutionary leap forward. Tomorrow, Friday, March 19, 8pm. Parking lot of Hotel San José & Jo's Coffee, 1316 S. Congress, 444-7322. Free. www.amycook.com.
BEND YOUR OWN DAMN COMPASS Come support queers of the local (and some not so local) bent: Austin's Bent Compass Party, featuring Avi Wisnia, Tribella, Benko, Julie Nolan & Telling Stories, and Alli Reece. 8pm. Rain on 4th, 217-B W. Fourth, 494-1150. Free. www.rainon4th.com, www.myspace.com/aviwisniapresents.
MUNDI/BUST FEST WITH SANDRA BERNHARD Those lips! That laugh! You had us at "Madonna." Also featuring White Widow, Kiss Kiss, Outernational, and more. Noon. Cafe Mundi, 1704 E. Fifth, 236-8634. Free. www.sandrabernhard.com.
WHERE MY SHONDES AT??? Some nice, sweet, talented, outspoken, righteous kids your bubbie would love. Part of the A Band and a Blog 2 day party. 11am. Club Primo's, 1700 E. Sixth, 801-3892. www.shondes.com.
CHARLIE'S GRILL: YUM Austin's gay club right next to the Capitol dome is open for lunch every weekday, now serving Katz's Deli (except for here, they do "klose"). Come have dinner with family. Mon.-Fri., 11am-2pm. Charlie's Austin, 1301 Lavaca, 474-6481. www.charliesaustin.com.
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