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Not long ago the Observer published a story about the migration of downtown, Meatpacking-type parties to Midtown hotels—but the “Happening” on Wednesdays at the Hudson Hotel is what takes place when the East Village tries it out. Hats off to the Hudson for trying to attract (or scare away?) their fancy guests by hiring DJ Ryan McKnight and a host of downtown freaks to give them an authentic New York experience—and they probably didn’t know what they were getting!
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Day Glo is back, honey!
Once upon a time, New York was full of downtown-style “avant-garde” performance art. It was usually at clubs or divey East Village spots. The idea was that you didn’t know exactly what you were seeing, or why, but it provoked some kind of emotion in you. While the best kind of performance doesn’t require it, being on mind-altering drugs probably helped.
But enSubtitles, a performance group consisting of club kids (and drag artists) One-hAlf NeLson, Erickatoure Aviance and Clifton Brown (sometimes known as the beautiful Nanya Bidness) fills a gap in visual performance left by the death of New York’s clubland of yesteryear (and yes, I admit to all, these guys are my friends. It’s Thanksgiving, a break please!).
Conceived after a huge response after an avant garde drag performance at a Grace Jones drag tribute at the Cock last November—Erickatoure and Nelson inhabited one voluminous costume with a bald-capped head—the aesthetic of enSubtitles (think, En Vogue, but not) is pretty much lots of Day-glo and scary-looking.
It’s not every day that a drag queen reveals her age. But for a legend like Mother Flawless Sabrina, celebrating a drag career that spans over 50 years is nothing to shake your wig at.
On September 13, Flawless held her 70th birthday party at Sugarland, where fans, friends, and protégé gathered to hail this queen and her lifetime of remarkable achievement. Her latest achievement was walking around the club greeting guests, as she was still recovering from a recent hip injury.
But regrowing hip muscles is not Flawless Sabrina’s claim to fame. She is the star of the 1968 documentary, The Queen, about a 1967 drag contest and pageant held in New York City. This was just one installment a touring drag contest and pageant Flawless started in 1959. The documentary also features Andy Warhol and the talents (and temper) of one Crystal Labeija, founder of the legendary drag house that is her namesake.