My Sucky Valentine: Now with Charles Gatewood!

Hey!!! Rock on!!! Charles Gatewood has just agreed to read at  My Sucky Valentine this Thursday! Charles is one of my favorite photographers of all time and a walking piece of counterculture history. Plus he rocks as a writer. I’m hoping he’ll read a bit of his amazing autobiography. Hope to see you there!

My Sucky Valentine 2008
A benefit for the Women’s Community Clinic and the St. James Infirmary

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008
Doors 7 – Show 8
Artwork SF — 49 Geary — San Francisco (www.artworksf.com)

Featuring readings by
Sherilyn Connelly, Charles Gatewood, Thea Hillman, Carol Queen, Lori Selke, Julia Serano, and Simon Sheppard

Hosted by Thomas S. Roche 

Every year, San Francisco writer Thomas Roche and a sex club, dungeon, art gallery or dive bar full of his closest friends, hated rivals and future ex-wives gather together to explore all the darkest themes of love and romance — psycho girlfriends with nutty exes, boyfriends with skid marks, and heartache, heartache, heartache!

I know, I know — for this, you want we should pay ten dollars? But what makes this event slightly different than your run-of-the-mill group drunken crying jag at Old Joe’s Barroom is that My Sucky Valentine peels back the rotting rose petals of romance that cover the fragrant bud of sleaze. Many of San Francisco’s best-loved erotica writers step away from their usual sex-positive selves and mingle their appreciation of the nastier side of sex with bitter and downright admissions about how wrong it can go.

This year’s event is a benefit for the Women’s Community Clinic and the St. James Infirmary. Past years have featured stories and poems about star-crossed romances, ill-conceived sexual encounters, crockery-smashing breakups, mistaken identity, dates with serial killers and of course, entries in that tried-and-true subgenre of modern literature, known as the “You Suck Fuck You I Fucking Hate You!” story — proving, as the poets have said, that “Revenge is a dish best served live on stage in front of a hundred people, preferably wearing black leather.” In, you know, a literary fashion.

People attending are encouraged to wear their sexiest, skimpiest, kinkiest sleazewear. This year’s event is unthemed, meaning you should wear whatever sleazy sexwear turns you on, while keeping with the barest shreds of propriety — no nipples, y’understand, or at least keep ’em under wraps and/or electrical tape. The silent auction will take bids on special packages of sleaze, from hot erotica to overwrought gonzo porn and more.

No reservation necessary, but seating is limited. For more information, email Thomas Roche.

My Sucky Valentine: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008

My Sucky Valentine 2008
A benefit for the Women’s Community Clinic and the St. James Infirmary

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008
Doors 7 – Show 8
Artwork SF — 49 Geary — San Francisco (www.artworksf.com)

Featuring readings by
mi blue, Sherilyn Connelly, Thea Hillman, Carol Queen, Lori Selke, Julia Serrano, and Simon Sheppard

Hosted by Thomas S. Roche 

Every year, San Francisco writer Thomas Roche and a sex club, dungeon, art gallery or dive bar full of his closest friends, hated rivals and future ex-wives gather together to explore all the darkest themes of love and romance — psycho girlfriends with nutty exes, boyfriends with skid marks, and heartache, heartache, heartache!

I know, I know — for this, you want we should pay ten dollars? But what makes this event slightly different than your run-of-the-mill group drunken crying jag at Old Joe’s Barroom is that My Sucky Valentine peels back the rotting rose petals of romance that cover the fragrant bud of sleaze. Many of San Francisco’s best-loved erotica writers step away from their usual sex-positive selves and mingle their appreciation of the nastier side of sex with bitter and downright admissions about how wrong it can go.

This year’s event is a benefit for the Women’s Community Clinic and the St. James Infirmary. Past years have featured stories and poems about star-crossed romances, ill-conceived sexual encounters, crockery-smashing breakups, mistaken identity, dates with serial killers and of course, entries in that tried-and-true subgenre of modern literature, known as the “You Suck Fuck You I Fucking Hate You!” story — proving, as the poets have said, that “Revenge is a dish best served live on stage in front of a hundred people, preferably wearing black leather.” In, you know, a literary fashion.

People attending are encouraged to wear their sexiest, skimpiest, kinkiest sleazewear. This year’s event is unthemed, meaning you should wear whatever sleazy sexwear turns you on, while keeping with the barest shreds of propriety — no nipples, y’understand, or at least keep ’em under wraps and/or electrical tape. The silent auction will take bids on special packages of sleaze, from hot erotica to overwrought gonzo porn and more.

No reservation necessary, but seating is limited. For more information, email Thomas Roche.

The Adult Entertainment Expo

AEE, aka the Adult Entertainment Expo, aka AVN, the AVN Expo, my annual nightmare. Four days, 32 interviews, numerous old friends, three hot Australian girls, one dreamy Spaniard, at least six serious hardcore ol’school OG MF‘s, some cigarettes, a whisper of bourbon, one sore throat. Tomorrow: One machine gun, possibly two, and Internext.

Photo: Jackie from AbbyWinters.com. See my Flickr set here.

Exotica 2 Detroit (Event Review)

Walking through the doors of the Leland Hotel in Detroit is like stepping from a black and white movie on the streets of Detroit in gloomy November and into an early 20th century setting. But as you walk up the stairs and through the curtains of the Exotica expo, you enter a world of sex toys, beauties, colorfully dressed models, fetish enthusiasts, and even some average looking people just looking to find something colorful and unique in such a grey town.

Read more at Eros Zine.

Halloween Bondage Ball (Event Review)

All photos by Ila Packman

The sweet sounds of Halloween could be heard on Hollywood Boulevard. Horns honking, revelers reveling and ghouls, ghosties, faeries and sluts running rampant heading straight to the Henry Fonda for the ultimate kinky event, Bondage Ball. Such delicious fun ought not to be allowed in a town that is as dirty and as full of plastic and tinsel as Los Angeles, but lucky we are. We have the ultimate in pervy fun right at our front door.

I remember the early years of Bondage Ball. Held up the street in a much smaller venue, it was enjoyable, a little darker and much more confusing. Now utilizing the two floors of the Henry Fonda, a VIP area, 2 full bars (the rooftop bar cash only), multiple DJs spinning through the night, full stage performances and Emily Marilyn becoming a regular performer for Courtney and Matthew Grimm, the Bondage Ball is the perfect event.

Read more at Eros Zine.

Miss Trannyshack 2007 (Event Review)

All photographs courtesy of The Miss Trannyshack Pageant

After years of sold out shows, the Trannyshack folks moved the pageant to the SF Gift Center, a slick four story, open, airy, mezzanine-like venue that finally gave the legendary event enough space to welcome the 2,000 fans, admirers, curious onlookers, partiers and revelers. Lines around the block for both will-call and ticket buyers (at $35-$45 a pop) confirmed that the show’s sold-out status has continued through this year.

SF’s quintessential television drag-news correspondent Donna Sachet was interviewing queens, performers and fans in her smart red suit as the hordes poured in and raced to one of the 12 bars for on extra strong, mortifyingly overpriced cocktail.

Read more at Eros Zine.

Tonight — Lydia Lunch at the Makeout Room

Lydia Lunch is reading & playing new solo music at the Makeout Room tonight, 22nd near Mission. It’s only 10 bucks, and Lydia rocks. If I haven’t convinced you with my recent profile of her, then honestly, I guess you’re just some sort of barbarian.

The Makeout Room, 22nd Street near Mission, San Francisco, 7pm tonight (November 9), a measly $10, cheapskate. Lady Monster is opening. Be there!

With her Hangover Hotel tour, Lydia Lunch sets out to once again conquer the New World after two years in Spain. At bookstores, Lunch will be performing material from her 1997 book Paradoxia, which has only now been released in the US. Of the Hangover Hotel nightclub performances proper, she says: “I’ll be doing material from this new self-produced record called Ghost of Spain. It’s psychoambient music, it’s about sex, the desert, ghosts. A bit about the war, and just about trying to find beauty in all this — trying to relocate. I’ll be using music that is psychoambient but has a slightly gentler undercurrent. Of course there’s still some haranguing — every time I open my mouth it’s going to get to that point. But I’m trying to paint a slightly different patina on this. I’m excited to be doing this show — it’s the debut of this material.”

The Exotic Erotic Ball

The Exotic Erotic Ball is unquestionably the San Francisco area’s largest indoor erotic event, drawing upwards of 20,000 people in recent years. It’s a giant erotic freakshow held at the Cow Palace (the same place they hold gun shows, car shows and garden expos). The freakiness is more or less evenly divided between the onstage entertainment and the guests, who dress to the nines in everything from everything to nothing.

In the weeks leading up to this event, attendees this year were promised an event that was more intense, more extreme than ever — the kind of sensory overload the Bay Area alone can provide. There were going to be umpteen stages, a zillion acts, a gazillion people, a quintillion booths; rock ‘n’ roll, electroclash, slutty hiphop, bikers, trikers, pikers; you could get lap dances, table dances, pole dances, burlesque dancers, spank dancers, monkey spankers, aaaaaahhhh!!!! It was enough to make a jaded San Franciscan like myself take a Xanax and go to bed with a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot, and the latest issue of The Atlantic Monthly.

Read More at Eros Zine.

Lydia Lunch: Hangover Hotel Tour

With her Hangover Hotel tour, Lydia Lunch sets out to once again conquer the New World after two years in Spain. At bookstores, Lunch will be performing material from her 1997 book Paradoxia, which has only now been released in the US. Of the Hangover Hotel nightclub performances proper, she says: “I’ll be doing material from this new self-produced record called Ghost of Spain. It’s psychoambient music, it’s about sex, the desert, ghosts. A bit about the war, and just about trying to find beauty in all this — trying to relocate. I’ll be using music that is psychoambient but has a slightly gentler undercurrent. Of course there’s still some haranguing — every time I open my mouth it’s going to get to that point. But I’m trying to paint a slightly different patina on this. I’m excited to be doing this show — it’s the debut of this material.”

Exotica Detroit 2

Detroit’s event legends Vena and Ally are at it again with EXOTICA Detroit 2! Perhaps this unusual pairing—a fetish model with the founder of a “circus freakshow” talent agency—was the perfect combination needed to cook up EXOTICA, their highly acclaimed weekend of pervy fun held earlier this year. Only in its second chapter, this bi-annual event has quickly become one of the most prestigious erotic and fetish happenings in the Midwest. The very first EXOTICA Detroit which took place in April, welcomed over 2,000 guests from all over the world.

 Read more at Eros Zine.