Oh, Snap! Kelly Rowland at G-A-Y in Peacock Lingerie!

Kelly Rowland may have shown the gays a little more than they wanted to see Saturday night at London's G-A-Y. It's true everyone's performing there these days ... guess she wanted to be memorable.

But if I may quote an old Destiny's Child song..."Don't walk out yo' heezy without clothes on!"

A few more pictures after the jump...

Margaret Cho's New Stand-Up Tour: Beautiful!

You may know that comedienne and queer icon Margaret Cho has been busy performing in her touch-risque burlesque show The Sensuous Women as of late; remember those tassels? I know you saw that video, at the very least.

As fantastic as I'm sure that show is, I'm more than excited to hear Margaret will be kicking off another stand-up/one-woman show called Beautiful starting next month!

Ticketing info after the jump...plus her special guests!

Oh, Snap! Tila Tequila's Gay-Friendly New Year's Eve Masquerade!

Hope everyone's gotten over their NYE hangovers 'cause seeing Tila Tequila at MTV's New Year's Eve Masquerade in NYC might worsen a few symptoms. Well, anyway, that night sure was gay, huh?

It looks like Tila and Dani entered separately. Awkward!

Check for more gayness after the jump!

Mel Cheren: A Fond Farewell

Mel Cheren, circa 1977

The late Mel Cheren was a music mogul, a nightlife legend and an AIDS activist right up until the end. And when the West End Records/Paradise Garage maven left us last Friday, he left behind a legacy of thrillingly rich music, countless memories and lives changed and lives saved thanks to the good work he did.

CBS News on Logo interviewed Cheren only a few weeks ago, with a piece that aired on November 29th, which detailed the long-time AIDS activist's recent discovery of his own HIV-positive status. Not one to sit around and do nothing, Cheren took to the airwaves to tell his own story, with the hope that his unique tale might help others.

Here's the news segment, hosted by Jason Bellini, in which Cheren tells of his recent sero-conversion, and why more than 20 years into this pandemic, we all must still be diligent.

Mel's official obit from West End Records after the jump.

Oh, Snap! The B-52s Rock Halloween-ers in NYC!

I can't imagine a better way to spend Halloween than with the B-52s...even if I was a tad ignorant of their work going into their concert. (The only B-52s songs I knew were "Rock Lobster" and "Love Shack," but...who doesn't, right?)

After their show last night at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC, though, I considered myself a newly-born B-52s fan! (And a fan of DJ Johnny Dynell; he was working me, too.)

Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson rocked the costumed crowd (the "Rock Lobster" encore had everyone freaking out), and their vocals, along with their funky, exciting and quirky beats, were just amazing!

I now love "Mesopotamia," which felt strangely relevant considering it came out in 1982, as well as a few new tracks from their upcoming album, Funplex (particularly "Juliet of the Spirits). And, of course, "Love Shack" was great...love shack, bay-beeee...

Far West Side Story: Margaret Cho, Michelle Paradise and The Cliks Shout for Cancer Charities

Funny Girl: Exes & Ohs' Michelle Paradise.

Last night, in a dark pocket of New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood so far west that some partygoers insisted they had arrived in New Jersey, lesbian luminaries, scene makers and allies gathered to revel for a cause. The sold-out affair was the kick-off for the GO for the Cure Tour ’08, which is being presented by lesbian monthly, GO magazine, to raise awareness and funds for women’s cancer charities.

Health. Now, that’s a good reason to come out.

And a supportive crowd did, at the tequila minus Tila-infused venue called Sol. Special guests included Michelle Paradise, the writer, producer and star of Exes & Ohs, the delightful new series about lesbian life that premiered on Logo on October 8. She spoke with NewNowNext over the blare of taxi horns outside and said about her program’s "dramedy" blend of drama and comedy that, "People really seem to be responding to it. It's such a great thing to finally have it out there.” The Los Angeles resident added, "There's a cab parked in the middle of the street!"

Paradise mentioned her appreciation for The Cliks, whose taut track, “Complicated,” plays in the pilot episode of Exes & Ohs. Earlier during the event, the hot rockers from Toronto, led by frontman Lucas Silveira, had made the audience swoon with a sultry set of songs after being introduced by one of their biggest fans, the comedian Margaret Cho. The Notorious C.H.O. is currently performing a few blocks north in her off-Broadway, burlesque-inspired variety show, The Sensuous Woman. Cast members Liam Sullivan, aka the Internet rock star “Kelly,” and handsome comedian Ian Harvie also turned up to charm the attendees.

Of course, some would say that, as usual, the real story of this lesbian happening could be found in the fashion. Try that theory on for size in more photos after the jump!

Gay All-Stars To Dazzle Brooklyn! Lesbians, too!

Gay All-Stars Galore! Jonny McGovern, Margaret Cho & Adam Joseph bring queer 'tude to Brooklyn.

Here’s a quickie: If you’re in New York this weekend--Brooklyn, specifically--there are cute events on Saturday and Sunday to woo you.

On Saturday, September 29th, the winsome women of AfterEllen.com are hosting a shindig at the Park Slope grrrl bar Cattyshack. It's an early affair; they'll be kicking it from about 3pm to 5:30pm. You can meet AfterEllen's Sarah, Lori and Karman (and no doubt a slew of other fab females). Plus, there's a great roof patio at Cattyshack, and it's supposed to be 75 and sunny in the Slope, so... Yay! Bloody Mary's under the Brooklyn sun, anyone?

If you’re up for a sassy night out on Sunday (September 30th) you can head to Williamsburg and catch some of your favorite gay artistes and media darlings performing, signing and shaking their money-makers (as if!) at The D-List All-Star Concert!

Jonny McGovern, Ms. Cho, Adam Joseph and the other "dazzling" kids rockin' the D-List on Sunday after the jump! Some video, too!

Mya & JoJo Pitch In to Raise $$$ for Homeless Gay Youth!

Mya and JoJo are gonna teach you something about a great cause at next week's SKOOL'D party in NYC.

On Friday, I posted about Wilson Cruz's cool PSA urging you to clue in and help with the cause of gay homeless youth, which is a major problem in our community. And now, more news...

It turns out that Grammy winning R&B-singer Mya is going to be pitching in at a big, sassy fundraiser in NYC for the Ali Forney Center, which is a killer organization that provides housing, resources, job and educational help for homeless queer youth. The event is called Skool'd and will take place on Wednesday, September 19th at Sol. Mark your calendars!

Also turning it out that night for the good cause will be another young pop starlet JoJo (as in "Too Little Too Late" and "America's Got Talent"). Turns out that the Boston-raised teen is also eager to help raise awareness and cash to help get gay kids off the streets and into safe housing and educational/vocational programs.

Queer kids make up about 40% of all of the homeless youth on the streets, and they're usually the most at-risk when it comes to violence, prostitution and drug abuse. And think about how you felt when you had to summon up the courage to come out... What if your family had kicked you to the curb?

More about Mya, JoJo and Skool'd after the jump!

Mould & Morel Bring their Burly Blow-Off to NYC!

Watch out! It's gonna blow! (Right) Bob Mould and Richard Morel are bringing bald, butch dance/rock tunes to NYC. Sir, yessir!

Summer’s over. Ready to party like it’s fall yet? Gay fans of great rock and indie-flavored dance music have a reason to celebrate this weekend in New York as the DC-based music moguls Bob Mould (the seminal out rocker behind such legendary alty bands as Husker Du and Sugar) and DJ/producer Richard Morel (who’s been mixing up the Pet Shop Boys, The Killers, Yoko Ono, Cyndi Lauper, Deep Dish, New Order and others for eons) are bringing their successful BlowOff party to town.

This Saturday night (September 8th) at Highline Ballroom, Mould and Morel will host this full-on musical smackdown/dance party featuring their meaty signature mix of indie rock, electro and house. The press info promises “fun for all, from alternative music-loving boys (girls welcome!) and burly beer-drankin’ men and leather daddies, to loads of chunky hunks" (like those featured in BlowOff’s smokin’ signature artwork).

What’s not to like, eh?

To celebrate, we lobbed 5 questions at the manly musical tag-teamers to find out more about this mosh-tastic shindig. And yes, if you’re like me you’re like, “Why is prog-rock legend Bob Mould throwing big gay dance parties? Huh?”

Read on and find out, kids...

Daily Buzz Bits: KT's new video, Britney on the VMA's, Beth & Gossip Take the U.S.A.!!!

KT "holds on" in her hot new clip, Beth is gonna hit the road, and Brit is gonna get back to her VMA roots.

Wanna see K.T. Tunstall’s new video “Hold On” from her forthcoming new disc Drastic Fantastic. Yes you do!!! (Go here for Quicktime, here for Windows Media.) And she’s totally butching it up, and serving up honkytonk twang, breakdance chic and fashionista hotness! All at once!

The Gossip are gonna tour the U.S. this fall! As in, November. It’s like an early Thanksgiving present!

And Britney is gonna perform “Gimme More” at the VMA’s this coming weekend after all. And spooky magician guy Criss Angel is involved? Aw, sure... Why not?

AND...

Kelly Clarkson has a “theater tour” of major cities planned for this fall. Bring on them pop/rock gals, please!

Those little media-beloved lads in the Klaxons just scored the U.K.’s covered rock award, the Mercury Prize. Meaning they beat out folks like Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, etc.

And Devendra Banhart kicked off his North American tour this past weekend. I mention this just as an excuse to post the photo below. Go, Lady!

Devendra Banhart: "Why this old thing? I just threw it on..."

Ari Gold "Tranports" NYC Tonight

Attention New Yorkers: Pop singer and out, gay superstar Ari Gold is hitting the stage at Joe's Pub tonight for the official release party for his brand spanking new album Transport Systems.

The super-successful performer new release gets officially unveiled tonight, and you can come join the fun as Ari performs around 9:30pm. The entire album won't actually be available until October 2nd... But you can hear the first single "Where the Music Takes You" now on his MySpace page.

Gold himself stopped by Logo-land last week and gave us a great interview about his new music, his life, who he's dating (or not dating) and all of that, and the full interview will be posted closer to his album release. But for now, you can read a bit of dish right here after the jump. Yes, Gold talks about his tradition of singing full-on love songs about guys in his music, being out, and--gasp!--"butt-sex." I'm not playing!

In space, no one can hear you get fierce. Except Ari, when he's wearing that helmet and mic thingy...

Lez Zeppelin In Concert! At An Actual Venue!

Can you do much better than hot girls singing Led Zeppelin?

The last time I was fortunate enough to catch Lez Zeppelin, the rocking all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, I had to drive an hour to a small club in Teaneck, New Jersey – which for a native New Yorker like myself is quite a journey. (For those of you who’ve never heard of Teaneck...I think you’ve gotten my point then.) So when I heard that the band was playing, not one, but two shows at the Blender Theater at Gramercy to celebrate the release of their first album I knew I had to check it out. An actual venue! In an actual city! Not in Jersey! Bless the tribute band gods!

When I reached the theater though, I began to wonder if the band had bitten off more then they could chew. The small-ish venue wasn’t exactly full, and the crowd that was there seemed to be mostly made up of very excited, middle-aged men. Ew. But as my boyfriend ever so accurately pointed out, “It’s hot chicks and Zeppelin. Why are you surprised?”

More on the Zeppelin concert (and more for your all-girl tribute band fix) after the jump!

Mya Shows Her Love For the NYC Gays at Club Therapy!

Mya basks in a little homo-worship.

R&B singer Mya showed her gay fans some love last night, stopping by club Therapy in Hell’s Kitchen to chat on stage with Next magazine Managing Editor Keo Nozari and have a few cocktails with the gays. What could be better?

But guys, I have to tell you - I’m such a dork. I really love Mya, and I got so nervous when I actually met her...Sitting six inches away from her - she is so unbelievably beautiful, first off, and it didn’t help that guys were staring me down, clearly asking, “Who the f*ck is this guy talking to Mya for so long?”

But she was actually so nice to me and very chill and soft-spoken, so I loved getting to talk with her.

And even though she was just there to chat and hang, the crowd wasn't letting her leave without one little song. Mya asked the gays what they wanted to hear, and, (I was a little surprised) "Ghetto Superstar" won out. Check the clip!

I would have chosen "Lady Marmalade," but that's cool! The gays really ate this one up.

On-stage with Keo, Mya discussed Liberation, her fourth studio album, this time with Motown. Mya wrote or co-wrote every track on the CD and called it her most personal and vulnerable album to date.

She also chatted about modeling for Heatherette, enjoying the single life and her roles in her upcoming movies (including Metrosexual, which she called a male version of Sex and the City and Cover, about HIV in women trying to get into the entertainment industry).

More on my talk with Mya and her new album...after the jump!

"Rick & Steve" Cast Whoops It Up in L.A.!!!

Rick & Steve hit the airwaves last night. Perhaps you celebrated with a party. Or a hot dog. Or a threesome? Best two out of three...?

Last night saw the broadcast premiere of Logo’s new bad-puppets-gone-wild series, Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World (god, that’s long...). And it’s gotten some nice press from folks like Next Magazine and Gay.com and the Washington Blade and such...

And in West Lahunga... Er, I mean West Hollywood, the totally lovely and foxy new bar and restaurant Eleven played host to Logo’s much anticipated premiere of Rick & Steve and its posse. Yep, pretty much most of the cast and crew attended, including totally fab out superstar Wilson Cruz (who lends his voice talents to the show’s twink druggie daddy-dater Evan) and Queer as Folk alum Peter Paige (squawking as title character and resident cute/dumb jock Steve), while male-hater Dana’s voicer Taylor Dooley kept the boys in line. Also in the mix were future episode guest star Mitch Morris and the show’s creator/writer Q. Allan Brocka, who all came out to support Tuesday night’s gala launch.

The "Rick & Steve" cast, including, (l to r) creator Q. Allan Brocka, Mitch Morris, Wilson Cruz, Peter Paige and Taylor Dooley. Cute!

A sneak peek at next week's "Rick & Steve" episode after the jump!

The East Village: NYC's Other Historic Gay 'Hood

Arpad brings a bit of old school macho to the gentrified shops of St. Mark's Place. And yes, that is a CBGB boutique in the background. Oy...  Photos by Richard J. Rothstein.

As usual this past Pride Week, there was lots of reflection about the Stonewall riots and the history of the gay movement in New York's West Village. Which is as it should be... But the blocks surrounding Christopher Street aren't the only chunks of the Big Apple steeped in queer folklore. On the other side of downtown, NYC's East Village boasts its own legendary gay past.

Esteemed writer Richard Rothstein of QueerSighted has put together a pretty fierce stroll down memory lane through the streets of this always cool neighborhood, and reveals the amazing gay places that used to be. Follow in the footsteps of Warhol, Ginsberg and old-school drag pioneers, and find out where circuit parties were born, where the notorious bathhouses were, and where queers and punks started revolutions that still influence our culture today.

Plus, Rothstein included some beefy pics to keep you clicking. Well done!

Maybe we should all meet in Tompkins Square tonight and reflect? Or there's always beers at the Phoenix, eh?

Kevin Aviance: One Year Later

Kevin Aviance: Standing tall again, and in the Pride Parade last year, just weeks after his assault.

It was just over a year ago the NYC nightlife star and dance music artist Kevin Aviance was brutally assaulted during a gay bashing in Manhattan's East Village. The attack made headlines and shocked gay New Yorkers... This was in a largely gay friendly neighborhood, Kevin's well-known and a tall, built guy. How could this happen?

This week (as part of its queer issue) The Village Voice gets an update from Kevin a year later. And they tell much that's not known about the beating's aftermath, including info about Kevin getting threats (in person) from his attackers' family members, as well as get-well wishes from Janet Jackson and Tyra Banks. Plus, the article's a great portrait of a self-made performer. And a survivor of drugs of the raucous nightlife whirl.

Congrats, Kevin! We're glad you're still here--and still fierce!

PDX Pop Now! – For the Discerning and the Thrifty.

Colin Meloy and Lifesavas give you the sideways and lowdown on the album.

If Portland, Oregon is the epicenter of indie music right now, then it would just be silly of you not to pick up a copy of a local compilation for only $7 dollars!  Two discs, even.  PDX Pop Now! is a local, volunteer organization dedicated to community and live music and they have just released their 2007 compilation to raise money for their free festival that will commence August 3rd-5th.  If there are two things that go together, it’s cheap and free.  But aside from the glittering allure for scrooges and community-minded types, there is also just the music. 

Unreleased tracks from Mirah and Colin Meloy (of The Decemberists) are immediate eye catchers.  (Remember when Colin sang all those Morrissey songs?  That was dreamy.)  Kristen Hersh, Menomena, Lifesavas and YACHT also grace the track listings.  But what’s even more awesome is all the lesser known local bands.  This is your chance to get out there and find something new to add to your stale, overplayed music collection. 

Read more about the festival and gaze at The Blow after the jump!

Beth Ditto's True Colors Are Beautiful; Plus "Creep"-y Video!

"Listen Up:" Murray Hill and NYC cable legend Robin Byrd flank rock roustabout Beth Ditto (who rules the world, thanks) at last night's True Colors concert afterparty. Genius!

Beth Ditto, the completely cool and lovely and out-lesbian lead singer of The Gossip is delightful. Last night at the afterparty which followed her band's performance as part of the True Colors tour at Radio City Music Hall (here in nifty NYC), Ms. Ditto was chatty, charming, adorable, game to meet fans and splash about gabbing with everybody in the house.

From the moment Ms. D arrived, she was sweetly posing for photos and meeting with fans. And she had brought her very nice Mom along, too. I snapped a bunch of pics of Beth with all kinds of festive New Yorkers; folks like the Village People's Randy Jones, cable TV legend Robin Byrd, drag queens galore, Logo staffers, and lots of great peeps from LifeBeat (the music industry's AIDS fundraising group) all whooped it up at the midtown joint LQ, and DJs Lina and Adam provided the tunes.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Amanda and Beth wanna know...

And above is a video of the super-impromptu performance in which the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer (armed with her ukelele) and Beth do a quickie duet of Radiohead's "Creep," with a special guest appearance from the legendary camp puppet celeb, Madame. Evidently, Madame swings sapphically too, as she and Ms. Ditto get rather frisky. Put that in the center square, yo!

Plus: Go to The Gossip's MySpace page to hear their brilliantly amazing cover of Wham's "Careless Whisper."  It's totally my Pride Week jam! GAY!!!

More fun, "Gossip"-y photos after the jump! Rock on Beth!

Clay Aiken Worship Takes the Stage in Idol: The Musical...And It's Coming to NYC!

The beauty of Claymate devotion...finally put to song. Rejoice!

A musical "based on the worship of Clay Aiken"? Wow...That's a big title to live up to.

But Syracuse-based Idol: The Musical, about a group of small-town Claymates, has been so popular in its hometown, producers are bringing the show to New York! The satirical musical-comedy will be showing at 45th Street Theatre starting July 5, and the show's holding auditions for understudies and future cast members tomorrow morning (Tuesday June 19) at Chelsea Studios.

Idol: The Musical follows the lives of eight Steubenville, Ohio high schoolers who dream of stardom and, of course, worship the phenomenon that is...Clay Aiken. The group of misfits hit a turning point in their lives with the approach of their graduation, and, more importantly, the Idol Tour's (and Clay himself!) scheduled performance in Steubenville!

Oh, this has the makings to be such a hit. We need a Claynation national holiday!

Berlin, Berlin, Where Did Our Love Go? Love Parade Has Moved On

A little tough love at the 2006 Love Parade in Germany. And it's some parade.

Achtung, Baby. Dance music’s most famous street party is moving to the beat of a different city. Europe-bound revelers this summer will need to hop to Essen, in the west of Germany, to catch the Love Parade that previously had been held in Berlin.

Love Parade organizers cited a bureaucratic song and dance, namely the city of Berlin’s failure to grant written approval, as the reason for the switch. The event in Essen will take place on August 25.

In case you’ve never shared the love, or the dehydration and gratuitous nudity, the Love Parade is a daylong festival that draws hundreds of thousands to celebrate tolerance, respect and understanding through techno music. It started as a political statement just before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and since then, offshoots have grown to spread the message of love to far-flung locations such as Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Cape Town and San Francisco.

Berlin gets the shaft and more on the Love Parade after the jump.

Who’s Playing Where? June 18th – June 21st: Sinead, Eddie, Apostle of Hustle, Team Dresch.

Team Dresch is so dreamy (sigh).

So many performers are in more than one band, or have solo gigs. This week is blessed with this type of show. If you’re into Animal Collective, go see Panda Bear. Missing Broken Social Scene? Check out Apostle of Hustle or Feist to get your dose of moody Canadians. Feeling a yen for the emo rock of The Promise Ring? Have a listen to House & Parish. The members of Team Dresch have a million projects between them including Dinosaur Jr., The Screaming Trees and The Butchies. Basically, these shows are a win-win situation. You get to mix your current musical taste with some blissful nostalgia and rock out in the process.

Eddie Izzard and Sinead. Aren't you glad there are so many kinds of beautiful in the world?

Find a show near you, after the jump!

Cool Film Alert: The Godfather of Disco

Disco's fairy godfather, Mel Cheren, circa 1972; and hanging with casual friends like Grace Jones at Paradise Garage. These people made disco possible.

So last week at the NewFest I saw an interesting new documentary film about a very interesting man and his pioneering work as founder of West End Records, the legendary disco music label. Like a good queen, I love that hot disco beat, so this doc, entitled “The Godfather of Disco” was right up my alley. Based on Mel Cheren’s equally fascinating autobiography “Keep on Dancin' : My Life and the Paradise Garage", the films chronicles Mel’s journey from the pre-disco music industry through disco’s hey-day in the late 70’s and early 80’s New York, and up to the present. Through interviews with dance music heavyweights like Jellybean Benitez, Ultra Nate and Junior Vasquez the film paints a picture of a singular man who is responsible for much of the greatest club music ever produced.

And whoa. The music was pretty amazing!!! Cheren’s label West End released classic, seminal disco slammers like Karen Young’s “Hot Shot”, historic funk/dance jams like Taana Gardner’s “Heartbeat” (which was sampled extensively in Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hot Stepper”, and that’s right, I said, “historic” – it’s more than classic), and gay anthems like the Reverend Carl Bean’s super-legendary “I Was Born This Way” (who can argue with lyrics like “I’m happy, I’m carefree, and I’m gay”?).

Taana Gardner = Disco Royalty. Can we start dancing now?

More on The Godfather of Disco after the jump!

Who’s Playing Where June 15th- June 17th: Julie Doiron, Calvin Johnson, Tortoise, The B-52’s

There's nothing like Julie and Calvin in the afternoon...

This week has been about burning out a song a day for me.  Yesterday it was Peter Bjorn and John’s dancey, whistling, epic, summer song Young Folks.  I must have listened to it twenty times, in one day, no kidding.  I might have to move on to the sitar version.  Those tireless boys have, by the way, announced another tour starting later this summer.

Today’s compulsion is Julie Doiron’s depressingly-worded, but utterly compelling, No More.  It’s just after noon and my play count is at six.But I’m taking a break from that one song to check out the rest of album Woke Myself Up.  The grunge guitar on Don’t Wanna Be/Liked By You is so pleasantly nostalgic.  And well, I can’t help but say, her voice sounds a lot like Chan Marshall’s.  But who hasn’t already burned out all the best Cat Power songs?

If you’re careful and  don’t overplay Julie by this afternoon, you can go see her perform with the legendary Calvin Johnson in San Francisco.

Find out who's playing this weekend after the jump!

True Colors Tour: The Big Finish

Cyndi and Rosie and Margaret and Andy and everybody else all see your true colors...

For the finale of Friday night’s True Colors debut show in Vegas the Dresden Dolls, the Indigo Girls, Margaret Cho, Erasure, Rosie O’Donnell and Cyndi Lauper all took to the stage and cranked out a giddily rockin’ version of the Abba classic “Take A Chance on Me.” And, they sent forth about 20 super-huge balloons (which were about the size of a Mini-Cooper each) in rainbow colors bouncing all over the arena. Not sure why Debbie Harry wasn’t out for the finale. And it seemed odd that Andy Bell needed a lyric sheet to sing “Take a Chance On Me”; Erasure did an entire album of Abba tunes. But, nonetheless the result was campy, colorful and er… Yay, fun!

And yes, for the final finale number, Cyndi and her guitarist took to the front of the stage and delivered a lovely, simple, almost acoustic version of "True Colors," which all of the acts joined in on. It was uplifting and poignant, without being cloying or preachy. In fact, the whole night was just one big upbeat, positive statement. It never got gloomy or strident, just a rollicking good time with fab pop stars throwing a party to celebrate how awesome gay folks are. And raising money for great causes in the process.

Yipppeee!

More finale pics after the jump!

True Colors Tour: Erasure’s Gay Church Service

Backstage, this is the home of all things fabulous! Oh, l'amour indeed...

Rosie O’Donnell said that Erasure’s music takes us to “gay church.” And I think she nailed it. But at this church you worship sweeping, melodic, anthemic party-pop, with soaring emotion and twirly fabulousness. I just want to give major props to Andy Bell and his silent partner Vince Clarke. Their stint onstage at True Colors last night had everybody in the arena (gay and straight—and yes, there were straight folks there) on their feet, feeling fierce and dancing up a storm.

Erasure performed some of their totally solid new tunes (like “I Could Fall In Love With You”), but it was their classics like “Chains of Love,” “I Love to Hate You,” “Oh L’amour,” and “A Little Respect” that really made the show transcendent.

And OMG… Andy Bell onstage is a wild, queeny, amazingly fantastic, dancing, preening diva. Yay! Plus, the band’s backup singers are hot and totally on point. Props all around to one of the evening’s truly terrific highlights.

Andy Bell onstage: Shiny in silver! And bedazzled camouflage!

More Erasure show pics after the jump!

True Colors Backstage: The Levi’s Lounge

A cozy corner in the Levi's Lounge at True Colors. "You look mighty good in them jeans, boy..."

FYI: Levi's (being those nice supporters of LGBT causes that they are) put together this pretty cool backstage lounge at the True Colors show in Vegas. And lots of jeans were on hand… Swaggy! This isn’t even a full-on plug. I just thought the lounge was way cool. Yay!

More pics from the Levi's Lounge after the jump!

True Colors Backstage: Margaret Cho, Indigo Girls & Dresden Dolls

Diana Yanez and Margaret Cho! Caught all-frisky like in their dressing room!

Here’s a few quick pics of Margaret Cho and folks backstage at True Colors. Margaret’s with her pal and her wisecracking sidekick Diana Yanez. They collaborate on music videos and stuff, including the amazingly great “My Puss” tune (you gotta watch the video). Which they did live on stage at True Colors. I love their shtick as a Chinese martial arts instructor Maureen and her butch, sporty girlfriend. They have lots of La-Z-Boy recliners.

And the Dresden Dolls (Amanda and Brian) are just hot and festive and adorable. Truly two of the coolest folks around. Yay!

And who doesn’t love Emily and Amy of the Indigo Girls? They're featuring down-home, casual cool, backstage in the Levis lounge, thanks.

True Colors: Rosie O’Donnell - TV Mega-Star, Rock-N-Roll Drummer

The Ecstasy of St. Rosie? She's really happy to be onstage for this big gay show.

Yes, Rosie O’Donnell took to the stage at Friday night’s True Colors tour. Introduced by Cyndi, Rosie strolled out on stage about two-thirds of the way through the show, and people went crazy. “Here are my gays!” she cried happily. “I missed you homos!”

Clearly, she was relishing her reprieve from mainstream daytime talk TV. “Hey, I did the best I could,” she cracked about her year-long View gig. She made fun of Trump and Larry King, referring to them as “the bald billionaire and the human toad,” respectively, joking about how the two are weirdly obsessed with her.

She talked about her kids, including a bit about how her very girlie daughter asked her, “How come I have two mommies, and none of them have high heels?” She explained how she had offered to spend time in jail with Paris Hilton, “as her lesbian protector, nothing else.”

Rosie & Ross the Intern backstage at True Colors in Vegas. Don't they look like siblings or something? Gay-tastic!

More Rosie dish after the jump.

True Colors Tour Launches; Cyndi Lauper = Superhero

Cyndi Lauper shows her true colors. And yep, they're beautiful. And rather like a rainbow, actually.

Last night it happened. The summer’s gayest rock-n-roll tour kicked off in Las Vegas, as the Cyndi Lauper-organized True Colors tour had its premiere show at the MGM Grand Arena. The show was fun, I’ve got lots of photos and more detailed dish coming. But here’s a quickie…

The show featured Margaret Cho hitting the stage, saying “Hey!” and introducing the Dresden Dolls, who sang their freaky, fun cabaret rock with lots of theatrics and drama. They delivered their own hits like “Coin Operated Boy” and some other gems, like the boozy Jaques Brel tune “Amsterdam.”

Next came the Indigo Girls who always sound amazing, serving up their best, like “Closer to Fine”—a lesbian classic if there ever was one— and “Shame On You” and others. Their harmonies are always sublime, and it’s good to hear some fused with some political, liberal smarts, too. Plus, they have that whole lived-in jeans and T-shirt thing down. They’re great.

Deborah Harry delivered a set of her own tunes, and sounded in great voice. And throughout the show Margaret Cho served up killer comedy, linking all the acts.

Rosie O’Donnell took the stage (more on her to follow) to a big standing O, and dished Larry King and Trump, The View, and then came back to play drums later (really!). Erasure lead the arena in a big, fantastically gay dance party, playing some new tunes and fab classics.

But the total star of the show is Cyndi Lauper. Mainly because her good will, sense of humor and unstoppable voice and talent are the concert's guiding force. She appeared on stage at first to introduce Rosie and a video about the HRC. But when time came for her real set, she delivered big-time.

Hey, it's the official backstage rundown of the True Colors show! Who knew rock stars had a curfew?

A detailed account Cyndi's killer turn onstage after the jump.

I See Your True Colors Tour Sneak Peek Shining Through--And That's Why I Love You

True Dat! It's a Dresden Doll, and All-American Girl, a She-Bopper and a Nightbird all prepping for tonight's big finale of the True Colors tour. Debbie Harry, the Indigo Girls and Rosie O. will also be on hand.

One thing that happens in Vegas? Hotel room modem issues… Later than planned, here are a bunch of photos from last night’s final rehearsal for tonight’s massive True Colors tour launch at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.  Like I mentioned before, this show is gonna be fun (if the bits I saw last night are a healthy indicator)…

I’m gonna work backwards here. The image up top is four of the big headliners prepping one of the finale numbers. I won’t tell you what it is, but it will be Abba-eqsue. That’s Amanda of the Dresden Dolls (she’s really fab and fun) on the far left, then Margaret Cho, Cyndi Lauper (duh) and Erasure’s Andy Bell. Yo Andy! What’s with the lyric sheet? Didn’t you guys record an entire Abba album?

More backstage rock glitz after the jump!

Queer Beauty Pageant Crowns New Miss LEZ

Miss I Heart Brooklyn, the winner, receives her tiara. Miss GO! magazine was named runner up, and Miss Metropolitan snagged third place. Murray Hill declared about the evening, “I think it’s safe to say that gentrification hasn’t hit this area yet.”

Who said New York glamour is dead? Last night in Brooklyn, heaving throngs gathered to worship at the plastic altar of offbeat beauty during Murray Hill’s Seventh Annual Miss LEZ Pageant at Luna Lounge in Williamsburg.

Hill, the legendary nightlife impresario and shtick-thrower, hosted a panel of celebrity judges who rated seven competitors named for local lesbian institutions. The contestants, after announcing platforms ranging from “drag queens for female ejaculation” to “preserve eclectic queer culture,” performed in the categories of swimsuit, interview, talent and evening gown.

At stake was one hundred bucks, drink tickets and some plastic flowers from the dollar store.

Here’s a photo recap of the evening. As Murray Hill would say, “Jesus! My wife thinks I’m at AA!”