Rah-Rah-Sissy-Boom-Bah!

]]> http://lindasimpson.org/2012/02/faggy-fashion-fridays-superbowl-edition/feed/ 0 http://lindasimpson.org/2012/02/darlindas-turn-to-shine/ http://lindasimpson.org/2012/02/darlindas-turn-to-shine/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:55:00 +0000 Linda Simpson http://lindasimpson.org/?p=5317

Look what arrived in my email inbox today—another monthly newsletter from burlesque performer Darlinda Just Darlinda!

She is unstoppable—gig after gig after gig, including working as a figure model at the Art Society of New York.

Check out the latest divine illustrations of herself by artist Luma Rouge (love that name!).

Darlinda in the flesh!

She is loads of fun—onstage and off!

 …

FRIDAY

I’ve got to admit that I was a little nervous about the Next Time festival’s last-minute move to Brooklyn.  But everything worked out great—cool space, very hip crowd, stimulating performances.  And my contribution, a post-apocalyptic game show, was well received.  I’ll post some video later.

On the left is Next Time curator Colin Self. Next to me is Raul De Nieves, who gave a captivating performance with his band Haribos.

SATURDAY

After my Le Bingo gig, Tim and James joined me at my apartment for some refreshments.  James had just bought some Marc Jacobs head coverings that made for great photos.

Scary and sexy.

SUNDAY

Got together with Ann uptown to see the newfangled silent film The Artist, which we both adored.  Then drinks and a bite to eat.

The Paris was so packed we had to sit way up front. But being close to the screen intensified the viewing experience!

Pop Burger! Look at all those tater tots!

As we strolled down Madison Avenue, we came upon an enormous bouquet of flowers waiting to be thrown out, even though it was brand new and still wrapped in plastic.  I ended up bringing them as a birthday gift to Michael Formika Jones (a.k.a. Misstress Formika) who was celebrating at Fairytale Lounge.

Don't tell him where I got them!

I was determined to kick off 2012 on a creative note, and set the tone for a creative year…  And you know what, so far it seems to be working.

ABOUT “SEA OF LIGHT”

Drag queen artiste Linda Simpson starts her new year on 1/1/12 in glowing Times Square with “Sea of Light,” a ceremonial, site-specific, multi-media, multi-perspective performance piece in which she publicly proclaims her renewed commitment to creativity and enlightenment.

As the piece begins, an audience has gathered at a high-rise apartment overlooking Times Square.  On the street below, Linda embarks on a block-long walk to Time Square while upholding an “underwater starship” (made for swimming pools) that emits beautiful multi-color patterns.  The audience watches her procession from the apartment’s windows as well as on a monitor via a live video broadcast transmitted by a cameraman accompanying Linda.

Once Linda reaches Times Square, she makes four separate proclamations at different locations.  The finale is scheduled for the top of the glass staircase above the TKTS booth, which turns out to be closed to the public.  Undeterred, Linda ascends the stairs and gives her final proclamation surrounded by a luminous cityscape.  She then descends the stairs in triumph and retraces her journey back to the apartment for a celebratory reception.

******************************************

Soundtrack: Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Sea of Light” (the inspiration for the title of the performance piece), Anne Clark’s “Swimming” and Frankie Knuckles’ “The Whistle Song.”

Primary camerawork: James Daher and Tim McNerney
Additional camerawork: Derek Fearon
Video editing: James Daher
Still photography: Andrew Ayres

Tomorrow I’m performing as part of the Next Time Festival, featuring “theatrical interpretations of the near future.”

I’m trying out some new material…  A fairly polished 20-minute work-in-progress.

It’s at Triskelian Arts in Williamsburg in hip and happening Brooklyn.

Last night I worked the box office again for Lady Bunny’s cabaret show.

Among the attendees was Randy Jones of the ground-breaking super gay disco group The Village People.

Randy was the group’s cowboy and his preferred attire is still Western wear.  He frequently indulges in NYC’s nightlife, and whenever I run into him he’s so sweet.  How incredible to have a disco legend remember my name!

And, oh yeah, uh, great to see Bunny too.

UPDATE:  Another cowboy look from last night!   RuPaul at the Hollywood premiere of the new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Photo from World of Wonder’s eye-popping coverage—the wigs, the makeup, the outfits!

My New Video:

SHIT DRAG QUEEN LINDA SIMPSON SAYS

WHEN SHE TRIES TO JUMP ON A TREND

THAT’S ALREADY OVER

Random photo…

Cute contestant in a Speedo at 2010 Mr. Gay Philadelphia pageant.

Is he petite?  Or is the drag queen a towering giantess?

He seems to be enjoying her.

They’re drag queens!  They’re lovers!  They’re former contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Manila Luzon and Sahara Davenport were looking glam last night at a preview party for the show’s new season.  (Photo from World of Wonder’s post about the bash, which was held at Patricia Field Boutique.)

I wonder what the gals’ home life is like…

Fierce battles for the mirror?  Or lovey-dovey caressing as they hook each other’s bras?

I just learned the sad news that art dealer John Wessel died last month.

He was 70, which means I met him when he was about 50.  He and his boyfriend William “Billy” O’Connor owned Wessel + O’Connor Gallery in Tribeca, which represented a few of my up-and-coming artist friends.

The gallery then moved to Soho and became a hotspot for queer identity art during the AIDS activism era.  Its biggest buzz was for an exhibit of paintings by Christopher Ciccone, the gay brother of Madonna.  She showed up for the opening.

Later on, at various locations, the gallery specialized in vintage homoerotic male physique photography.

John was from St. Louis and was a charming and graceful gentlemen who practically always wore a sports coat.  Also endearing was John and Billy’s May/September romance; John was the elder by 16 years.  They met in 1979 and married in 2008.

John grew up when homosexuality was a terrible taboo, even in the art world, and his decision to devote his life to championing gay artists and gay art was a courageous act of personal liberation.

I’m very sorry that I hadn’t seen him over the last several years.   On Saturday, I plan on attending his memorial.

Memorial Invite. Painting by the late artist Juan Suarez-Botas.