hot tails of red stick

capitol comments ...from EX-2
ence “20 Years of Divine Madness.”
T
his will not be the only celebration in
Austin. On Saturday, September
16th, The Cockpit will be hosting
Travis’ Garden Party Birthday Blowout! This
event will mark the passing of another year in
the life of our very own beloved Sandy Shores…
uhhh… I mean Travis. The fun kicks off at 9pm
with a free buffet. Join in the fun by keeping
with the Garden Party theme and sporting an
appropriate chapeaux.
What would a party at The Cockpit be
without hunky men and from 9pm – 11pm, get a
groove on while watching some of Austin’s
hottest dancers. And if this weren’t enough,
there’s more… yes more!
Twirling like a dervish onto The Cockpit
stage at 11pm will be the one and only former
Miss Gay US of A, Sweet Savage. Savage has
been delighting crowds throughout the US during a career that spans the decades and includes too many local, state and regional titles
to name. She is a true Star of Texas and any
performance by Sweet Savage is not to be
missed.
Joining Sweet Savage will be Michelle
Marco, the fabulous Jame Perry, the body deluxe Kelly Kline and the dancing feet of Miss
Paris Channel. This all-star show will be certain
to pack in anyone looking for a night’s entertainment. Get to The Cockpit early to insure your
view of this monster lineup. Don’t forget, while
you are there to tell Travis “thanks” and “happy
birthday.”
O
ilcan Harry’s is keeping the ware
house district’s party central title
in tact. Sporting some of Austin’s
most legendary DJ’s who keep the beats fresh,
Oilcan Harry’s dance floor is the place to work
up a sweat with some of Austin hottest nightlife
denizens. Everyone who is anyone has graced
the infamous Oilcan Harry’s dance floor and
many still return to the keep the beat alive.
Others prefer to hang out on Oilcan Harry’s
super patio or by the pool table, where knowing
how to handle a big stick is definitely a plus.
Whatever your scene Oilcan Harry’s is the
place.
N
estled quietly on 5th Street just
west of Congress Avenue is Fab
ric, a hopping little spot which adds
a flair missing from Austin nightlife. Fabric is
where discerning Austinites go to party. Its
stark décor adds to the ambiance of modern
industrial chic. Fabric is a breath of New York
City right here in our own little Capitol corridor.
Makes plans to stop by and see what everyone
else already knows.
T
he Rainbow Cattle Company will
play host to volunteer orientation for
aGLIFF, the Austin Gay Lesbian International Film Festival. On Saturday September 16th at 11am and Sunday, September 17th
at 1pm, aGLIFF members will be on hand to walk
potential volunteers through all the different
opportunities available.
According to aGLIFF, volunteers are
needed for a variety of tasks including: Opening
Night set-up/breakdown, bartending, food handling, ticketing, marketing, tech operations, video
transferal, data entry, web updates, administrative support, and crowd control. Most volunteer shifts are 4-6 hours long and volunteers
earn free tickets during each shift worked.
After working three shifts volunteers earn a
festival T-shirt, and after 5 shifts volunteers
earn a 2006-07 festival membership. Volunteers should bring proof of TABC certification if
seeking bartending shifts. Drop in during orientation of contact aGLIFF for more information.
E
ver want to spend a weekend
roughing it in the company of furry
friends? (and I am not talking about
the four legged variety) Join the Heart of Texas
Bears at Back to the Woods II October 13th –
15th. This year the event is limited to the first 150
applicants and the cost is $70 if received prior
to September 25th. For more information on
what will certainly be a fun filled weekend
contact Peter at 512.996.9347 or visit
www.heartoftexasbears.org/bttw/.
If you know of anything going on in the
Austin area or if you would like something
mentioned in Capitol Comments, e-mail Bob at
capitolcomments@gmail.com.
hot tails of red stick
by Brad Benedict
E-mail: bradhotails@hotmail.com
Holiday Notes
I
f you want to see a deserted downtown area, just come to Baton Rouge on
the Sunday and Monday of Labor Day
weekend. It’s like there was not one single
creature stirring. I was a little under the weather
and didn’t make it down for the celebration in
New Orleans, but I got plenty of reports and a
number of phone calls wanting to know where
I was so they could meet up with me.
I tried to utilize my time with “catch up” work
– writing columns, catching up on my reading,
and doing some garden work. The weather
cooperated, and it turned out to be almost
pleasant with a slight breeze and lower temperatures than the past few weeks had offered. That change made it nice for sipping a
glass of wine on my front porch and watching
the world go by.
I did make it to the bars to see what might
be going on, especially Labor Day Monday.
Opening early is okay, but it’s later on in the
evening when things get to the crowded stage.
This just goes to prove that even though there
has been a massive amount of activity for the
past three or four days in the Crescent City,
there is still a little energy left in those returning
home. At least there is enough left to stop by and
relate the activities of another great Southern
Decadence weekend.
John Wayne was in his element by staying
right in the middle of all the festivities. He and BC
Boy made a nice couple, and even a little
surprise meeting with an ex-partner with his
new lover only made a temporary dent in the
spirit of the occasion. And Trace reported on all
the activities at the Country Club. You see there
are some who don’t do the street thing, but they
apparently do the “club thing.” Just read between the lines. I dare not reveal too much in a
family publication.
I also talked with Trace when he got back.
It didn’t take him long to get back to normal, and
he and Gerry made it out for din-din at a local
restaurant. Poor Gerry is so busy at work, he
didn’t have time to get down for the activities in
New Orleans. This guy is just one of best you
are going to find in old Red Stick. Actually, this
applies to both of them, but for Gerry, I see a
heart of gold with an empty space just waiting
for someone to offer a little fulfillment and
happiness. I dined with Gerry on Saturday
night, and we had a wonderful evening at
Fleming’s. This one is a jewel, and a very rare
one at that. It just goes to show that you can’t
judge a book by its cover. Turn a few pages, and
you see you have a masterpiece in front of you.
John and Mark were out and about celebrating the occasion. This dynamic couple can
rock my boat on any holiday, or no holiday at all.
It’s always fun being around them, and they
bring joy to others in their company. Mark’s
brother Tim was in town last week when I
dropped in on them. He lives in San Francisco
now but was down for Southern Decadence
For all you guys and gals who made it
down for Southern Decadence, I only hope you
made it to work today. I know you have a
headache, but that’s just part of the experience
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EXPOSE'-7 of 56
Danny advertising again
Sweet peck at George’s
Lance showing the length
Splash’s sexy bartender Brad
Cute couple at Apollo party
Another happy trio
Mia Bonet & sexy David
Tommy in for Decadence
Danny at disco party
Dwayne & cutie-pie Aaron
Richard & gorgeous Jake
Happy twosome at Splash
Michael ready for happy hour
Splash’s handsome Stephen with Guy
Floridians meet Spanish Town divas
red stick
paparazzi
Joseph & Richard relaxing
Walt & Richard
Johnny at Hound Dogs
Baton Rouge’s sexiest fireman
EXPOSE'-8 of 56 • Sept. 12-25, 2006 • GayBars.COM • GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM
Parties, Clubs, Cocktails ~ Baton Rouge, Louisiana ...photos:
Brad Benedict
Going cheek to cheek
hot tails of red stick ...from EX-6
and the memories that go along with this wonderful gay holiday. And we can all count our
blessings in that the weather cooperated without sending in another storm to rain on our
parade.
My only regret in not being at this event
was missing out on seeing all my Crescent City
friends not mentioned above – Kevin C., Mina,
Rip, Marsha, Timm, Danny, George, DB, Kenneth, Ernie, Jamie, and most of all, the dynamic,
fabulous, and gorgeous Joey. I’ll just have to
make it down another time to see these and
other friends and acquaintances.
Keeping Up
B
C Boy enjoyed his Southern Decadence weekend, but as I write this
copy, he is in surgery for his knee
injury. No, darlings, he wasn’t bending down all
that much, but he did fail to see that door closing
so swiftly. It has bothered him for a couple of
months, but now he should be back on the
mending trail once again. This guy is just a
wonderful piece of humanity, and I will always
love his beautiful personality and his gorgeous
smile.
I stopped in at Hound Dogs and kept Johnny
company for a while. As I said above, it takes
the sun setting to bring out the Baton Rouge
crowds, and sometimes it takes the stroke of
midnight to get everyone covered with enough
foo-foo water and make-up to make it to closing
time. In our dear old world, it all comes to an end
at 2am. Now you know why we all love to come
to the French Quarter, spend nights with friends,
and return the following day.
That’s usually what the dynamic TTT does.
This is another workaholic who seldom gets out
of town anymore, but it did happen a weekend
or so ago. A friend (from Alexandria, I believe)
showed up, and they hit the streets and bars in
old New Orleans. I guess you know that if you
heard that loud screech of a happy person
being goosed that it was probably none other
than this happy young man. You don’t have to
see him. Just listen. You will know where he is
immediately. Did I describe that correctly, Tommy?
And speaking of Tommy, let’s switch over
to the Las Vegas variety, formerly of Acadiana.
He stopped by to see me on his way down to
New Orleans, and he caught me up on the latest
from all those guys and gals who made their
way from Baton Rouge to this Sin City of the
desert. I even caught up on ex-Red Stickers
who moved off to New Orleans, then Alexandria, and elsewhere. It was nice to know what
happened to Ben. This was another great loss
for our capital city, but he has a great job now,
something he didn’t manage to obtain in Baton
Rouge.
And another Tommy comes to mind with all
this moving and re-locating for jobs or for
lovers, or just for a change of scenery. I’m trying
to work it into my schedule to go with Trace to
San Francisco in October to visit with the Dillon
boy. This child was one of the first ones I met
years ago when he first came onto the gay
scene. He was exceptionally nice then. He is
still that way today. It will be nice to see him
again.
A planned trip to Las Vegas is in the works
too. After all, there are lots and lots of Baton
Rougeans who gave up the capital city blues for
the wild and wonderful thrills of Sin City. I
haven’t seen Buddy and Sammy since they
moved out there, but I keep up with them. Daryl
(did I spell that right?) is another who left to be
with his other half who got a great job there. You
all will recall that he was one of the Oz calendar
models. And, of course, everyone will remember Hair, who left this city for a better life. I’d
really like to see her again.
Hair used to be a fixture at all the forerunners of Splash. She was there to meet you and
greet you. Now, when you go to Splash, you
usually see the fabulous Mia Bonet. However,
it is a treat for me personally to gaze upon two
other beauties, namely David and Mitch. I don’t
really know that much about David, but I’ll be
checking him out soon. Maybe Danny can squeal
on him. How about that Danny?
Mitch is that tall, handsome, manly fireman
who just charms and warms me from one end
to the other. A hug just makes me wilt, and a kiss
sends me in orbit. (Of course, that kiss from
Joey was just about the most wonderful thing
that happened to me in a long time.) And then
there is a smooch from Lance, and I just about
have to be carted off to sit on a couch until I
recover. I don’t know what it is about some of
these young studs, but they have such an
overwhelming power over me. And to see
Lance’s rear in a tight pair of jeans just rattles
my senses into totally lust. Wow!
I have to admit that Brad does a lot for me
too. He seems quiet, but I sense a smoldering
lust about him, and I’m about ready to jump over
that counter and give him a good squeezing. He
has a sense of poise about him that tells me he
is one who is always in control of his emotions.
I love a guy who is in control. Maybe that’s what
I like about Brad.
Then there is Danny who has the most
sparkling Splash personality you can possibly
imagine. I haven’t seen anything like that since
Mikey left for the hills around Shreveport. I
passed through this northern Louisiana city
recently but was just too tired to stop in and
check on him. That will come another day, but
now I have to concentrate on Danny and his
wild and wonderful ways. I don’t know how
others feel but employees make or break any
given establishment. Cory and Jeff know how
to keep everyone happy at Splash and have a
knack for stocking their employee ranks with
the very best.
The same is true for Richard, who had
probably the best decision of anyone when he
latched onto to Michael. This little thoroughbred
stud brings out the best in customers, and he
certainly knows how to bring me up and out. I’m
[continued on Expose-16]
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Huff out on the town at B-Bob’s
Chris tells Tim a good one at B-Bob’s
Cart slings at Gabriel’s PTD
Late night weekends at Gabriel’s with
Carl
Country Boy Leon at B-Bob’s
Venus joins Christopher for a duet at
karaoke
Gabriel’s Carl stops in B-Bob’s
”Party ‘Till Dawn” at Gabriel’s
Cowboy Bob with B-Bob’s bartender
Joe
”Girl’s Gone Wild” at Gabriel’s
mobile
Only Anna Rexia at B-Bob’s
B-Bob’s leather night
paparazzi
Mobile bar icon Miss Betty with Don &
Al at B-Bob’s
Alton with Gabriel’s PTD DJ Robbie
B-Bob’s bartenders Kenny & Jayme
Enjoying the fall air at Gabriel’s Outback
Scott & Warren at Gabriel’s PTD
What a hottie! Mark parties at Gabriel’s
EXPOSE'-10 of 56 • Sept. 12-25, 2006 • GayBars.COM • GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM
And The Beat Goes On ~ Mobile, Alabama
Will & Edward pose for a pic at B-Bob’s
photos: Joe, Cary & Elvin
Gabriel’s new bartender Christopher, at
your service