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Amanda Lepore




Amanda Lepore

Originally uploaded by Gerry Visco

Amanda Lepore leaving the F Word at Rebel on West 30th Street last Friday.

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Eric Halliwell and Gerry Visco in the Poisson Rouge VIP Lounge

I spent my Valentine’s Day night at the St. Valentine’s Day massacre at Poisson Rouge

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Andres Serrano




Andres Serrano

Originally uploaded by Gerry Visco

Notorious artist and photographer Andres Serrano photographed me in his studio recently as part of his series of nudes he’s creating for a book to be published by Rizzoli. I took this photo after the photo session. Serrano is an extremely pleasant easy-going man and exhibits no trace of the controversiality his art has provoked. I’ve always loved his work and was pleased to pose for him.

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The Queerist Events: Victoria presents: We Love the Golden Girls 3

The Queerist Events: Victoria presents: We Love the Golden Girls 3

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I went on the Secrets de Coquette Dances of Vice cruise on the Jewel




DSC_0527

Originally uploaded by Gerry Visco

This is backstage where the performers were getting dressed

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2/10/10 Bash Compactor: Hawke and Cougar

Wednesday, February 10,2010

Bash Compactor: Hawke and Cougar

Gerry Visco Makes A Play for Ethan Hawke

By Gerry Visco

. . . . . . .

I gave Ethan Hawke a shot at me, but no, the dude just stared vacantly into my eyes. I do think he liked what he saw, since he was smiling. So what if he’s married. After all, look what happened to him and Uma.

The hot hunk of a man, who looked yummy even at close to 40, was seated directly opposite me on a metal folding chair on stage with four actors who were reading from Sam Shepard plays, apt since Hawke’s directing a revival of A Lie of the Mind, opening at the New Group’s Acorn Theater Feb.18.

“You’re all here instead of home watching the Superbowl,” Hawke told us with a laugh. “I played football in high school.” Duh. I didn’t even know the Superbowl was on, but I prefer indoor sports myself. It was good to know the actor, director and novelist had paid his dues by roughhousing on the playing field.

Up on stage with Hawke were Peter Dinklage, Martha Plimpton, Halley Wegryn and Marin Ireland, reading lines of the heart wrenching, quintessentially Shepard material. In case you don’t know his work, he favors fun stuff like family dysfunction, sibling rivalry, violence, and the torrid wars between men and women. “It’s just a dumb movie, but it’s not as dumb as my life,” was a line that resonated.

Since the play’s still in previews, I can’t say much other than I was blown away by the cast. Even better than the cute younger guys, including Alessandro Nivola who was running around in boxer shorts two feet from my face, was Keith Carradine. Who knew he’d have such a thrillingly deep voice and masculine presence? At 60, he’s a fox and looks as good as he did in The Long Riders or Nashville. In fact, I was a bit confused—who should I throw myself at, Hawke or Carradine? Too bad the gloriously scruffy Sam Shepard himself wasn’t around, we could have had a hell of a ballgame.

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2/10/10 Bash Compactor: I’ll Take One of Each

Wednesday, February 10,2010

Bash Compactor: I’ll Take One of Each

By Gerry Visco

. . . . . . .
Holy Hail at Queers, Beers and Rears

“No, we can’t let you in right now. Not until the firemen leave,” the security dude said.There were a bunch of fire trucks and some hunky firemen out in front of Cake Shop, so my friend Jennifer and I waited outside in the bracing cold chatting with some random revelers, awaiting our turn to have fun. It was the third year anniversary of Queers, Beers and Rears, the monthly homopunk party held in the basement of the funky Ludlow Street sweet shop and nightclub.

Abbreviated as QxBxRx, the party is a creation of Stephen Crowe, Erik Karff and Andrew Martini, who started things off in Williamsburg in 2007 but that summer moved to the LES. Known as a night for boys who don’t like glittery gay nights, the party often features loud rock bands in addition to hot, half-naked go-go boys standing around in skimpy BVDS and drinks specials that lean toward cheap beer and whiskey.

For the anniversary, the guest DJ was Lily of the Valley (AKA Michael Cavadias), who always plays a vibrant mix of house music and kick-ass rock numbers. Even better, the former model and sometimes actor also looked oh-so-beautiful behind the DJ booth. On stage were New York rock acts Big Gold Belt, Holy Hail and New York Press favorites Love or Perish, all adding grit that your average night at a Liza Minnelli lip-syncing drag show can lack.

“What I love about this party is it’s not one of those typical, dreary, gay boy things. They play my kind of music,” said the long, lean and bespectacled Taylor Derwin, 23, who attends frequently.There’s a band of regulars at the party, attracting queers both male and female—and all are friendly. About 10 different people came up to start a conversation with me, lucky since I couldn’t see my friends in the crowd. I was looking for performance artist cum go-go boy Max Steele, but someone told me “He’s having some dental issues tonight.”Whatever that means.

“Hey, let’s go to T Poutine for some fries ’n’ gravy,” Jennifer said. She’d earlier sampled some cheesecake at Cake Shop but was still hungry and it was already 4 a.m. As much as I adore queers, beers and rears—in no particular order, I might add—it was time for some carbs, cheese and grease.

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New York Press, Bash Compactor, Gerry Visco’s piece 2/3/10

Wednesday, February 3,2010

Bash Compactor: Star Struck

Susan Miller speaks at the Three West Club

By Gerry Visco

. . . . . . .
Susan Miller

Wanna know what will happen to you in 2010? No problem, I can tell you about it after attending astrologer Susan Miller’s all-day seminar “The Year Ahead 2010.” If you’re a Pisces or an Aries, you’re in luck, thanks to Jupiter being in your sign. (Pssssssst! Little secret: set your alarm for Feb. 28 as the most fantabulous 24 hours this year). Everyone will have some good days and some not so good, so listen up.

The event was held at The Three West Club, a fancy joint off Fifth Avenue. After being scared shitless by pictures of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush hanging in every nook and cranny, I later discovered the building is also home to the Women’s National Republican Club I’ve been following Miller’s monthly horoscopes on astrologyzone.com since 1995 and over the years she’s become a huge industry, with books, calendars, phone apps and 18 million downloads of her forecasts every month. Her predictions are astonishingly accurate, and in the flesh she was proving her point with personal anecdotes, like the time when she left her laptop in a taxi, recovered thanks to Jupiter’s return.“You’re very intuitive. Any witches in your family?” asked the attractive blonde sitting next to me, a massage therapist at Bliss.

We were eating our vegetarian lunch, some puff pastry concoction with mushrooms.We all had nametags with our date-of-birth. “July 14,” she read. “You must love the water.”You skeptics can scoff, but it’s all true.

After listening to the usual long-winded questions from the star-struck, I finally shouted out, “Susan, you keep saying Cancers will find their true love but nothing happens. When?!” Of course, I never got the answer on that, though I did learn that 2010 will be great for my career. Big deal.

“Astrology is not fortunetelling. It’s about your personality and determination,” Miller told me. “You need to tell people what you want or you won’t get it.”

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New York Press, Bash Compactor Gerry Visco’s piece 2/3/10

Wednesday, February 3,2010

Bash Compactor: Moaning in the Morning

Learning new moves from Jonté Moaning

By Gerry Visco

. . . . . . .
Jonté / Photo by Gerry Visco

Saturday mornings for me always evoke cartoons, but last week I started my Saturday morning with Moaning. It’s not what you’re thinking; I’m talking about Jonté Moaning, the sprightly dancer, singer and personality. This dude is the real deal. Get this: His first big dancing gig was with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl the time she showed her nipple. He’s appeared with Madonna and choreographed Beyoncé. And on this morning, he was coming to my health club to give me a private dance lesson.I’m not bad on the dance floor if you don’t mind a hot mess of crazy jumping, kicking and hair tossing. But would I be up for Jonté? “Bitch You Betta!” That’s the title of one of his best-loved videos. “He’ll be joined by his team, Creative Director Crayon Lee & Fashion Director Kooan,” read the email prepping me for him. Yikes! But it all worked out for the best.

“I’m not a morning person, either,” he confessed, airily arriving in a casual Michael Jackson look, with a military cap and jacket. So what’s his story? Unusually modest, he makes it sound easy. “I came to New York from Portland, Oregon, on August 11, 2001, a month before 9/11,” he said. Now he’s finishing up a new album and, like the Tom Waits song, he’s big in Japan. Speaking of cartoons, with his perfectly molded body and exotic glam, he’s as unreal as Gumby.

Of course, everyone in the health club was wondering what incredible pop star was in their midst. “So, how about the dance lesson,” Jonté prodded me. Uh oh. Moment of truth in front of the mirror. “Put your foot like that, your hands like that,” he demonstrated gracefully. I tried to follow the moves but kept going off on the wrong foot.

Any suggestions to improve? Crayon told me she’d get me a copy of his instructional video from his show at Santos Party House later that week. But Jonté had the answer. His eyes twinkling behind the aviator shades, he told me, “Just enjoy the ride and scream with me, ‘My pussy’s on fire!’”

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Gerry Visco’s Week in Photos – Picks by New York Press

http://www.nypress.com/blog-5744-gerry-viscos-week-in-photos.html

Jonte Moaning, Herra*C, Taylor Meade and Gerry Visco, Penny Arcade, Debbie Harry and Danny Fields, Julie Atlas Muz, Lady Miss Kier and John Kelly, Mark Wesley, Dirty Martini, Katie Lee Madonna and Louis Jordan, 42nd Street in Times Square and Jonte Moaning

Jan
27

Gerry Visco’s Week in Photos

In Section: NY comPRESSed » Posted In: Photos Posted By: Gerry Visco -

Each week intrepid reporter Gerry Visco takes hundreds of pictures, here are our favorites from her latest batch!

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