Folsom Street East 2009 Photos, Part 3

Finally getting around to post the third and final batch of photos I took at Folsom Street East in NYC on June 21. (Click to see part one and part two.)

Mr. New Jersey Leather 2009 on the left, and Mr. New Jersey Leather 2008 on the right.



I like the way this photo of singer/former porn star Fredrick Ford turned out.





Go-go bear Jonny Mack backstage.

I took a couple of different shots of the balloon arc at the fair's entrance of 10th Avenue and 28th Street.





And the end of this year's FSE. Soon it's back to the train station and go home.

Folsom Street East 2009 Photos, Part 2

Sorry for not posting anything since I put up the first batch of photos from FSE eight days ago, here is the second batch of photos I took at Folsom on June 21:

It was Tim Brough's idea to photograph me in front of a crane that was part of some construction work going on the block where FSE was held.

The pictures turned out pretty good!

The hat I'm wearing I got from the Nasty Pig store earlier that afternoon.



The participants of the Nasty Pig porn star pie-eating contest. The last one they had was 2 years ago but I had to miss that one because I had to catch my train. Fortunately I get to see it this time!

Chi Chi LaRue MCed the contest.

Of all the acts on Folsom's performance stage from that day, this contest drew the biggest crowd. More people will come if there's porn stars and pie!

The pie-eating contest was done in teams of two. One porn star had his butt smeared with some sort of cream pie while the other one...all I'll say is a picture is worth a thousand words. The one who did the best job of eating would be declared the winner.

L to R: Jonny Mack, ?, Ricky Sinz and Mike Dreyden.

Another account on what happened at FSE that day.

I will be posting a third and final batch of Folsom photos in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

Folsom Street East 2009 Photos, Part 1

I went to Folsom Street East in New York City on Sunday June 21. I almost didn't go because the weather reports didn't sound all that great, but in the end I grabbed an umbrella and took the train into the city, arriving there a little bit after 2:00 PM. Actually the weather didn't turn out all that bad, just a few brief rain storms that didn't last long. A brief stoll on the main gay strip on Eigth Avenue in Chelsea, and then to the street festival itself:



The first of four times it rained (briefly) that afternoon and evening.

Porn director Chi Chi La Rue was the emcee on the performance stage.

Drag queen Peppermint serving it up.





Chi Chi and friend.

Dance music artist Reina performs.

The rain came down for a second time while Reina was in the middle of singing "No One's Gonna Change You."

Reina gets some help from a friend. The rain went away shortly after that.

Current titleholders.

It started to rain again (#3) as the last of the titleholders went onstage. So those who didn't have umbrellas went scrambling for cover.

I guess that's a good point to say "to be continued." I will posting more FSE photos in a few days!

Amber doesn't believe in hate

This is the promo EPK video for the upcoming new single by Amber, which is "I Don't Believe In Hate (Drip Drop)." This video goes into the process on how the single was selected and recorded. There will also be a music video to this, which is supposed to come out later this month.

I've heard samples of "I Don't Believe In Hate" (which you can hear on her MySpace page) and they sound HOT. The vocal use of the "drip drop" reminds me of the "Li Da Di" scat-singing bits in her hit "Sexual." I can imagine the US dance outlets going crazy over this. The song was written by Kelly Mueller and was produced by her longtime producer Wolfram Dettki. There are remixes by Pathos V2 (the name Dettki uses for his remixes) and Yinon Yahel.

"I Don't Believe In Hate (Drip Drop)" will be internationally released on most digital store outlets on July 21. There will also be a limited edition five track physical CD, which you can order a personally autographed copy through her website (Perfect Beat will also be selling a limited amount of copies as well).

Philly Pride Photos, Part 2

When I left my previous post of the photos I took at the 2009 Philly gay Pride parade, I was telling about the truck that the Philadelphians MC were using breaking down around 8th and Walnut Streets.

This is after said truck broke down and half of the club's members deciding to stay with the truck until AAA arrived. So the other half continued on the parade route with smaller numbers than intended.





The people marching behind us were...

...the Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club.

Our club life brother John was one of the parade judges at the judging booth on Market Street between Sixth and Fifth.

The crowd on Market Street between Sixth and Fifth Streets.

Standing at Market and Sixth waiting for our turn to go by the judges' stand.

Presenting ourselves in front of the judges's booth.

Making our way to Penn's Landing.

We arrived at the entrance for the Pride Festival at Penn's Landing around 2:30 PM, but we decided to head back at the judges' stand for John and to check up on how the truck was back on 8th and Walnut instead of paying to go into the festival. (The festival turned to be well attended anyway.) So after checking up on the status of the truck, the rest of the group split up in different directions. I went back to the gayborhood where I had a bite to eat at Woody's, then half a hour at the Bike Stop, and then a stop at Giovanni's Room bookstore where I bought the latest issue of A Bear's Life magazine. (Doing my part to keep independent gay bookstores open!)

The I went to WOOF! Philly for about an hour or so before I took the train back home that evening. Here I am with Mid-Atlantic Leatherboy 2008 Stephen "boyshark" .

At WOOF! Philly with DJ Michael Decero.

Anyhow, I hope that your Pride turned out well!

"Jungle Jam" by Head Cheese

I've been a fan of "Jungle Jam," a wonderfully bizarre single that was released in late 1981 by the post-punk art school band from Philadelphia called Head Cheese. Described as an offbeat love song to their city (though 13th Street pretty much can no longer be described as "a jungle"), "Jungle Jam" was released as a 3-track 7" single on the Burn Potential Records label, which would be their only release. Head Cheese members Susan Ottaviano and Jade Lee, as well as the producer of that single, Ted Ottaviano (no relation), went on to form the synth-dance band Book of Love, which would have several dance hits in the later half of the 80's.

But I didn't realize that there was a video to this track until this morning--which I found posted onto Facebook thanks to Robert Drake! It was shot in 1982, consisting of all Center City art students. It pretty much takes lyrics of the verses quite literally (such as Susan leaving the hospital with a dead baby in a cassorole dish), and it has a black and white 1950's/60's horror movie vibe to it. Ah, the wonders you can find on YouTube.

Philly Pride Photos, Part 1

Sunday June 14 was the day of the Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade and Festival.

My club the Philadelphians MC marched in the parade. Overall we had a good time even though the pick-up truck we were using to carry the beverages and play the music broke down on 8th and Market streets. Half of the group stayed with the truck to wait for it to be picked up by AAA and the other half continued marching to Penn's Landing. Our captain gave an account of that in PGN.

Here I took some pictures:

Prepping up for the parade on 13th Street between Locust and Spruce.

Doing the "Gloucester Geese" dance move.

The parade route started at 13th and Walnut Streets.

Heading up on 11th Street.

Turning onto Market Street.

Just before the truck broke down.

Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2008 Scott Daddy and his boy Eryc.

I will post more photos from the parade and afterwards soon!