The Boojolais Vampire Ball takes place tonight – starting at 6 PM at the Albany Capital Center. It’s the big dress-up day of the year for some of us – for me it’s just another Friday in bloomers. This year’s outfit is reminiscent of last year’s, but with a darker spin, and a bigger circumference (and I don’t just mean my stomach). It’s always a good time for a good cause. Tickets are still available, so I hope to see you there.
One week from today, the Boo-jolais Vampire Ball swoops into the Albany Capital Center, promising a wicked night of delicious costumed devilry to kick off the Halloween season in high style. After trying out the costumed theme and shifting the date of this a few weeks earlier than previous years, it sounds like the Alliance for Positive Health has honed and refined the focus of this event, transforming it into a decadent Vampire Ball.
Albany is turning itself out for this evening, with local luminaries lending their culinary creations to the celebration at hand. The list is pretty impressive:
Also of note is the Silent Auction, which now includes a Tropical Island Getaway, a Mariah Carey Holiday concert, a weekend getaway at Gardner Farm Inn, a Burger 21 Food Truck party, a vodka tour and tasting, an Adirondack getaway at the Mirror Lake Inn, a day of pampering at Complexions Spa, and a Cocktail party put on by Experience & Creative Design.
Bare your fangs, and whatever else you wish – costumes are especially encouraged and appreciated, but any fancy get-up will do. Get your Boo on and join us for the fun!
It peeked out at me from behind a bush as I hurried by on lunch one day. A bit of a wink and the slightest wave was enough to make me take notice and pause in my tracks. Looking around in case this was a trick, I walked onward, making the promise to stop on my way back to work. I needed a coffee and a reading break to determine whether it was worth the investment. I also wanted to see if someone else stopped and fell for the thing. I like to give the universe the option to correct itself in case its motions weren’t meant for me.
I finished my coffee at Stacks and walked back in the fall sunshine. This was what made the Northeast worthwhile – these sunny October days that felt balmy and bright, like the winter might not come this year. We suspend our belief at such moment. We believe instead in what feels best. In this suspended state, I returned to see this little heart still dangling from an azalea bush in downtown Albany.
It was one of those things that longed to be found, but only by the observant person who happened to care enough to look out for it. When I was a kid, I once found a fallen Mylar balloon near our backyard, stuck on a rusty wire fence, still halfway floating, still halfway trying to get away and rise. I freed it and carried it back home, fighting off a few neighborhood kids who had seen the treasure and tried to take it from me. (Well, maybe not fighting as much as arguing and running.) On this day, no one fought me as I free the little heart from its azalea entanglement.
A fabric notion built on whimsy and wishes, it came with an online promotional message as well. “I need a home,” it implored on its tiny tag, and my own heart broke a little. Someone has sewn this. Someone had cut it out. Someone had attached a pretty ribbon and had the faith and hope to hang it here. And someone counted on someone else to find it. A simple instruction was printed on the tag: Report this heart: www.ifoundaquiltedheart.com.
A sign of the times: a hand-made quilted heart with a social media connection. Looking it up online a few days later, I found a quirky little enterprise that’s about sewing (and sowing) these little hearts simply for the sake of brightening someone else’s day. And if it worked on a cynical guy like myself, I imagine it’s doing wonders for others in Albany and elsewhere. I may even dust off my sewing skills and contribute.
On the front, amid the quilted chaos contained in the shape of a heart, was a simple sewn-on message: you are loved. The power of that is enough to change the world.
The Boo-jolais Vampire Ball, to benefit the Alliance for Positive Health, is set to take place on Friday, October 27, 2017 – at the new Albany Capital Center. Last year brought about a reinvention of this event, in which the date was moved up to Halloween time, and the party was given a costumed spin. While I’ve always worn a costume for this event, it’s nice to not be the only one looking silly for a change. That also means I’ll have to up my sartorial game, but I’m already working on that…
On a serious note, proceeds from this event support the Alliance for Positive Health’s local services to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and other serious medical and social conditions. Tickets may be purchased here, and costumes are suggested. Come and see what I’m wearing! You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.
Give me a gala theme, and I’ll rock it.
Even if it means practicing in heels for a week beforehand.
Such was the case with the Kinky Boots theme for the formal kick-off to Albany Pride weekend.
Hot pink high-heel thigh-high high-heel boots
Better than the boots were all the florals I had going on.
(Yes, I know. Florals. For spring. Groundbreaking.)
Big roses and bombastic peonies lined a coral-hued jacket, while a rose-adorned skirt puffed out behind me on a cloud of fuchsia tulle. The topper was a peachy fascinator – all netting and feathers and swirligigs (which is a term I just made up at this moment for whatever else sprouted from my head) – an absolute necessity for such an ensemble. The finishing touch that set it apart from doyenne extravagance – a super-short pair of dark denim cut-offs, because every outfit needs a twist or two.
I had a spare fascinator for Suzie because I’m me and she’s Suzie. If I can’t be counted on for a spare fascinator, my life has been in vain. It’s why we work so well together.
The night was magical – a perfect semi-formal kick-off to the start of pride. In this tumultuous year, we needed to make it feel like summer again.
Nobody does that better than Suzie. No one makes me laugh more over less, act foolish when I’m trying to be deadly serious, or reach back to some obscure childhood memory that brings me to more laughter.
There is also no one more ill-equipped and useless to help with high heels on a wet lawn. I mean, she just walked away and left me sinking there. And then she laughed about it. It wasn’t quite the submissive shrug she gave when they told her that her childhood poodle (Duchess) had met its demise beneath the wheels of a car, but you get the idea.
Tonight’s the night!
The ‘Boots Are Kinky’ Pride Gala – the fabulous and formal kick-off to pride weekend – takes place at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Albany this evening starting at 6 PM. Tickets can still be purchased here, or you can show up at the door and pay a bit more. Either way, you should donate to the cause – proceeds benefit the GLSEN New York Capital Region Chapter.
People have always turned it out for this event, and I love seeing what everyone does to fit the various themes they’ve had over the years. This time the ‘Kinky Boots‘ angle offers a wealth of possibilities, and I’ve been practicing my high-heel thigh-high strutting. For now, a few more sneak-peek hints of the “groundbreaking” florals I’ll be donning tonight, and you should definitely stop by to see the rest…
The GLSEN Pride Gala is upon us once again, and as the formal kick-off to Pride Weekend in Albany, it’s always a good time. Past themes have revolved around ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s‘ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ but this year they want us to kick it up a notch with a ‘Boots Are Kinky’ theme – based on the Broadway musical about acceptance and “the most beautiful thing in the world†– shoes. I’m all about both, so I plan on attending, as much for supporting a great cause as an excuse to hike myself up in a set of high heels.
Tickets may be purchased here. Hope to see you there!
There’s nothing more magnificent than the gift of touch. Having come to the massage table late in the game, it is now a vital (and supremely enjoyable) part of my life. Though I’ve painted my spa experiences as glamorous jaunts there are more reasonable options available, and when done correctly they are as transformative as the most spiritual retreat you can find. One of those local Albany treasures has a set of talented hands to offer just such a moving experience: Robert John Bowers and his Bodyworks massage enterprise. Located conveniently at 8 Nolan Road, just off Central Avenue in Colonie, Bowers offers a variety of massage techniques and sessions.
“My therapeutic modalities include Swedish, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Cranial Sacral and Lomi- Lomi customized by you and for you as I get to know your body and its specific needs. It’s fun and useful to experience one or more of these techniques in finding which one is best for you. For athletes—both amateur and professional, Sports massage can promote flexibility, reduce fatigue, improve endurance and prepare the body and mind for optimal performance. My bodywork also incorporates stretching throughout the session; its goal to relax the muscles, improve blood flow and circulation which will invariably lead to increased flexibility.
Sessions are tailored to your needs and budget—a minimum of one hour is recommended and I have clients who indulge in up to 150 minutes of massage therapy on a weekly basis. There are cost-saving multi-massage packages available and custom-designed gift certificates for any occasion.
In addition to offering high quality massage therapy, upon request I can provide facials, aroma wraps, body scrubs and salt glows—spa treatments that offer a relaxing, refreshing, revitalizing sense of balance and well-being—all designed to make you look and feel better—thus reducing stress to body and soul.â€
I’ve done my fair share of yoga over the years, and my favorite part has always been that relaxation bit at the end of it all. A good massage is like that moment – minus all the work and exertion that came before. At this time of the year, when stress can creep up on the most organized and well-planned among us, a massage is the perfect antidote. It also makes a wonderful gift for someone who needs a break – and we all know a few of those souls who give and give but rarely enjoy anything for themselves.
To set up an appointment, contact Bowers directly at (518) 416-3295.
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Most of us have done it. (Not me, but I’m a stickler like that.)
Finding ourselves with an empty express lane at the grocery store, with one or two items over the limit, and going through it anyway. Not that big a deal. I’ve been behind it numerous times, and to the credit of humanity, about half the time the person will eye my one or two items and tell me to go ahead. Half the time I do, half the time I don’t – it all depends on my schedule, my mood, and my patience and understanding levels.
The other night I was in Price Chopper picking up three things and trying to get back as soon as possible (Andy was home dealing with a blood clot). I approached the 15-items-or-less line and found this woman with a full cart, and items still being scanned at the register. At first I thought maybe someone had quickly left the line and was running to retrieve something they forgot. There had to be more than one person with all these items. Nope. It was all her.
I stood there giving her the stink-eye, and she caught my gaze and gave it right back.
Oh no. Wrong story, wrong person.
I whipped out my phone and blatantly took a few photos. She caught me and I defiantly waited for her to say something. She didn’t. When her transaction was finally over and completed, she asked the cashier if he had gotten her ten-cent-off coupon. He said no, he forgot, and she said that he’d have to ring it all in again. He smiled and said she could go to customer service to get it corrected.
“Did you do that on purpose?†she asked.
Cleverly, he put a nice spin on it. “I just wanted to keep you here longer for your company.†She was skeptical and brought it to the manager on site, where she got her ten cents off. At this point the woman behind me was more riled up than I was.
I placed my three items down and asked the cashier how many items she actually had.
“About 32 or 33.â€
In a 15-items-or-less line?
This is why we can’t have nice things.
The woman behind me started muttering how rude people were and how no one follows the rules anymore. I was more amused than anything that someone would so boldly abuse the express lane when two other lanes were open. I don’t mind one or two extra items, or if you count five cans of soup as one item, but a full grocery cart of 32 items? No.
And so we arrive here, on her own blog post, on the small bulletin board of public shaming where so many Price Chopper incidents end up. It’s a new world. If you see something, say something.
Yeah, we got some snow.
For the first time in my sixteen-year career, the governor closed state offices for non-essential workers.
(Yeah, I’m non-essential.)
Then when New York City and the coast didn’t get as much as anticipated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, while those of us in the Capital District got pounded with more and more white stuff. The more that people called the storm a bust on social media, the more snow seemed to fall in Albany. In fact, as of this writing it’s still snowing here. There’s about two feet of snow on the ground now, and counting.
I took advantage of the day off to try out our new deep fryer (I made frites!) and do some cleaning for a special guest this weekend (and a dinner party tomorrow). I also read a bit, tucked into a nook of the conversation couch that looked out into the dim white blanket outside.
Andy took the photos you see here, saving me even the trouble of heading out to snap a few pics. All in all, it was a very good day.
When ‘American Psycho’ was musicalized on Broadway and Patrick Bateman (Benjamin Walker) strutted his stuff with bulky walkman and tight white briefs, the blood and brutality of 80’s excess found questionable expression and audiences weren’t quite ready to take such a literal walk through a serial killer’s bloody mind. Soon after its opening, it shuttered. Though mixed, reviews indicated a daring take on the musical form.
In similar gory fashion, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ finds a thrilling updated form in a reworked take written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and currently slashing its way through the Creative License production at the Albany Barn. Aaron Holbritter and Casey Polomaine have taken the classic tale and brought it into the now-retro world of the 80’s – a perfect match for the darker source material. Ian LaChance gives the title role its proper trajectory, starting out somewhat vacantly then growing increasingly tortured and manic as the evening wears on. Steve Maggio, Lucy Miller, Nick Bosanko and Isaac Newberry round out the main cast, but this murderous story insures that not all of their characters survive. Holbritter plays up the thriller aspect to great effect – this is not the Victorian novel of manners you might remember.
Fabled folklore has traditionally dismissed ‘Dorian Gray’ as an effete dandification of vanity and self-obsession, and Oscar Wilde’s reputation only lent credence to such a reading. That’s always been unfortunate, because as much as I love a good dandy story this goes far deeper than that. The frightening storyline, dealing with the things we give up and sacrifice for youth, beauty, and self-love, is a killer treatise on today’s culture as much as it was when it originated. Recast in those heady ‘American Psycho’ days, this ‘Dorian Gray’ moves out of its binding period set, thus freeing it to make broader implications of obsession, and the way we murder our own identities in service of the perfect selfie.
{‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is playing at the Albany Barn through April 1. Tickets may be purchased here.}
A quarter of a century ago a little radio show called ‘HomoRadio’ premiered on WRPI College Radio. It was the very definition of a grass-roots, bare-bones sort of set-up, and about the only thing it had going for it was a provocative name (and accompanying subject matter) and the passion of its commentators and contributors. That passion soon ignited a steady, dedicated, and ever-expanding group of listeners that now leads to all corners of the world.
Shortly after its inception, I was visiting home from college and fiddling around with the car radio on a Sunday drive when I heard a group of people who sounded like me, who were playing music I liked and knew, and who were talking about gay topics. Like my discovery of xy magazine a few years prior, it was a revelation. It was the moment of understanding that I was less alone than I realized. Galvanized, I tuned in whenever I was in town, and those Sunday mornings helped me understand who I was, and, more importantly, that I had allies and friends in the world, even if I’d never met them.
On any given Sunday, the topics range from the super serious to the super silly (I will never not crack up at Dr. Ray reading a dildo story), and in a span of four hours emotions can run from giddy and elated to heartbreakingly despondent, but through it all the guiding voices, and sometimes dissenting opinions, remind us that even in our differences we are together in this world. Now more than ever there is comfort and healing in that, and for twenty five years we’ve been lucky enough to have this wonderful group of people sharing their thoughts and hopes and dreams and integral information with us.
Tune in to HomoRadio‘s 25th landmark anniversary broadcast this Sunday, February 5th, from 10 AM until 2 PM eastern time! (You’re also invited to share your memories and stories by calling the studio line during that at 518.276.6248.)
In February of 1992, the local media outlets were positively buzzing about the premiere of “HomoRadio,” a groundbreaking new show on WRPIcollege radio. Bill Clinton was a little known governor of Arkansas at the time with his eye on the White House. It was indeed a different era in every way. The very title of the show was heart stopping in the very starkness of its sound. “HomoRadio?!” Even some members of the gay community were in awe of the choice! Now, a quarter of a century later, various media outlets have reported that the show has grown to be the top rated college program in the world, often rivaling commercial programming!
Executive producer and co-host of the show, Dr. Ray Werking likes to say, “When I started on ‘HomoRadio’ eleven years ago, we used to quip that our audience consisted of two people and a dog. Now, the whole world is listening!” “HomoRadio” has been lovingly referred to in the press as the gay version of the popular ABC-TV daytime talk show “The View.” The show has grown from an initial two hours to a current four hour stint. Nationally known best-selling authors now literally wait in line to discuss their works! The depth, breadth, and spectrum of the popular show is nothing short of amazing!
Werking commented, “We have a huge audience, ranging from middle school and high school gay-straight alliance clubs to a loyal group of folks in an Arizona nursing home who never miss a week. What a ride this has been for a show many thought would never survive!”
Sean McLaughlin, a 20 year veteran volunteer who serves as the show’s program director and engineer said, “I’m very proud of all that ‘HomoRadio’ accomplishes by entertaining, informing, and educating the community with a constantly changing mix of news, interviews, features, and music. It’s amazing to think about how the love that once dare not speak its name is now heard by loyal and dedicated fans all over the world.”
McLaughlin noted several awards the program has been honored with, including a highwater mark in “HomoRadio” history that occurred last June 10th when the program was awarded the coveted “Ally of the Year” Award from GLSEN, The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, a non-profit organization whose goal is providing a safe and respectful learning environment for all K-12 students to learn.
“HomoRadio” consists of news, interviews with local and national guests, event listings, and music by gay-friendly artists. The show kicks off each Sunday with “This Way OUT,” an internationally syndicated news magazine for the gay community.
A team of dedicated volunteers broadcast live to a wide audience filled with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community as well as straight allies every Sunday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm Eastern Time on WRPI 91.5 FM from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The show streams live on the web at www.wrpi.org and via an ever-increasing number of smartphone apps, including TuneIn, iTunes and Apple TV.
For more information, visit their website at www.wrpi.org or like “HomoRadio” on FaceBook.
The Hudson River reflects the glory of a January sunrise, and suddenly Downtown Albany glows with a rare and wondrous beauty. Driving down Albany-Shaker Road, on the way to work, this sight raises the spirits, and reminds me that the sun still comes up in the morning, and that there will be another summer… at least, we hope there will be. Hope must be enough for now.
The colors here last but for a few minutes. The richness of the salmon bleeds quickly away as the sun rises and brightens in the sky. All too soon, the harsh white light has faded everything around it. While I’m glad that the sun is simply out, I wish we could hold onto the saturated hues of those first moments a little bit longer.
 Now more than ever some of us are seeking escape and laughter from the dismal state of affairs the world has devolved into of late. Thanks to the current production of “Parallel Lives – The Kathy and Mo Show†at the Albany Barn, that release, along with buckets of laughter, is available for two nights only, starting tomorrow, November 18, 2016.
Actresses Emer Geraghty and Carissa LoPresti-Weiss bring an entire cast of characters to life in this comedic work written by a pair of the funniest ladies around: Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney. Under the deft direction of local luminary Aaron Holbritter, this promises to be a fantastically funny night at a time when most of us need a good laugh.
“Parallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show”
November 18 & 19 – 7:30 PM at the Albany Barn
56 Second Street – Albany, NY
One of our favorite restaurants in Albany is dp: An American Brasserie. Up until now, they’ve only done lunch and dinner – both of which are phenomenal. This past Sunday, however, they served a one-off brunch, and the results were to-die-for. I only hope this is the beginning of a semi-regular feature, as a good brunch in Albany is always appreciated.
My only complaint about the whole scene is that there wasn’t more room in my stomach to try all of the luscious-looking options. Somehow I narrowed it down to two: the Fried Chicken and Biscuits with a Foie Gras gravy or the Duck Confit Hash with sweet and purple potatoes, autumn squash, poached egg and blistered shishito. Upon inquiry, our server made a definitive recommendation for the fried chicken, and the dilemma was solved.
There was a brief moment of minor regret as a plate of the Spicy Shrimp & Pork Belly Fried Rice arrived at a nearby table, with its pungent kimchi and perfectly poached egg atop a gloriously full plate, but that was quickly extinguished as my own plate of fried chicken appeared. Whatever they used to prepare this was divine, resulting in one of the finest brunch dishes I’ve had in a long time. (And I’ve tried a lot of fried chicken over the years.)
Andy’s order of Vanilla Bean Brioche French Toast and its accompanying Vermont maple syrup and fresh berries was as sweet and scrumptious as it appears here, the side of Applewood smoked bacon a vital complement.
The selection of cocktails went thrillingly beyond the usual Bloody Mary and Mimosa offerings, encompassing those classics while also offering a Corpse Reviver #2 and a Pain Killer – potent combinations sublimely suited for a leisurely Sunday brunch in which we just gained an extra hour. There’s no place else where I’d rather spend that extra time.
