Consider my pink pony clubbed. Apocalypse Noir – an immersive, modern and fully belted drag cabaret – knocked my jock off.
Emmys, Emmys, all I want are Emmys! The stars of RuPaul‘s Drag Race Season 16 were aligned on the rooftop of a swank West Hollywood bar for a night of rollerskating and celebration.
We’re here, we’re queer: Is that still weird to you? HBO’s hit series ‘We’re Here’ returned last Friday on Max with another season following four queens who go to small towns to empower queer people through the power of drag.
Take one look at me you know imma Andre 3000 fan. The artistry, the honesty, the forthrightness: he’s a genius after my own heart.
So I was thrilled when I got invited by Knockturnal’s foremost music writer Hakeem to witness an IMAX presentation of ‘New Blue Sun,’ a film / album directed by Terrence Nance – huge fan of his, too – featuring Andre in a blue room simply living. A living room, if you will.
This album ended up on several year end best of lists and I couldn’t agree with those critics more. It’s meditative, curious, improvised and whimsical.
The visual we got matched that energy perfectly. He’s doing hand stands, he’s playing with toys, he’s walking with shoes for hands: it’s a tour de force of childlike improvisation soundtracked by improvisational jazz.
‘Ninety Three Til Infinity and Beyoncé’ is the standout track, a fete of Sun Ra soaked genius, featuring the magnificent string work of Memphis-born genius V.C.R.
We seguewayed to a Q+A with Terence and Andre after the film wrapped. Full disclosure: fully thought they’d both be live in the building.
Still had a marvelous time. It’s just so fun listening to Andre talk.
‘If you don’t follow through on things…overly losing just don’t feel good,’ he said in reference to successfully washing his car. Such an off-kilter and direct way of describing a universal feeling.
We sat in rapt attention as questions flooded in from around the country. We could hear – in state of the art surround sound – the live New York audience shouting out in support of one of the most brilliant minds of our time.
I was jealous I couldn’t be there to register my thanks to him in person. He may have brought us a new blue sun, but Andre 3000 remains ice cold.
Hornitos and The Gay Games: A Love Story. I had the privilege of stopping by The Warm-Up, a day party aimed at limbering us queers up for a week of Olympic-style events in Guadalajara and Hong Kong.
Wigloose, baby, Wigloose! You’re holding it together you got no excuse! An All-Star level assortment of queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 gathered at the LA LGBT Center to perform for Emmy voters, and what a performance it was.
Fresh is the word of the day, y’all. I was lucky enough to venture into Urban Plates on a recent night out in Pasadena and was greeted by a sensational staff and impossibly tasty food from this made-from-scratch outpost serving New American fare.
Ocean Prime has it all figured out. A high-end steak and seafood outfit that isn’t afraid to take risks, they’ve become a staple of the country’s jet-set culinary scene.
C’mon, Quinceañera! RuPaul’s Drag Race duckwalks onto our screens with 16 brand new queens – the most ever – and a yassified grand prize of $200,000. This season feels incredibly fresh; sort of a season 2-3 cutthroat seamstress vibe mixed with a season 7 ‘the glamour is here’ type beat.
The king has returned. Will Smith’s latest film is a frank, rousing look at the life of a runaway slave evading ruthless catchers in the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana.
Smith is unflinching in his portrayal of ‘Whipped Peter,’ a man fighting for his freedom and a return to his family. Through gnashed teeth and broken limbs, he hopes for a reunion that seems incredibly unlikely.
He’s hunted by Fassel (Ben Foster), a man with no scruples. Foster is magnificent in a very tough role; that of a slave catcher who’ll stop at nothing to bring Peter to his knees.
Charmaine Bingwa plays Dodienne, Peter’s wife, with a torrent of passion and care. She’s left behind to care for their children and keep the hope of his return alive. This is a breakout role for Bingwa, and I wouldn’t be surprised if an Oscar nomination is next.
Director Antoine Fuqua pulls no punches. Each scene is sobering and hyper realistic. His attention to detail is unmatched, as so many in the cast told us during red carpet interviews.
The script is based off a photograph of the aforementioned Whipped Peter. A Union army medical examination photo shows his latticed, shredded back, and contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.
Emancipation is out today via Apple TV. It’s essential viewing, and I’m very grateful these artists came together to tell this story.