Echo Magazine - Arizona LGBTQ Lifestyle - January 2019

Meet Echo’s 2018 Leaders of the Year Three community pioneers help advance the U=U campaign by sharing their personal stories

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS ANND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 30, #4 | Issue 712 | January 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

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INSIDE THIS

ISSUE Issue 712 | Vol. 30, #4 | January 2019

NEWS 8 Letter From The Editor 12 News Briefs 14 Datebook

COMMUNITY 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54

Without Reservations At the Box Office Opening Nights Recordings Between the Covers Talking Bodies Not That You Asked We The People

Phoenix Pride Crowns Two New Junior Pride Titleholders

20

Echo chats with victors Lola Angelica Stratton and Jace Alexander.

OUT & ABOUT 10 16 18 32 62 63

Aunt Rita’s RED Brunch Trans Day of Remembrance Sparkle Glitter GLSEN AIDS Candlelight Vigil Wax-A-Bear Carnaval Latino

ON THE COVER Two of Echo’s 2018 Leaders of the Year, Eion Cashman and Jason Jones. Not pictured – JayyVon Monroe.

Photo by Scotty Kirby

Everything’s Coming Up Roses for Sway Events

22

Valley event planners are back in action after a mild hiatus.

WEB EXCLUSIVES Meet Echo’s 2018 Leaders of the Year Three community pioneers help advance the U=U campaign by sharing their personal stories

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS ANND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 30, #4 | Issue 712 | January 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

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Photo by Lisa Olson

Leaders of the Year: U=U Mayme Kratz: Dark Is Light

25

The Sexual Liberation of Thom Bierdz: Former Soap Hunk Writes Revealing Sex Memoir In his new memoir, Young, Gay And Restless: My Scandalous On-Screen and Off-Screen Sexual Liberations, the actor and visual artist digs into his sexual history. echomag.com/thom-bierdz-2019

The acclaimed Phoenix-based mixed media artist discusses her ongoing relationship with the desert and her upcoming exhibition at Lisa Sette Gallery.

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New Year, New Read Photo by Scotty Kirby

Echo is proud to showcase three community-nominated leaders who boldly share the stories of their respective journeys with HIV to their current status as Undetectable and Untransmittable (U=U).

Nevaeh McKenzie hosts a drag queen storytelling event at Changing Hands Bookstore. echomag.com/newyearnewread-2019

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LETTER EDITOR FROM THE

By Amy Young

W

elcome to 2019! The beginning of a new year tends to send our minds into overdrive — thinking about what the last 12 months delivered and what we can do to enhance the months ahead. For many, serious resolutions are set once the New Year’s Eve party favors are in the trash, while others shun goal-setting with glee.

At Echo, our team’s collective brain is spinning just as fast as yours. For the upcoming year, we are dedicated to finding and delivering thoughtful, timely, challenging, and entertaining stories and news from the LGBTQA community.

This month’s cover story (page 25) is our annual Leaders of the Year feature, which gave us the opportunity to examine this past year’s events in order to highlight a handful of the outstanding members of our region. Eion Cashman, Jason Jones, and JayyVon Monroe are trailblazers we are honoring as 2018’s Leaders of the Year. We owe a huge thanks to Echo’s previous editor, KJ Philp, who was instrumental in the process of identifying these valuable assets to our community. He wanted to not only focus on their excellent accomplishments, but also on their intense shared experience — each of 2018’s leaders shared with us their respective journey with HIV to their current status as Undetectable and Untransmittable (U=U). Their bravery in revealing such personal matters will only serve to educate people and to facilitate the U=U mission to remove HIV-related stigmas.

Before you immerse yourselves in those intriguing accounts, you’ll see a couple of other features first. On page 20, writer Laura Latzko talks with Phoenix Pride’s Junior Pride titleholders Lola Angelica Stratton and Jace Alexander. That’s followed up

by Ashley Naftule’s feature on Sway Events (page 22). Those once-prolific event planners went on a brief hiatus but are back in action.

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Speaking of intensity, Phoenixbased artist Mayme Kratz (page 34) has an incredible relationship with the desert landscape. She spends ample amounts of time exploring it, as well as incorporating its elements into her stunning mixed media artwork.

In January, her new exhibition Dark Is Light opens at central Phoenix’s Lisa Sette Gallery. Echo welcomes Jenna Duncan to our base of writers and her first endeavor was this overview of Kratz and her work.

Also new to the writing team in January is Judy McGuire. The longtime New York writer has a mile-long resume that includes publications like Time.com and Seattle Weekly. An expert on NYC culture, it’s an honor to have her review of 7 Miles A Second. The book is an autobiography of legendary artist David Wojnarowicz, who died in 1992 from AIDS-related complications. The author, filmmaker, and visual artist was controversial and thought-provoking. He was an especially-powerful voice in the 1980s, speaking out about political and social issues relating to the AIDS epidemic.

As we roll into 2019, we at Echo wish everyone an outstanding new year, resolutions or not! We’ll be back in February with The Relationship Issue!

Also, here’s another great thing about 2019 — it is Echo’s 30th year! We will be peppering each issue this year with blasts from the past, via articles and photos, to celebrate. Stay tuned for information about our birthday celebration event in September. THIRTY years — can you believe it?!

Amy Young is the managing editor of Echo Magazine. A longtime journalist, her work has appeared numerous publications, regional to international. Please contact her at editor@echomag.com.

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER: Bill Orovan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Bill Gemmill EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR: Amy Young CONTRIBUTORS: Grace Bolyard Edward Castro Jenna Duncan Buddy Early Michelle Talsma Everson Tamara Juarez Steve Kilar Laura Latzko Tuesday Mahrle Judy McGuire

Kaely Monahan Ashley Naftule David-Elijah Nahmod Tia Norris Tom Reardon Seth Reines Mikey Rox Terri Schlichenmeyer Nikole Tower Megan Wadding

ART DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: nightfuse.com and Scotty Kirby.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING: Ashlee James ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Gregg Edelman NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863

ECHO READERSHIP: 50,000 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $29/year ACE PUBLISHING, INC. MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 16630

Phoenix, AZ 85011-6630 PHONE: 602-266-0550 EMAIL: manager@echomag.com Copyright © 2016 • ISSN #1045-2346

MEMBER:

Echo Magazine is published by ACE Publishing, Inc. Echo is a registered trademark of ACE Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained in advance for partial or complete reproduction of any advertising material contained therein. Opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. ACE Publishing, Inc. does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers or advice columnists. Publication of a name, photograph of an individual or organization in articles, advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation, unless such orientation is specifically stated. Manuscripts or other materials submitted remain the property of ACE Publishing, Inc.

Aunt Rita’s RED Brunch

Dec. 1 at Sheraton Grand, Phoenix.

Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos.

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Out & About

NEWS BRIEFS

HRC: Arizona State House Speaker Russell Bowers is Unfit to Serve all Arizonans Last month, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released the following statement following news that anti-LGBTQ Rep. Russell “Rusty” Bowers will serve as Arizona’s Speaker of the House.

“Rep. Bowers has spent his career attacking the LGBTQ community, proving that he will not serve all Arizonans as Speaker of the House,” said HRC Arizona State Director Justin Unga. “Bowers believes that businesses should have a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, that LGBTQ people should not be protected from discrimination under state law, and that the abusive and debunked practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ — a form of child

abuse — should be allowed to continue in Arizona. He is unfit to set the agenda for Arizona’s State House and unfit to serve the people of Arizona.”

In 1992, during his first term as a state legislator, Bowers authored a proposed state amendment to prohibit municipalities from passing nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBTQ people. Bowers worked to undermine a bill that would protect state employees, and opposed the repeal of the state’s law banning consensual same-sex relationships.

During the 2018 election cycle, HRC prioritized investments and organizing in Arizona for more than a year and had 18 staff on the ground in the state as part of the largest grassroots

expansion in the organization’s 38-year history. Working with scores of partner organizations, HRC also led field organizing efforts around the state to mobilize voters in support of HRCbacked, pro-equality champions who will fight for LGBTQ rights, and for the rights and welfare of all Arizonans — including Kyrsten Sinema, Ann Kirkpatrick, Greg Stanton and Tom O’Halleran.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Source: Human Rights Campaign.

Lambda Legal Files Suit Against Social Security Administration on Behalf of Gay Widower’s Spousal Benefits Lambda Legal today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of a 65-year-old gay man seeking spousal survivor’s benefits based on his 43-year relationship with his husband, who died seven months after Arizona began allowing same-sex couples to marry.

married for nine months even where it was legally impossible for them to do so.”

Lambda Legal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of

the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

Source: Lambda Legal.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Michael Ely in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona argues that SSA’s imposition of a nine-month marriage requirement for social security survivor’s benefits is unconstitutional where same-sex couples were not able to be married for nine months because of discriminatory marriage laws.

“The federal government is requiring surviving same-sex spouses like Michael to pass an impossible test to access benefits earned through a lifetime of work,” said Lambda Legal Counsel Peter Renn. “Michael and his husband got married as soon as they could, less than three weeks after Arizona ended its exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, but they were only able to be married for six months before Michael’s husband died of cancer.

“Now, the Social Security Administration is allowing the heartbreak of discriminatory marriage bans to persist by holding same-sex couples to a standard that many could not meet, insisting that they have been 12

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Michael Ely and James “Spider” Taylor. Photo courtesy of Lambda Legal. news

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DATEBOOK Dec. 25

If you don’t feel like cooking on the holiday, head to the Christmas Day Lunch at the Bunkhouse. The free buffet offers sandwiches with all the fixings. Dig in from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Bunkhouse, 4428 N. Seventh Ave. in Phoenix.

Jan. 4

The Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s January Luncheon is a chance to network and mingle. Tickets are $30-$40. The event happens from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bluewater Grill, 1720 E.Camelback Road in Phoenix.

bunkhousesaloonphx.com

phoenixgaychamber.org

Dec. 31

Jan. 5

New Year’s Eve at Stacy’s and Charlie’s. Masquerade Ball at Charlie’s starts at 9 p.m. with party favors and a midnight champagne toast. Stacy’s will become a “floral wonderland” with a botanical-infused drink menu and a “petal drop” at midnight. charliesphoenix.com | stacysatmelrose.com

Pride Bingo gives you a chance to play a fun game and raise some money.

Proceeds benefit the Phoenix Pride Scholarship. The gaming runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Kobalt, 3110 N. Central Ave. #175 in Phoenix. kobaltbarphoenix.com

Jan. 6

Jan. 3-6

It’s days of fun at Mr. and Ms. Phoenix Leather 2019. The latter category is a new one this year, so be on hand to see the first person to take home that title. In addition to the competition, there will be food, entertainment, and a cigar social. Check the website for the complete details. mrphoenixleather.com

It’s time for the Miss Supreme Pride 2019 Prelims. This event is the final preliminary to Miss Phoenix Pride and this year’s theme is Black Magic. Host Barbra Seville is joined by Miss Rubye Moore – Miss Supreme 2018 – as well as other guests. Judged categories include Red Carpet Fashion and Onstage Q&A. Check it out from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Rock, 4219 N. Seventh Ave. in Phoenix. therockdmphoenix.com

Jan. 11

Bad Hombres: Comedic Monologues from Beyond is playwright Guillermo Reyes’ new show. This premiere finds Latino immigrants dealing with the trans-cultural shocks of contemporary America, Arizona, and the Southwest.

Runs through Feb. 3. Tickets are $20 for the bawdy holiday show that starts at 8 p.m. at Space 55 Theatre, 1525 N. 18th Ave. in Phoenix.

Jan. 17

Polish those blades and get ready for the LGBTQ Community Winter Skate 2019.

Gliding on the ice helps raise money for the Phoenix Metropolitan Men’s Chorus. $10 entry includes three hours of skating, skate rental, and wrist guards. Bring extra money to spend on games and at the snack bar. This all ages event-on-ice happens from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Great Skate Glendale, 10054 N. 43rd Ave. phoenixmenschorus.org

Jan. 18

iTheatre Collaborative presents Michelle Kholos Brooks’ Hostage, an important play that recounts true events from 1979, when students in Tehran took over the American Embassy. Tickets are $27.50 for the 8 p.m. show. The play runs through Feb. 2 on the Kax Stage at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe St. in Phoenix. herbergertheater.org

Jan. 18

It’s time for the annual The Phoenix Southwest Leather Contest 2019. This yearly party features a rocking Bootblack lounge and plenty of interactive fun. From master-and-slave parties to contests and workshops, it’s a lot of leathery goodness. See the website for event details and registration information. The shindig happens at Four Points By Sheraton, 2532 W. Peoria Ave. in Phoenix. southwestleather.org

space55.org

Mark Our Calendars

To have your event considered for Echo’s print and online calendars, submit your event details to echomag.com/ community-calendar *All submissions are subject to Echo’s discretion.

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news

KALANI PE‘A

February 6 | 7 p.m. | $33.50–$43.50 Celebrating the Hawaiian identity and culture, his music and singing breathes a new, joyful life.

Upcoming Concerts MusicaNova Orchestra: The Mystical Muse—Cycles of Inspiration and Hope January 6 The Brother Brothers January 16 Portland Cello Project: Radiohead’s OK Computer January 18 Dakh Daughters January 21 Lizz Wright January 31 And many more!

2019 Concert Series sponsored by

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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR)

Nov. 20 at the Arizona State Capitol, Phoenix.

Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos.

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Sparkle Glitter GLSEN

Nov. 15 at Steele Indian School Park Memorial Hall, Phoenix.

Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos.

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Out & About

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Phoenix Pride Crowns Two New Junior Pride Titleholders Lola Angelica Stratton and Jace Alexander discuss pageant life

By Laura Latzko

A

fter a hiatus, the Junior Phoenix Pride Pageant returned to Rainbows Festival this year.

During the October pageant, Phoenix Pride crowned Lola Angelica Stratton as the newest Miss Junior Phoenix Pride and Jace Alexander Knight as the newest Mister Junior Phoenix Pride.

Meant for youth between the ages of 14 and 20, the pageant had talent, essay, “Valley of the Sun”-themed wear, and Q&A categories.

The two new titleholders became faces of Phoenix Pride, representing both the organization and the youth community.

During the pageant, Stratton performed a burlesque number to Annie Lennox’s “I Put A Spell On You” for talent, and Knight did a talent number to the Darren Criss version of “Fighter.”

Stratton started performing in April 2017 as part of the BS West Stars Choice competition, and Knight began in May 2018 as part of Stacy’s @ Melrose’s The New Kings on the Block.

Both grew up with supportive families. Knight was exposed to the arts through his mother, who did theater while he was growing up and who now holds the title of Miss Kobalt.

Stratton’s parents took her and her sister to the pride celebrations growing up in Washington D.C., and at a young age, she danced around the house in her mother’s and cousin’s heels.

The two titleholders talked about their journeys during recent interviews.

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Photo by Lola Angelica Stratton.

Lola Angelica Stratton Age: 19 years old until February.

Drag Family Affiliations: Drag daughter of Eva Angelica Stratton, a former Miss Phoenix Pride.

Artistic Background: Was involved with Valley Youth Theatre growing up and also did theater in middle school, including the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Interesting Fact: Currently studying fashion merchandising and fashion design in college.

Advice to other performers starting out: Believe in your art and yourself.

Echo: When you started out at BS West, was everything new to you?

Stratton: Oh yeah. I think when you watch a show like [RuPaul’s] Drag Race or [The Boulet Brothers’] Dragula, you think, “That’s easy. I can do that.” But once you start learning about hair, makeup, costuming, it’s so much more elaborate than you think, and there’s so much that goes into it. You never stop learning, whether it’s learning a new way to do your eyeshadow, a new way to do your hair or a new way to dance. There’s always an opportunity for learning, and I think that’s what’s really cool about doing drag.

FEATURE STORY

Echo: Are you starting to define what kind of drag performer you want to be?

Stratton: I love traditional drag meets new drag. What I mean by that is a lot of new trends like wearing latex, wearing these bright pink costumes or doing these fast, upbeat pop songs.

I also really like wearing the big hair, beautiful gowns and the big jewelry. I think it’s really fun getting to wear so many things and getting to play with so many different looks and so many styles.

Echo: Tell me about what the title means to you.

Stratton: The biggest thing for me was I get to represent the queer youth of our city. I think it’s really important, especially now with what’s going on in the world of politics and what’s going on in our world that we as the LGBTQA community make our voices heard, especially the younger generation, because we are the future, and we are the ones to make the next impact.

Echo: Have you had a chance as Miss Junior Phoenix Pride to work with one n ten?

Stratton: Within the next month, I will be at the Parsons Center [for Health and Wellness] working with the kids.

One thing I want to do for [Phoenix] Pride is have a show hour or a review show for performers who are under the age of 21. I think it’s important for kids who want to start getting into drag to have that chance now.

The first thing I’m working on for the Phoenix Pride Festival is to get an hour or review show one of the days to showcase how creative and talented the youth of Phoenix are.

Echo: Did doing Stars Choice help to prepare you for pageantry?

Stratton: I think doing Stars Choice is the perfect platform for introducing new queens because of the challenges.

It challenges you to be creative. One of my favorite challenges we ever did for Stars Choice was we had to do one of the seven deadly sins. The host wanted us to pick one that we would never in a million years identify with.

They told me, “You’re doing lust.” I had so much fun coming up with ideas and my take on what that means.

Echo: Has it been a challenge to have the role of Miss Junior Phoenix Pride after being on hiatus for a few years?

Stratton: Now that it’s new, people are going to look at us as the new generation, as the starting faces. We are the ones that are going to build the bridge from here on out … I think people are not quite sure. I think that’s why it’s important that Jace and I show people who we are and what we stand for.

FEATURE STORY

Jace Alexander Knight Age: 20 Drag Family Affiliations: Drag son of Jay Alexander Artistic Background: Plays the piano and guitar and draws in spare time.

Interesting Fact: His husband is an emerging performer in Tucson.

Advice to other performers starting out: No matter your age, gender or sexuality, you can be a performer, if this is your dream.

Echo: Did doing the New Kings on the Block show help you to get experience as a performer before doing the pageant?

Knight: It gave me a little bit of experience and showed that it wasn’t really hard. If you just practice and practice and practice, you can do it.

Echo: What did you need to work on the most when you first started?

Knight: With me with performing, it is manipulating the stage area. When I started, I stayed in a triangle. Then, I got better, and I started moving a lot more and started actually getting into the performances.

Echo: Is there any organization or cause that’s really close to your heart, that you hope to get more involved with?

Knight: Something that is close to me is the Broadway [Gatlyn] Spectrum Grant. [Eddie Broadway] is our first transgender emperor, and it is for one person who is transitioning, trying to get top surgery or bottom surgery. Me personally, that touches with me because of the fact that I am transgender. I’m female to male. It’s nice to see someone trying to help the transgender community.

Echo: Is that really important to you, to be visible as a member of the transgender community, with this title?

Knight: I want to be out there in the trans community and show that yeah, I’m trans, but I’m a king.

Echo: Do you hope to show youth that the drag community is a place for kings?

Knight: I feel like a lot of youth, they’re too afraid, and they’re too hidden because of their not being a lot of kings.

Or they’re hidden because of the fact that they are trans, and they think they can’t do it, or people put them down in high school. I was bullied in high school because of the way I looked, because I dressed like a dude. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here. I always knew I wasn’t a girl. I always thought I was a dude.

My husband gave me my first binder. I looked in the mirror, and I was like, “This

Photo by Khiona Marx.

feels really good. I look like a dude, I look like how I’m supposed to look.” My husband supports me and everything I do with the community.

Echo: Have you decided what type of performer you want to be?

Knight: It’s in the works. Most of my performances are all over the place. I will do old school music, like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, and then I’ll do Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” I’m still trying to learn who I am as a performer.

Echo: What did this title mean to you?

Knight: With my title, I want to show that no matter how old you are, no matter if you are male, female, transgender, if you want to do drag, if you want to do pageants and you put your heart out there, you can do it.

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Everything’s Coming Up Roses for

SWAY EVENTS

Valley event planners are back in action after a mild hiatus

By Ashley Naftule Photos courtesy of Sway Events

W

hen asked what’s the biggest misconception people have about event planning, Sway Events founder Gary Guerin chuckles and says, “It’s glamorous, easy, and a nonstop party.”

Over the course of our conversation, Guerin paints a picture of event-planning that is miles away from the image of “attending parties all day” that so many of us probably have of his work. “It’s a lot of paying attention to details and hard,” Guerin says. “For me, it’s art — I live in it and I think about it all the time.”

For party animals and Valley denizens with a fondness for glitz and glam, the name Sway should ring a bell. Started back in 2006, Guerin and his team have been putting together ambitious events around town—Iconic blowouts like the Sway summer pool parties and the Swagger Awards (an event that awarded some of the Valley’s most outrageous and distinctive trendsetters). “We were around for about a decade, in which we covered literally hundreds of events,”

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Guerin says. There’s a faint trace of awe in his voice, like even he can’t believe how many things Sway did during its original run.

If it seems odd to talk about Sway in the past tense, it’s because the organization went on hiatus for a long spell. “A few years back, I decided to step away and take a break from working in that format,” Guerin explains. For anyone working in the culture industry, burn-out is an eventual fact of life. You can only juggle so many balls before the urge to embrace a bit of stillness in your life becomes overwhelming. Guerin, like so many other people who excel in their chosen fields, had to take a breather eventually.

But he hasn’t been idle. “I went to work in a more corporate agency environment, so for the past three years I’ve really been working on corporate events with some large and recognizable clients like Pinterest and Instagram. I’ve been really sharpening my skills as an event planner during that time.”

Guerin’s interest in event planning stems from a lifelong association and interest in the entertainment industry. “I worked for Disney for six years,” he says.

“I’ve always been a bit of an entertainer.”

Guerin also has a long and distinguished background in marketing; he used to the be the marketing manager at Phoenix New Times.

“Once I started to narrow my focus on what I wanted to do, I realized that events and event marketing was my niche,” Guerin says. “It’s what I’m naturally talented at; it’s the thing that I’m super passionate about.”

After years away from Sway, Guerin felt he was ready to pick up that mantle again. “I just really wanted to get back to my roots and do what I love,” Guerin says. “A lot of people had asked me when Sway was going to do something again or when we were going to come back, and I didn’t really have an answer for that until recently.”

Part of what fueled Guerin’s interest in reactivating Sway came from another FEATURE STORY

business he had just started: Stem Swag.

A floral company, Stem Swag focuses on crafting custom centerpieces, floral decor, and flower bars where folks can build their own bouquets. Combining florals and events seemed like a no-brainer for Guerin.

“One of the original concepts of Sway Events was to be able to offer up a higher caliber of event planning to the community,” Guerin says. Adding florals to his bag of tricks is one of the ways he hopes to distinguish Sway 2.0 from its original incarnation. “We’re working to specialize in florals and decors, so we can really tell the story of events through that. It’s a new medium for us.”

“Storytelling through events” is a concept that Guerin brings up throughout our talk. For Guerin, an event isn’t just an excuse to congregate and clink drink glasses; it’s an opportunity to share a narrative, to thread events together with just the right thematically resonant details. It’s a chance for him to paint a picture that people get to live inside of for a while.

“I consider events to be my art,” Guerin says. “And the inspiration for that art can come from all sorts of different aspects.

Sometimes the theme for an event will come before the planning; sometimes we’ll meet with a client or a venue and they’ll let us know their goals and the

themes will blossom from that.”

And like any good artist, Guerin is selfaware and critical of his own process.

“Over the course of our first decade, we did a large volume of projects. So, one of our goals now is to lean more towards quality than quantity.”

Guerin has been busying himself over the last few months planning the event that is “essentially, a comeback for the Sway brand.” The event is a New Year’s Eve party at Stacy’s @ Melrose. “A perfect storm of events” led Guerin to collaborating with Stacy’s. “For the kind of event we want to do, Stacy’s is the perfect place for it,” Guerin says.

For the New Year’s bash, Sway and Stem Swag are working together

to transform Stacy’s into a floral wonderland. “There will be cool edible flowers, a botanical-infused drink menu, a buzz-button bar, and a petal drop at midnight,” Guerin explains. According to Guerin, the edible flowers will be able to alter people’s palates and let them experience whole new flavors with their drinks. A beauty bar also will be set up in Stacy’s, along with elaborate floral installations.

As with other Sway events, there’s a story being told in the flower garlanded Stacy’s. Flowers are all about the transience of beauty, a lesson from Mother Nature for us to appreciate lovely things while they last. Like parties, they aren’t meant to last — they’re to be enjoyed in the moment. And they’re also about growth and renewal, which isn’t a bad theme to keep in mind when you’re ringing in the New Year.

“The tagline we’ve been using for the part is ‘Everything’s coming up roses’,” Guerin says. “It’s an old saying, a connotation, of wishing somebody great success.” Here’s hoping that 2019 is a year of roses for Sway Events.

Ashley Naftule is a writer and theater artist from Phoenix, AZ. His work has been published in Pitchfork, Vice, Bandcamp, Phoenix New Times, Popula, Longreads, The Outline, SYFY Wire, AZCentral, and Java Magazine. He’s a resident playwright and artistic director at Space55 Theatre. You can find him at @Emperor_norton on Twitter.

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A

s we say goodbye to 2018, the team at Echo Magazine reflects on these past 12 months, taking time to remember all of the incredible people that have strived to create brighter paths for the future. To a handful of these treasures of our community, Echo honors them with its Leaders of the Year recognition.

It is with excitement and privilege that we announce Eion Cashman, Jason Jones, and JayyVon Monroe as the leaders we recognize with this honor for 2018.

Cashman is a prevention and project coordinator at the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Jones is the board chair at RipplePHX, and Monroe is a longtime member of the music and drag-performance communities.

While each leader holds different positions regarding their daily work – each of these outstanding Valley residents have a shared experience they discuss in these upcoming pages – Cashman, Jones, and Monroe detail their personal journeys with HIV, and their current status as Undetectable and Untransmittable (U=U).

The U=U health initiative was created by Prevention Access to end the dual epidemics of HIV and HIV-related stigma by empowering people with, and vulnerable to, HIV with accurate and meaningful related information.

Thanks to brave individuals like these Leaders of the Year, who are willing to open up about their experiences, this crucial information becomes even more widespread.

Before you venture into these personal looks at each 2018 Leader of the Year, let’s take a look at the previous honorees who paved the way!

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Meet Echo’s leaders (formerly men and women) of the years past: 1994: Bill MacDonald & Dianne Post

2007: Tom Simplot & Regina Gazelle

1995: Barb Jones & Mark Colledge

2008: Gary Guerin & Annie Loyd

1996: Beth Verity & Ken Cheuvront

2009: Micheal Weakley & Tambra Williams

1997: Linda Hoffman & Neil Giuliano

2010: Meg Sneed & Jimmy Gruender

1998: Kim Charrier & Steve May 1999: Amy Ettinger & Steve May

2011: Caleb Laieski & Kado Stewart

2000: Richard Stevens & Marti McElroy

2012: Greg Stanton & Nicole Stanton

2001: Kathie Gummere & Doug Klinge

2013: Julian Melson & Trudie Jackson

2002: Don Hamill & Jeannie Metzler 2003: Kirk Baxter & Madeline Adelman 2004: Brad Wishon & Cathy Busha

2014: Kit Kloeckl & Angela Hughey 2015: Katy June & Stacy Louis

2005: David Fiss & Kyrsten Sinema

2016: Sen. Katie Hobbs and Nate Rhoton

2006: Bill Lewis & Brandi Sokolosky

2017: Bob Parsons and Renee Parsons

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Jason Jones: A Ripple Effect

By Michelle Talsma Everson Photos courtesy of Jeremy Bright and Jason Jones

J

ason Jones and Jeremy Bright are one of those couples that have been to hell and back with each other – and love and support one another all the more for it.

Jones, 44, was diagnosed with HIV six years ago, only a couple months into their relationship. “It was really tough to find out my status,” Jones says. “My first thought was how to avoid passing it on to him. My primary worry was about him.”

Now an outreach advocate for HIV and AIDS, Jones reflects that it’s always interesting and heart-tugging to see what others’ first thoughts are when they’re diagnosed as HIV positive.

Some focus on their own health, others on public stigma, on relationships, more. His first thought was Bright – and continues to be. “We fell for each other quickly; we both knew there was something there,” Jones says.

Once he was diagnosed, the couple began to seek out resources for what this now meant for them being in a serodiscordant (mixed status) relationship. “We wanted to know who else was like us,” Jones notes. “In 2012, 26

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we didn’t find that.”

What they did find, he adds, was more geared toward him and not them both.

They even walked out halfway through one workshop, frustrated at the lack of mixed status education and resources.

As their journey continued, the couple did their best to take care of each other, with Bright actually being the one to begin working and volunteering for organizations that support HIV and AIDS awareness and education.

“Fast forward a year [after Jones’ diagnosis] and a position opened up for a testing and outreach manager at a local HIV agency [Southwest Center] and I decided to take a leap and leave work in the private sector to move into this work, to help build programs for people like us — for people like my partner who I loved so much — in our community,” Bright says.

“I wasn’t surprised when he began volunteering and becoming involved in HIV and AIDS activism,” Jones says about his partner. “He has an incredible heart and is all about helping people.”

While Bright dove headfirst into activism, Jones was supportive, but preferred to volunteer and stay in the background. He was closeted about his status for a long time and began the process of coming out slowly — when it made sense or helped others.

“I needed my activism, community work and even coming out to be on my own time table,” Jones says. “That said, I knew we needed to keep doing this work.”

At one volunteer event early on in their activism work, Jones even left early because he “felt like a hypocrite” promoting condom use because of his status.

“He quietly volunteered hundreds of hours with IGNITE for several years — inching out from behind the curtain little by little,” Bright describes. “At Pride, you’d find him behind The Condom Bar, restocking and refilling. He handstamped tens of thousands of burlap Condom Bar bags from our living room and stuffed tens of thousands of safer sex kits that we delivered out in the community. He was there with me at 6 a.m. as we’d check in to set up at feature story

Rainbows Festival and would be there at 3 a.m. as we dropped newly diagnosed blood samples at Southwest Center after testing nights at Stacy’s for almost three years.”

Bright adds that, while he was the initial one of the couple to dive into this work, he looks to Jason as his guide and inspiration.

“While I do this work for our community, the most important person in the community I do it for is Jason Jones,” he says. “I’ve always been able to turn to him, as a person who wasn’t comfortable with his own status, to get a vibe for how much was too much to ask of our community, how to meet people where they’re at in a status-neutral way, and how to stay focused on why we were doing the work we we’re doing.”

This past spring, Bright left his position at Southwest Center, but he and Jones felt like they weren’t done reaching out, advocating, and educating the community. While having coffee together, they brainstormed how to start their own nonprofit and RipplePHX was born.

The nonprofit is a “back-to-grass-roots project created for our LGBTQ community to address today’s HIV virus through impact-focused splashes of awareness, love, and celebrations of individual sexual expression.”

Bright works full-time running the nonprofit as his day (and night and weekend) job and Jones, while still maintaining a full-time position as payroll director for The Red Door by Elizabeth Arden, is the president of RipplePHX’s Board of Directors. Feeling a call to be fully transparent and authentic — and nudged by the fact he had an emerging nonprofit under his own roof — more than five years after his official diagnosis, Jones decided to fly to Texas to tell his parents about his HIV status.

“Over the years I was diagnosed I carried a lot of guilt for not sharing my status with my mom,” Jones says.

“I came out to her the way I had come out as gay more than 20 years earlier — sitting in my childhood room. She said she loved us both, and we both cried. I explained how I maintained being healthy with just one pill a day and continuous doctors visits. I told her what ‘undetectable’ meant. I appreciated her questions.”

Now, fully out, Jones balances his day job with nighttime and weekend activism with RipplePHX. Supported by a grant from the CDC, RipplePHX focuses entirely on outreach through four PODS (prevention on demand) that rotate weekly. The PODs focus on condoms, PrEP and PEP, the stigma and U=U and HIV testing. feature story

Jones notes that, while he’s always had great health insurance to help him pay for his meds and doctor’s visits, he knows others who aren’t as fortunate, so he feels a calling to pay it forward.

“The community has truly embraced RipplePHX, we love what we do,” he adds.

“From a man who spent most of his weekends drunk at Charlie’s, to a man running out of the HIV 101 workshop, to the man who helps me push a psychedelic mobile outreach unit down 7th Avenue — this guy has quietly channeled his status, one day at a time, to help thousands of people in our city,” Bright says.

Reflecting on where he is today, Jones wants others who may be diagnosed with HIV or AIDS to know that there is not a specific timetable for the journey of acceptance, outing yourself or even activism.

“I’m super happy and lucky to be where I am now,” he says. “And I hope to continue to help the community as long as I can.”

Of course, both Jones and Bright name each other as their biggest inspirations for the work they do.

To learn more about RipplePHX, visit ripplephx.org.

Michelle Talsma Everson is a freelance writer and the PR coordinator for Duet: Partners In Health & Aging. You can find out more about Duet at duetaz.org or Michelle at mteverson.com.

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For Drag Supermonster JayyVon Monroe, There’s Still Life After Blood On The Dance Floor

By Ashley Naftule

Photos courtesty of JayyVon Monroe

F

or Drag Supermonster JayyVon Monroe, There’s Still Life After Blood On The Dance Floor

Two years ago, JayyVon Monroe posted a coming out as HIV+ video on Facebook. “It’s like coming out of the closet twice,” Monroe said ruefully as he disclosed that he was currently HIV Undetectable. Over the course of eight minutes, Monroe spoke passionately and eloquently about the need for HIV-positive people to be honest with themselves and the people around them.

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“You only get one body,” Monroe said, speaking with a sincerity that would surprise anyone who knew him from his ‘scene kid’ days.

In another life, long before becoming a Drag Supermonster sensation, JayyVon Monroe was one-half of the infamous electro-pop duo Blood On The Dance Floor. Named after a Michael Jackson banger, Monroe played alongside Dahvie Vanity from 2009-2016. Gaining notoriety for their edgelord lyrics and outrageous makeup and costumes (reminiscent

stylistically of Japanese bands from the ‘visual kei’ scene), the band was part of a wave of Myspace bands.

But their partnership fell apart after years of what Monroe calls physical and emotional abuse from Vanity. At one point, his former musical partner went so far as to insist that Monroe go out on tour without getting his HIV meds refilled. “I reluctantly agreed. against my better judgment. to go out on tour and was dragged all through the country, sick as a dog,” Monroe said in a statement after leaving the band.

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To lend further credence to Monroe’s claims of abuse at Vanity’s hands: Blood On The Dance Floor was recently accused of numerous acts of sexual assault and misconduct.

Leaving those days behind him, Monroe found a new calling as a drag artist. “Drag has been like a second wave for me,” he says. Considering the garish and wild style Monroe and Vanity cultivated as Blood On The Dance Floor, it isn’t that surprising that Monroe would take to drag like a duck to water. But what is surprising is how quickly and assuredly Monroe made his mark as a drag star — within a couple of years Monroe was making a splash on the national scene as a standout on season two of Dragula.

“I knew the Boulet Brothers when I lived in California,” Monroe says. “When I started to do drag, they were among the first people to give me an opportunity to perform. So, when they had auditions for the second season, I wasn’t really thinking about auditioning. But they were hinting that I should, so I went ahead and made a tape. A couple of days later, this all started taking place.”

On a show famed for featuring drag artists who take their craft into dark, almost grotesque places, Monroe’s persona fit right at home. As Dahli Delia, Monroe had created a drag character that looked like a glam rock horror show.

“I look post-apocalyptic,” Monroe says

of his drag persona. “A lot of people say that I look like I crawled out of a sewer.”

Dragula hitting the airwaves was a game-changer for Monroe, who was having a hard time adjusting to Arizona after moving here from California.

“I got here like a year-and-a-half ago,” he says. “I worked at a bar that had drag shows throughout the week, and it was making me antsy because no one was booking me. To be fair, though, I didn’t really take the initiative — I wasn’t about to ask anybody. There were like months that would go by and I wasn’t doing any drag; I was at the point where I didn’t want to do it anymore. So, when Dragula came up, that’s when I went hard in the paint. I feel now like I’ve finally made a home in Phoenix.”

One of the ways Monroe has made his mark here is with his monthly show Dahl Haus. Happening every third Friday at The Rock, Dahl Haus is an opportunity for Monroe to showcase the wilder side of drag that fascinates him. It’s also a show where sideshow performers and other non-drag performers get a chance to work alongside drag artists, giving the show an anything-goes feel.

While Monroe is dedicated to drag, music is never far from his mind. He even recently posted a call-out on Twitter for metal musicians and producers who are interested in collaborating. He’s coy, though, on what he has in mind for the future. “I’m not at liberty to say, but I have decided to change direction with music,” Monroe says. “I hadn’t done anything musically in a year or so, but now I’m feeling very, very inspired. We’ll see what happens.”

Monroe is a living testament to the resilience of the HIV+ community: He hasn’t let his status slow him down in the slightest. As he said in his video, the disease is no excuse for anyone not to live a normal life.

As for whether or not anyone in the drag world knows him from his Blood On The Dance Floor days, Monroe says it’s rare for those two worlds to meet.

“It’s very rare that someone at a show will say anything to me about it,” he says.

“Most of the time it’s people messaging me on Instagram or something. It’s not ever kids. It’s always somebody whose like, “Oh, I remember you from back in your band days. I love that you’re doing drag now.”

Ashley Naftule is a writer and theater artist from Phoenix, AZ. His work has been published in Pitchfork, Vice, Bandcamp, Phoenix New Times, Popula, Longreads, The Outline, SYFY Wire, AZCentral, and Java Magazine. He’s a resident playwright and artistic director at Space55 Theatre. You can find him at @Emperor_norton on Twitter.

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Eion Cashman: Navigating Transitions

By Michelle Talsma Everson

Photos courtesy of Eion Cashman

N

early three years ago, when he tested positive for HIV, Eion Cashman says that all of the self worth he gained from his transition went out the window.

outreach and prevention initiatives. It’s the first job I’ve had where I’ve been out as trans, and it’s been a privilege to be part of developing a new initiative that helps the trans community.”

“I was numb for weeks. I was already trans. I was already gay. Hadn’t I paid my dues?”

Cashman was instrumental in helping develop the Southwest Center’s Transgender Resources and Navigation Services (TRANS) Program, which seeks to “increase access to high-quality care and support for transgender and gender non-conforming members of our community.”

But, after making “big changes a few steps at a time,” he began to feel empowered once more. So, he went on a journey to empower others.

Cashman, 26, is a navigator and a leader, not only by personality type but also by necessity. Before sharing his story, he emphasizes that he is not a “poster child” nor is he representative of the whole trans community. He’s just one person sharing, taking the lessons learned, and passing them along.

As the Transgender Health Navigator for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, telling his story as a trans man who is HIV positive is literally part of his job description. “I originally applied at the Southwest Center for the PrEP program, but I didn’t get the job. But, they told me they had something else in mind for me,” Cashman says. “Since working at Southwest Center I’ve been able to get involved in many of the Center’s 30

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“Helping other trans people to navigate different services is something I’ve repeatedly — and naturally — always fallen into,” Cashman says.

“Jumping through hoops myself has helped me to come to this position with a body of hard-earned knowledge.”

Southwest Center’s TRANS Program “currently includes peer health navigation, HIV resources, stigmafree behavioral health counseling, and primary care, including hormone therapy initiation and management.”

Through the program, Cashman helps trans and gender nonconforming individuals to navigate issues like insurance coverage, changing names and/or gender markers on official

documents, and more. Cashman also refers individuals to other community resources they may not have known about, like Trans Spectrum Arizona or Big Brothers Big Sisters, which offers mentorship to LGBTQ kids ages 6-17.

“It’s still a developing program, one that will grow as we do, and I’ve met with several trans people seeking help so far for a variety of issues,” he says.

“It’s important to note that not one trans person’s journey is the same.

Every trans experience is different and they should each be able to take a lead on their own care. One similarity though is that trans people most often have a hard time navigating the system. The world is not built for us, so we have find ways to make the world work for us.”

Cashman came out as trans in college, when he decided to be unapologetically himself. He pursued psychology and biomedical sciences and was able to secure an internship doing outreac h for Northern Arizona University’s LGBTQA Resources and Support Program.

“As part of that internship I helped start a support group for trans persons, where we’d share resources,” he explains. “I realized through my own FEATURE STORY

experiences fighting to be who I was and to make ends meet that it shouldn’t be as hard as it is for trans people to access the care they need to be who they are. I work every day to make Arizona a better place for trans people.”

Cashman found that fairly early on in his medical transition, he passed as a cisgender man, so he didn’t necessarily need to be out as trans. He noticed that, as he passed more, he was both a part of his Flagstaff trans community and drifting away from it at the same time.

“It’s hard to articulate male privilege until you walk into it,” he says. As he began to be gendered as male all the time, he realized that he had more platforms to speak and to exist in the world, and how important it was that he did.

No matter how well Cashman passed though, working on his graduate degree in Flagstaff was an isolating experience as a trans man. He experienced difficulty receiving competent medical care, especially when it came to HIV prevention. Cashman tried to get on PrEP (a.k.a. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a once-a-day pill to prevent HIV) four times because he knew he was at risk for HIV. Each attempt was thwarted.

“Because I was still genetically female, the sex I was having wasn’t considered ‘gay sex’ and therefore, in the eyes of my insurance companies, I was not at a high enough risk to go on PrEP,” he explains.

On January 15, 2016, Cashman learned he was HIV-positive. “I received a warning from the state that a previous partner had exposed me to HIV, which made me go get tested, even though I had recently tested negative,” he says. The state has a free-of-charge program, that if you self-report as HIV positive, they will call previous partners for you.

“HIV is unlike anything I’ve ever dealt with before,” he says. It had been a whirlwind few years — Cashman had socially transitioned in 2012, began medically transition in 2013, and in 2014-2015 felt like he had really become empowered. In 2016, the HIV diagnosis sent him into a self-hatred spiral.

Through education and support, his journey began to turn for the better.

He called the Coconino County Public Health Department and the support of caseworkers, including Rose Wall, helped him to keep going. His best friend also made him go to the gym to put back on weight. Slowly, the world seemed more hopeful.

Then, a close friend invited him to learn about opportunities in Phoenix.

It was then that he learned about the Southwest Center and how they help people get PrEP. He was impressed by FEATURE STORY

their approach to community health care and applied to work with them.

Cashman has also worked hard to build himself up to be healthy and undetectable. Cashman has gone from feeling the loss of self-worth he experienced when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive to becoming someone who is bold in who he is and who helps others navigate the journey he walked.

Cashman has come a long way, and he is now helping others do the same.

“My life is now more wonderful than I could have ever imagined,” he says.

“I am unbelievably happy. I have a job I adore, a community I love, and a partner I’m crazy about. I’m thrilled for whatever comes next.”

When asked about the future, he notes that he never expected to be where he’s at today, so he’s decided not to make any specific plans.

“I will continue to live my long-

term ideals of spreading kindness and helping the community in the future.

Lately, I’ve even been getting involved in the community politically because I recognize and understand that, under the current administration, the trans community is at risk of being erased,” he explains. “The trans community is where the Gay Rights Movement was in the ‘60s and ‘70s. There’s a lot to do.

But we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. I want a better future for my trans siblings and am honored to help along the way.”

To learn more about the Southwest Center and its TRANS program, visit www.swcenter.org.

Michelle Talsma Everson is a freelance writer, editor and PR pro. A graduate of NAU, she’s been writing for Valley publications for more than a decade. You can find out more at mteverson.com.

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5th Annual Phoenix AIDS Candlelight Vigil Nov. 30 at Parsons Center, Phoenix.

Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos.

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Out & About

One Community 10th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 29 at Black, Starr & Frost, Phoenix.

En Vogue Mar 31 · 7:00 p.m.

Photos by Bill Gemmill.

Rebels On Pointe Jan 25 · 7:00 p.m.

FREE screening of the documentary that gives a backstage glimpse at Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. RSVP online.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Feb. 2 · 7:30 p.m.

Dixie’s Tupperware Party

Mar. 14 - 16 · Times Vary

Storm Large

Apr 26 · 7:00 p.m.

9:30 p.m. Filters Off

Tickets on sale at

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos Out & About

ChandlerCenter.org · 480.782.2680 EchoMag.com

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“It’s not humankind after all nor is it culture that limits us. It is the vastness we do not enter.

It is the stars we do not let own us.”

– from “Culture and the Universe,” by poet Simon J. Ortiz

Mayme Kratz, Cedar Moon, 2018, resin, cottonwood branches and leaves, Juniper and cedar foliage, bones and moth wings on panel, 12” x 12”, Courtesy Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix, AZ. Mayme Kratz in the studio. By Tim Lanterman.

Mayme Kratz: Dark Is Light

By Jenna Duncan

L

ife is a cycle, and after the cycle for any living thing on earth comes death. Some people think of these as opposites. The same can be true of light and dark. But just as some light may linger in the dark — take moonlight, for example — sometimes some resonances of the living may linger in certain sacred places, even after life has moved to the beyond.

Since 2002, multimedia and sculpture artist Mayme Kratz and her life partner, Mark Ryan, have been visiting Bears Ears National Monument and Cedar Mesa, parks in the region of the Arizona-Utah border. Designated lands are maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service as well as Navajo and Hopi tribes. The lands are honored by the Ute and Zuni, as well. Countless Native American archaeological and ancestral sites have been discovered through the decades.

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“Beyond that, too, is that it’s a sacred place,” Kratz says. “I became really attached to the spirit of the area.”

“I remember the first time I went there, I was a little spooked. There were no tourists there. Mark and I were camping deep in a canyon and we felt like we were being watched. I mean, you felt like you belonged there. But you also felt like just a visitor.”

For Kratz, the spirit is benign, not unfriendly. Sensing the spirit indicates the place is not just beautiful, but also revered.

“My work is always tied to nature and it really is about treating nature with reverence,” Kratz says.

In the last two years, the sanctity and conservancy of the area have become threatened by government moves to open the area to private mining operations. In February 2018,

Pres. Trump withdrew protections from millions of acres of Utah wildlands, allowing private claims for mining copper, gold, silver and uranium. “In 2017, the administration cut about 85 percent [of the protected land]. And I just thought, what do I do? Because at this point in life, you really don’t have that much time left on the planet, so you have to attribute it in the biggest and best way you can with the work you already so.”

“So, I thought I would bring the spirit of the place back and share it — celebrate it,” Kratz adds.

Kratz says she does not want to get too far into the politics about the changes to Bears Ears, because that brings a sort of negativity into the conversation. But she says she plans the show to be an homage and a celebration to the area.

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Mayme Kratz, Vanishing Light 10, 2018, resin and snakeweed on panel, 36” x 36”, Courtesy Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.

Visiting the area has allowed her to see even familiar flora and fauna of the desert in new ways. Perhaps it is something about the altitude, she speculates, or maybe something about the light. “It’s so open, that you end up seeing things differently than you do in different places.”

Kratz says Navajo tea (also called Mormon tea) for example, up North has colors that are more vivid. “Perhaps because it is more desperate,” she says.

To begin one of her paintings, Kratz begins with the background color. She covers her canvas with color — turquoise, or sunshine yellow, black or white. And then she layers in geometric designs of found natural objects. For example, a patch of dried Broom snakeweed or threadleaf snakeweed collected from the side of the road might be arranged in a circular manner with a whole in the middle, like an iris and pupil. This piece is part of an ongoing series called “The Vanishing Light.” Another painting shows a broaden circle designed from more of a variety of objects: sticks, the crosssectioned bone of a deer femur, the tiny fragile hooks of a snake’s ribs.

“A lot of the images come from my dreams,” Kratz says. “A lot of this is what I see when I close my eyes.”

Kratz explains that everything she collects had already finished its lifecycle and is ethically and legally reclaimed from the side of the road (public land).

In addition to the paintings, Kratz will use an atrium in the gallery to create an immersive sound and space installation.

She says on some of the Bears Ears camping trips she brought microphones FEATURE STORY

and mounted them in trees, leaving them to capture the sounds of the desert and canyons overnight. She also set a mike in a tree near the San Juan River to catch the river sounds overnight. On one recording, a bird landed right on the mike and her audio recorder collected the sounds of its rustling feathers and birdsong, crisp and clear.

Gallerist Lisa Sette says she has known Kratz for around 30 years. “To me, Mayme is sort of like a modern-day Georgia O’Keefe,” she says. “I think she’s always been interested in life and death cycles,” she says. Kratz has an ability to capture the spirit of the West, but also gives special dedication and homage to things that have already completed their life cycles.

“She memorializes, not in painting, but by preserving in resin, a man-made substance,” Sette says.

Kratz received the Mid-Career Artist award from Phoenix Art Museum’s Contemporary Forum in 2010. Her other recent solo shows include: Distances, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco (2017); Long After the Echo, Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix (2016); Lost Light, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco (2015) and The Brief Forever, Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix (2015). In 2018, she also participated in several group shows in San Francisco, in Phoenix, and at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Her work can be found in dozens of public and private collections and she has completed commissions for a number of businesses and organizations, including America West Airlines; Bank of America; Biltmore Bank; the cities of Chandler, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe;

MGM Grand Resort in Las Vegas, Phoenix Art Museum, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington; and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. There seems to be a sense of urgency for Kratz that comes with celebrating Bears Ears, Sette says. Perhaps it is the threat of permanent destruction for temporary gains. And for the artist, this connects to an acknowledgement of her own life cycle and where she is at right now. Kratz turned 60 in December 2018.

She continues to work, always — right up to the end. Her worry lately is that she will not have enough time on earth to complete the works she envisions, she says.

“She still is genuinely producing and creating things that are truly hers,” Sette says. “No matter what happens to Bears Ears, she is preserving pieces — like an archivist.”

Dark is Light will be on-view at Lisa Sette Gallery, 210 E. Catalina Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, Jan. 12, 2019, through Feb. 23, 2019. An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 12. Learn more about the artist and view her work at maymekratz.com.

Jenna Duncan is writer, community college instructor and artist based in Phoenix, Arizona.

She leads the training program for journalism at Glendale Community College. Her video art and documentaries have screened in Phoenix, NYC, and Berlin. Jenna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Arizona, an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College in Vermont, and a Masters in Media Studies from The New School. Jenna is a freelance reporter and editor for a few local magazines and co-hosts a biweekly pop culture podcast with fellow Phoenix writer, Jared Duran, called HootNReview.

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Festival of Trees

Dec. 1 at Ballet Arizona, Phoenix.

Photos by Gregg Edelman.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos.

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WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

Freak Brothers Pizza

Two brothers expand their mobile pizza business

By Amy Young Photos courtesy of Freak Brothers Pizza

S

ibling love is a beautiful thing. We can’t argue that it’s made even better when it manifests in a business that slings tasty pizzas, right?

That’s how Freak Brothers Pizza was born — as a team endeavor by brothers Nathan and Jamil Coury. What began as a mobile wood-fired pizza oven business has now grown to see its first brick and mortar location. Their place is a recent addition to the downtown pizza scene. It’s located in the Churchill, a multi-use hotspot that has approximately 10 different businesses bordering an in-the-middle seating area.

Guests can grab what they want to eat or drink from the vendor(s) of their choice and then congregate in the center with their goods. It’s not all food and drink — there are some boutiques, wellness spots, and a wine-laden bottle shop.

Freak Brothers Pizza, though, is the place at a Churchill visit where you’ll stop for a savory pie. Or, you know, three.

Our visit found us trying more than that latter number, but, hey, we were a group, after all. You do what you have to do.

We wandered around and peered in the shops, soaking up the Churchill’s vibe, which is simultaneously lively and mellow. The bustle didn’t feel 40

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Co-founder Nathan Coury.

overwhelming even though there were plenty of people onsite. When we settled on some styles of pizza to try, we headed back to the Freak’s spot.

The pizza-centric restaurant doesn’t offer a lot in the way of appetizers or sides. One option is a tabouli salad. We went for the other, hummus and pita.

It’s a nice and generous amount of their Lebanese family recipe of hummus that you get. It was plenty for a group of four to share, especially when we knew a table full of pies was en route.

As a nice change of pace, their hummus is thick. Don’t worry, that density doesn’t cause it to lose the creaminess associated with this dish — we were pleased. The one thing we did collectively wish was that it was served a little closer to room temperature. It was chilled, and just a bit too cold. The warm and delicious bread helped bring its cold factor down a few notches. At a slightly warmer state, the flavor rose to the surface.

What wasn’t cold, however, was the first pie that plopped down on our table, fresh from the oven.. It was a Margherita. Their take on this traditional style is an awesome tribute. Mozzarella, fresh basil, and perfectly-ripe tomatoes was an easy favorite.

While the brothers’ mobile pizza business features a wood-fired oven, things are a little different indoors. At the shop, they’ve got a 100% electric, highheat, brick-floor oven. It didn’t disappoint.

Their pies are 11” each, they come out quickly, and that crust does not suffer from the different oven — it maintains that perfect right crusty-meets-chewy ratio that sets the foundation for a memorable pizza.

After that, pizzas kept arriving and we Dining Out

kept noshing. The Spinach Artichoke is one to return for — especially if you’re prone to non-meat options. The freshness of their vegetables and herbs is noteworthy; with every pizza we tried, both of those elements produced peak flavors.

A little phone chat with co-founder Nathan Coury confirmed a penchant for utilizing the best ingredients available.

Natural meats and organic vegetables are at the top of the shopping list. The menu also lets you get your pizza vegan or gluten-free.

He also gave a little insight into how getting into this business was a “divine accident.” He said that his brother wanted to start serving pizzas at running group events that he participated in, so they made it a reality and it grew from there. The lack of prior pizza knowledge didn’t get him down at all. “I’m a self-learner,” he said. “I did a lot of research; we both did.”

And as far as that name goes? “The name chose us,” Coury said. “Freak means different and unique. We like that.

We like the idea of living life on one’s own terms.”

Back to those pies, we found their pepperoni pizza to be outstanding. The Freak Brothers make a really flavorful red sauce that brought out the savory tang of the pepperoni. With the bubbly cheese, this one is an oozy, meaty delight.

Pesto is a sauce option here and it is a good one. We had Pesto Madness, which is a pesto sauce topped with cheese and zippy banana peppers. Pesto is so loaded with flavor on its own and banana peppers also pack their own punch, so the two together compete a bit for your attention. Once your mind wraps around the zing coming from multiple directions, it’s a savory tang-fest.

Amy Young is the managing editor of Echo Magazine. A longtime journalist, her work has appeared numerous publications, regional to international. Please contact her at editor@echomag.com.

Sadly, we were just too full to try the awesome-sounding Chicken Siracha option. Grilled chicken, jalapenos, and siracha sauce? No-brainer! That one alone is enticing enough to warrant a return visit.

“We love serving people” is something else Coury mentioned. That sentiment seems to thread through the staff.

Everyone we dealt with was upbeat and helpful. “I love the people I get to work with,” he said. “We are a people-first company and while we love making pizza and serving the healthiest ingredients possible, what we really want to do is make everyone’s day a little better.”

This personable pizza joint also has some desserts on the menu, but they don’t make those. Those sweets come from local bakery Sugarloaf Lane, in the form of sea salt brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

You can check out their menu and details at freakbrotherspizza.com.

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Dining Out

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AT THE BOX OFFICE

Four Films In Theaters This Month

By Tuesday Mahrle

Escape Room

In theaters January 4 | NR | Thriller, Mystery

With the massive popularity of escape rooms nationwide, this movie is anything but a typical game. This psychological thriller places six strangers into a high tech escape room where the winner gets one million dollars, but the other players lose their life. The group quickly realizes the severity of the game and must work together to find the right clues and secrets about each other before the time runs out.

The Upside

Glass

In theaters January 11 | NR | 120 minutes | Comedy, Drama

In theaters January 18 | PG-13 | Drama, Mystery

The Upside is a true story and comedy remake of French film Les Intouchables.

Based in New York, the movie follows the relationship between a wealthy paraplegic, played by Bryan Cranston, and a recent ex-convict Dell, played by Kevin Hart. After other failed caregivers pass through the home to help paralyzed Phil, Dell, who is underqualified and rough around the edges, is hired and an unlikely friendship flourishes.

This highly anticipated sequel to M. Night Shyamalan’s Split from 2016 was quickly revealed to also be a secret sequel to 2000’s Unbreakable. Bruce Willis returns as “unbreakable” David Dunn, Samuel L. Jackson as the frail evil villain Elijah Price (a.k.a. Mr. Glass) and James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb and his 24 different personalities. Glass follows the conclusion of Split, David Dunn pursues Crumb’s superhuman persona “The Beast” while Price appears with secrets known about both men.

Serenity In theaters January 25 | R | 106 minutes | Drama, Thriller

This new mystery thriller is the latest from Steven Knight, writer of Locke and Redemption. The movie follows Baker Dill, played by Matthew McConaughey, a fishing boat captain leading Caribbean tours around Plymouth Island. Ex-wife Karen, played by Anne Hathaway, uproots his peaceful life with a plea to save her and her young son from her new, violent husband. Karen and Baker plot a farce fishing excursion to kill the abusive husband, but nothing goes as planned and Baker’s past comes back to light.

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Tuesday Mahrle is a film critic and host of “Whiskey and Popcorn,” a Phoenix-based movie podcast.

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OPENING NIGHTS

Seth Rudetsky Visits Scottsdale for Two Performances

Seth and Audra by Sachyn Mital.

Broadway’s “mayor” discusses his life and work

By Seth Reines

S

eth Rudetsky does a lot. His lengthy list of talents includes: classically trained pianist, actor, author, radio host, political activist, and animal rescue advocate. He’s also the man that The New York Times deemed “The Mayor of Broadway.”

He is the afternoon host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on Sirius/ XM Stars. As a pianist, he has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera. As a comedy writer, Rudetsky has been nominated for three Emmy Awards for his work on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and has written for both the Grammy Awards and the Tony Awards.

In 2007 he made his Broadway acting debut in The Ritz at The Roundabout Theater. Off-Broadway, he wrote and starred in Rhapsody in Seth and has appeared on TV’s Law and Order C.I. and All My Children. He played himself on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and as the vocal coach on MTV’s 44

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reality show Legally Blonde. In 2017, he co-wrote and starred in the Broadway musical DISASTER!

Echo: Since the devastating 2016 Presidential election, what have you been doing?

Rudetsky’s short story “My First Story” was included in the 2005 anthology Fresh Men 2: New Voice in Gay Fiction, followed by The Q Guide to Broadway and novel Broadway Nights.

In 2012, he wrote his first young adult novel My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan with a 2015 sequel The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek.

Rudetsky: Every month, we [Seth and his husband] have done Concerts for America, where we go all over the country with big Broadway stars, raising money for non-profit organizations that are being hurt by the government. During the immigration crises in June, we did a big one that travelled the country.

Last year, Rudetsky spent 140 days on the road, bringing his quick wit and vast Broadway knowledge to performing arts centers across the country. This year, he will share the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts stage with six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald (January 19) and Broadway (Newsies) and TV (Supergirl) star Jeremy Jordan (February 9).

Recently, Rudetsky banished his husband, producer James Wesley, their daughter Juli, and their three rescue dogs to the backyard so we could discuss Seth’s life and passions.

Echo: I hear you are also taking Broadway to the high seas.

Rudetsky: We call them Seth’s Big, Fat Broadway Cruises. We are doing our fourth one in the Caribbean this March with Aniko Larsen, Andrea McArdle, and Sierra Boggess. Then, we head for Alaska in July with Liz Callaway, Lindsay Mendez, and Jesse Mueller.

Echo: Speaking of cruises, what’s happening with your hilarious Broadway musical set at sea, DISASTER!?

Rudetsky: There have been quite a few successful regional productions since the Broadway run, and we’re planning a West End production in London.

ENTERTAINMENT

People think of her as a grand diva, but they don’t know she is so funny! She’s been making me laugh since the late ‘90s when we met at an audition. Now, our kids have play dates!

Actually, I have been told that there are several productions of the show in the Phoenix area next season. I am very happy about that!

Echo: Didn’t you already do a benefit performance of the show in London?

Echo: Besides your full concert schedule, what else is on your plate?

Rudetsky: We did it for the British version of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. (Dog barks interrupt the interview.)

Echo: Not only have you rescued all three of your animals, but you are a passionate spokesman for the cause.

Tell us about your recent Best in Shows honor.

Rudetsky: Bill Berloni trains rescue dogs for Broadway shows like Sandy in Annie. Once a show closes, he adopts the dog. Right now, he has 33 on his farm! He plays my Sirius On Broadway show for them every day. He thinks that when they hear a Broadway tune, it makes them more comfortable.

Bill also started an annual Broadway concert benefitting the Humane Society of New York and I’ve been hosting the benefit for several years.

Every year, the Berlonis honor a member of the Broadway community who has demonstrated deep concern and work for rescued animals. Last year, it was Bernadette Peters and this year, it was me. It made me so happy.

Echo: As a political activist, how do you

Seth Rudesky courtesy of the artist.

feel about the midterm elections?

Rudetsky: Really good. I think things are going to get better. We did a lot of political salons where I performed with Broadway stars like Audra McDonald to raise campaign money.

Echo: Great segue to your upcoming Scottsdale concert with Audra! What makes her unique as a performer?

Rudetsky: She’s got this gorgeous voice, but that really is never enough.

What makes her a mega-mega star is that she is such an incredible actress.

She’s a TV star who really knows how to connect with audiences emotionally.

Rudetsky: I am reworking an old, very famous Broadway musical with a new big twist. I am also adapting my young adult books into TV movies.

The more projects I am doing at once, the happier I am. But what I really love are the concerts like the ones we are doing in Scottsdale. It’s like hanging out with your friends. I never think of the audience as strangers. Everyone knows each other and make each other laugh. The concerts are like my real life onstage.

Don’t miss real life friends Rudetsky and McDonald in a delicious evening of Broadway gossip, trivia and tunes on January 19 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. For more information and tickets, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org.

M. Seth Reines is an award-winning theater buff who has directed more than 500 productions nationally for stage and television, and formerly served as head of Roosevelt University’s musical theatre program.

Audra McDonald by Autumn de Wilde.

ENTERTAINMENT

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RECORDINGS

By Tom Reardon 3x4: The Bangles, The Three O’Clock, Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade Yep Roc Records’ new compilation is a must have for any fan of the Paisley Underground scene of the early 80s in Los Angeles. The title, 3x4, refers to the fact there are four bands covering one song each by the other bands.

Confusing? Maybe; but the discovery is well worth the price of admission.

Many music fans will be familiar with The Bangles, who are the most wellknown of the four bands featured here who were part of LA’s Paisley Underground scene, which was known for it’s eclectic sound that paid tribute to bands like the Byrds, The Beatles, Velvet Underground, and any other psychedelic, flower pop bands who could actually play their instruments.

The Bangles tracks on 3x4 are strong, the best of which features them covering The Three O’Clock’s classic, “Jet Fighter” (from The Three O’Clock’s stellar Sixteen Tambourines album from 1983), but not the strongest on the record. The Dream Syndicate, who experienced a fair amount of success on the college radio charts in the 1980s and early 1990s steals the show with “Hero Takes A Fall” which is a Bangles cover. The Rain Parade and The Three O’Clock also have some great moments here, too.

Highly recommend this slab o’wax (and the vinyl version is a double record with each band having their own side).

The Flesh Eaters – I Used To Be Pretty

Another Yep Roc Records release to celebrate here. Holy mackerel. This one smacks you right in the soul and doesn’t let go until you’ve succumbed to its sheer force of nature. Vocalist and band leader, Chris D (Desjardins) has a classic delivery that is reminiscent of Nick Cave, at times, and descended from fellow Los Angelino legend Jim Morrison, yet remains all his own. The lineup on this record is the same as their 1981 A Minute To Pray record so Chris D is backed by X’s John Doe and DJ Bonebrake on bass and marimba/ percussion respectively, The Blaster’s Dave Alvin and Bill Bateman on guitar and drums respectively, and Steve Berlin of the Plugz and Los Lobos on saxophone.

With a pedigree like this, I Used To Be Pretty is a record you simply can’t miss.

“Black Temptation,” which is a brandnew Flesh Eaters song kicks off the record in righteous fashion and the ensuing 10 tracks are quite a ride.

Highlights include a trio of killer covers: “Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown” (Fleetwood Mac), “Cinderella” (The Sonics), and “She’s Like Heroin To Me” (The Gun Club). The Flesh Eaters take these songs, each classic in their own right, and completely make them their own. I Used To Be Pretty tells the world The Flesh Eaters are back after a long hiatus from recording and that we are all better off for it. (Side note for Phoenix folks: Catch The Flesh Eaters at The Crescent Ballroom on January 16, 2018).

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Entertainment

Soft Deadlines – People Are Evil

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by Soft Deadlines is a post-punk, postdance, post-emo, post-indie masterpiece.

Chief songwriter Oliver Lemke and his talented band mates, Chad Cussen, Steven Duncan, and Parker Douglas make Phoenix proud, 11 songs at a time. In recent memory, it’s tough to recall a more enjoyable 30 minutes of music and this is including bands from the entire world, not just our little slice of the planet. People Are Evil will resonate nicely with fans of other local Phoenix bands like No Volcano, Snake! Snake! Snakes!!!, and Man Hands, but there are also slices of better known national and international acts in there as well. I’m looking at you, Gang of Four (who they pay homage to on “See The Dead” terrifically) and No Age. Lemke and his chums churn out one catchy song after another between big, intricate, and noisy riffs and a furiously locked in rhythm section. The band creates beautiful space in their songs by knowing exactly how to play off each other as witnessed on songs like “Minutes To Air” and opener “The Now.” Lyrically, People Are Evil is easily one the best local records in a long time as Lemke knows his way around the cleverly turned phrase and has a continual supply of equally biting social commentary. Even though this record is readily available on all platforms, if you are a Phoenician, go see the band live and buy a copy from them. Everybody wins that way.

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Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) TV, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story.

Entertainment

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BETWEEN THE COVERS

7 Miles a Second

By Judy McGuire

Wojnarowicz is primarily known as an artist, so I wondered why he wanted Romberger and Van Cook to illustrate his words. “You have to have a specific skillset to draw comics,” Marguerite Van Cook — who colored the drawings — said. “It’s very time consuming, and James could draw better than David at that point.” Wojnarowicz was also an incredible writer, as this book and others show, and the stories he tells lend themselves beautifully to being illustrated.

The twosome met David in the ‘80s, in the East Village. “When Civilian Warfare [a gallery] was on 11th Street, I had a rehearsal space on 11th and A. I sent James around to see David’s show,” says Van Cook. “David was out front of the gallery, hacking up a log, which you could do at that time. He looked at James’s drawings and they bonded. “ After being friends for a few years, they decided to do a project together.

“David liked to collaborate, and they looked forward to working together,” she said. “They were working on a story about David’s life on the streets. We wanted it to be something that could reach kids who were in that same position.”

When 7 Miles a Second was published the first time, in 1996, comic books didn’t really deal with topics like teen hustlers and AIDS. But then — DC Comics president and editor-in-chief, Jenette Kahn, had wandered into an East Village gallery showing of Romberger’s drawings from the book and made its publication her mission.

We’d had so many rejections,“ Marguerite Van Cook said. “Which I don’t consider a badge of honor.” But with Kahn, they had found a champion with a checkbook. “DC/Vertigo gave us carte blanche with the book,” continues Van Cook. “We worked with Karen Berger and she was really great about it, although the first people who were supposed to do the color refused to do it once they saw the content.”

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“It’s hard to imagine how different it was to be gay in America, back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s,” she continues. “The three of us went on this road trip to Virginia, and it was scary, and even within New York. I had friends who got beaten up.“ David Wojnarowicz died of AIDS in 1992, long before the book was even finished, let alone published. After he died, progress on the book hit “pause.” Until, according to Tom Rauffenbart’s intro to the Vertigo edition, Marguerite drew a tarot card one night that convinced her David was getting annoyed by the hold up.

“Oh god, you’re going to make me sound…” Van Cook laughed when asked 7 Miles a Second about the tarot connection.

By David Wojnarowicz, James Romberger, and Marguerite Van Cook | I assured her I have seen Ground Zero Books ghosts and didn’t think color is brighter and clearer, and you can it was weird. “After he died, we felt him see the nuances,” Van Cook said. “But they around it a lot,” she said. “We would keep printed it on a heavier, more absorbent, feeling him and I was sure he was talking paper stock so again, the color didn’t to me — he just kept popping up.” come through as intended.” The two had “I had this particularly strange set of resigned themselves to living with it when cards by Penny Slinger,” she continued. the book went out of print just a couple “Someone gave me them. They’re very months before the Whitney show was to graphic montages, and one night I pulled open. a card and I’m sitting there looking at it — it’s a horrible face and the tongue Leaping at the chance to finally print it sticking out and it was David telling me, the way they’d envisioned, they quickly just fucking do it.” formed their own imprint — Ground Zero Books — and printed it the right way, just in “David could be a bit scary,” she time to sell at the show, exposing a whole laughed. “He was always lovely to me. new population to Wojnarowicz’s life.

But if he didn’t like someone … and he had that voice.”

I asked Van Cook what she thought David would’ve thought think of their So, the two finished the book, with finished labor of love. “What he would’ve the help of David’s diaries and the world liked is that it’s on curriculums,” she of comics is better for it. Van Cook had said. “College kids can get it more used vibrant watercolors to hand paint Romberger’s drawings, but because of easily, which is why it’s available on technology available at the time, the Amazon — something I swore I’d never printing on the Vertigo version wasn’t do. That’s the most exciting thing to true to the color. It still looked good to me. Every time we get notes from me (and most people), but it always college professors saying how much it bugged them that it was just a little off. facilitated conversation … it’s amazing.

David would’ve loved it.”

Years later, Fantagraphics offered to print it and the two remaining collaborators — who are also married — Judy McGuire is a writer who lives in Queens, NY with three cats and a man. were happy that they’d finally be able to You can find her at @HitOrMissJudy have a color corrected version. Alas, it (Twitter) and @bad_advice (Instagram). was not to be. “With Fantagraphics, the Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Ground Zero Books.

I

f you were lucky enough to catch the Whitney Museum’s incredible David Wojnarowicz exhibition, History Keeps Me Awake at Night, in New York City in the summer of last year, you had to have been floored by it. If you missed it, there’s not only a spectacular catalog for sale, there’s a new edition of 7 Miles a Second, the brutally beautiful comic book he collaborated on with artists James Romberger and Marguerite Van Cook.

Register for Spring! enroll-maricopa.com

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or national origin in their programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information visit: www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.

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TALKING BODIES

Next-level New Year’s Resolutions

By Tia Norris

I

t’s that time of year. You know, when many of us resolve to finally pursue and achieve those deep-seated desires we’ve been putting off until now. And of course, one of the most popular (if not the most popular) resolutions around New Year’s always involves getting healthier. I would bet that 90% of goalsetting around the holiday includes losing weight, or getting in shape, or eating better in some capacity.

If you’ve been reading my columns for a while, you know my spiels on how to first set better goals, and second how to work smarter in pursuing them. To review: you have to get specific, meaning get as detailed as possible in setting your goals, including what/when/why/ how. You also have to set up ways to stay accountable, like hiring a trainer, or joining a group or team, or signing up for a race to hold your feet to the fire. It’s also crucial to be realistic about what you are actually prepared to change, to sacrifice, and to endure in order to reach your goals.

So, once you’ve got those measures in place, here are my next-level tips to revolutionize your health and fitness resolutions this year:

Start slowly, progress gradually This is perhaps the most important piece of information in this article! For most people who decide to make a change to their health, the rookie mistake is to bite off way more than they can chew.

“Overzealous” is an understatement.

Many people overcommit to too many workouts, too many schedule conflicts, too much change in their diet, and soon find themselves upside-down in the 50

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difficulty of changing everything at once.

Trust me, I too am impatient about many things – I understand the desire to get going when you set your sails toward the destination.

However, as a seasoned expert in health and behavioral change, you have to know that gradual, slower change will always last longer and take you much further than overhauling everything overnight.

Exercise tips Start by committing to three workouts per week, if you’re starting from zero.

Don’t overdo it, yet. Once you get a grip on three workouts, then go up to four; and again, once you master that level, move up to five. Studies show that less than three workouts per week will not yield appreciable results quite as quickly as three… so keep that number as your minimum. Next, try to find something that you actually like. If you hate your workouts, chances are that as a beginner, you’re not going to last very long. Pick something that actually sounds interesting.

Diet tips First and foremost, start tracking your food. Awareness is power. Second, for the love of God, skip the fad diets, crash plans, juice cleanses, fasts, and all that quickfix bullshit. Seriously, it won’t last, and you will gain everything back. Third, once you’re tracking and are on a sustainable approach, make small changes one or two at a time – like subtracting chips or cheese or cookies, and getting a grip on that, before changing more. Remember, gradual is the name of the game that will keep you accountable and sustainable for a long time.

Have a plan for roadblocks and setbacks I wish I could tell you that the path to health and fitness would be a bed of roses but at times, it can actually be really fucking hard. You will have days where you don’t feel like it, where you don’t have enough time, where you have to work around an injury, where you want to quit, where you question your reasoning for setting this goal in the first place, etc. So, you’ll need a plan for when those moments strike.

This is one of those “fail to plan, plan to fail” moments. For all of your goals, you’ll need to have plans in place for when shit gets real, as it inevitably will.

Here’s what you’ll need to write out (yes, actually write) for each goal: Goal, specifically.

Why it’s important to you.

Potential obstacle.

Plan to overcome obstacle(s).

In order to succeed, the more planning you can do, the better. Details matter!

Of course, this is where hiring an expert to work with you on your goals makes all the difference… they can help figure out which plans work best for you and your goals, if you’re new to this pursuit.

Remember, make your goals specific, accountable, and realistic.

Once you’ve done the groundwork, ramp up slowly and be prepared for the long, hard road ahead. All of that hard work will undoubtedly be worth it; I can promise you that!

Tia Norris is the president and head trainer at FitPro, LLC, a local fitness company. Find out more at fitprollc.com.

Health & Fitness

Phoenix Gay Flag Football League

Nov. 16 at Monterey Park, Phoenix.

Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos.

Out & About

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51

NOT THAT YOU ASKED

New Year, Same Old Me

on November 8, 2016, is simply a promise I cannot keep, I’m afraid.

By Buddy Early

So how about I take the easy course, and make some predictions for 2019:

“D

o you have any resolutions?”

Has anyone ever really asked this question with a genuine concern? It has always struck me as the sort of thing you say to someone in a social situation when you don’t care to ask a truly substantive question. It’s basically the “Hot enough for ya?” of January.

Once I asked an acquaintance what his resolutions were because, well, he was standing next to the onion dip and I wanted the onion dip. This individual was unaware that I was only being polite, so he went on for the next 10 minutes about his plans for opening a Thai restaurant.

Or maybe it was tacos, or tapas … or dim sum. Come to think of it, maybe it was a check-cashing outlet. The point is: that onion dip turned out to be completely average, so I pretended to listen to him for no reason.

The most common resolutions involve diet, exercise and going to the gym. And I vowed to never make public statements about my intention to lose weight and/ or get into better shape. I find the best strategy is to lay low with my plans and spring it on everyone when I’m in Jack Lalanne shape — but the middle-aged Jack Lalanne, not the Jack Lalanne who died eight years ago. Ok, maybe the Jack Lalanne from 5-10 years before death, because even that guy was in better physical condition than yours truly. Like, by a lot.

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Here’s a tip for anyone who desperately needs to make a resolution involving the gym: resolve to not be the dick who complains about all the newbies showing up in January.

I don’t make resolutions for a number of reasons, chief among them is the fact that I have many other things to worry about. I’m trying to make ends meet, shave my back on the regular, and remember to take my blood pressure and cholesterol medications. I don’t need to add taking up watercolors and helping a stranger once a week to my routine.

Furthermore, resolutions seem like an admittance there are things in my life that need fixing — or that I need fixing.

Since my brush with death via my own hands nearly six years ago (this is ground covered in a previous column; you can catch yourself up on the Echo website), I made a decision to wake up every morning and choose to be happy. Much like a person in a garden-variety 12-step program, that choice is something that happens one day at a time; resolutions would complicate that.

I could say that instead of “resolutions” I will make “promises.” But that might seem disingenuous. A promise to drink less alcohol is too easy, since I’m practically a teetotaler as it stands. A promise to get to know my neighbors is unfair, as that would be compromising who I am as a person.

A promise to lay off white women for the disastrous position they put our country in

• I will continue my streak of not having watched a State of the Union address since the mid-90s.

• I will have my body ready for swimsuit season. (I cannot predict whether swimsuit season will be ready for my body.)

• I will end the year loving dogs more than humans.

• I will give kisses to strange dogs, even when advised against it.

• I will be told by at least one person that the attention I am showing their dog is creepy.

• I will be unapologetic in my criticism of white women for the disastrous position they put our country in on November 8, 2016.

• I will use valuable PTO to watch a sporting event that affects my life in no way.

• I will offend many of you via insensitive and/or unenlightened comments, whether about millennials or my fellow gay men or (natch!) white women.

So, what are your resolutions? And, remember, I am not really interested. I’m just making polite conversation.

Buddy Early grew up in Tempe and has been involved in various communities across the Valley since. He is a former managing editor of both Echo Magazine and Compete Magazine.

Community

Latino Pride Festival

Dec. 1 at Corona Ranch, Laveen.

Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos.

Out & About

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53

WE THE PEOPLE

go about adopting gender identity nondiscrimination policies. The course closes with a module that lays out how to develop a Transgender Support Action Plan, which is a personal outline of how the participant will change their behavior to become more inclusive of all students, regardless of their gender identity.

Schools, Educators, Parents Can Lead on Transgender Equality

By Steve Kilar

A

few weeks ago, The New York Times broke the news that Donald Trump’s Department of Education is hoping to redefine “sex” in federal education law in a narrow way, to give legal cover to public schools when a transgender student is mistreated.

If the administration were to follow through, it would be the equivalent of the federal government shutting its eyes and plugging its ears when transgender students reach out for help.

The Times bulletin was not a surprise.

From its earliest days, the Trump administration has attempted to roll back protections for transgender people and advance the incorrect notion that gender is a binary based a person’s genitalia and chromosomes.

For instance, Trump rescinded Obama administration guidance about how schools can affirm and support transgender students. Another example: Trump is attempting to bar transgender people from the military. And Trump’s Department of Justice argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that businesses should be able to discriminate against transgender customers.

The list goes on. It’s so long that the National Center for Transgender Equality calls Trump’s tenure “The Discrimination Administration.”

But just because this Department of Education news was yet another tally on Trump’s anti-trans scorecard, it isn’t any less harmful. Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860), a telephone support line staffed by trans-identified people, received four times its normal number of callers on the day after the Times story broke.

That’s why it’s time to act — and not just by calling and emailing the Education Department in protest.

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Let’s take some time to educate ourselves on how we can affirm transgender students. Parents who have school-aged children, teachers, and school administrators, especially, can have a huge impact on future generations of transgender people by understanding how to create safe and supportive learning environments. Because no matter what the Trump administration says, schools can choose to do right by their transgender learners.

I recently took my own advice and enrolled in an online continuing education program offered by Arizona State University, called the Transgender Education Program. The program uses video interviews of parents and transgender students, as well as evidence-based lectures, to educate people about what it means to be transgender and how school communities can support transgender students.

The course, which takes the better part of a day, addresses important terminology about gender, uses real-life stories to help participants understand the experiences of transgender students, and discusses the legal obligation public schools have to provide all students with a safe learning environment.

The lessons the course provides are invaluable and could save lives. A study by Professor Russell Toomey at the University of Arizona published in the journal Pediatrics in October confirmed that about half of transgender male teens and 30 percent of transgender female teens have attempted suicide at least once. The same is true for more than 40 percent of young people who identify as non-binary.

The course teaches concepts that range from simple — for instance, teachers should not use gender to assign children to groups or activities — to complex, including how a school or district might

The fight for equality for transgender people is not a fight against Trump alone.

There are a lot of people in Arizona who share Trump’s destructive, anti-trans bias.

For example, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich joined a lawsuit challenging the trans-affirming school guidance put forth by the Obama administration.

Great Hearts Academies, a public charter school group with more than 20 schools in Arizona, adopted — and later revised, after public outcry — a policy that denied transgender students their dignity. These examples are among the reasons why it’s so important for us to act locally.

If we all take time to learn about creating affirming environments for transgender students and share what we learn with others, we can have a huge impact in our communities.

In the meantime, it’s important to also spread the word that transgender students, and transgender people in general, have rights. Federal civil rights laws prohibit sex discrimination by employers, schools, landlords, and health care providers. Transgender people who face discrimination in one of these contexts should consult a legal organization like the ACLU, Lambda Legal, or the Transgender Law Center.

From Arizona State University: “The Transgender Education Program© is a new professional learning opportunity for K-12 educators created at Arizona State University that focuses on the social, emotional, and educational needs of transgender students.

The Transgender Education Program© is designed to provide educators with the knowledge and understanding they need to help transgender students be successful in school and to promote affirming schools where all students learn and thrive.”

Learn more at: theconnectcenter. asu.edu/project-connect/transed-program Steve Kilar, is the communications director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona (acluaz. org). If you have questions about your rights that you would like addressed in a future issue, write him at skilar@acluaz.org.

COMMUNITY

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LOCAL BUSNESSES

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Sprinklers Trees Shrubs Lighting Brick Patios & Walkways

602-481-8571 56

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LOCAL BUSNESSES LOCAL BUSNESSES

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FEBRUARY 2018

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59

57

DRAG CALENDAR DECEMBER Dec. 21

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Barbra Seville’s Girlie Show hosted by Barbra Seville

Dec. 22

7:00 p.m.

HOTEL CONGRESS

Retro Game Show Night hosted by Tempest DuJour

Dec. 23

2:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Southern Fried Sunday’s hosted by The Southern Belles

Dec. 23

7:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Pussy LeHoot’s Christmas

Dec. 23

9:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Late Nite Snax hosted by Benaddiction

Dec. 23

10:30 p.m.

KARAMBA

Ruby’s Christmas Queens Show hosted by Ruby Reynolds

Dec. 26

9:00 p.m.

KOBALT

M.O.D hosted by Doja Stevens

Dec. 27

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

CHARMEDSchool hosted by Coco St James

Dec. 27

10:30 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

Face Lift V hosted by Savannah Stevens & Whitney Stevens

Dec. 28

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Lady Christian’s Trailer Trash Revue

Dec. 30

10:30 p.m.

KARAMBA

Mileena’s Birthday Party

Jan. 2

9:00 p.m.

KOBALT

The Garden Variety Revue hosted by Olivia Gardens

Jan. 3

9:00 p.m.

STACY’S @ MELROSE

Mister & Miss SK Photo Pride: An Official Preliminary To Mister & Miss Phoenix Pride

Jan. 3

9:00 p.m.

SKY BAR

Nail Polish hosted by Allona Dee

Jan. 4

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Barbra Seville’s Girlie Show hosted by Barbra Seville

Jan. 5

8:00 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

Miss Club Volt: An Official Preliminary to Mister & Miss Phoenix Pride

Jan. 6

4:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Miss Supreme Pride: An Official Preliminary to Mister & Miss Phoenix Pride

Jan. 6

9:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Beatdown hosted by Rubye Moore

Jan. 6

9:00 p.m.

BRODIE’S TAVERN

Diamond Divas hosted by Jessica Michaels & Holly Woodland

Jan. 9

10:00 p.m.

KOBALT

Barbra’s Big Break hosted by Barbra Seville

Jan. 10

9:00 p.m.

STACY’S @ MELROSE

Boyz are Back in Town hosted by Blake Riley

Jan. 10

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

MUGGED hosted by Doja Stevens & Brii St. James

Jan. 10

10:30 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

Face Lift V hosted by Savannah Stevens & Whitney Stevens

Jan. 11

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Barbra Seville Girlie Show hosted by Barbra Seville

Jan. 13

5:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Mister & Miss The Rock: An Official Preliminary to Mister & Miss Phoenix Pride

Jan. 13

9:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Late Nite Snax hosted by Benaddiction

Jan. 16

9:00 p.m.

KOBALT

2Girls, 1Cup hosted by Celia Putty

Jan. 17

9:00 p.m.

SKY BAR

NailPolish hosted by Allona Dee

Jan. 17

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

Adriana Galiano Show

Jan. 17

10:30 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

Face Lift V hosted by Savannah Stevens & Whitney Stevens

JANUARY

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Bar Guide

EVERY MONDAY 9:00 p.m.

KOBALT

Naughty or Nice Bingo hosted by Olivia Gardens

10:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

The Strip Factor hosted by Claudia B & Piper M’Shay

EVERY TUESDAY 9:00 p.m.

STACY’S @ MELROSE

The Queer Agenda featuring Carnita Asada, Dahli, Rubye Moore and Benaddiction

EVERY WEDNESDAY 8:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

La Loteria hosted by Susana Martell & Juan

9:00 p.m.

BRODIE’S TAVERN

Naughty Drag Bingo hosted by Jessica Michaels

10:00 p.m.

IBT’S

Viva la Diva hosted by Diva

10:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Diamond en Fuego hosted by Diamond Dallas

10:30 p.m.

KARAMBA

The Karime Lizaldi Show hosted by Karime Lizaldi

FOLLOW US ON...

EVERY THURSDAY 7:00 p.m.

THE CASH

Truth or Dare Drag Bingo hosted by Freddy Prinze Charming & Felicia Minor

10:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Pipin’ Hot Thursdays hosted by Piper M’Shay

10:00 p.m.

KARAMBA

Urban Thursdays hosted by Aubrey Ghalichi

EVERY FRIDAY 9:00 p.m.

PLAZMA

Freaky Fridays hosted by Celia Putty

9:00 p.m.

IBT’S

Flawless Fridays hosted by China Collins

10:00 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

4Some Revue hosted by Luna, Gigi, Joey & Toothpick

10:30 p.m.

CRUISIN’ 7TH

Thank Grande It’s Friday hosted by Espressa Grande

10:30 p.m.

BS WEST

Elements: The most decorated showcast in Scottsdale

@whiskeynpopcorn @whiskeyandpopcorn

EVERY SATURDAY 7:00 p.m.

BOYCOTT BAR

Glamourhood: Drag! Live Music! Dance! Comedy!

9:00 p.m.

IBT’S

Saturday Night Starletts hosted by Janee Starr

9:30 p.m.

AQUA NIGHT CLUB

Susana Martell Siluetas Travesty Show

10:00 p.m.

THE ROCK

The Barbra Seville Show hosted by Barbra Seville

10:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Saturday Night Under the Stars hosted by Claudia B

10:00 p.m.

CLUB VOLT

Locker Room hosted by The 4Some Revue featuring the Freshman Revue

10:30 p.m.

CRUISIN’ 7TH

Lady & The Tramps hosted by Lady Christian

THE FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

EVERY SUNDAY 7:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Pussy LeHoot & Friends

7:00 p.m.

STACY’S @ MELROSE

Stacy’s Follies featuring special guests

10:30 p.m.

KARAMBA

The Ruby Reynolds Show hosted by Ruby Reynolds

11:00 p.m.

CHARLIE’S

Latin Explosion hosted by “The Latin Dynamite” Adriana Galliano

11:30 p.m.

AQUA NIGHT CLUB

Susana Martell Siluetas Travesty Show

bar guide

TIA NORRIS JD, CPT PH: 602-502-5629 E: TKN@FITPROLLC.COM WWW.FITPROLLC.COM EchoMag.com

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JANUARY 2019

59

PHOENIX BARS

Phoenix Bar Guide

20 19

7 7

23 22 55 27 25 19 18 26

16 11 10

16 15 28

22 21 17

5th

9 8

32nd St. St. 32nd

8

Bethany Home

24 25 3 21 3 20

e.

Av

6

1 15 2 14

2

24 23

10 9

13 12 44

18 17

14 13

11 12 *MAP IS NOT *Map is notTO drawn DRAWN SCALEto scale

60 92

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018|| |EchoMag.com EchoMag.com EchoMag.com OCTOBER 2019 2017

LOCAL BUSNESSES

11

ANVIL ANVIL

2424 E. E. Thomas Thomas Road Road 2424

602-334-1462 602-334-1462

M, D, D, L L M,

2 2

AQUA NIGHT AQUA NIGHT CLUB CLUB

1730 E. E. McDowell McDowell Road Road 1730

602-253-0682 602-253-0682

F, N, D, E, F, E, N D

3 3

BAR 11 BAR

3702 N. N. 16th Sixteenth 3702 St. St.

602-266-9001 602-266-9001

M, N, E, N M, E

4 4

eBAR BLISS/R BLISS REBAR

901 N. N. Fourth Fourth St. St. 901

602-795-1792 602-795-1792

MF,N,N,ER M,

5 5

BOYCOTT BAR BOYCOTT BAR

4301 N. N. Seventh Seventh Ave. Ave. 4301

602-515-3667 602-515-3667

MF, D, D, E E MF,

6 6

BS WEST BS WEST

7125 E. E. Fifth Fifth Ave. Ave., Scottsdale 7125

480-945-9028 480-945-9028

MF, D, D, E E MF,

77

BUNKHOUSE BUNKHOUSE

4428 N. N. Seventh Seventh Ave. Ave. 4428

602-200-9154 602-200-9154

M, N, L, N M, L

8 8

CARAVAN TAP ROOM CHARLIE’S

4835W.N.Camelback Fifteenth Ave. 727 Road

602-592-9386 602-265-0224

MF,C,E,E,ND M,

9 9

CHARLIE’S CLUB VOLT

727 Road 3108W. E.Camelback McDowell Road

602-265-0224 602-244-1465

M, MF,E,D,DE

10 10 10

CLUB VOLT CRUISIN’ 7TH

3108 Road 3702 E. N.McDowell Seventh St.

602-244-1465 602-212-9888

MF, M, ED, E

11 11 11

CRUISIN’ 7TH DICK’S CABARET

3702 Seventh 3432 N. E. Illini St. St.

602-212-9888 602-274-3425

M, M, E, G N

12 2 12 12

DICK’S CABARET FEZ

3432 Illini St. St. 105 W.E.Portland

602-274-3425 602-287-8700

M R

13 13 13

FEZ FLEX SPAS PHOENIX

105 St. Hwy 1517W. S. Portland Black Canyon

602-287-8700 602-271-9011

MF, R M, AO

14 14 14

FLEX SPAS PHOENIX KARAMBA NIGHTCLUB

1517 Canyon Highway 1724S. E.Black McDowell Road

602-271-9011 602-254-0231

M, D, EA

15 15 15

KARAMBA KOBALT NIGHTCLUB

1724 E. McDowell Road 3110 N. Central Ave., Ste. 125

602-254-0231 602-264-5307

D, MF,E E, N

16 16 16

KOBALT LOS DIABLOS

3110 Ave., Ste. 175 1028 N. E. Central Indian School Road

602-264-5307 602-795-7881

MF, MF, E, R, N N

17 17 17

LOS DIABLOSSALOON NU TOWNE

1028 School 5002 E. E. Indian Van Buren St. Road

602-795-7881 602-267-9959

MF, N,LR M, N,

18 18 18

NU OFFTOWNE CHUTE SALOON TOO

5002 E.Seventh Van Buren St. 4115 N. Ave

602-267-9959 602-274-1429

M, M, L, AN

19 19 19

OFF CHUTE TOO OZ BAR

4115 1804N. W.Seventh BethanyAve. Home Road

602-274-1429 602-242-5114

MF, MF, A N

20 20 20

OZ BAR PLAZMA

1804 W.Osborn Bethany Home Road 1560 E. Road

602-242-5114 602-266-0477

MF, MF, N N, E

21 21 21

PLAZMA ROYAL VILLA INN

1560 4312 E. N. Osborn 12th St. Road

602-266-0477 602-266-6883

MF, E, N M, AO

22 22 23

ROYAL VILLA INN STACY’S @ MELROSE

4312 4343N. N.Twelfth SeventhSt. Ave.

602-266-6883 602-264-1700

M, MF,AD, N

23 23 24

STACY’S @ NIGHTCLUB MELROSE & LOUNGE THE CASH

4343 N.McDowell Seventh Ave. 2140 E. Road

602-264-1700 602-244-9943

MF, F, C, D, DN

24 25 24

THE NIGHTCLUB & LOUNGE THE CASH CHUTE

2140 Road 1440 E. E. McDowell Indian School Road

602-244-9943 602-234-1654

F, M,DAO

25 26 25

THE THE CHUTE ROCK

1440 E. Indian School 4129 N. Seventh Ave. Road

602-234-1654 602-248-8559

M, M, A N, E

26

THE LOUIE

605 W. Osborn Rd.

602-698-3445

MF, E, N, R

MAP CODES: 27 THE ROCK A Adult Retail & Entertainment M Mostly Males 2601 ON CENTRAL F 28 Mostly Females

4129 N. Seventh Ave. Neighborhood Bar Full Restaurant 2601 N. Central Ave. Dance Club

MF

Mixed Male/Female

N R D C

M F MF

Mostly Males Mostly Females Mixed Male/Female

A Adult Retail & Accomodations D Dance Club E Entertainment (Karaoke, Drag)

MAP CODES:

LOCAL BUSNESSES

Country Dancing

602-248-8559 MF, E, N L Leather/Bears E Entertainment (Karaoke, Drag) 602-466-2074 MF, E, R G Go-Go Dancers AO Accommodations/Other L N R

Leather/Bears Neighborhood Bar Restaurant

EchoMag.com| |FEBRUARY JANUARY 2018 2019 EchoMag.com OCTOBER 2015

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BAR SPECIALS

2018 Wax a Bear Nov. 17 at Anvil, Phoenix.

Photos by Gregg Edelman.

BUNKHOUSE S M T W T F

$1 drafts & HH prices all day & night 7 p.m. Darts with Acxell Latin Night with Diego 9 p.m. Karaoke Underwear night: $1 off all drinks if in skivvies! GoGo dancers 9 p.m.

8 p.m.-close: $2.50 Miller family products. 4 & 6 p.m.: Free-to-join poker S 8 p.m.-close: $2.50 Bud family products

CHARLIE’S S Super HH 4-7 p.m., $3 pitchers; $3 Long Islands open-close M 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 8 p.m.-close, 1/2 off drinks for wearing underwear, $3 Jack Daniels T 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-4-1 cocktails & beer 8 p.m.- close W 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; $3 Three Olives vodka, 8 p.m.-close T 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-4-1 drinks open-close F 2-7 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestics, $3 pitchers; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well & domestics, $1 drafts 10 p.m.- midnight S Noon-7 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestics; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well & domestics, $3 Absolut & Bacardi 10 p.m.-midnight

STACY’S @ MELROSE S $1.50 Rolling Rock & Wells, open-7 p.m.; Showtime 7 p.m.-10 p.m.; $1 Rolling Rock & Wells; $2.50 Bud Light; $3 Fireball shots 7 p.m.-Close; Happy Hours 10 p.m.-сlose M Happy Hours; $2.50 Rolling Rock ALL DAY T Happy Hours; $5 Martinis & $2.50 Rolling Rock ALL DAY W 2-4-1 all day*; *no shots T Happy Hours 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; $1.50 Rolling Rock & Wells 8 p.m.-midnight F Happy Hours 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; $2.50 Rolling Rock all day; $2.50 Bud Light, $4.50 Pinnacle vodka & Fireball 8 p.m.-close S Happy Hours 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; $2.50 Rolling Rock all day; $2.50 Bud Light, $4.50 Pinnacle vodka & Fireball 8 p.m.-close

THE LOUIE S Sunday Funday Brunch: $10 Mimosa Bottles. 2pm-8pm: $2 PBR 16oz Cans, $3 Smirnoff Vodka Drinks, $4 Bd Lt pitchers, $5 AMF’s, and $5 Jameson Shots M Happy Hour 2PM - 7PM: $3 Draft Pints, $4 Glass Wine, $5 Tito’s Vodka and 1/2 price select appetizers. 8p.m. to Close: $2 Bd Lt draft, $3 Wells, $4 Smirnoff Cocktails, $5 Martinis T Happy Hour 2PM - 7PM: $3 Draft Pints, $4 Glass Wine, $5 Tito’s Vodka and 1/2 price select appetizers. 8p.m. to Close: $3 Wells, $4 Fireball Shots, $5 Dom Pitchers W Happy Hour 2PM - 7PM: $3 Draft Pints, $4 Glass Wine, $5 Tito’s Vodka and 1/2 price select appetizers. 8p.m. to Close: $3 Dom Draft, $4 Lemon Drops, $5 Specialty Cocktails T Happy Hour 2PM - 7PM: $3 Draft Pints, $4 Glass Wine, $5 Tito’s Vodka and 1/2 price select appetizers. 8p.m. to Close: (2-4-1) 1/2 Priced Drinks and Appetizers all day and night F Happy Hour 2PM - 7PM: $3 Draft Pints, $4 Glass Wine, $5 Tito’s Vodka and 1/2 price select appetizers. 8p.m. to Close: $3 Fireball Shots, $4 Dox XX, $5 Absolute Cocktails S 8p.m. to Close: $3 Corona Premier, $5 Patron Shots, $6 Tito’s Cocktails 62

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For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos

Carnaval Latino

Nov. 21 at Karamba Nightclub, Phoenix.

Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2018-photos EchoMag.com

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1118_MA_ECHO_DEC_7.25x4.75

HIV & STI PREVENTION

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with quick results!

We offer testing for HIV, Hepatitis C and Syphilis.

333 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85012

602-685-6086

testing@terroshealth.org facebook.com/terroshealthhivsti @terroshealthhiv

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JANUARY 2019

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Testing Hours 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday

Walk-ins Welcome, No Appointment Necessary.

24/7 GYM

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Text rates to 474747 for more info Mention this ad and receive 1/2 off enrollment.

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ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Please support our advertisers who help keep Echo free

ACCOUNTANTS/

Brunch Bash

19

Berney Streed, Re/Max Excalibur

TAX PREPARATION

Musical Instrument Museum

15

Bobbi Ryals, HomeSmart

3

Bradley B. Brauer, HomeSmart

3

David Oesterle, ReMax

3

Fred Delgado Team, Keller Williams

3

Matthew Hoedt, Realty One

3

Robert F. Hockensmith, CPA, PC

37

Steve Price, CPA

56

Scottsdale Center For the Arts

2

FINANCIAL SERVICES ADULT ENTERTAINMENT / RETAIL Flex Spas Phoenix

63

The Chute

65

JW Advisors Inc.

56

Melinda Murphy, Lifestyle Partners

GALLERIES Exposed Studio & Gallery

47

APARTMENTS East and West Apartments

56

ATTORNEYS Jackson White-Attorneys At Law Phillips Law Group

43 11

Salvador Phillips

68

AUTO SERVICES Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair

5

BARS & CLUBS Bunkhouse

61

Charlie’s Phoenix

9

Stacy’s @ Melrose

55, 60, 61

The Louie

39

HOME SERVICES AZ Perfect Comfort

38

Brian’s Bzzy Buns

56

Carpet Depot

38

Metro Cleaning

37

Quandt Landscaping

56

Rainbow Bug

56

Tilton Electric

56

Valdez Refrigeration

57

Amy Powell, Health Markets Insurance 17 47

Edward Vasquez, Allstate

3

MARKETING

COUNSELING Stonewall Institute

24

850zip.com

My Dentist

47

Open Wide Dental

4

Kim Chartier, Loan Depot

3 37

EDUCATION PHARMACIES

Maricopa County Community College District

49

3

Shawn Hertzog, West USA

3

Tricia Amato, HomeSmart

3

RELIGIOUS GROUPS Community Church of Hope

CVS specialty Pharmacy

47

Fairmont Pharmacy

43

ENTERTAINMENT & EVENTS

RESTAURANTS China Chili

41

Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers

38

Hula’s Modern Tiki

41

Off Chute Too

17

REALTORS

AZ Gay Rodeo Association

24

Arizona Gay Realtors Alliance

RETIREMENT PLANNING Calvin Goetz, Strategy Financial Group

Salon 24

|

3

56

Adelante Healthcare

67

Anytime Fitness

65

FitPro, LLC

59

PReP

16

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

13

Terros - Turning the Tide

64

3

Youth Coalition

49

Willo Medi Spa

57

To find out more about advertising in Echo, call 602-266-0550 JANUARY 2019

64

Terros - Health - Safe Out LGBTQ

AIDs Walk 2019

66 66

56

WELLNESS

Jeremy Schachter, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.

Nicholas Yale, Brokers Hub Realty

SALONS 19

MORTGAGES

DENTISTS

43

RETAIL

INSURANCE Benefits Arizona

56

EchoMag.com

Be Proud.

Be Healthy.

Start your year right! Choose a doctor who works with you to meet your goals.

Discover the Adelante difference today!

Family Health Centers 9 Locations | 1.877.809.5092

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NOVEMBER 2018

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