David Atlanta Magazine - Issue 56

7.3.13 #56

Celebrate the

FOURTH OF JULY at the Atlanta Bear Fest MUSICIAN

John Grant Discusses HIV and Addiction

Kacey Musgraves: Rebel with a Country Cause

m o r f e t o r N o t A the Edi 7.3.13 Issue #56

STAFF MANAGEMENT David Thompson Publisher | david@davidatlanta.com Elijah Sarkesian Editor in Chief elijah@davidatlanta.com Joe Ragsdale Art Director ragsdale@davidatlanta.com Bob Gunby Sales Director | bob@davidatlanta.com

EDITORIAL Rian Ashlei Chris Azzopardi Paul Conroy Christina Dore Kelli Goldman Van Gower Nicholas Grant Dylan Michael Clayton Morey Brent Star Taylor Trimble

SALES Steve Tyrrell steve@davidatlanta.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Vandreena Cotton Brian Hughes

WEB / SOCIAL MEDIA Dylan Michael

DISTRIBUTION Lateasha Hall

TECH SUPPORT

Jamie Scarbrough

DRT Media Group Inc. 404.418.8901 CONTACT Advertising sales@davidatlanta.com Classifieds classifieds@davidatlanta.com Editor / Press Releases press@davidatlanta.com Calendar Listings calendar@davidatlanta.com Bitch Column bitch@davidatlanta.com

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Buh-Bye, DOMA Section 3

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ike many of us within the LGBT community, I was glued to my computer screen the morning of June 26. With two pending decisions in United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v.

Perry, however the Supreme Court decided would have major effects on the progress of same-sex marriage in this country.

By this point, I don’t have to tell you about the outcomes.

Of the two decisions made, the one that’s had a bigger impact on me emotionally is United States v. Windsor. Thanks to a 5-4 decision, Section 3 of DOMA is no longer in effect. While the remainder of DOMA still remains law, the federal government can no longer discriminate against marriages that are legally recognized on the state level.

While the case revolved around estate taxes, the outcome affects more than that. For me, the impact this decision has on binational LGBT couples is tremendous. It’s a big deal to me, since my boyfriend was born in Brazil. He’s here legally, but not permanently at this point. Even though I have no intention of marrying in the near future, as part of a binational couple, I feel more secure today knowing that my boyfriend has a way of staying in this country.

So…yeah. It’s been a big week for me. How about you?

Elijah Sarkesian The content of this Publication is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed by any writer, advertiser, or other person appearing in the Magazine are not necessarily those of the Publication, its management or staff. The information and materials appearing in the Magazine are not guaranteed or warranted as to accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials found or offered for a particular purpose. It shall be your responsibility to ensure that any products, services, or information available through this Publication meets your specific requirements. The Publication is not responsible for claims made by advertisers, content of information, changes, events, and schedules. The Magazine contains information and material which is owned by or licensed to the Publication, including but not limited to articles, advertisement, design, layout, graphics, and logos. No part or portion of this Publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of the Publisher. Unauthorized use of this Publication may give rise to claims for damages and or criminal offenses. Your use of the information or materials in the Publication is strictly at your own risk.

TOC

7.3.13 Issue #56

Cover >

Atlanta Bear Fest Kacey Musgraves John Grant

16 32 42

Feature > Creep of the Week 50 Years of Bond True Colors Tucker Saloon Hear Me Out Cocktail Chatter Thinking Out Loud

14 21 24 28 50 67 68

16 32

Seen@ > Ten Atlanta 10 Heretic 26 Cockpit 38 Atlanta Eagle 54 Jungle 58 Club Rush 74

The Rest > Untucked with Brent Star 12 the Scene 60 Bartab 62 Datebook 64 Comics 66 Fairyscopes 72 Classifieds 73 Bitch, Please!

76

COVER: PHOTOGRAPHER TomCullisphoto.com MODEL Nathaniel STYLIST Timoteo Ocampo 8 // davidatlanta.com

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Nicole Paige Brooks Is Turning 40

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(And She’s in Heat!)

es, Ms. Thing is turning the big 4-0 and feeling fabulous about it! But when I say “in heat”, I’m talking about her being in the movie The Heat. Wait…um, she’s not actually in the movie, but she was recently hired to “play” Sandra Bullock at good ole’ Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Okay, what had happened was: the promoters of Sandra’s new buddy cop movie, The Heat, wanted a Sandra Bullock lookalike (I was busy). They also hired drag performer Justice Tyana Taylor from Jungle’s The Other Show to play the foul-mouthed, out-of-control crazy-ass partner that Melissa McCarthy plays (not a stretch).

Calm. Down! And then I’m celebrating the day after at Blake’s with my mama, Shawnna Brooks! The show starts at 11 p.m.

This is not normal, folks…a drag performer admitting her real age (I just can’t do it). Okay, but look: what made you so confident about opening up your real age to “the public”?

As I get older and especially after Ashley Kruiz’s passing, I see life differently now. It’s not to be wasted. Never ever.

You know that old expression, “Tomorrow isn’t promised?”

Believe it.

Now open the front door! Amen! So tell the readers where they can catch your shows these days?

Thursdays at Blake’s, Saturdays at Burkhart’s.

I can tell you now, those two worked this gig. As soon as you This has been an untucked moment with Nicole Paige walked in, there they were (beat) giving us one ole’ show in Brooks from Atlanta, Georgia! Happy Birthday “Sandra the Lobby as they enthusiastically posed for photos. They Bullock!” were dressed just like the actresses on the poster. After getting my popcorn and one of those cute little bottles of white wine, I dashed into the theatre only to find those two down in front of a packed crowd working that room like they were trying to win “Emcees of the Year!” The predominately straight crowd loved them.

Once the movie was over, I grabbed Sandra Bullock…oops, I mean Nicole (cough) to ask her if she wanted to “untuck” and chit chat for a hot second.

So girl…I hear your birthday celebration is coming up…where?

At the Jungle, Wednesday, July 10 at PALS Bingo. It will be Nicole’s first public outing as a 40 year old, and she wants all of you to come out so you can see what 40 looks like.

Brent Star’s Performance Schedule:

Shut the front door! You’re actually admitting you’re turning 40?!? Wait…did you just speak in third person?

Mondays: Cowtippers (Bingo) 8pm July 10: Jungle (PALS Bingo) 7:30pm July 18: The Laughing Skull Comedy Club, “The Brent Star Variety Show”, 10:30

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@DavidAtlantaGA // 13

creep

of the week:

Josh Thomson

stopping them from being happy as well which is hypocrisy.

Equality doesn’t stop with gay marriage, it just starts with it.”

Get it? If a man can marry another man, then all bets are off when it comes to marriage! It’s the classic slippery slope fallacy, and one that Thomson seems unaware has been made and debunked before. Overall, he demonstrates a very poor understanding of the issues and a complete disregard for critical thinking. But you can hardly blame the guy. He does, after all, get kicked in the head for a living.

Unsurprisingly, Thomson got called out by people who found his comments uncool. So he tried to explain himself.

“Look everyone,” he wrote. “I’m not comparing [polygamy and incest] to gay marriage, I’m simply asking you guys why is okay to allow one thing but not allow the man who wants 4 wives?”

Yeah, you guys. Can’t a guy ask a simple inflammatory question on Facebook without a bunch of people freaking out?

He continues, “Like I said, I don’t give a crap who marries who and I personally don’t care if a man or woman wants to have multiple spouses but I’m also afraid of what this will all lead to.”

By D’Anne Witkowski

Ah, I see. He just wants to know what people think because hen it comes to the cage match over LGBT civil rights he’s afraid. Not only does Thomson have a poor understanding of argument, he also does not seem to know what “I don’t in the United States, it seems like everyone has an opinion. President Obama, Lady Gaga the Pope, and care” means.

Pat Robertson have all gone public with their positions.

When a user posted that married siblings pose a “biological In other words, weighing in we have a world leader, a pop star, safety issue,” Thomson responded, “[G]ay people have more a religious figure, and a crazy old man who, if his family really safety issues with their life style than any other. Perhaps not biological but health safety issues that come with that loved him, would be in a nice home somewhere not plopped in front of a microphone to make an ass of himself. The usual lifestyle.” suspects, really.

Thomson doesn’t mention what these “safety issues” are, but he doesn’t have to. The anti-gay right loves the myth that gay So that’s why it’s exciting to see real-life cage fighter Josh people are a bunch of diseased perverts driven to death by Thomson step into the fray with a gay marriage throw down their desire to sex each other. It’s a claim used to dehumanize on Facebook. gays in order to fan the flames of hatred.

On June 10 he posted the following: “Should you be allowed to marry whoever you want? Before you answer that, should u But don’t worry. Thomson isn’t a hater. In response to his detractors, he wrote, “[I]t’s a simple conversation with no hate be allowed to have more than 1 wife?” being thrown around. Stop trying to make more out of it than what it is. Of course your only reading what you wanna see.

A very provocative question, indeed. Whatever could he be … I’m asking questions and expect answers not your whingetting at? Don’t worry, he has a follow up. ing an crying about how you think I hate gays. Which is the furthest thing from the truth.”

“My next question is, should siblings be allowed to marry siblings?” he wrote. “I personally don’t care who you marry See? Thomson’s gay-hating is the furthest from the truth. That but I also am smart enough to know that it opens a gateway to men/women trying to marry young kids, siblings marrying is so far away! And he said it on Facebook is it’s legit. So quit yer crying before Thomson strips down to his shorts and gives each other and people having multiple husbands an wives. you something to cry for.

You have to think all of these things are okay otherwise your

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The

Bears Are Coming Out to Play Fifth Annual Atlanta Bear Fest Brings Community Together This Weekend

BY ELIJAH SARKESIAN 16 // davidatlanta.com

It’s going to be a bear of a weekend, as the Atlanta Bear Fest makes its return July 4–7 with ABF ’13: Bear Island.

Atlanta Bear Fest, or ABF, was created in 2009 by the Southern Bears, Atlanta’s organization for the bear community and their admirers. The event is a variation of a “run,” or a circuit party, that was the result of a look at a previous annual event that the organization previously held for years called Bear All.

runs are a major form of socialization with others in the bear community. They get to see old friends they have known for years, meet people in person they have only talked to online and meet new people with whom they develop long friendships.

ABF is an environment where they can go and enjoy themselves without feeling as though they had to meet someone else’s expectations on how they should look or behave. It’s also a place where people who are not bears, but who have an interest in bears, can go to meet someone.

Many of our attendees have been coming to Bear All or ABF for years, and I look forward to seeing them each year and meeting new people as well. The people who attend our event are as a rule some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Ahead of this weekend’s activities, David Atlanta spoke with Southern Bears president John Beck about the history of Atlanta Bear Fest, the While we try to provide a fun time for everyone, ABF is importance of the event to also one of the major events we use to raise money for the bear community and club activities as well as money we donate to charity. more.

Is there anything different about Atlanta Bear Can you tell me Fest this year compared to previous years? about how the Atlanta Bear This year, we have decided to concentrate more on Fest came into raising funds for one of our charities. Our bear and cub existence? contests are also sanctioned events this year so the winners can go on to compete in other national contests.

Southern Bears has sponsored a Bear Run since What makes for a good Mr. Atlanta Bear and its early days. Ours used to Mr. Atlanta Cub contestant? be called “Bear All.” Several years ago we noticed that attendance at our run and other runs nationally was going down dramatically. We did a considerable amount of study and internal examination, took a year off and then came back with Atlanta Bear Fest, or ABF. We have had very good success with the newer format and feel it meets the needs of the bear community better than the old one.

What is the importance of the Atlanta Bear Fest to the bear and broader LGBT communities?

ABF tries to be a little different than other runs. We try to provide a relaxed, laid back and sociable run. We want to keep it small enough so that it’s warm and friendly.

The first run my partner and I went to years ago, practically no one talked to us the entire weekend. We were basically left completely to ourselves and felt very left out. So we as a club try very had to make sure people are included and made to feel welcome.

For many people in the bear community, this and other @DavidAtlantaGA // 17

The bar activities are held at the Eagle.

Can you talk a little about the Southern Bears’ relationship with the Eagle?

Southern Bears started at the As I’ve said since I became president, what makes a good Eagle. In fact, the two owners—Robby and Richard—were club is to just have fun. The same is true for the Bear and founding members of Southern Bears.

Cub contest. We try to make it a fun time for the contestants as well as the audience.

There was a time—and it’s still somewhat true today— when bears were not all that welcome at other bars. We How many people are you expecting this year? have always been welcome at the Eagle. The Eagle has been generous above and beyond not only to Southern If previous years are an indicator, we expect between Bears but to the many other clubs they currently host. As 250–300 people total. far as I know, no other bar comes close to the support the Eagle has given to the various clubs in the area. We feel a The event is mainly held at the Courtyard very strong sense of loyalty to the Eagle, its owners and Northlake Marriott in Tucker. Why did you sestaff. They really do go out of their way to provide us with a lect this particular location? home and support for any events we hold. They have never told me, “No you can’t do that.”

When Southern Bears decided to revamp its bear run a few years ago we polled our attendees for the current For people who are interested, what do the year for what they would like to see in a future bear run. Southern Bears do as an organization?

We asked what we were doing right and what they would like to see changed.

We try to have a wide variety of activities. We go to movies on a regular basis, have game nights, go bowling, have Overwhelmingly the people attending wanted several potluck suppers, go to local restaurants at least once a things that were important to them. month. We have been white water rafting, taken trips to the state fair, had picnics at Stone Mountain, go to the They wanted the hotel to themselves so that they could Christmas Village at Stone Mountain, make an annual trip feel at ease and we could “take over” the property. They to the Renaissance Fair, and many other activities. wanted to hotel to be secluded and private. They wanted a good value for the money—lower costs and clean com- We are always looking for new things to do and our memfortable rooms. [They wanted] less added extra expenses bers are free to suggest what they are interested in doing such as parking, room taxes, expensive restaurants and as a group. Anyone is welcome to join us; we have over the other costs that tended to add up quickly. They wanted to years had all types of people as part of the club and have be able to have open access to a pool without having to no physical requirements for membership. In fact, people worry about making others or themselves feel uncomfort- who are not members are welcome to just us at any event. able. They wanted availability to lots of varied food.

And of course we have as one of our major goals to help While this hotel is not perfect—we would like to be closer local charities. We have helped many over the years with to the heart of the city, for instance—it is by far the both time and money. Our current “favorite” charity is best overall place we have found. And we have looked Lost-N-Found but we donate time and money to other at a lot of places. This hotel makes us feel welcome; the causes as well. We are currently working towards a goal of rooms are clean, comfortable and inexpensive; it’s a safe raising $5,000 for them. environment and there are a number of businesses within easy walking distance. And we basically can sell the hotel The Atlanta Bear Fest runs July 4–7. The run fee is $109 out and have it to ourselves. The layout is also very priat the door, and includes access to all activities during vate and gives us a good way to showcase our vendors. the event. For more information, visit atlantabearfest.com.

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@DavidAtlantaGA // 19

By Elijah Sarkesian

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•

James Bond is the longest-running film franchise in history.

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The James Bond series is the secondhighest grossing film series in history, with over $6 billion in worldwide box office receipts (including over $1 billion from 2012’s Skyfall).

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To date, six actors have played James Bond on film: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

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Most films as Bond: Roger Moore, with seven.

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Least films as Bond: George Lazenby, with one.

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Screening Dates (unless otherwise indicated, all films start at 7:30 pm) 7/01: Dr. No 7/02: From Russia with Love 7/03: Goldfinger 7/04: Thunderball 7/05: You Only Live Twice 7/06: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 7/07: Diamonds Are Forever 7/08: Live and Let Die 7/09: The Man with the Golden Gun

Daniel Craig, born in 1968, is the first actor to play Bond who was born after the series was created.

7/10: The Spy Who Loved Me

LGBT low point: 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, which features a homophobic portrayal of the main villains.

7/13: Octopussy

LGBT high point: 2012’s Skyfall, where Bond hints at having sexual encounters with men.

Other LGBT-related Skyfall facts: screenwriter John Logan is openly gay.

Actor Ben Whishaw, who plays the latest incarnation of Q, is also believed to be gay, though he refuses to confirm or deny this.

Never Say Never Again, from 1983, is a remake of 1965’s Thunderball.

Thunderball co-writer Kevin McClory won the rights to the story in a lawsuit, and has attempted to remake it yet again.

7/11: Moonraker 7/12: For Your Eyes Only 7/13: Never Say Never Again (9:45 pm) 7/14: A View to a Kill 7/15: The Living Daylights 7/16: Licence to Kill 7/17: GoldenEye 7/18: Tomorrow Never Dies 7/19: The World is Not Enough 7/20: Die Another Day 7/21: Casino Royale 7/22: Quantum of Solace 7/23: Skyfall 7/24: Bond Encore (Most Popular) 7/25: Bond Encore (Most Popular)

Individual tickets for 50 Years of Bond are available for $10. The License to Kill Time Pass, which includes admission into all screenings during the program run, costs $90. For more information, visit plazaatlanta.com. @DavidAtlantaGA // 21

Movin’ and Shakin’ World Premiere Musical Premieres in Atlanta

By Nicholas Grant

D

avid H. Bell certainly knows more than a few things about the creation of theatre. He is an award-winning director, choreographer and playwright whose career spans decades and across the country (plus several productions over seas as well.) Shakin’ the Rafters, his latest creation (along with the musical contributions of composer Robert Deason) centers on a touring gospel group formed by four sisters, and will be presented by Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company at the 14th Street Playhouse for it’s world premiere beginning July 9.

The show is described thus: “A touring gospel group formed by the four Davis Sisters struggle to make their way in the music industry—touring through the South in the era of the Jim Crow laws. Following the routes recommended by the Green Book, on the road they begin to build a name for themselves and become one of the most respected performing groups in the Nation, but, in their struggle for success, family rivalries, secrets and resentments erupt along the way. Yet, in spite of all the tensions, disappointments and triumphs that they experience, they always find a way back to each other through the music that they sing.”

Mr. Bell, who has been in Atlanta for the past few weeks working on the production with cast and crew members, recently took a few moments to tell us about his creative process, why Atlanta and True Colors is the perfect home to premiere this piece and what the future holds for him.

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How and where do you find inspiration for the shows you create?

For twenty years I have been associated with the Harlem Gospel Singers starring Queen Esther Morrow. A lot of Shakin’ the Rafters evolved by watching the way cast member have interacted with each other over those years.

Shakin’ the Rafters is about four sisters who tour as a gospel singing group in the late 1950’s—there is a unique stress caused by groups of people traveling together in unfamiliar places, and an odd insular dependency that develops at the same time. Like with family, a company of singers can become incredibly bonded by the touring process—and really aggravated with each other at the same time.

Over the decades I look for people, stories and themes that I find “stage worthy”—I am always looking for inspiration for a character, a dramatic moment or the idea for a song lyric everywhere I go. I have an entire library in my home dedicated to books that I think would make interesting musicals. I always am thrilled when I start writing a character based on something or someone I observed years earlier.

What are a couple of your best moments in the theatre?

There are shows that I have directed that truly changed me. I directed a national tour of Heartstrings, which

started in Atlanta, which dealt with the impact of the AIDS epidemic in a unique and inspiring way. While I was at the Alliance, my productions of Falsettos, Chess and Grapes of Wrath were thrills beyond measure. I have directed a lot in Europe, New York, Chicago, and in Atlanta, and over the years I may have too many favorite shows to count. When I am asked about what show excites me the most I generally answer “My next one.”

about the experience was thrilling. Kenny and I then talked about having me write a show for him every other year, and that is an opportunity that I cherish. I have always been fascinated by the idea of a family performing and living together. What happens when a family life is based on a professional obligation to perform together? It is the ultimate co-dependency and the source of interesting drama.

This idea has been incubating for a long time.

Why do you think musical theatre is so important Why is True Colors and Atlanta the best place to to gay culture? premiere your new work?

I am not sure why musicals have such an avid gay fan base, although I am sure glad that they do. There is an obvious embrace of color, fantasy and spectacle that I loved as a kid going to the theatre. I always found the music theatre was a place where my being gay was not an issue.

I was immediately drawn to people and the world of the musical. But musicals have changed since Bye, Bye Birdie, Camelot or Oliver—the first musicals that I remember seeing.

Kenny Leon as an Artistic Director makes commitments to support artists. Over the years he has nurtured the growth of spectacular talents like Regina Taylor, Pearle Cleage, Phylicia Rashad, Susan Booth, Jasmine Guy and many others. He has done so at the Alliance and now at True Colors and I am profoundly grateful to be included in the company of artists that Kenny believes in. It has directly affected much of my life. Gut Bucket Blues and Shakin’ the Rafters were created specifically for True Colors Theatre and specifically because of Kenny Leon. I am deeply proud They have become darker, more complex and realistic and I of both pieces. still love them just as much. Perhaps even more.

Shakin’ the Rafters performs at the 14th Street What projects do you have on the burner for Playhouse July 9–August 4. For tickets and more the future and what are some dream projects of information visit truecolorstheatre.org. yours?

I have several projects that I have coming up that excite me. I go to London later in the summer to work on my new musical, The Busby Babes, with my composer Henry Marsh. It is an amazing story about the 1957 Manchester United Football team that lost half its players in a tragic plane crash in Munich and went on to play in the finals at Wembley Stadium, After my stay in London I go on to Istanbul to write The Forty Rules of Love with Turkish rock stars Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan. I will be directing a workshop next spring and we have already had a very successful reading of it. It is based on the Elif Shafak best seller of the same name. I am really proud of it. Finally, Hero, a production I directed last year, won Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Musical and is optioned for Broadway. I will be directing the next production at Asolo Rep in Florida next April.

What made you want to create Shakin’ the Rafters?

I was Kenny Leon’s associate artistic director for 10 years at the Alliance Theatre, and he inspires me. He has ever since we both directed the Atlanta section of the closing ceremonies at the Barcelona Olympics. He has supported my creative life as long as I have known him. When he asked me to do a show two years ago, I created Gut Bucket Blues specifically for True Colors Theatre and everything @DavidAtlantaGA // 25

26 // davidatlanta.com

- since 1997 -

- since 1997 -

Named People Magazine’s “Best Wedding Cakes in Georgia!” www.metrobakery.com

Tucker Saloon Opens Up to LGBT Community

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ince The Stage Door’s final curtain call in January 2010, the OTP LGBT community has been waiting in the wings for a new place to call home. Who would have thought that a former roughneck dive bar would have been that place?

Former Stage Door owner Bryon Noel took over the Tucker Saloon as General Manager in June of 2010.

Before his arrival, the bar was a seedy little hole-in-thewall, where a gay person might be asked they were in the right place if they happened to wander in. Over the past three years, it has been transformed into “a neighborhood dive bar that’s extremely gay friendly, and really extremely friendly to anybody,” according to Noel.

“First of all, we cleaned it up,” said Noel. “We got rid of the drug dealers, got rid of the riff-raff and made it more comfortable for people to feel safe to come in here…that includes straight people and gay people.”

Truly a neighborhood bar, the increase in gay clientele has just been word of mouth, according to Noel. There has been no direct advertising in the gay community, just a handful of loyal Stage Door patrons who followed him over, that spiraled into a large, diverse crowd of OTP LGBT folks who wandered in hoping for a little fun and acceptance and ended up returning week after week.

Before Noel took over, the percentage of gay-to-straight patrons was about 90% straight to 10% gay. According to Noel, “Now it’s 50-50.”

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Since Noel took over, the clientele of young people just looking to have a fun without harassment has grown, too. “Our clientele of people wanting to come out and have a good time increased by 80% when they found out they could come in and not get robbed or not have somebody force drugs on them in the bathroom,” said Noel. “You have to understand, it really was an extreme dive bar before I took over.”

Because of the inclusiveness of Tucker Saloon, the local OTP scene is more tolerant of the gay community and has embraced LGBT people as just that: people. “Once the local gays and lesbians found out it was safe to go in there, they just started calling their friends who live OTP,” Noel said. “Our regulars are all locals who used to have to drive to Midtown. Now they’re stopping at the bar, and some of them don’t even go to Midtown anymore.”

“I come here to have fun and unwind,” said lesbian patron DJ Jeffrey. “My friends and I love coming here to play poker and sing karaoke, because we all feel safe and included. I don’t ever feel any animosity here.”

Most of the straight clientele had never had much interaction with gay people before Noel took over. “Some of the pool players are amazed when they find out they just got beat by a gay guy,” Noel said. “It’s all handshakes and pats on the shoulders, and ‘Dude, I don’t care if you’re gay, you’re a good pool shot.’ In three years, there hasn’t been a single gay-straight confrontation.” Tucker

Saloon has not only opened their doors to the gay community, they’ve opened the eyes of many people in the straight community.

p.m. It is commonplace to see a straight woman rubbing her husband’s back for reassurance while a gay couple on the next stool exchange a good-luck kiss.

During the day, the front bar stools are home to the locals, both gay and straight alike. Classic rock and metal blare over the jukebox, while the sound of pool balls sinking into the pockets mix with that day’s lineup of sports games broadcast live over several televisions.

Every so often, a loud chorus of “Train Shots!” is yelled by the patrons, as a passing train brings $2 specials in its midst.

The saloon has also considered putting on drag shows.

“Most of the suggestions came from straight clientele,” Noel said. “They love drag shows.” As soon as the bar can furnish a dressing room for the performers, expect to find the occasional Sunday night cabaret in Tucker.

“It’s not a pickup place,” said Noel. “If you want to come out and sing, drink, shoot some pool and have fun, all are welcomed.”

At night is when Tucker Saloon really comes to life. The bar offers weekly events almost every day, many of Tucker Saloon is located at 3766 Lawrenceville which are run by gay-owned and operated businesses.

Highway in Tucker, and is opened Mon. – Sat. from Firewater Karaoke, owned by Jerry Walkingstick, and run noon–4 a.m., and Sun. from noon–3 a.m. by a local lesbian KJ, is held every Friday and Saturday night.

“When you’re here, you can feel assured that whatever your race, color, creed or sexuality, you will be welcomed,” Firewater Karaoke’s KJ said. “I’m very proud of the fact that Firewater Karaoke has attracted white, black, gay and straight people, and we’re all together in one pile on the dance floor having a good time.”

Also on Friday and Saturday, gay-owned and operated Miss Lauren’s Las Vegas Black Jack goes from 8:30 p.m.–closing. Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, also gay-owned and operated, is held Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at 8

@DavidAtlantaGA // 29

Dine In | Take Out | Delivery | Catering Welcoming the LGBT community for 20 years.

Family owned and operated, and still the best place for great Thai food!

2169 Briarcliff Road Atlanta, GA 30329 404.315.6750

www.thaichilicuisine.com 30 // davidatlanta.com

@DavidAtlantaGA // 31

Rebel With a Country Cause

Kacey Musgraves on opening minds, smoking pot and all the gays in her life

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

W

hen it comes to country music, tradition says you should be a narrow-minded churchgoer who condemns drugs, lesbian love and casual sex.

And you should definitely never, ever release an album about any of those sinful deeds.

a really small town where everybody knew everybody. It really opened my eyes to a lot when he came out to me and I could see how hard it was, you know? It really made an impact on me. Since then, several guys that I grew up with have come out, and I’m just so proud of them.

Kacey Musgraves missed that Bible school lesson.

It just makes me sad that there are other kids who are struggling with that and parents are worried about whether their kids are gonna come out of the closet; in reality they should be worried about way scarier things.

The breakthrough artist’s stellar album Same Trailer Different Park shows not all country acts are bigoted meatheads who worship their trucks. If they’re like this 24-year-old, they also love the gay community—and sing about it—and occasionally puff a doobie.

What’re you up to, Kacey?

I’m just sitting here with a zit mask on my face. It’s hard to talk. It’s hardening and I can barely move my mouth.

What’s your reaction to all the buzz surrounding you and the album?

It’s overwhelming, but in a good way. It’s more than I ever asked for and more than I could ever expect. I’m really happy that people are just listening to the music—and that it’s finally out! I’m so thankful.

Tell me about growing up in a small town in Texas. Did you know many gay people when you were living there?

No, actually. My first roommate out of high school came out to me and it was a big deal, because he came from a really conservative family. I just knew how hard it was for him to come to terms with that; I was in the Bible Belt in 32 // davidatlanta.com

So that friend was the first gay person you knew?

Yeah. It made a big impact on me. I absolutely love gay people.

I heard “Follow Your Arrow” and had a feeling you did; it’s rare the gay community be acknowledged in a country music song. It doesn’t happen very often, does it?

No. It never happens and I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.

Whether or not you agree with gay marriage or the fact that people don’t choose to be gay, we share the same emotions, needs and wants. I just think that everyone should be included in that. It’s definitely time.

Would you like to see more change within the country music world as far as LGBT inclusively goes?

For sure. Have you ever seen an openly gay male country artist be successful? No. That would be badass. But guys get grossed out by guy-on-guy…but then if they see two chicks kissing at a party, they’re like, “Oh my god, I gotta videotape this.” I’m like, “That’s the same shit!” You can’t have a double standard.

Were you worried about releasing “Follow Your Arrow,” a song that advocates marijuana and homosexuality?

photos: Kelly Christine Musgraves @DavidAtlantaGA // 33

Well, I didn’t expect—sorry, I’m eating popcorn—country Have you received feedback from the gay community? radio to play it. They’re not gonna. That’s OK, though. I think the song can be bigger than country radio. They Yeah! Perez Hilton did a cover contest for “Follow Your wouldn’t know what to do with it, anyway!

Arrow” where he challenged people to come up with covers for it. He’s been really supportive about it all. And my As far as backlash goes, the reaction has been surprismanager is gay. It’s kind of all around me. ingly positive, and when I sing it live people really like it and they really listen to the lyrics. Even older people that I’ve had guys come up to me at shows and say, “Your I wouldn’t think would be into it get a laugh out of it. I song ‘Follow Your Arrow’ means so much to me.” I think think even if you don’t agree with everything I’m saying, as a human, hopefully you can just recognize that people people are thankful that they don’t have to be ashamed to be themselves and they can also listen to country music. should be able to do what they want to do and love who Those don’t have to be two separate things. they want to love.

Tell me about the line, “Kiss lots of boys, or kiss Are you interested in being the Lady Gaga of lots of girls if that’s something you’re into.” Was contemporary country music? this based on personal experience?

(Laughs) Dolly Parton is the closest thing that we’ve had, (Laughs) I wrote the song with one of my producers, right? Maybe Reba. But as far as being loud about it, Shane McAnally, who’s gay, and Brandy Clarke, who’s an yeah, I would love to take that position. amazing writer and also gay. And I’m not gonna say it’s not from some personal experience, but we were writing I guess because of the nature of country music, there’s it and with the “kiss lots of boys” I said, “I wish, because deep-rooted tradition and there’s a lot of gospel influence in country, but people need to get on the right side of hisof the nature of the song, we could just say ‘ … or kiss tory. There used to be songs about black and white differlots of girls,’” and Shane was like, “Why can’t we?” ences and that’s no longer an issue—and it shouldn’t be.

Did you worry the line would ruffle feathers?

And this shouldn’t be either. I would love to change that about country music.

I knew it would a little but surprisingly it didn’t as much Are equal rights important to you? as I thought. At the same time, I didn’t care.

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like it! (Laughs) The label will be like, “Oh, this song is a hit, it’s a radio mash,” and I’m like, “I don’t give a shit. If it doesn’t go on the record, it doesn’t go on the record.” The hits will come if I believe in them. It won’t be a hit if I don’t believe in it.

Were you nervous about suggesting you smoke pot on the album?

I was more worried about my grandma hearing it!

What did your grandma say?

We call her Nana, and she always has an opinion.

“The Slut Song” is what she calls “It Is What It Is.” And she doesn’t get any of the marijuana references.

Should we assume you’ve dabbled?

You can assume. It does a lot of nice things for a lot of people and it comes out of the ground. End of story. The government should stay out of it and just let people do what they wanna do with their own bodies.

Yeah, absolutely. I don’t even think it has to be about male or female, gay or straight—it’s just about humans being able to live freely.

Do you want to be country’s bad girl or would you rather leave that to Miranda Lambert?

Tell me about some of your country influences.

I’d rather not. If I were gonna be a bad girl, I’d rather it be more in a progressive way than a “I’m gonna burn your house down” way.

I’ve always loved Dolly Parton and I used to sing her songs when I was little. She’s a great storyteller and that’s probably where I got a lot of my influence from.

I love Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson and his truth telling. I love Glen Campbell and a lot of old-school country. I’m really all over the map, but the country I seem to like is a lot older.

In a way that brings hope and change to people’s lives?

Right. If that makes me a bad girl, then what does that make society?

This album is being called your debut, but this isn’t your first album. This is actually your fourth, right?

Well, this is the only one that I want people to hear.

The other songs were a learning curve and I’m a different person musically, so this is what I want the world to hear first. I’m a better writer and I’ve come into my own personally more.

Weren’t there some songs that the label wanted you to release on Same Trailer Different Park but you didn’t want them on there?

Yeah—just because I wrote it doesn’t mean that I @DavidAtlantaGA // 35

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A Grant Gesture: Musician’s tell-all interview on HIV, addiction and revealing new album

By Chris Azzopardi

photos: Garoar Olafsson 42 // davidatlanta.com

J

ohn Grant’s head is like a prison, and inside are words waiting to get out. These words flood the melodies of the songs on his second LP, the critically praised Pale Green Ghosts, and they also free-flow in conversation like he’s been wanting to get something off his chest.

“I was holding onto things that were still hurting me. The truth is, it was self-destructive behavior just like any of the other addictions that needed to be dealt with—and it came directly from the self-hatred and self-loathing of the last 25, 30 years or whatever. Getting the HIV diagnosis was a huge wake-up call for me that (I) still have a long way to go.”

The former Czars singer is personal without any probing, a patient sitting across from his therapist exorcizing all his inner-most demons and the sea of emotions welling inside: Being open about his status, which he revealed during anger, disappointment, regret. his opening gig for a Hercules and Love Affair show in London last year, was part of the process. That was, for All of Grant’s words are laced with these feelings. And him, acknowledging he wasn’t invisible anymore. That these feelings are a result of, as Grant puts it, “self-hatred” fantasy world he’d always escape to? It was gone. and “self-loathing.”

“I have a very strong tendency to want to avoid things and Without reservation, the Iceland-based artist chats with hide from them,” he admits. “I was standing on a stage the same easy candidness of his debut, 2010’s Queen of when I said it and I was about to sing a song that had evDenmark, and its recently released follow-up Pale Green erything to do with that, but I didn’t want to be dramatic. I Ghosts, rife with frank confessions regarding his flawed knew I wouldn’t be able to decide until that moment. self-assurance, being a target of small-town homophobia, his addiction with addiction and the result of the latter: his “This whole shame thing is what gets me into a lot of HIV diagnosis. trouble anyway—this hiding, this feeling like I should be ashamed and that I’m a lesser human because of this.”

“Who wants to hear about some diseased faggot and Now, though, he’s more because of this, as Grant’s his disease that he got that he deserved because he’s revelation—to himself, and to the world—has broken living this horrible lifestyle?” Grant says outright when down the same doors that many HIV-positive people hide he explains his HIV catharsis piece “Ernest Borgnine,” behind for fear of being judged. Not to mention, he’s been a self-proclaimed “expression of anger and absurdity” sober since 2004. that sorts out his behavior through the perspective of the “I don’t think that I’m this maverick who’s going to change track’s actor-namesake—a song he says isn’t a fit for the way people think about certain things,” Grant says, radio audiences. “but I can talk about my own experience. And by being No matter; it wasn’t for them anyway. It was written for open about it—who knows, maybe there’s people out Grant. there dealing with certain issues. Maybe they’re ashamed about it and maybe they’ll think to themselves, ‘Well, if he “I needed to explore why I allowed myself to get HIV after can say something about it—and he’s up on stage—then I spent so much time getting sober and turning my back maybe I can admit it to myself. Maybe I can deal with it.’” on self-destructive behavior,” he says. “Why did I have to keep the self-destructive behavior in the realm of sex for The cover of Pale Green Ghosts doesn’t reveal much. myself?”

Sitting in a coffeehouse Grant frequents in Reykjavik— the largest city in Iceland, and also the capital, where he It was always some realm for Grant. The realm of drugs. Of currently lives—he’s stoic and still as he sits alone at a alcohol. Of sex. “It didn’t matter what I could get my hands table with two books and a brew. There’s mystery and on to achieve that different state of mind,” he says. “I can intrigue, and none of the transparency of his unambigudo it with food, or with spending money.” ous words.

He could do it, unprotected, with an HIV-positive man. And he did, resulting in his seroconversion. “This shouldn’t have happened—and yet, here we are. And what does it say about you that you still allowed this to happen?” By turning the song’s perspective onto Borgnine, an actor Grant adores and once met at a New York restaurant, he found his answer: “That you weren’t completely willing to let go of your self-loathing. That I still had a long way to go … and still had many things that I needed to let go of.

“It was really early in the morning, and I didn’t want to show any emotion,” he says. “I suppose in photos maybe I look serious, because I don’t want to reveal too much of my vulnerability with my eyes, which is really easy to do in photos if you don’t control it.”

That Grant can be completely guileless musically but less so in photographs is telling—a contradiction that’s not lost on him. @DavidAtlantaGA // 43

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“There’s a part of me that wants to look strong and not vulnerable at all, because I learned that’s what a man is,” he says. “I’m sure that’s in my subconscious when I’m having my photo taken. I want to appear strong and like an impenetrable fortress … which I’m not.”

a city on the far west side of Michigan that’s no more than five square miles. His first album, Queen of Denmark reflected those tumultuous childhood years.

“It was a nightmare,” he says of small-town life. “It was like a horror movie, because you saw yourself turning into this creature that was completely unacceptable. The more you realized there was His sharp tongue is his shield. Even when he’s selfnothing you could do about it, the more horrible it analytical on album standout “GMF,” saying he’d be became—because you were also starting to realize the underdog if ever cast in a film, he masks his inse- just how serious the people were who were telling curities with biting wit and self-boasting that even he you that it was not OK—and that people would much doesn’t seem to entirely believe (the song’s acronym rather abandon you as a person then deal with your refers to him, the “Greatest Mother Fucker”). ‘sickness.’”

“Humor has always been my default protective mechanism,” Grant says.

I tell him he’s good at self-deprecation.

Grant laughs. “Yeah, I’m a pro.”

One of the most poignant moments on Green Ghosts comes during the coda. “Glacier,” he says, is about “the whole gay marriage circus” and his feelings of frustration, despair and disappointment. The song inspires with a mantra that could just as easily be his own—“don’t become paralyzed with fear when things seem particularly rough”—but in conversation, that passion turns to anger.

“The Bible is not the Constitution of the United States, and in this country, you don’t get to force your beliefs on somebody else,” he says. “You don’t get to do that. That’s called totalitarianism. That’s called a dictatorship. That’s called a theocracy. And that’s not what we have here in the United States of America.

“It’s an atmosphere of compassion on that song, where I’m saying, ‘Don’t let it destroy your life.’

That’s why I wrote this song, because I know that there are a lot of other people out there who feel that way. Of course, these days, it does seem like there’s a lot of changes, you know. But there are still a lot of problems, too. I don’t think that things have changed as much as a lot of people think they have.”

That time, though, was also the beginning of the bond he made with the music that would inspire Green Ghosts: electronic, new wave and romantic sounds of the ’80s.

The Eurythmics’s sophomore LP, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), was his first crush, but he also fell in love with Devo and Yazoo.

What’s the sound of a 44-year-old man who’s weathered everything from drug addiction to HIV? “Lots of distortion and Wall of Sound guitars mixed with huge cinemascapes and electronic Vangelis-esque Blade Runner-scapes.”

It’s a sound that could inspire his next album, which he suggests may follow the trajectory of his work so far and explore the next phase: adulthood.

“The songs just trickle in and happen, whether you like it or not,” he says of the follow-up LP, “and then—this is gonna sound really stupid and retarded—but the songs choose what kind of clothes they’re gonna be wearing sonically, and it really makes sense to me.

“I think you will also hear the sounds of Pale Green Ghosts, though, just because I love synthesizers so much and I can’t get enough of them. But maybe I’ll do a country album at some point, too, because there’s lots of country music that I think is amazing.

I could do anything. That’s the tough part: figuring out what you’re going to do, because you can do anything. I can imagine doing a metal record, too.”

Though Grant’s stream-of-consciousness songwriting is, again, at the forefront of his work (as is that rich baritone of his), the sound echoes ’80s elecHow about a country-metal record? tro—the music of the singer’s adolescence, which Green Ghosts is firmly rooted in. “That’s when all the “Yeah,” he laughs, “thereby ending my career problems really started and where I began to see that permanently.”

I was up to my ears in shit,” he says.

See, he’s much more in touch with reality these days.

Grant spent the first 12 years of his life in Buchanan, @DavidAtlantaGA // 45

@DavidAtlantaGA // 47

zopardi

By Chris Az

Best of 2013 (So Far) 10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito Karen O howls on “Sacrilege” as the sound revs with electric fury and the divine intervention of a gospel choir.

“Buried Alive” features rap persona Dr. Octagon in what sounds like overhead music for an S&M dungeon. The title track is really about a mosquito. “He’ll suck your blood,” sings Karen O, even buzzing like one of them bugs. The album’s raucous absurdity is a complete mess. And what a glorious mess it is.

9. Jessie Ware, Devotion It was “Wildest Moments” that had everyone talking about the remarkable cords, classy style and Sade-like smoothness of Jessie Ware. She was the ’90s of the new millennium. A minty breath in a room full of stale stench. And her debut is full of “moments”: The funksoul “Running” struts, “If You’re Never Gonna Move” grooves and “Taking in Water,” for her gay brother, inspires.

50 // davidatlanta.com

8. Holly Williams, The Highway With her sinewy drawl and doleful suitcase of songs, Holly Williams—from the Hank lineage—has become Nashville’s unsung hero. Rooted in the American sound that marked her previous release, The Highway brims with the undressed, reflective and often-heavyhearted songwriting of Williams’ career. The acoustic “Waiting on June,” an achingly beautiful true tale of her grandparents’ long life together (the wedding, the babies, their deaths), will wreck you.

7. James Blake, Overgrown An electro hypnosis, James Blake’s Overgrown is so quietly staged it permeates the subconscious first, unfurling its layers over time. With graceful simplicity and the allure of his otherworldly—and sometimes even sexy (the sensational “Life Round Here” will tingle you)—baritone, this work is a breathtaking spectacle where songs subtly loop, morph and swell into sonic splendor.

6. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City The dainty gents of Vampire Weekend know a good hook. “Diane Young” is delirious, drum-punched pop with wonky pitch-shifting, crunching and fizzing; it makes for one of the most infectious moments in music this year. They get into your head with the wistfulness of the horn-y, Celtic-kissed “Unbelievers,” Paul Simon-ed “Everlasting Arms” and eerie “Hudson.” Much credit to Ezra Koenig for that voice. It’s heaven.

@DavidAtlantaGA // 51

5. The National, Trouble Will Find Me The Cincinnati quintet’s reliably strong catalog of melancholic mellowness got another noble release with Trouble Will Find Me, the understated sixth LP from a band as modest as their sound. The staggering opening trifecta—“Don’t Swallow the Cap” stands out most—is graceful and emphatic, with Matt Berninger’s achy Bono-like baritone taking center stage. But the closers are just as stunning, especially the conjured dream state of tenderhearted coda “Hard to Find.”

4. Tegan and Sara, Heartthrob Pop music doesn’t get much better than…

Tegan and Sara’s latest? Stripping the grittiness of the sisters’ indie-rock-and-sometimesfolky sound for something more ’90s-boombox-made was a bold move—and a move that notches the best album of their career. The songwriting still aches (see “How Come You Don’t Want Me”), the harmonies still intoxicate (“Now I’m All Messed Up” comes to a beautiful yin-yang close) … and the new sound—produced by pop go-to Greg Kurstin—throbs with heart.

3. Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park On “Merry Go ’Round,” Kacey Musgraves admitted something few in country music ever do: small-town life kind of sucks. Then came “Follow Your Arrow,” about staying true to yourself—even if you’re gay, and even if you like getting high. The rest of her major-label debut is equally unconventional, fresh-spirited and ballsy: The deceiving lullaby sparsity of “It Is What It Is” almost masks the suggestion of casual sex, and “Blowin’ Smoke” is a witty portrayal of a dead-end waitressing job.

“I’m out here going broke,” she laments. Not for long.

52 // davidatlanta.com

2. Daft Punk, Random Access Memories Nothing about Daft Punk’s disco-dipped futuristic fantasia is obvious, but then again, Daft Punk hasn’t just always gone outside the box musically—they’ve evaded the box altogether. They’re on the outer edge again with Random Access Memories, an already-ubiquitous game changer for the “One More Time” duo. This is a dazzling bravura of ambitious head trips, from the magic of “Contact” and “Instant Crush” to “Get Lucky” and its vintage feel-good vibes.

1. Patty Griffin, American Kid The profoundness of Patty Griffin goes back to her 1996 debut, but now—nearly 20 years later— this new pinnacle surely aligns her with other singer-songwriter greats like Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell. That’s because her thematic LP American Kid, inspired by her father’s death, is an American classic. It’s an elegy so viscerally and spiritually powerful—marked by poignancy, razorsharp storytelling and a voice as rich as they come—that this enlightened work is Patty Griffin’s golden ticket to the pantheon of music legends. @DavidAtlantaGA // 53

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theScene 1

10th & Piedmont 991 Piedmont Ave. NE

14 Cowtippers

27 Jungle

40 The Model T

2

Amsterdam 502 Amsterdam Ave. NE

15 Daiquiri Factory

28 Las Margaritas

41 Tripps

3

Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

16 Einstein's

29 Manifest 4 U

42 Urban Body Fitness

4

BJ Roosters 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd.

17 F.R.O.G.S

30 Mixx

43 Woof's

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Blake's 227 10th St. NE

18 Felix's

31 Oscar's

44 XS Ultra Lounge

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Bliss 2284 Cheshire Bridge Rd.

19 Flex Spa

32 Opus 1

7

Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave. NE

20 Friends

33 Roxx

8

Brushstrokes 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

21 Gatsby's

34 Sam's Hair Salon

Le Buzz 585 Franklin Rd. SE Marietta, GA

9

Bubbles Salon 1579 Monroe Dr. NE

22 Gilbert's

35 Southern Nights

Mary's 1287 Glenwood Ave. SE

10 Bulldogs

23 Gravity Fitness

36 Ten Atlanta

My Sister's Room 1271 Glenwood Ave. SE

11 Burkhart's

24 Heretic

37 The Den

Club Rush 2715 Buford Hwy. NE

12 Capulets

25 Hobnob

38 The Fifth Ivory

Sister Louisa’s Church 466 Edgewood Ave. SE

13 Club Eros

26 Joe's on Juniper

39 The Hideaway

Swinging Richard's 1400 Northside Dr. NW

893 Peachtree St. NE 1492 Piedmont Ave. NE 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE 2219 Faulkner Rd. NE

1600 Piedmont Ave. NE 889 W. Peachtree Str. NW 1077 Juniper St. NE 931 Monroe Cir. NE 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE 76 4th St. NW

2115 Faulkner Rd. NE

699 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd.

1931 Piedmont Cir. NE

2103 Faulkner Rd. NE

500 Amsterdam Ave. NE

1492 Piedmont Ave. NE

2425 Piedmont Rd. NE

1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

708 Spring Str. NW Not Shown: Cockpit 465 Boulevard SE

1086 Alco St. NE

736 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE 931 Monroe Dr. NE 219 10th St. NE

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 2000 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd.

2201 Faulkner Rd. NE 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 1551 Piedmont Ave. NE 1049 Juniper Str. NE

990 Piedmont Ave. Ne 2135 Liddell Dr. NE 794 Juniper Str. NE 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE

Bar/Cocktails

Retail

Dining

Billiards/Darts

Dancing

Dancers

Non-Smoking

Leather

Hair/Beauty

Fitness

Drag

Baths/Spa

60 // davidatlanta.com

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got an upcoming event? calendar@davidatlanta.com

MONDAY

Brooks and Phoenix 10pm model t Party with Elvis - 9 pm BLAKE’S Game Night - Trivia/Family Feud oscar’s Ruby Redd’s After Party - 10 pm 11pm swinging richards 2-4-1 VIP Room BURKHART’S Blue Monday Karaoke w/ ten atlanta Drag-a-maki w/ Kitty Angelica D’Paige 11:30pm LeClaw 8:30pm COCKPIT Big Red Cup All Day, specials tripp’s Free Taco Bar 5pm EAGLE Music Videos with Scotty xcess ultra lounge Raquell Lord’s FELIX’S Free Pool Talent Show 10:30pm, Sophia Mcintosh & FRIENDS Manic Mondays DJ opens - 2 pm Fab 5 +1 11:30pm, 18+ HERETIC Jukebox drag with Knomie Moore woof’s Food Special, Trivia 8pm HIDEAWAY $2.50 Domestic Beer JUNGLE Stars of the Century Show 11pm MODEL T Monday Night Madness Free blake’s Texas Hold’Em Poker 7pm, “Guys Pool - 10pm - 2am OSCAR’S Service Industry Night with Eric & Dolls” with Shawnna Brooks. 11pm BURKHART’S Twisted Thursday w/ swinging richards Hip-Hop Night, Phoenix 11:30pm Sponsored by Hennessy 8:30pm cockpit Dirty Boy Bingo w/ Ruby Redd ten atlanta Poker Night TRIPP’S Monday Nite Madness w/ Tana 9pm eagle Balls Deep Karaoke w/ Mikey felix’s Karaoke w/ Brett & Tyler 10pm WOOF’S Texas Hold ‘Em Poker 8pm friends Where Girls Who Like Girls Meet Girls with Regina Simms 8-closing Gilbert’s Wine tasting 6-10pm BLAKE’S POP! Karaoke with Sasie Monroe heretic 3 Legged Cowboy Night 9pm and Suzanne Gleeson 11pm hideaway Service Industry Night BURKHART’S Trivia Tuesday Karaoke w/ jungle Members Only with Evah Angelica D’Paige 11:30pm Destruction 10pm club rush “Tipsy Tuesday” 18 & up mIXX Gentlemen Cocktails with Aaron & Open until 4am Matt at 6pm COCKPIT 80s Party 9pm, specials 5-8pm model t Party Time with Michael - 9 pm EAGLE Tuesdays w/ Tony oscar’s Twisted Thursday with Eric FELIX’S Smirnoff Martini Night swinging richards 2-4-1 VIP & Entry FRIENDS Let’s Make A Deal with Ken 6 pm xcess ultra lounge Turnt Up Thursday Gilbert’s Industry Night (complementary woof’s Food Special, Country Music 7pm pizza after 10pm) HERETIC 2-Step Tuesday, dance till 11pm HIDEAWAY Trivia with Wil 9 pm 10th & piedmont Live DJ 10 PM JUNGLE Ruby’s Tuesdays 8 pm blake’s 5-9pm TGIF, Charlie’s Angels w/ MIXX Piano with David Reeb at 8pm Charlie Brown 11pm MODEL T Wii Tuesday Afternoons 2pm BURKHART’S Fab Five w/ Angelica 9pm $2.50 beer / $3.0 well vodka OSCAR’S Show Tune Tuesday with Chad- D’Paige 11:30pm club rush “Got Leche” Free entry until 8 pm 11pm 18 & up - Open until 4am SWINGING RICHARDS 1/2 Price cover cockpit DJ Diablo Rojo, guest VJ/DJ’s WOOF’S Industry Day Free Wii 5pm eagle DJ Dance Party friends Happy Time Friday Kelly & Ken 6 pm heretic FUR Friday BLAKE’S 5-9pm Doug’s party pop hits, hideaway Kick Back Fridays!

Charlie Harding’s Hard Body Party 11 pm jungle Dinner and a Movie 7 pm; BURKHART’S Humpday Karaoke w/ The Other Show with Edie Cheezburger Darlene Majewski 11:30pm 9:30pm; Jungle POP 11pm COCKPIT Balls Deep Karaoke 10pm mixx Ron’s End of the Week Party 4pm | EAGLE Underwear Night with Tony Grown & Sexy Dance 10 pm Friends Hump Night with Regina Simms model t Friday Bagels - 10 am | Texas Gilbert’s Karaoke 10pm-2am Holdem Poker 8 pm heretic Pig Dance Black Out Party DJ oscar’s Music Video Night Stan Jackson 10pm-3am NO COVER swinging richards T-Shirt Review,$10 hideaway 1/2 Price Beer ten atlanta Music by George Greenlee jungle Dragamaniacs with Nicole Paige tripp’s Afternoon Delights 4pm

THURSDAY

TUESDAY

FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY

62 // davidatlanta.com

woof’s Atlanta’s Best Social Night 6pm

SATURDAY

10th & piedmont Live DJ 10 PM blake’s Open at 1pm, Daring Divas 11pm BURKHART’S Extravaganza w/ Shavonna B. Brooks 11:30pm cockpit DJ Diablo Rojo, guest VJ/DJ’s eagle DJ Dance Party felix’s Karaoke w/ Brett & Tyler 10pm friends Free Pool and Cheap beer with DJ! 2 pm - 6 pm Gilbert’s All you care to eat brunch (cooked to order) 11-4pm heretic Varies: Club Night or 3 Legged Cowboy Night - 10pm hideaway Open at 12:30pm! Saturday Night Party jungle The Q 9 pm; Club Night, Various Guest DJ’s mixx Guest DJ’s Dance 10pm model t Texas Holdem Poker - 3 pm | Party with the M&M Boiz - 9 pm oscar’s DJ Christopher Kind swinging richards T-Shirt Review $10 ten atlanta Music by George Greenlee tripp’s Afternoon Cookout 3pm xcess ultra lounge 25+ FREE til 12am woof’s Game Day All Day

SUNDAY

10th & piedmont Bellini Brunch 11 AM & T-Dance 4 PM blake’s Open at 1pm - High Energy Music & Video w/ Bill Berdeaux & Daryl Cox BURKHART’S Armorettes Drag Show club rush Hip Hop and R&B - 18 & up Open until 4am cockpit PBR Beer Bust felix’s Bloody Marys & Mimosas friends Open @ 2pm; Dinner @ 4pm while it lasts Gilbert’s All you care to eat brunch (cooked to order) 11-4pm and Karaoke 6-11:30pm hideaway Atlanta’s Favorite Bloody Mary Bar! 12:30 pm Jungle The Day After with Knomie Moore 12-3pm; Sweet T with Bubba Dee and Wild Cherry Sucret 7pm las margaritas All You Can Eat til 3pm mixx Old School Sunday Dance 7pm model t Sunday Dinner with Ron 3:30 pm oscar’s Sunday Fun-day ten atlanta Music by George Greenlee tripp’s Buffet of Goodness - 3 pm | Karaoke - 7 pm woof’s Bloody Mary bar, PBR special

theRundown 50 Years of Bond

Nightly • 7:30 p.m. • Plaza Theatre (1049 Ponce De Leon Ave.)

Datebook

The Plaza Theatre celebrates James Bond’s 50 years as a film franchise with nightly showings. For a full list, check out our article on page 20. For more information, visit plazaatlanta.com.

Emeli Sandé Live

Wednesday, July 3 • 8 p.m. • Tabernacle (152 Luckie St. NW)

The name may not ring a bell (yet), but chances are you already know her song “Next to Me.” Now you can find out more about the UK’s hottest new export. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.

‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche’

Wednesday, July 3 • 8 p.m. • Shakespeare Tavern (499 Peachtree St. NE)

This hilarious play makes its Atlanta debut at the Shakespeare Tavern July 3, and runs through July 15. For more information, including future showtimes and ticket prices, visit shakespearetavern.com.

All American Bear Dance Party Wednesday, July 3 • 9 p.m. • Cockpit (465 Boulevard SE)

Show off your patriotism and pop off like a firework at the All American Bear Dance Party with DJ Eric and DJ Diablo Rojo. For more information, visit facebook.com/cockpit. atlanta.

Harry Connick, Jr. Live Sunday, July 7 • 8 p.m. • Chastain Park Amphitheatre (4469 Stella Dr. NW)

After all these years, we still remember him as Leo from Will & Grace. Harry Connick, Jr.’s in Atlanta as a singer, though, bringing his 2013 tour to Atlanta for one night only. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.

‘Shakin’ the Rafters’

Tuesday, July 9 • 8 p.m. • 14th Street Playhouse (173 14th St. NE) The latest play from David H. Bell makes its world premiere tonight, and runs through August 4. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.

64 // davidatlanta.com

Atlanta Bear Fest: Highlighted Events Note: All events are at the Courtyard Northlake Marriott (4083 LaVista Rd., Tucker) unless otherwise indicated.

Thursday, July 4 4 p.m. Soft Drinks & Iced Tea by the Pool 5:30 p.m. Island Welcome Cookout at Atlanta Eagle 9 p.m. Karaoke with Prizes at Atlanta Eagle

Friday, July 5 Noon 4 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

10 p.m.

Pool Party w/ DJ Eric (sponsored by Bear Bones Clothing) Soft Drinks & Iced Tea by the Pool Aloha Party (sponsored by Ted’s Montana Grill) Cigar Smoke at Gazebo Open Bar Bar Activities at Atlanta Eagle

Saturday, July 6 9 a.m. Pancakes & Movie at Movie Tavern Noon Soft Drinks & Iced Tea by the Pool Noon Pool Party w/ DJ Eric 12:30 p.m. ABF Photo Shoot by the Pool 5 p.m. Island Luau 8 p.m. Mr. Atlanta Bear / Cub Contest at Atlanta Eagle 8 p.m. Open Bar 10 p.m. DJ Pat at Atlanta Eagle

Sunday, July 7 7 a.m.

5 p.m.

5 p.m.

Breakfast Buffet Island Farewell Cookout at Atlanta Eagle DJ Eric at Atlanta Eagle

IN THEATRES THIS WEEK

ALSO IN THEATRES

Johnny Depp reunites with Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski for The Lone Ranger, a new take on the classic Wild Wild West legend. Armie Hammer takes on the role of the Lone Ranger, while Depp plays Tonto.

If you absolutely loved the Pirates films, you’ll likely find something to enjoy here. Otherwise, move along.

Despicable Me 2: Steve Carell returns as Gru, the (former) supervillain who’s now raising three young girls. Also present, and more abundant than ever: Gru’s Minions, who are getting their own spinoff next year.

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain: Comedian Kevin Hart achieves that rarity among taped comedy shows: a theatrical exhibition.

@DavidAtlantaGA // 65

Comics

66 // davidatlanta.com

Cocktail Chatter

P I N K G I N BY ED SIKOV S traight gin has such a degenerate reputation that to drink it without mixing in some other ingredient is to invite either derision or an intervention. I have no idea why. Straight up, on the rocks, or neat, asking for nothing but gin simply isn’t done in public, and pouring a glass at home makes many people so self-conscious that they begin to think they can actually feel the cirrhosis nodules beginning to grow in their livers. Drinking straight gin is the kind of thing folks do with the blinds drawn.

This is sad and quite needless. Juniper-flavored alcohol has a long, formerly proud history as a tonic. Monks made it, for God’s sake—literally. People in the Dark Ages made that drab era a little lighter with it; they drank it as a way of warding off the Plague. Of course it didn’t really work to that end, but gin did make one’s buboes seem a great deal less repulsive for the brief period between their onset and the drinker’s unpleasant and smelly demise. Buboes are best experienced through a gin haze—on that I think we can all agree.

The 17th century, when gin was flavored with turpentine, will not be elaborated upon here except to note that the phase didn’t last long.

Juniper berries returned as the primary flavoring soon thereafter, though today’s premium brands often feature such an array of secondary essences that the roster resembles the ingredients in high-end organic shampoo.

Beefeater gin, for example, features not only juniper but also eight other botanicals: the seeds and root of angelica, licorice, almonds, oranges, lemon peel and everybody’s favorite, orris root.

What the hell is orris root? Orris happens to be one of the “notes” in Yves Saint Laurent’s perfume Opium. It’s flowery, and heavily so when sniffed on its own. And apparently witches use it to pry into other people’s subconscious. (Note to readers: If someone you know—say, your mother—wears Opium, be very wary of having even the slightest contact with her, or else your wonderfully filthy fantasy life will be an open book.)

Which brings us to the subject of this column: Pink Gin. Tailor made for lesbian and gay drinkers, Pink Gin is even closer to straight gin than a martini is. Even the driest martinis have something in them besides the main ingredient. Pink Gin, on the other hand, contains nothing but straight gin that is faintly colored by the addition of Angostura bitters.

What’s in Angostura bitters? According to Rachel Maddow, who knows everything worth knowing, the recipe is such a secret that only five people on the planet know it. All the rest of us know is that it’s a tincture of herbs and spices that originated in Venezuela in the 19th century. One of the great Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar’s doctors cooked it up; he may have based his highly guarded recipe on the local Amerindians’ folk medicine. It does not—repeat, not— contain angostura bark, which is poisonous.

Angostura bitters have a very complex taste, one that’s difficult to describe beyond “herbal and spicy.” Easier to describe is the feeling one gets while drinking a Pink Gin—delightful! The botanicals of the gin are well complemented by the bitters.

But don’t overdo it. The following recipe creates exactly the right proportion of gin to bitters. And the color is lovely.

Pink Gin 5 dashes Angostura bitters 4 Tbsp. Beefeater gin, chilled Lemon peel garnish (optional) Shake 5 dashes of bitters into a chilled cocktail glass.

(Bitters bottles have caps similar to Tabasco sauce so you can’t overdo it.) Swirl the bitters around until the glass is coated with it, then toss the excess in the sink.

Fill the glass with chilled gin and serve.

Ed Sikov is the author of the e-book, The Boys’ and Girls’ Little Book of Alcohol, a novel with recipes based on his Cocktail Chatter column. @DavidAtlantaGA // 67

Thinking Out Loud Coming Out, Again

How an oddball disorder sent me back to the closet

By Abby Dees

L

ast week I discovered that there’s a name for a problem I’ve had since I was 11. I’ve learned that other people have same problem, and quite a few have it way worse than I do. I found out that my “quirk” – one that close friends have lovingly tolerated, others have derided – isn’t just my own, solitary, rather embarrassing character flaw, but something very real.

I have Misophonia – literally, “hatred of sound,” but that’s kind of misleading. I couldn’t live without my Beatles bootleg collection or my vintage Martin guitar, so I must love sound too. Here is misophonia in a nutshell: certain normal sounds that people make, invariably quite soft sounds, register in my brain like a hundred nails on a chalkboard. Open-mouth gum-chewing, for example, or aimless whistling can torment me, as well as some visual stimuli. My thinking short-circuits if someone habitually shakes a foot anywhere in my field of vision. But because I’m otherwise a rational, relatively normal person, I have a cache of coping skills: I never leave the house without an iPod (a portable refuge), I have a list of handy reasons I may need to step away quickly, and sometimes I just have to suck it up, which is incredibly difficult. On a plane, I’ll barely notice the engine roar, but I’ll be completely unhinged by the guy ten rows back who doesn’t know that Kleenex can bring his chronic sniffing to a halt. In those moments, strangers would have no way of knowing that I’m desperately eyeing the escape slide, but my partner now reads my body language like Sherlock Holmes and scans the crowd curiously to find the ordinary thing that has hijacked my brain.

I know, it sounds ridiculous. Or you might be thinking, “But everybody hates it when people pop their gum. It’s just gross.” Yes, it’s gross (and bad manners), but is it profoundly upsetting to everybody? Even before I had a name for it, I’d try to explain it to friends. If they didn’t casually dismiss it, they’d breezily offer, “I’m like that too! It’s so annoying when people don’t blow their noses.” Again, let me explain. If there isn’t a good chance that you’ll either start crying or suddenly need to “use the restroom” 68 // davidatlanta.com

because someone won’t stop smacking lunch, you don’t have misophonia. Then there’s the worst response of all: I should just get over it, as if my maddening neurosis were a choice. Fortunately, to those I’m closest to, it exists as Abby’s amusing, at times exasperating, little eccentricity. They accept me, thank heavens. I don’t talk about it with anyone else; I just deal as best I can. After all, it’s not cancer.

However, now that I know I’m not alone in this, I’m coming out, albeit with great trepidation that in so doing, I’ll lose all credibility as a serious person. I might seem…crazy. Or worse, silly. I’m coming out because as I learn about other people’s struggle with misophonia, I see nothing silly about it. In fact, the condition itself is rarely the biggest problem; lack of understanding by loved ones is. To other people, this sensitivity makes no sense. They downplay it, reject its existence, or resent being inconvenienced or challenged by it.

As a lesbian, this all seems oddly familiar. I’m not suggesting that having a mental health issue is equivalent to being LGBT, but we humans do have a habit of condemning or dismissing things we don’t understand. The result is that too many of us are painfully isolated because of it.

A reporter friend recently told me that the more he meets people in his work, the more he understands that what is insignificant to one person means everything to another.

We’re all just one hormone surge, one neuron ping away from experiencing the world totally differently from the person next to us. It reminds him to summon compassion before judgment, to see commonality in our very difference.

For me, I’m taking my new diagnosis as a humble reminder of what it’s like to feel so different. It’s been a long time since I had coming-out jitters. It’s probably good for me.

Abby is a civil rights attorney-turned-author who has been in the LGBT rights trenches for 25+ years. She can be reached through her website: queerquestionsstraighttalk.com.

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fairyscopes ARIES (March 20 – April 19): The universe is asking

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): You’re in for

you to focus on doing things for other people now. Take a look at the resources you have at your disposal (both tangible and intangible), and think of ways that you can share them.

an excellent day of good luck and fortuitous coincidences. A gloomy cloud that has been hanging over your head recently will soon be blown away by a sexual heat wave!

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Seek out new experiences today -- even minor changes to your routine will invigorate your spirit. You don’t have to shirk your obligations -- just do them in a different way. Tonight, try a new restaurant or recipe.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): You may

GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Someone or something from a distant land will cause a major change in your life soon (definitely a change for the better). But it may not come to you -- you may need to plan an exotic vacation and go find it!

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20): Keep an open mind today -- a new man in your life is going to say something bizarre, and your first reaction may be to start putting distance between you two. Wait. Listen. This guy may have something to teach you.

CANCER (June 21- July 22): When you have to make

CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): It’s

an important decision today, logic and emotion may disagree. Well, today is a day to listen to your heart. Something that doesn’t quite make sense but ‘feels right’ is okay to pursue now.

the right time to make that change to your appearance that you’ve been contemplating -- whether it’s a new haircut, a new shirt or something more drastic, you’ll be pleased with the results.

LEO (July 23 – August 22): Misinformation may come

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18): Move cautiously today -- even seemingly insignificant actions will have important consequences. Little things really do mean a lot right now -- get the details exactly right in everything you do.

to you through a computer today -- so don’t believe everything you read on the Web. New chat-room pals may not be what they say they are, and shopping online is not favored.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): You’ll have to offer some constructive criticism today -- don’t sugarcoat it too much. If you do, the criticism might not be properly communicated. You can be frank without being cruel. Don’t feel guilty about this!

72 // davidatlanta.com

experience minor problems in your home today -- anything from a tiff with your boyfriend to a malfunctioning appliance.

Focus your attention on necessary repairs. Nothing is irredeemably broken.

PISCES (February 19 – March 19): Your subconscious is trying to tell you something important -- so pay close attention to it. It may reveal its secret through a slip of the tongue, an inexplicable craving, or a strange daydream.

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If someone tells you “everything happens for a reason,” stab him.

I’ve got three words for you boys: TAME. THAT. BUSH. I’m trying to suck dick, not floss my teeth.

Once you learn to laugh at yourself and not give a fuck, that’s when you start having fun.

It takes me two to three years to get a tan some people get in a day.

76 // davidatlanta.com

Labels belong on things, not people.

I don’t chase after boys, because that means running.

No thank you.

I need to reevaluate my life when my autocorrect changes “work” to “werq.”

I don’t text and drive; I always think my mama’s going to be on TV reading my last outgoing message that says “I wanna sit on that dick.”

If a guy pressures you into giving him a blowjob, just tell him, “I’m sorry, but I only eat meat that’s USDA-certified organic.”

I need to learn that just because something’s on sale doesn’t mean I should buy it. *This page reflects the bitchiness of the community not David Atlanta or its publisher (although we’re bitchy too!)