Hello Dear,

Well, there’s only one more week left of show biz and art for Aunt Vivian!

I’m shocked that there is only one week left of work for me this year. Hallelujah! 2011 has been amazing.

Just so you know, my Holiday show at The Abrons Arts Center closes this SATURDAY and my art Exhibition The Fall of the House of Whimsy at Participant, Inc comes down on SUNDAY. Then I’ll be celebrating the Winter Solstice upstate with some witch friends of mine and the birth of Jesus in Bucks County with my gay uncles!

Before I leave though, I wanted to let you know that I’ve produced a LIMITED EDITION VINYL version of my record, Dendrophile. It’s always been a dream to have my record on vinyl and my gallery, Participant, Inc, finally made it possible. THANK YOU PARTICIPANT!!!!!

I wanted to make it very special so I only had 150 pressed.  I will never make another version of this LP so get it while you can, kids. I also put a song on the LP which isn’t on the CD. It’s a beautiful version of Kris Kristofferson’s classic “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down”.

The LPs are hand-made, hand-signed, and numbered with a water-color self-portrait I painted on the cover. I’m so thrilled to have this beautifully packaged vinyl record that I love so much.

I hope you’ll like it too. It would make an awfully nice Holiday gift for yourself or for someone you love, don’t  you think? You can order it here on my website via paypal as long as they’re available and it will be shipped from the gallery.

Okay, I’m going to toddle off.  But before I do let me wish you a Blessed Holiday Season filled with love, light and…

Love,

Mx Bond Xoxoxoxox

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Hello Dearest,

It’s that time of year again!

My holiday show is opening this Wednesday at The Abrons and running through Dec 17.

http://support.henrystreet.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAC_PERF_mx_bond_austerity_measures

On Wednesday the 7th show up a little early for some complimentary wine and if you’re feeling festive meet me for a drink at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie St, betw Rivington and Delancey) immediately after the show and if you’re feeling REALLY festive come dancing with me after that to Woahmone at Von (3 Bleecker at Bowery)

This holiday season’s contractions will not only be felt within in the world wide economic meltdown but also by Mx Justin Vivian Bond, the Holy Mother of downtown performance. Get ready, cause once those contractions set in and Mx Bond’s creative juices start flowing that damned Holiday cheer is sure break loose and flood Wall Street, Grand Street and every other street in New York City with tidings of joyous political satire, original songs, some good old-fashioned Holiday chestnuts and a dash of flashy, trashy fun. This Holiday season Mx Bond will be joined by Musical director Lance Horne and a group of handsome musicians, dancers and maybe even a displaced political activist or two! Trans-form your Holiday season with interpretations of songs by Kate Bush, LCD Soundsystems, Sparklehorse and more by the artist The New Yorker called “The Best Cabaret Artist of this Generation!” Take a trip to the Abrons Art Center for Mx Bond’s Austerity Measures: A Snow Job for the Masses. You may be out a few bucks but there’ll be plenty of Holiday cheer!

Set and lighting by Ben Kato
production manager Ana Mari de Quesada

Also, Be sure to pop round to my gallery show!

Oct 30-Dec 18th. participant, inc. 253 Houston St, NYC
http://participantinc.org/

The Fall of the House of Whimsy

From October 30 – December 18, 2011, PARTICIPANT INC is proud to present
The Fall of the House of Whimsy, the first solo exhibition of Justin Vivian Bond,
including paintings, photographs, and installations incorporating elements of Bond’s
former Second Avenue loft, soon-to-be demolished. A piano, record player, couch, and
vanity, among other personal effects, create an intimate context for Bond’s delicate
pencil and watercolor portraits of friends, lovers, radical faeries. As well, it
serves as a space in which impromptu performances can occur. The scripted
environment of the exhibition is mirrored in Bond’s photographs of the former loft,
providing glimpses of life in this House of Whimsy. Unlike Bond’s solitary childhood
imaginings of it, this now placeless dreamhouse is populated by whimsical/subversive
figures rendered in Bond’s portraits.

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Hello Friends.

I am so excited to announce my first solo art exhibition which will open this Sunday at Participant, Inc. on East Houston Street in New York City from 7-9 pm.

Below is the press release for the show and many other related events. I apologize for not making this announcement a bit more personal but I’m working very hard to prepare the show as well as performing a series of concerts with the stellar Tiger Lillies at St. Ann’s Warehouse while getting ready for the opening night celebration at the gallery followed by the debut of my newest cabaret infraction “Mx Bond’s Low Double Standards” which will kick off a 6-week collaboration between my self and Thomas Bartlett on Sunday nights at the newly renovated Joe’s Pub through December 4th.

I’m so grateful to Lia Gangitano at Participant for giving me this opportunity to share my visual art with you and for the huge amount of work she’s done to make this show possible.

Samhain Blessings and much love,

Mx Bond

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An Open Letter to Heterosexual Americans:

On Sunday, September 18, 2011, Jamey Rodemeyer took his own life at the age
of fourteen. Earlier this year he had participated in the It Gets Better Project, but
just a week before the suicide, he wrote “I always say how bullied I am, but no
one listens. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?” It didn’t get better
for Jamey, and he’s not alone. While the focus of many anti-bullying campaigns
has been to empower LGBTQ youth and create community around them, I think
it’s time for ALL Americans to make it better.
In my early teens, much before I became comfortable with my gender and
sexual identity, I found myself being bullied. Because I was young, confused,
and vulnerable, I found it very difficult to defend myself, so I know the important
role courageous peers and responsible adults play when facing down bullies.
When we are reminded of the vicious behavior of some children toward those
considered different, we “different” adults see it as our responsibility to respond
with education, therapy, hotlines, and activism. But what is needed to create real
change is real action on the part of our heterosexual citizenry. After all, these
are your children who are driving other kids to suicide. Where are they learning
that it’s “okay to hate”? In part, young people are learning that it's "okay to hate"
by pushing boundaries and getting away with it. Isn't that what young people
do —test boundaries? Why are they forbidden to chew gum in class yet they are
allowed to torture their LGBTQ classmates? We've come to an understanding
that smoking should not be allowed and have given teachers the moral authority
to stop it; we’ve made it illegal to sell cigarettes to minors because we recognize
that it’s harmful to their health. But the number of deaths from LGBTQ bullying is
mounting. When will the deaths of these children be recognized as an imperative
to make change now?
Parents and educators are allowed, even forced sometimes, to be passive
in the face of shameful and outrageous behavior on the part of their charges
because they have had their own hands tied by legislators and a "moral" minority
who claim to represent "our” values. But remember, the civil rights movement
would not have been nearly as effective if white people hadn’t joined with African
Americans to create the necessary changes to end institutionalized racism. It
should not only be the responsibility of the LGBTQ community to protect certain
youth. It is time for YOU to stand up for and be accountable to all America's
children. Not only LGBTQ children, but all the children who are forced to live
in a world of unnecessary cruelty and also—maybe even more importantly—
to the bullies who are being allowed to destroy their own chances at happiness
by passive adult bystanders. It is time for all Americans to come together and
end homophobic and transphobic language, and to take action to protect the
childhoods of ALL of our children, not just some.

Yours truly,
Justin Vivian Bond
author of Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels

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Greetings from Bed-Stuy where I’m homeless in the lap of luxury in a brownstone in the ghetto!

Today I’ve decided to celebrate the publication of my first book, TANGO, with a party and a new single -HE IS SHE! Yay!!!

Mx Bond and Theo Kogan photographed by Devin Elijah

I’ve decided to release HE IS SHE -a track I made with Jemma Nelson, Theo Kogan and Sean Pierce- exclusively on my website today.  It’s a great song from The Imitation a Big Art Group show we toured a few years back and which I’d nearly forgotten about.  I recently rediscovered it and Jemma and I went into the studio et voila!  I think it’s got a really great vibe and, of course Theo (formerly of The Lunachicks) sounds AMAZING!!!

I’m so excited about everything I barely slept last night so I’m going to make this short  cause  I gotta get a nap before tonight’s party at Dixon Place (161a Chrystie Street, between Rivington Delancey).

FYI, The Feminist Press, Kate Bornstein, Nao Bustamente, Amos Mac, Nath Ann Carrera and I will be At Dixon Place from 6pm on.  The evening will start off  with cocktails in the lounge then we’ll move into the theater at 8pm to take the stage with readings from the book and a few songs from my CD followed by a book signing and dance party. Tickets are $20 and include a FREE BOOK.

I hope you can swing by.

Now go to my store and check out my new “gender-f**k” single, HE IS SHE!!!!

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I can ‘t begin to tell you how truly delighted and pleased I am that the New York TImes decided to review my very first book TANGO, My Childhood Backwards, and in High Heels in the New York Times Sunday Book Review AND on Labor day weekend -a big weekend!

I’d been told in advance to expect it but I didn’t allow myself to get too nervous because, as one friend pointed out, “there are so many writers who are worthy of review they’re not going to waste column inches on something they feel to be second-rate.”  The review was not wholly positive but I have no problems with the criticisms the writer, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, had with the book.  “Mr.” Denizet-Lewis mentioned a “dozen or so laugh-out-loud passages”, which averages out to a good guffaw approximately every ten pages or so!  AMAZING!!!  He seems to regret that I didn’t take a more analytical look at my past but that wasn’t what I set out to do with TANGO.  The review wasn’t written specifically for New York TImes readers, although I hope many of them will look at the end of the piece where Denizet-Lewis allows my words to speak for themselves and decide to explore more.  No, I didn’t set out to make some sort of revolutionary critique of childhood sexuality and gender -if you want a hyper-complex theoretical breakdown of otherwise simple ideas in regards to gender read Judith Butler’s Bodies That Matter -a very important academic treatise. I didn’t write TANGO for academia. I wrote TANGO for people who are from a similar socio-economic background as myself and my family. I made the book brief and the language simple so that harried mothers and nervous children could read it in a hurry and pass it on.

I can’t tell you how gratified I’ve been by the responses I’ve been receiving over the course of the last few weeks from people who’ve written me or stopped me on the street to say how much they’ve identified elements of their own story within the pages of TANGO.  Thanks SO MUCH to all who’ve reached out to me with your kind words and letters of support.

And also, again, a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the New York TImes. I loved the review, the picture and the print headline:

GENDER-FREE

It made me think of the theme song from the movie “Born Free”.  As a small child I loved the lyrics…

Born free, as free as the wind blows

As free as the grass grows

Born free to follow your heart

Live free and beauty surrounds you

The world still astounds you

Each time you look at a star

…a gender-free (or gender neutral) song if ever there was one.

So you can imagine how SHOCKED and, well, TRIGGERED I was when someone sent me the link for the online version of the review where the headline reads,

“A SCHOOLBOY WEARING LIPSTICK”

It actually makes me feel nauseous to type that about myself after the story I just finished telling. It’s so insulting and is the antithesis of what my book is trying to explain.  I try so hard not to hate people -especially lazy, faceless, presumably cisgender copy editors, but…

As my friend Elizabeth texted me after reading it, “ya know, I bet the online editor didn’t even look at the book.  These people are paid to put the most ‘sensational’ headlines for Internet google searches, etc. It’s embarrassing for a news source like the Times that pretends to be sophisticated.”

to which I replied,

“Lucky for them we’re here to help!”

I have high hopes that the Grey Lady will catch up with the “Times” now that there’s a woman at the helm and stop insulting trans people with arrogant, institutionalized disregard for their preferred pronouns and gender identities. Right now it’s actually shameful what they get away with.  I have high hopes but -based on personal experience- low expectations.

Fingers crossed.

And let me say once again. THANK YOU NEW YORK TIMES!!! I realize how much it means to be in there. Next time I’ll try to write an even better book and you’ll, hopefully, be a bit more thoughtful too. YAY!

Here’s to the future!

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Well, it’s finally happened. I’ve been talking about it for years and AT LAST I’m a Lady Authoress  thanks to The Feminist Press!

Next Thursday, Sept. 8th, will be the official launch party for my first book -a novella-length memoir called TANGO: My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels at Dixon Place!  I hope you can come!

Here’s the info for the book launch and other upcoming events..

8 September · 7pm

Dixon place

Join Feminist Press, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond and friends to celebrate the launch of v’s new memoir, Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels

6pm Dixon Place bar opens with drink special on “Saint Vivians” !

8pm reading/performance featuring Justin Vivian Bond, Kate Bornstein, Nao Bustamente, Nath Ann Carrera, and Amos Mac!

9pm book signing

$20 tickets include a copy of Tango!

Available in advance at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9203835 or cash only at the door.

www.dixonplace.org

Other upcoming book events:

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I arrived in Provincetown, Massachusetts from London via ferry. It was a soft landing.   On the ferry dock I ran into my friend Patrick Giglio and made some new friends over cocktails on the boat.

Last week was Nath Ann and my 4th anniversary so N A met me and we stayed right in the center of town at THE CROWN and ANCHOR where we, along with Lance Horne, performed Friday through Sunday.  The crowds were wonderful. I am so in love with Provincetown now. I want to go back again next year and stay longer. It felt like home.  Lots of girlfriends were in town so I got to celebrate Jackie Beat’s birthday with her and I was lucky enough to get to co-host SHOWGIRLS, Ryan Landry’s weekly extravaganza with Jackie, Ryan, And Dina Martina.  Them bitches are quick. I just pretended I was on “downers” cause I knew I would never be able to keep up.  SO MUCH FUN!!!

Jackie Beat

My time in England and France was really extraordinary.  I can say with all honesty that I enjoyed every single show I did in both London and Paris (a total of 12 concerts in 16 days).  It was a very “heavy flow” schedule and without the overwhelming enthusiasm of the audiences -many friends old and new and lots of really sweet and a few very sexy fans- I don’t think I could have made it!.

On my night off I went to see Nico Muhly’s opera, Two Boys, at the E.N.O. which was Shamanazing! I lived!!!  I’m still haunted by it. Nico is a geniac.

Hmmm... a pianist taking "Fingering" to a new level.

There were so many amazing people who came to the shows in London -too many to mention- but I have to say it was a particular delight that Bette Bourne and her partner, Pearl came to see me. They are two of the -original founders of the early Queer Performance troupe Bloo-Lips

Unbeknownst to them I had been paying them tribute by reminiscing about a show I saw them perform years ago in San Francisco with Split Britches legends Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver. The show was called Belle Reprieve and was inspired by Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.

The cast of Belle Reprieve

One foggy afternoon in the early 90s I went into the Victoria Theater in SF’s Mission District and came out a changed person…. After seeing Bette as “Blanche” and Peggy as “Stanley” the possibilities of what I could accomplish in this world were forever changed. In a lovely act of kindness Bette invited me to tea and really gave me a dose of confidence and encouragement. THANK YOU BETTE!!!!! I will always be grateful for the example you’ve set and the space you’ve created and held while the rest of us try to catch up.

Bette Bourne and Quentin Crisp -photo by Martin Fishman

Other highlights of the trip included visiting Sam Amidon and Beth Orton and jumping on the trampoline with Beth’s daughter Nancy, “Higher!  Higher!”.  Nancy  seemed to be impressed by the red nail polish on my toes and called me a “girly-girl”  -it takes one to know one!

Inter-Generational Wonder-Femme Powers Activate!

Congratulations to Sam and Beth on the birth of their new baby, Arthur.  I may be ambivalent about most parents but I LOVE babies.

While in Paris I also fell in love with Viva Cohen, the 7 month old daughter of Lorca Cohen and my good girfriend Rufus Wainwright. We went for a walk along one of the canals and Rufus gave her a bottle then I burped her. She was deliciously good-natured with marvelously sparkling blue eyes and the widest, happiest looking grin I’ve even seen. A Star is Born!

Viva!!! I Love Babies! -photo by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus surprised me by turning up for my opening night in Paris at Les Sentiers Des Halles and so did Tilda Swinton and her handsome dude Sandro Kopp.  The next day I had lunch and a good old-fashioned gab-fest with Tilda. I gave her a whiff of the new perfume I’m developing with Etat Libre D’Orange, the same people who put out her scent “Like This” which is utterly amazing. SMELL US!!!  Ain’t we sumpin’?

Wyrd Sisters in Paris. -photo by Sandro Kopp

There’s nothing like sitting and talking about life with a show-hag sister to put it all into perspective. We talked about show biz, of course, but we also spent a lot of time talking about mothering being that we both are mothers, have mothers and know some reeeeaaaallll mothers… Mothering and smothering -which can go hand in hand, you know, who we like and who we’d like to….

It was difficult for me to leave Paris because my presenters in Paris were such glorious hosts.  They gave me the star treatment -which I really kind of needed after the difficulties I encountered in London…

The entryway for the "Charming" home The Soho Theatre found for me in London. Vomit in lieu of a Welcome mat? Cute.

But once I returned to London and I was freed from my professional obligations I had a wonderful time with my friend Miguel Marquez who I met many years ago at a tranny rock and roll bar in New York called Squeezebox. One night after I finished performing I spotted Miguel and asked him if it would be okay if I stood next to him because I thought it would enhance my reputation to be seen standing next to “The Handomest Man in the World”. He said okay and I continue to stand next to him every chance I get.

The Handsomest Man in the World

I also enjoyed being entertained by my friends who have also been turning it fiercely on the road this summer…

Pete Burns onstage at Summer Rites

The Scissor Sisters backstage at Lovebox

Discussing "Trans-Spirituality" with Ana Matronic at Lovebox

Scissor Sisters onstage at Lovebox

Yikes!

Rufus and Martha Wainwright onstage in The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden

The tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots -a showgirl in retirement- at Westminster Abbey.

Backstage at Westminster Abbey. I was there to hear the brilliantly talented Jamie McVinnie play the organ. What a treat.

My last day in London I had lunch with Donald Urquhart. He's one of my favorite artists -and people. (Check out my new Westwood pines!)

Oh Goddess! This blog is going on forever and I’ve got to get downstairs before I miss my free continental breakfast.

Tonight I’m playing at The Guild Hall in East Hampton and I’m feeling the ghost of Little Edie Bouvier Beale…

How Can You Resist?

This is the 2nd to last stop on what I’ve dubbed my  “Last Resort Tour”.  Next weekend I’m at The Cherry Grove Community Center on Fire Island and then I will have an entire month where I won’t have to parade myself in front of the public hoping for their approval.  Yay!

I'll Be At The Cherry Grove Community Center Next Weekend!

By the way The Feminist Press is shipping my book “Tango: My Childhood, Bakwards and in High Heels” which Kirkus Reviews described as:

“A brief yet remarkably candid memoir of growing up different, by a world-renowned cabaret performer and transgender advocate… Poignant and funny, but the graphic depictions of sex between young boys may frighten some readers.”

I Took This Image From the Walmart Website. I'm Being Carried by Walmart!!! (That may not last long...).

How do they think I felt?!?!

Keep on Werqueing!

-Vivian  xoxo

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I’ve had quite a whirlwind week!

At the Boathouse in Central Park

In between packing up my apartment and sitting on planes (which I’m doing as I write this) I’ve bookended my week with two fabulously unforgettable birthday parties, one on each coast.

The first one was the 50th birthday of Alber Elbaz the designer for the French fashion house Lanvin which took place at the Boat House in Central Park in New York and the second was the forty-fourth birthday of my dear old friend Heklina which took place at a club in San Francisco called DNA.  I’ve got loads of fond memories of DNA because it’s the first place I saw a legendary drag troupe named Sluts-A Go-Go which included Doris Fish, Tippy and Miss X, stars of the midnight movie and cult classic, Vegas in Space.  Doris Fish and Tippy left us long ago but Miss X was in the house on a visit from Scottsdale, AZ.  DNA is also where I attended SF’s first “Drag King” contest with my first transman crush, a handsome man named Stafford, in the early nineties.

With Stafford at the First SF Drag King Contest at DNA in 1991

I don’t know Alber personally but I’m a huge fan of his elegant clothes. As someone who is philosophically anti-consumerist I am always conflicted when it comes to fashion because I love the talent and creativity that goes into making beautiful clothes. I sort of think of top fashion designers like veal trapped in a gilded cages and force-fed riches and gluttony so that they will produce tenderly exquisite objets which feed and enrich a villainous multi-national corporate paradigm while simultaneously stimulating peoples dreams and desires until they are ultimately fed to a devouring public and sometimes destroyed in the process (phew, long sentence!).  Mainly I think of them as artists and Alber is one of my favorites.

Performing with Thomas Bartlett at Alber Elbaz' 50th Birthday Party in Central Park

My friend Nicky Ballestrieri who’s with Paper Magazine organized the party and invited me to come and sing a few songs to kick off the evening which I was honored to do.  Sadly, I had to run to Joe’s Pub immediately after my performance so I missed Lady Rizo popping out of a cake to sing “Happy Birthday”.  I love her and I’m sure she was spectacular.  I was dressed by Luigi at Lanvin in a gorgeous couture evening gown which Alber told me I looked lovely in and insisted I keep. WOW!  Lucky me!!!  Whose birthday was it again? Thanks Alber, and again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

With Nicky Balestrieri surrounded by the beautiful atmosphere he created at the Boathouse

At Alber’s party I ran into Hamish Bowles who introduced me to Amy Fine Collins. Hamish provided the second glamour peak of the week without even knowing it. He curated the Balenciaga and Spain exhibition I attended at the De Young museum in San Francisco with my good friend Daniel Detorie. The dresses on display were out of this world and so was our lunch at the museum cafe. I had a fish and bacon po-boy. Yum. Yum.

Before I went to the De Young I stopped into the Glama-Rama Beauty Salon to get a blow-out from Mx Deena Davenport.  Deena created quite a controversy many years ago by becoming the first real woman or “R.G.” (real girl) to be declared best Drag Queen in the S.F. Gay Pride Parade. I’m proud to say I taught v how to apply v’s first pair of false eyelashes.  Deena now has the distinction of having the most adorable tattoo I’ve ever seen.

Mx Deena Davenport has my favorite tatoo ever!!!

After visiting the De Young I ended up joining some friends in the Mission where we saw Debora Iyall, formerly the lead singer of Romeo Void.

With Debora Iyall at the Make Out Room in San Francisco after her show

I wonder how many times I’ve danced to her music singing the lyrics, “I might like you better if we slept together” to someone and meant it!  Debora’s new songs are really great. Her new album is called Stay Strong. I can’t wait to get home and listen to it.

On Thursday afternoon I was invited to lunch at Rob Epstein’s house. Rob and I sat in his beautiful garden and brainstormed about a possible film collaboration while his lovely partner Gary cooked up an amazing lunch. That evening I went to A.C.T. to see Tales of the City, the new musical written by my good friends Jeff Whitty, Jake Shears, and John Garden.

The Poster for Tales of the City

Apart from a heinous gay minstrel number I think Tales is a terrific show. I love the songs and the performances are faboo. Mary Birdsong is a real stand-out as Mona. And Judy Kaye is fine as Mrs. Anna Madrigal. I try not think too much about the politics behind casting a cis-gendered woman as a trans-woman in this instance because it’s a commercial mu$ical and it would be hypocritical to hold my dear friends to super high standards when I have such low expectations when it comes to mu$icals to begin with.  Let’s face it, they ain’t known for being cutting edge and they need to appeal to middle-brow american tourists in order to survive financially. Having said that, I can assure you I enjoyed myself immensely!  The songs are fantastic, there are huge laughs and some tears.  In the second act there is a beautiful coming out song and a hilarious whore-house number.  The stories are all told remarkably well and most importantly it’s a lot of fun.  Kudos, Ladies!!!

Being back at A.C.T. was bittersweet for me personally because it’s the last place we performed Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway but it’s also where I met my beloved Nath Ann who was standing by a parking meter outside the stage door after a Sunday matinee. For me it was love at first sight.  A few weeks later we set out on an adventure that continues to this day. We’re going to be celebrating 4 years together next month.

After Tales I ran over to the opening night gala for the Frameline Film Festival at the invitation of Jennifer “Junkyard” Morris who used to deejay some of the filthiest parties imaginable and who now runs the show over at Frameline. I’m so proud of her! Finally, I ended up at the Hole In The Wall with my favorite music writer Don Baird. He played some amazing new music for me, as he always does. I was with my girl friend and hostess Denise sitting at the bar with Don when a handsome, nearly nude man came over to tell us how nice it was to have such lovely ladies present. Aww shucks!

Friday I went to see Gertie at Moms aka The Stein’s Collect at SF Moma with Davend, a great young singer/songwriter and performance artist. Seeing Gertrude Stein’s art collection in San Francisco lended it a very special aura . Davend saw v’s first Picasso in person and commented how modern art portrays “a far more gender ambiguous world that is much more easy to relate to for people like us” and I agreed. I’d never thought of that before. I love smart people.

Picasso's "Head in Three-Quarter View"

The other great highlight of the week was seeing my wife Leigh Crowe, Aka Elvis Herselvis, take a STAR TURN at the Hypnodrome in the new Thrillpeddler’s show VICE PALACE , which is a re-staging of the COCKETTE’S musical which originally starred DIVINE.

This production’s musical director Scumbley Koldewyn who was an origianl member of the Cockettes and who wrote all the songs. I love The Thrillpedlers and this show was as good if not better than their long-running smash Pearls Over Shanghai which closed earlier this year.  If you find yourself in San Francisco this summer DO NOT MISS IT!!!!

With Leigh Crow, Scumbley Koldewyn and the cast of VICE PALACE... A Stellar Show!

Ultimately, I was in town for Heklina’s Birthday Bash.  Trannyshack at DNA. There’s no way to explain the level of performance that goes on at Trannyshack. The queens bring the spectacle to a level of brilliance I’ve never seen anywhere else. It’s so intimidating for me to perform with them because all I do is sing. They do EVERYTHING BUT sing. When I’m not onstage I just sit back and revel in the pure glory of being entertained.

I did a lot of that this week!

Heklina photographed preparing for her birthday by Jose Guzman-Colon

Nicky’s party at the Boat House, Alber for Lanvin, Hamish’s show at the De Young, Gary’s home-made pizza, Tales of the City, Rock Fag Don Baird, Gertrude Stein, Davend, VICE PALACE, Heklina and Trannyshack… It was a banner week for being entertained by the gays.

This world is so lucky to have us.

Sometimes I think that without us there would only be unemployment, Republican debates, Weiner’s weiner and Greek debt to think about. I hope the President and John Boehner worked some shit out over their golf game today and I hope the New York Senate does the right thing on Monday.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the straight people do… It’s their world, we just make it beautiful.

FYI- Next Sunday is Gay Pride and it’s also my final show at Joe’s Pub until after it’s reconstruction and I won’t be performing in NYC again until October so get your tickets now!

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Me Sandy and Liza hanging out backstage at Town Hall. Just another night on the rodeo circuit.

Hey Frond,

Just a quick update to invite you to come to Joe’s Pub this Sunday to see me and my special guest MEOW MEOW as I begin my countdown to destruction…
ONLY 3 SHOWS LEFT!
Joe’s Pub as we know it will only be around for 3 MORE WEEKS then it’s being torn out and closed for renovations and after that my East Village loft will be knocked down by the wrecking ball so on June 27th  I’m putting my high heel collection in storage and taking my show on the road until the release of my forthcoming book TANGO, My Childhood Backwards and in High Heels is published in September.

Just weeks to go until the wrecking ball arrives and so long House of Whimsy, fare thee well!

Where am I going to live? WHO CARES!!!! I’ll deal with that later.
For now I’ve got some amazing shows lined up for you at Joe’s Pub!
This Sunday, June 12, Meow Meow will jetting in from Connecticut to bid you a good night

 
June 19th SARA QUIN OF TEGAN AND SARA will be joining me
and finally…
June 26th MARTHA WAINWRIGHT will be the final guest on my my final night in what will soon be remembered as “The Old Joe’s Pub”.
I’ve had nothing but amazing women as my special guests for this residency and it’s been SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!

Just in case you missed the first one....

Oh and did you notice the pictures of me Sandra and LIZA!?!  They were taken this past wednesday night.  Liza, Rufus Wainwright and I were  Sandra Bernhard’s special guests for the world premier of her brilliant new show, “I Love Being Me, Don’t You?” You can buy the cd of the same name now, too.  THANK YOU SANDRA FOR MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE.

I Love you!  Xoxoxox

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