Twinks, Tunes, and a Drag Queen in a Palm Tree

One week to Christmas Eve; it still thrills me to have my window wide open and to look out and see trees growing and not a lick of snow anywhere!

I walked over to the Social Club last night, right at 6 pm, for Out and About Puerto Vallarta magazine’s Gay Mixer. It was already packed! Two bars were open, and the lines kinda merged on the stairs going up. A jazzy trio played behind a velvet rope that kept the musicians just out of the crush of humanity. Shannon Maracle sang, as did Nick Rogers. The three owners were everywhere, greeting people as they walked in; I got a lovely hug from JT Horenstein, who is responsible for some seriously terrific shows at the Social Club. I soon fled the crowded spaces and found a cool refuge in the room right in front of the entrance. I likely scared off some SC Newbies as they hit the top stairs and the first thing they saw was an elderly straight woman; not exactly the poster child for a Gay Mixer! Anyway, I had lovely chats with Martin Methot and his husband, Robert Ryan, and then in walked David Sabella, who has been in the States for the last four months. And, I keep running into pianist Michael Ferreri and Pedro from the Gay+ Community Center! When I took my leave a bit past 7 pm, already 200 guys had visited! A good thing all the tables and chairs had been removed!

I wandered down Basilio Badillo to Nacho Daddy for Open Mic. Canadian comedienne Diana Frances was filling in for Gouda Gabor. Diana kicked off the night with a song she wrote for us all to sing along to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas, but the line, (what) ”my true love gave to me” was replaced by ”Vallarta.” The words with hilarious graphics were projected on the big screen. We were laughing so hard we could barely sing! Lines like, ”eleven twinks a’twinkling” ”seven ships a’sinking” (pics of the Marigalante going down – that kicked up protests throughout the room!), and, with a photo of Gouda, the first gift of ”a drag queen in a palm tree!” Bing Young masterfully kept up on the piano, and I had harmonies in my ear sung by Mister Lady Zen, who sat with me between their songs on the stage. Sarah Joy Heckbert, Miana Melendez, and Steven Retchless all spoke about their impending shows. I will see and hear AlZENira when they sing with Enrique at Coco Cabaret on Thursday, and then in their solo show again at Coco this Friday at 5 pm.

Scrabble today at Qulture and later at The Palm Cabaret and Bar at 5 pm, Sinatra and Buble, aka Nacho Granados and Armando Chakam, with a band, will croon us into bliss; I do adore these two outstanding performers, From Here.