These two guys are at the top of their game.

Interview: Zodiac Cartel and Lee Coombs @ LovEvolution | Jungo Road: Techfunk, Fidget House, Glitch, Breakbeat.

Jungo Road is also going to be covering the San Francisco LovEvolution festival this coming weekend. Video, pics, interviews and things like that.

That changed this past weekend.

For the event, I put together a look that was a fetish geisha rubber dominatrix. I wore black leather boots what went almost to my knee, had 1.5″ platform and 6″ heels. A rubber corset with Japanese style flowers and bamboo on it. Fishnet hose. A rubber miniskirt. Makeup. And a geisha style wig.

Clck + Drag was wonderful; filled with engaging, fun, creative freaks in all their glory. I arrived abot 1am. Jessica Rabbit Domination and Hattie were working the door. I lost my ticket somewhere so coughed up some more dough; they were nice to give me a door discount. I handed off my coat and started back up to the main space. On the way, I met MaKi* who took this great shot of me. Thank you MaKi*! When I entered the main space, I was pummeled with Sammy Jo’s music; who by the way was wearing a rubber tuxedo. It was techy-deep-funked out bliss. People everywhere.

I was immediately approached by a woman. She said her name was Lucille and that she was waiting for me all night. I had never met her before but immediately I liked her. She was in proper high-end mature goth garments and beautiful. I invited her to have a drink with me; she wanted white wine. We went over to the bar hand in hand. Shortly after I ordered, an older gentleman came over and said he had to leave. I said to him, “So soon?” He said yes and left. I didn’t know him. And then Lucille said she had to go with him. I said goodnight and told the bartender she didn’t need that wine anymore.

I met my friends Julio, Ryan, and Blue on the dance floor. By then, both of them had stripped off some clothing. Julio to pants. Ryan to a jock strap. There was a faint smell of poppers and then suddenly I found them at my face. I ducked to avoid; I personally don’t like them. We were talking of outfits, or lack thereof, when Abby Ehmann appeared.

I love Abby. I’m slowly getting to know her and its a delight. She was one of the originators of the original Click + Drag years ago. She was also a Burning Man regional for the New York City area recently. She’s got a good soul, creative spirit, and a megawatt smile. She’s also a master of smut. We gabbed on about the night, the nightlife scene in New York, and how she thinks I’m the perfect mix of west coast, gay, Burning Man, and New York. I like to think so, even if it makes me quadpolar.

Soon after, the Pixie Harlots performed. I have two friends (and others I’m getting to know) in the troupe. Darrell Thorne was front and center holding fire and slowly gyrating while wearing a horned headdress. Machine Dazzle appeared later in a skirt made of football shoulder guards and a welders helmet; all of it sequined and mirrored. All of it. The Harlots’ performance was perfection. The Village Voice captured many pictures from the night. I’m in picture 34 with my friends Ryan and Blue.

And then (hang with me), Sammy Jo segued off the turntables and Xris Smack took over. Xris played a darker more industrial sound. I hadn’t heard that sound since my twenties in Atlanta dancing at the Millhouse with Angela. It consumed me and I was in dark dancing heaven.

And then (so much more to come), a tall woman named Jennifer appeared. She asked me if I thought I was the tallest person in the room; taller than she. We checked and I was maybe an inch or two taller. We were both wearing high heels. (Side note: my feet were killing me. It was my first time in heels.) She and I clucked on about everything from other outfits to the Harlots to laser hair removal.

Somewhere along the way, more glasses of Maker’s were consumed. I danced with a guy dressed head to toe in rubber with only a zipper open for his mouth, three small holes for his eyes and nose, and rubber port to piss. I caught up Machine. Complimented Rob Roth on his projection visuals. Exchanged compliments with another woman in Asian garb. Teased and was teased by Leo because his boyfriend/my friend, Blue, and I are his wet dream. Ran into

Slowly, we moved downstairs where Sammy Jo had started playing music again. This time in pansexual dance classics like West End Girls, Rio, and others that all of us just smiled and smiled. I felt as if the music warmly embraced our pansexual (in my case, gay) dance asses.

Sometime around 5 am, I and my feet were done. I gave kisses to all, hugs to some, and a grope or two. It was a fantastic night. It would have been great to experience the actual event back in the late 90s, but time has passed along with nightlife culture. New York is not the same as it was back then. Its a little sad. But we do have some groups, like the friends and family of Mother NYC and the Jackie Factory that march forward creative rich nightlife. I bow to them and give my greatest thanks! I also thank New York City for which there is no other place that Click + Drag could occur.

My friends at Mr. Black and Tubway launch a new saturday night party “The Church Sessions” starting this Saturday 15 March 2008.

Expect the spirit and energy of Mr. Black combined with the serious house, soulful, sexy, banging beats (on up to four turntables at once) of the Tubway family. As Edina from Ab Fab said, “Names…names…names!” Many kick-ass people are involved in this to make it a party…to make it a new statement on the New York City nightlife scene.

Go go go! I’ll also be there with bells on. This Saturday night, 150 Varick @ Vandam in New York City. $10 before 2am, $15 after.

Much of today was rest and zoning out. As it got later in the afternoon, my head cleared and I decided to venture out for Low Life at the Howl! Festival. The festival is named in honor of the groundbreaking poem Howl! by Allen Ginsberg and produced every summer. It celebrates the East Village and Lower East Side’s role as a preeminent locus of culture.

I first saw Miz Metro, The Trashion Dancers, and Room 404 Media. Her voice reminded me of Gwen Stefani’s “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.”. 404 did visual media alongside the other two on stage. The dancers were doing very athletic movements and were obviously having a lot of fun.

The highlight for me was Low Life. Its a production at this year’s festival done by the Jackie Factory crew. They are most famous for the JACKIE 60 party throughout the 90s. It ran for 10 years, had over 550 themed weekly editions of JACKIE 60 and ended on top. I made the opportunity to go to one in, I think, 1996 with the theme being the french fetish photographer “Molaire”. I could have the name wrong; its 11 years ago. Someday, I document the hilarious and wonderful story of the tues of the Jackie 60 party starting with me calling a telephone number to get the theme. Meanwhile, if you see me in person, ask me and I’ll gladly tell you the story in person.

Low Life was fun. Easily 150 people were in the audience and included nightlife luminaries from 90s and today. I saw my friends Spot, Desi, and Brendan. Johny Dynell was upstage overseeing everything. Hattie Hathaway and Paul Alexander were MCs. I stayed for the first part of the show and saw the following performers: Dirty Martini, Sweetie, Trina Rose, Miss Delirium Tremens, Acid Betty, Robert La Fossee w/ his Broadway B’Hoyz, and Voltaire.

About 6:30pm, I left to head down to Battery Park. The River to River festival is still going and tonight the Joyce Theater and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council present the Paul Taylor Dance Company; one of the best dance troupes in New York! A borrowed summary from a River to River press release:

Tonight features the work of one of modern dance’s most celebrated artists with over 50 years of dance-making. Audiences will have the opportunity to see one of The Joyce’s 25th Anniversary Commissions with the New York premiere of De Sueños (“Of Dreams”), a surrealistic dreamscape referencing Mexican culture and folklore as the Day of the Dead and the Deer Dance. In Polaris (1976), the choreography of the first section is repeated step for step in the second, but performed by different dancers, to different music and with different lighting – the results are fascinating. The program is completed by Company B (1991), set to hits of the Andrews Sisters, is a distillation of 1940s Americana tempered by the shadows of GIs dying in World War II.

I called my friend Paul, a modern dancer, to come join me. The performance was stellar. I got a great seat center stage maybe 12 “rows” back. It was lawn general admission so I couldn’t see the dancer’s feet, but the rest was clear. I got almost 400 pictures. A few are linked here, I’ll upload more later as I toss the poor ones.

After the performance I needed to decide whether to go to Blowoff or take a quick roundtrip ride on the Staten Island Ferry. I’m still not well and didn’t have the energy to go out to a late night party. So, Paul and I took the ferry ride. It was my first time on it. There are clear views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the New York skyline. I intend to visit Ellis Island soon so check for any Phurrough’s that came across the ocean. Its very likely the spelling will be wonky so it’ll be a hunt.

I did want to go to Blowoff tonight. My friend, Andy, was doing the PR for it. It was an alt-rock and electronic music show with Richard Morel and Bob Mould; they both host and DJ a musical smackdown featuring their meaty signature mix of indie rock, electro and house. So says my friend.

I remember Morel for his fantastic song “True (the Faggot Is You)” back in 1999. I heard it both in afterhour clubs and also got it on Deep Dish’s mix CD Yoshiesque from 2000; its towards the end of Disc 2. “True” is a great song with an echo-trippy funky sound as if you were dancing to it in a tunnel with a big smile on your face.

Later that night, I met my friend Peter for a cocktail party at his home. I was happy to also see Todd who flew in from Los Angeles. I know them both and they have become a long-distance couple with plans for Todd to move to New York City. I also met a few new friends at the party before we went out to Cielo.

Now, I knew ahead of time that Junior Vasquez was performing. I know his music style. And I know that I don’t like it. Vocal house w/ screeching divas, gay anthems, and the trancey-house sound that makes the gays go bump-bump in the night. But I wasn’t there for the music, instead for the friends and scene. For the scene, it was a good party and we all were having fun. I met The Legendary Father Chris, a longtime club denizen of New York since the 80s. He got me laughing more than once. Met a nice guy and woman out on the patio and spent some time lounging with them.

I went home probably 3am. I started out going the right direction, but found myself wandering in the West Village because of the architecture there and the look of the streets. So I became lost, but I didn’t care. Just kept wandering. Eventually, I hailed a cab and headed home.

Then…the club, Mr. Black’s, was raided. I was there. Saw the whole thing.

I was laughing with a friend. Music was good. It was dark. Then in a quick progression, the lights came one, the music stopped, and the people stopped socializing. Then I saw maybe nine guys and a woman all in dark clothing and NYPD vests moving through the crowd.

I’ve never been in a situation like this but I have had an education on how to deal with law enforcement from both my attorney and the Burning Man community’s documentation. I’m glad I did. While writing this, I also found good information on What to Do If You’re Stopped by the Police at the New York Civil Liberties Union. In short, stand up for your rights and don’t answer any questions other than provide your name and identification. Do not consent to a search; yet at the same time don’t resist to one. Law enforcement officers are specifically trained to ask leading questions which can lead to an arrest…even if you have done nothing wrong. It is their job to find or create evidence and situations that seem to demonstrate that people break laws.

Nothing wrong with this. Its not evil, it just is…and you have to deal with it. It’s just our imperfect system created by imperfect humans.

So while my friend was terrified, I was completely engaged and interested to watch the whole thing. Once an officer came over and warned us not to whisper (which we were not…we were talking at normal levels) because he said it would make them, the officers, paranoid. I did not change my behavior, we continued to talk. I considered walking up to an officer and asking them what I was trained to ask, “Am I being arrested or am I free to go?” But truthfully, I was far too interested and wanted to stand there and watch the whole spectacle.

So I did. I saw several escorted out in handcuffs: a host, a few patrons, even Sammie Jo, the fantastic DJ. Argh! Occasionally, the officers would point their flashlights and look at the floor; probably searching for drugs. I don’t know if they found anything or not.

I’ve heard first hand from senior police officers around the country that, “You can not protect someone from themselves. Suicide prevention and the war on drugs are both a lost cause.” An officer can get in between two people to stop a fight, but they can’t get “in between” a person that wants to use drugs. Or stop anyone from committing suicide. So regardless if these NYPD officers found anything, it is futile. They are instead, going through the motions doing their blind-to-the-results enforcement job. Its hard to fault them for that. Now the legislature…they’re the ones at fault. They’re redirecting precious money at lost causes.

Back on topic though…eventually the officers started letting out five people at a time. I didn’t force my way. I wanted to watch. We waited as the crowd slowly moved towards the exit stairs and finally was allowed up.

Once at street level, I was put in a line and immediately they started searching me. No questions. No asking for permission. I immediately told them, “I do not consent to a search.” They said, “I don’t care, I’m doing one anyways.” I didn’t resist as that might be construed as illegal.

They put their hands in my pockets emptying them, searching the contents, and continued patted me down all over my body. I did nothing illegal and had nothing illegal on me. After the full search, an officer took me aside and told me to sit down on the ground. I did. He asked me how long I’ve been in New York City and why I’m here. I told him a few weeks and I was deciding if I want to live here. He then took an aggressive forceful position of questioning. They were leading questions intended to entrap me.

1. He asked me if I knew there is a limited time for me to be in New York without getting a New York license. I told him I’ve been instructed by council not to answer questions like that. He didn’t like that answer.
2. He asked did I know that is illegal to be in a location that is serving liquor past 4am. I said I hear you. He didn’t like that answer either.
3. He asked do I understand what he’s saying and am I going to answer the questions. I told him thank you for saying these things and I acknowledge that I hear them.

I neither agreed or disagreed with anything while speaking with him. I know that his job is to pressure people and get them to admit something; even if it is extorted, construed, contrived, or imagined. People say crazy things when they are being pressured in situations like that.

Oh…and any law which requires a person to be omniscient and able to know everything that is happening everywhere in a location (4am drinking) is just plain stupid. And if needed, I would take it to court. But in this case, the officer let me go on my way; a wise choice on his part.

So my friend and I walked home to the subway, talking of the experience and hoping the best for those taken out in handcuffs.

Lookout! Its the sunflower monster! Grrrrr!

The first few years of the Decibel Festival were influenced by this. Nothing wrong with that, it was natural for them. But something that an attendee should keep in mind. They are not neutral curators, instead biased performers with a good knowledge base about electronic music. You will continue to see a strong influence of that music style as well as performances by them or their close friends in the festival even this year.

I do praise for pulling the festival together. No one else was going to do it as the public Seattle electronic scene has been sputtering near death since 2001. Once the stock market bubble crashed and people didn’t have extra money anymore, the audience didn’t go out as much. Artists didn’t have as much money to buy equipment. Bars didn’t experiment or pay performers. And unfortunately, that event six years ago has still seriously dampened the scene in Seattle.

However, Seattle loves festivals. It makes people think they are getting a good “bang for their buck”. They’ll take off their Teva sandals, dust off their tennis shoes, and go to a bar to hear a fest-i-val! Weeee. Sometimes, festivals like Decibel pay off; sometimes not. In this case, they bring in artists rarely seen in the town of Seattle. They bring the couch potatoes out to listen to music that is not played on MTV, VH1, or commercial radio. They bring a glimmer of light.

The Decibel Festival lineup is available. Look it over. After hearing about their lineup announcements for months, here are my picks and cautions.

• Henry DB Art Gallery opening. Its electronic music in a modern art gallery. What’s not to love for $10. Lusine is performing and you can see “COLORFIELD VARIATIONS”.
• DB opening part/death of party w/ Diplo, Switch, and Simian Mobile Disco. $17 is pushing it.
• Beyond bookings/ NYC showcase. I’ve heard Wolf + Lamb in New York. Mostly minimal laptop tech, but its ok. Not worth the $20 though.
• Future Funk Showcase. Its got another live set by Jacob London. I love these guys and deserve support. Its worth the $12. DJ Heather is also performing but she’s not my fav anymore.
• Sunday headfuk showcase/db finale has Chris De Luca of Funkstörung and Shitkatatpult’s Phon.o. I like both Funkstorung and Phon.o and recommend checking out their collaboration/batter here. The PR says, “…with a spirited live set of glitched out accapellas, booty bass and the filthiest break beats you’re likely to ever hear.” I’d pay the $20 just to hear what mayhem they might create
• Claude VonStroke is performing at the Mothership Label Showcase for $20. I think too much money but if you like his sound, check it out.