As a beleaguered bar photographer, I thrive on those slam-dunk photo ops that ensure I will have plenty of pretty to photograph with a minimum of mishigas ( Yes, Mishigas! ) and effort. Case in point: Kentucky Derby parties. Plenty of festive millinery on display, this year from Crew and Charlie's, where The Chicago Empire once again got down to horseplay. Thanks for the low-stress photo efforts. Look for your shiny chapeaux in this issue.
Me likey! Check out this issue for our very first ever "Just Left of Centerfold," featuring Chad Ramsey, star of Hell In a Handbag's Trogg! A Musical, opening at The Chopin Theater Studio Space, 1543 W. Division on Sun., May 22. I first became acquainted with the film Trog ( Joan Crawford's last movie, ya know ) after an exhaustive search for a birthday present for my ex turned up a gently-used VHS tape of the 1972 epic concerning a "lady anthropologist" and her mission to teach a troglodyte to love. We never made it through the movie. You know what it was missing? Rock and roll! Well, Hell In a Handbag has gone and rectified that situation.
So The Call is on a major upswing after their recent burglary left them without DJ equipment, an ATM and a host of other stuff. Due to the generosity of their friends and loyalty of their patrons, I'm glad to report that The Call is forging one hell of a comeback. Throw a few bucks their way this week. Do it for a good cause and you'll get liquor in return. Talk about win-win!
Windy City Gay Idol is charging full-speed toward the June semi-finals and finals at Sidetrack with two very important events in these next two weeks. Join me as I judge the talent ( and I do not use that term loosely ) at the last open preliminary round at Scarlet on Mon., May 16. After that, see what second chances are made of at the always-raucous Wild Card round at Roscoe's, Mon., May 23, featuring all those fantastic contestants who didn't quite make it already this year. There will be a limited number of slots open for new singers. Will it be you?
Hello to all my friends out at Late Bar, 3534 W. Belmont Ave. Planet Earth Saturdays are as wonderfully weird as I remember, less the assholish antics of the Neo staff of olden days.
kirk@windycitymediagroup.com