Monthly Archives: September 2012

September 25, 2012   Gay Atlanta, Gay Pride

Atlanta Gay Pride Happens Oct. 13-14, 2012

October 13th and 14th, 2012,  one of the biggest pride events in the US!  

Atlanta Pride takes
place in the heart of   the gay South with a series of events marked by
the annual parade that runs through beautiful Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s
haven amongst the concrete jungle. Stars galore!  Including Andy Bell, Kristine W and more. PLUS, a kcik off party on the 12th -Fourth Annual Official Atlanta Pride Kick-off Party at The Georgia Aquarium. Get a full list of all the events and happenings online.

Celebrating 42 years of pride, Atlanta has long trumped the
stereotype of a conservative, repressed Southern city and shone brightly
with its’ pride flag waving freely.   Mixing the fabulous beats of
local DJs with the charm that oozes from the Southern spirit, Atlanta Pride boasts a parade like none other.

But, when the parade goes quiet and the night is still young, Atlanta still
has so much to offer that you’ll be surprised that you hadn’t visited
sooner. 

With old world decadence meets modern mertropolis feel, the
ATL is sure to keep you entertained!

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September 14, 2012   Gay Columbus

Only world stop for Annie Leibovitz exhibition : Columbus Ohio

Wexner Center to be exhibition’s only stop


The Wexner Center for the Arts will devote its
entire gallery space to a major presentation of work by photographer Annie
Leibovitz from  Sept. 20  through Dec. 30,
2012. ”Annie Leibovitz,”
organized by the Wexner Center, will feature more than 200 photographs.  The bulk of the exhibition comes from
“Master Set,” an authoritative edition of 156 of her images.  Leibovitz personally selected and
oversaw the printing of the limited edition, large archival pigment prints.
 A special lobby display will
feature portraits and related working prints by Leibovitz of artists who have
appeared at The Wex over the years, some of whom are Wexner Prize
recipients. 

 

A special travel getaway package
featuring the exhibition is available throughout the run of the show. Starting
at $259, the “Annie Leibovitz” travel package
includes:

  • First-class
    accommodations at the design-centric     The Lofts Hotel
  • Two Tickets to
    Wexner Center for the Arts for the “Annie Leibovitz”
    exhibition
  • Valet parking
  • $25 dining
    gift card, valid at one of 14 Arena District venues
  • Two standard
    movie passes to the award-winning Arena Grand Movie
    Theatre
  • Cooked-to-order breakfast buffet at Max & Erma’s
    Restaurant
  • Package
    reservations are made at     www.55lofts.com or (614) 461-2642  

 

The Wexner Center is the first institution in the world to have the
opportunity to exhibit them “Master Set” as a whole.  The presentation will be augmented by
work from “Pilgrimage,” a project featuring a series of photographs of
interiors, landscapes and talismanic objects attached to historical
figures—Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Georgia O’Keeffe,
Annie Oakley, and Elvis Presley, among others. “Pilgrimage” was organized by the
Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

 

“Annie Leibovitz” is organized by Bill Horrigan,
Wexner Center’s curator-at-large, in collaboration with Jill
Davis, director of exhibitions management. Both worked closely with Liebovitz
and her studio to conceive this unique presentation.  A printed gallery guide will accompany
the exhibition.

 

Annie Leibovitz began her career in
1970 as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone magazine, while she was a student at
the San Francisco Art Institute.  In
1983, she joined the staff of the revived Vanity Fair and was established as the
foremost rock music photographer and an astute documentarian of the social
landscape. At Vanity Fair, and later at Vogue, she developed a large body of
work that expanded her collective portrait of contemporary life.  

 

Leibovitz has had unique access to many of the most
notable figures of our time. She has photographed
U.S. presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama as
well as hundreds of athletes, actors, artists, dancers, musicians, fashion
designers, scientists and business leaders. She also has created several
influential advertising campaigns, including her award-winning portraits for
American Express and the Gap.  By no
means are all of Leibovitz’s subjects famous.  In special projects that became books on
women and music, she brought her approach to portraiture to figures who might
not necessarily be featured in a magazine. Leibovitz has been designated a
Living Legend by the Library of Congress. She lives in
New
York with her
three children, Sarah, Susan and Samuelle.

 

VISITOR INFORMATION: “Annie Leibovitz” will be on
view Sept. 22–Dec. 30, 2012 at the Wexner Center for the Arts,
1871 N. High
St. (at
15th
Ave.) on
the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Wednesday and Sunday
11 am–6
pm; Thursday–Saturday
11 am–8
pm; closed Mondays.
Admission is $8 for adults (18–64); $6 for senior citizens (65 or older); free
to all Thursdays, 4 – 8 pm and the first Sunday of the month. Details and
tickets at wexarts.org.  Travel packages are available via www.55lofts.com or (614) 461-2642.  

 

Columbus is a city unlike any other. Vibrant and alive,
Ohio’s capital is known for its open attitude, smart
style and entrepreneurial spirit. 
Columbus’ uncommon blend of neighborhoods, arts and
culinary experiences, events, attractions and accommodations are made
unforgettable by its diversity of outgoing locals who warmly welcome
visitors.  Free travel guides, maps,
online booking and detailed information are available at www.ExperienceColumbus.com or by calling 866.397.2657
(866.EXP.COLS). Visitor information is also available on Facebook: facebook.com/ExperienceColumbus .


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September 14, 2012   Gay Anaheim CA, Gay California

Gay Days at Disneyland in Anaheim California Oct 5-7, 2012

MORE THAN 30,000 gays and lesbians from California and all over the country, many wearing red shirts! attend  Gay Days Anaheim will be held this year, October 5 through 7th, 2012.

Gay
Days Anaheim is a “mix-in” with straight park-goers. –  Gays and
lesbians are encouraged to wear red shirts to the parks to identify one
another and show strong numbers. Official T-shirts are available at the official Gay Day at Disneyland Web site. –  or be creative and design your own!

 

Both days in the park will have
gathering times for specific groups including gay youth (sponsored by
The Trevor Project), families, women, singles, and bears. THERE IS
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! This is not just a bunch  of big dance parties featuring shirtless muscle boys. There will be scavenger hunts, lots of various entertainments and a group photo
inside the park. A complete schedule is available at the web site.

How to find out more about Gay Days?

Sign up for the private Gay Days email list. You will get updates
about everything from the parties and hotel rooms to T-shirts and other
Gay Day-related events.

There is still time to grab a plane and get a room!

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September 12, 2012   Gay Seattle

Q Capital Hill Dance Bar Opens in Seattle

Q Capitol Hill Opens in Seattle
by Shaun Knittel
Best Gay Cities Staff Writer
The much anticipated Q Capitol Hill, a 12,000-square-foot dance club in Seattle’s gay neighborhood, experienced a grand opening on September 8 that could only be described as perfect. There was a line around the block, guests were gay and straight alike, and if social networks had anything to say about it, Q is a hit.
The key to Q’s – seriously – grand opening success had little to do with any one person or scene, but everything to do with the aesthetic, a state-of-the-art sound system, and Q’s mantra, “Music is our message.”
Simply put – Q Capitol Hill looks and sounds better than any other club on The Hill … or the entire City for that matter.
The owners installed a custom system from Funktion One and lighting design by SJ Lighting. C Scott Smith, managing partner of Q, promised Seattleites a space that “gets back to basics of a what a club should be about.” According to Smith those basics are the best Dj’s on the planet, playing on the finest sound system, while showcasing emerging local musical talent. However, Smith didn’t stop there. Moving beyond the basics to the must-have’s, he told the gays and straights that Q would be a club that has stunning interior design and lighting, and would provide impeccable service to its customers.
That’s a tall order to fill. Only, Smith and his team nailed it. Q Capitol Hill is exactly as advertised.
Les Sterling, managing editor at the entertainment blog Seattle Gay Scene, called the opening “a smashing success.”
“There were endless comparisons to clubs in new York, London, Chicago and LA all throughout the evening among our group of people,” He wrote in a September 10 blog entry Why Q Works (http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2012/09/why-q-works.html).
While Sterling praised Q’s round bar design, unisex bathrooms, and interior entry queue (which is brilliant in a city like Seattle where it rains more than it shines) he points out that with Q’s “strategic and brilliant lighting” is “purposeful.”
“One of the things that grosses me out faster than just about anything at a club or a bar, is if the walls and ceiling are painting (sic) matte black, and there’s no lighting to speak of,” said Sterling. “If a bar is that dark, it’s because they’re trying to hide their ugly – Q wants you to see EVERYTHING they have to offer.”
There is no denying that Q looks good. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, an award-winning firm best known recently for their Apple Stores, as well as Seattle City Hall, designed the club. Robert Miller of the Seattle office oversaw the project.
Once inside, customers will find all the things you would expect from a modern night club like a coat check, a mezzanine (overlooking the dance floor and bar), and hot bartenders. But there are a few items that make Q stand out. First and foremost The Bourbon Bar.
Q’s bar program features a vast collection of American bourbons. Smith moved to Seattle in 2003, but is originally from Kentucky where his family has deep bourbon ties. The Bourbon Bar, featured prominently at the frontend of the club (which is actually the back end of the club, although it is closest to Broadway) serves as either a semi-private or private area and can accommodate up to 25 people. It isn’t VIP exactly, (Smith has said of Q, “We want to avoid the elitist attitudes of upscale lounges with separate VIP areas.”) but it is far enough removed from the intensity of the dance floor that once you are situated in The Bourbon Bar, even with the EDM music playing, you feel comfortable and want to settle in.
What also makes Q stand out is the customer service. While you would think that customer service would be at the top of any bar or nightclub’s list of rules, it unfortunately falls by the wayside at many Capitol Hill waterholes. Q is different. And it starts at the door (shouldn’t it always?) and is consistent all throughout the entire staff. Smith has hired what he calls “Security Concierge” instead the more vulgar, albeit realistic “security guards.” Normally I would call bullshit and point out how pretentious that is but the truth is, the security team was so nice, so alert and communicative, they really do fit the Q’s title for them.
When Q owners first announced the club’s creation, Smith and his business partner were unclear if Q would be a gay dance club or not; instead Q released a statement that said, “At Q, everyone is welcome.”
That didn’t go over so well.
Seattle is what I like to describe as a “little big city.” Meaning, it’s not as big as Los Angeles, and it’s not as small as Bakersfield. If Seattle were porridge it would be “just right.” Word travels fast in the Emerald City – especially on The Hill. So when locals got wind that the old auto garage space at 1426 Broadway was being remodeled into a behemoth of a dance club, excitement and speculation ran wild.
When gay residents found out that Q’s owners were previously involved in the New York City club scene (Back in Chelsea, Smith was a part of the creation of XL, a gay club) they assumed Q would plant its rainbow flag and all would be right in the world.
Q did plant their rainbow flag – but they did it in the 2012 way. These days it is all about being inclusive.
Smith, who is gay, maintains, “We are a Capitol Hill nightclub. And that means that everybody that is part of this neighborhood is welcome at Q.”
In the weeks leading up to the September 7 Exclusive (invite only) Preview Party, which featured an open bar, light and sound display, and acted as a sneak peak for the roughly 800 people “on the list” and the September 8 Grand Opening, it became clear that Q would not lose customers to this notion that in 2012 bar and nightclub owners should still have to declare just how gay the space will be. It’s located on Capitol Hill – trust me, it’s gay.
Q Capitol Hill is open 7 nights a week at 1426 Broadway (between Pike and Union). For more information go to www.qcapitolhill.com.
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