any years ago when I began to seriously go club-hopping, some friends took me to a place in Wicker Park. First we went up one long staircase ( after paying something, I can't remember how much ) then up another. We ended up heading to a room above the dance floor. After only having been at smaller clubs like Berlin, the immense space amazed me.
I was told, at the time, that this was the hottest Monday night party around. In truth, I was more interested in one of the boys I was with than in the club, but when we walked into the upstairs room all of that changed.
The door opened and the music hit me like a sledge-hammer. It was so loud I couldn't even hear the bass kick, but it made the laces on my Converse jump. The room was packed with bodies and the air was thick with the smell of dancers. The track that was blasting from the system came to a breakdown and people began to scream as the beat ebbed away and swelled back up again. That was the first time I heard Timmy Loop spin House. I've never been the same since.
For the next few hours I danced like the sun would never rise and tomorrow was never going to come. Every bit of inhibition I had was lost. Every ounce of clothing I wore was drowned in sweat. The crowd was there for the music and the experience of dancing together, not for posing and pretending to be something other than plastic. It was magic. Each time I go out, I'm still looking for that same feeling.
To switch subjects drastically, because I can, I saw Transamerica last night. Felicity Huffman, nominated for an Oscar in her role, deserves every ounce of praise she's been receiving. But so do the rest of the cast and crew. It's a raw and funny movie that contains the kind of stinging and biting moments that life really does throw at all of us. Above all, it's at the forefront of the media buzz, a most remarkable leap forward for the transgendered members of our community.
There's nothing I like more than seeing the words 'transgendered,' 'gay' or 'lesbian' in newspaper headlines and on television. It means that in some way, small or large, we're becoming a bigger part of the mainstream dialog out there. That makes me incredibly happy.
On a related note, Dolly Parton's track 'Travelin' Thru' from Transamerica has also been nominated for an Oscar. This is one of Dolly's best works to date, an original song composed for the movie. Her uncanny ability for writing songs about everyday people and their lives absolutely shines in 'Travelin'' Thru.' As the movie ended, I sat mesmerized by the song, wondering where I could pick up a copy. As it turns out, it will be released very soon on the Transamerica soundtrack, something I'll be rushing to the stores to purchase.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com
radiopeter.com
