Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Hump Day & Chill
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Return Of "The Van Pelt"
The Van Pelt |
After twenty-five years of anticipation, New York City cult indie favorites The Van Pelt will release their first new recordings in Spring of 2023.
The band's upcoming album, titled "Artisans & Merchants," will be released jointly by Spartan Records in North America, La Castanya in Europe/World and Gringo in the UK.
Rediscover The Van Pelt's catalog here. Reunion show soundchecks revealed that this band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of their rise. More than two decades later, The Van Pelt has returned to explore what was left behind with a new collection of songs, "Artisans & Merchants." This is not a reunion album. This is vindication. For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to "Artisans & Merchants" is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven't seen in years -- a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they've changed. In some ways you're worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways it's the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered. It's for those unfamiliar with The Van Pelt though for whom we should be truly jealous. This is a stand-alone album, incredible vital songwriting in and of itself regardless of the long history this band has. The climax of the single "Image of Health" perhaps describes the beautiful desperation best: "And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!" |
Monday, December 26, 2022
The Morning After...
Jack Skellington Is That You??? |
And just like that Christmas is over...and aren't you happy?! I know I kind of am. One down one more "Holiday" to go. Then we can continue with our normally scheduled program.
Here's a unique piece of Christmas decor I spied walking in my hood yesterday.
"Yes" it's a giant skeleton sporting a Santa hat and holding Holiday lights for your delight and or dismay. Paying tribute to Jack Skellington via The Nightmare Before Christmas perhaps? Only the shadow knows for sure, and it ain't speaking.
So I'm gonna simply leave you with Jack(???) here and get on with my day, as it were.
Time to adult Minions!!!
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Merry Christmas - Bowie & Bing My Christmas Tradition
David Bowie & Bing Crosby |
Merry Christmas Minions! Here is a Christmas tradition of mine I wanted to share. Way back when in 1977 I remember one of the things that left an indelible impression on me in my younger years.
I was absolutely stunned when I saw David Bowie & Bing Crosby duet on the Little Drummer Boy on Bing's Christmas special. It was beautiful and amazing (I am a HUGE Bowie fan! Bing isn't too shabby either) and it was two completely different generations coming together to form on bad ass Christmas Classic!
This was something that completely etched itself into my psyche forever, thus every Christmas Day I watch it.
TBH I just watched it again before this post and will watch again today (I'm not going to spill how many more times) It's my one must do's for Christmas.
Merry Christmas to all, what is it you do every Christmas? Hit the video of Bowie & Bing after the sleigh ride!
Saturday, December 24, 2022
The Night Before...
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...
Friday, December 23, 2022
"Big Mawma"
Eureka! Eureka O'Hara Photo: Bird Lambro |
Media sensation Eureka O’Hara – RuPaul’s Drag Race all-star, We’re Here trailblazer, singer-songwriter, actor, advocate, proportionzer, and self-declared Elephant Queen – has released the video HERE to her biggest and boldest single yet, “Big Mawma.” The “Big Mawma” track is produced by House of Queens HERE, via PEG Records/Warner Music Group/ADA is available HERE
Building on the message established by past proudly large-and-in-charge anthems like “Stomp” - HERE, “Body Positivity” - HERE, and “The Big Girl” - HERE,” Eureka’s latest tour de force “is an empowerment song for bigger women, first and foremost -- but also it's an empowering song for anyone that is made to feel less-than by society.”
“This love is what the world needs to be reminded of. We all got Big Mawma love in us and around us. We just gotta remember to treat it right, accept that we are worthy of it and respect it!“
Read more about Eureka’s Re-Transitioning Journey in People Magazine HERE
“Big Mawma” was inspired by the most important women in Eureka’s life: her recently departed mother and grandmother, who in general inspired the Eureka persona that millions of fans came to love via Drag Race Seasons 9 and 10 and All Stars Season 6. “Growing up as a 6’4”, colorful, flamboyant, genderqueer kid in Bristol, Tenn., I didn't have a lot of friends, and the people that gave me a purpose and taught me how to love were these big women,” she explains. “When my grandma passed away in November, I went into a really dark place, but then I noticed that there were all these other people in my life that had that Big Mawma spirit. One of my favorite lines from the song is: ‘It don’t matter where you come from/Daddies, aunties, uncles too/Big Mawma’s spirit lives in you.’”
The “Big Mawma” music video, the first project from Eureka’s new production company House of Queens HERE, a collaboration with tech industry executive and venture capitalist Aidan Madigan-Curtis. (“It's been a dream of mine forever to just create queer content, and a place for other queer entertainers to work and get advice”), House of Queens, whose tagline is “Join the royal family,” produces socially-impactful content featuring stars from the LGBTQIA community. With House of Queens, Eureka and Madigan-Curtis have teamed up to bring the tech sector’s capital and the entertainment world’s creativity to the world of drag.
Eureka shows off her acting chops like never before -- taking on dual male and female roles a la her idol Divine/Glen Milstead in Hairspray. Eureka, who memorably, uncannily impersonated Divine for Drag Race All Stars’ “Snatch Game” challenge, feels a kindred spirit in Milstead, and hopes to continues to storm through the doors that he helped crack open decades ago.
“Divine inspires everything I do. I feel like my life has run very parallel with Glen Milstead’s, as far as my passion for acting and wanting to be taken seriously as an artist,” explains Eureka, who studied acting in college long before she even got into drag. “Glen so desperately wanted to be taken seriously -- but how serious was the industry going to take the drag queen that was known for eating shit, you know? And that duality always resonates in me, because my Eureka character is everything it's not ‘supposed’ to be. I'm big. I'm sexy. I have shape. I wear things I'm not supposed to wear as a bigger person. I do music. I do splits and kicks and twirls, and I can out-twirl any skinny girl, any day. It's all because I have to work 10 times harder for industry people to take someone like me seriously.”
Eureka is “Big Mawma’s” chief songwriter, but the single finds her joining fierce forces with The Voice powerhouses and fan favorites Sarah Potenza HERE and Katie Kadan HERE, whom she jokingly says she “harassed the shit out of on social media” in order to convince them to sign on. “I was like, ‘Honestly, I just feel like we should just be a trio. Why not be Destiny's Child, but Big Mawma-style, honey?’” Potenza and Kadan penned their respective verses to put their own spin on the “Big Mawma” message, which is aimed at “anyone that's willing to love unconditionally” and “just happens to be extremely represented by three big women to show how sexy and delicious we can be. There's a very sexual and beautiful side to us too. Just because we have big hearts, don't forget our big asses!”
“I’m such a Eureka fan. Doing a collab with her is a dream come true. The concept of the big mawma spirit is so special to me. I’ve always tried to live my life with kindness and generosity, to create a community for those who need that big mamma energy. And this song is a celebration of that vibe, it’s our anthem!” – said Sarah Potenza, while Katie Kaden shared – “In 2021, Eureka reached out to me thru social media, and I felt an instant connection. She approached me with a potential collaboration idea and introduced me to Big Mawma. What started out as just an idea, has now come to fruition as a song, a music video, and a beautiful friendship. It was such a special collaboration, experience and journey for me to be a part of. Big Mawma is here to remind us all that there’s love, home, compassion and beauty in all the Big Mawma’s of the world. Go big or go home! I love you Big Mawma!”
The industry has no choice but to take Eureka seriously at this point. In addition to her recent star turns on AJ and the Queen, American Horror Story, and Love, Victor, Eureka -- who says she is willing, ready, and able to take on acting roles of all genders -- will appear in a top-secret landmark episode of Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q this year. And on Nov. 25, she returned to tv screens alongside Drag Race alumni Bob the Drag Queen and Shangela for Season 3 of HBO’s Emmy/GLAAD/Imagen Award-winning reality series We're Here.
Check out Eureka in all her fabulous glory HERE
The current season of We’re Here features a groundbreaking, multi-episode storyline, inspired by Eureka’s life-changing encounter with a 70-year-old trans woman, that chronicles Eureka’s complex, real-life gender journey. Having lived as a trans woman for five years before making the difficult decision to detransition and later identify as nonbinary -- because of the struggles she faced living in Tennessee -- Eureka now realizes, “I made these choices for other people, to make other people comfortable. Now, my gender expression and gender identity match for me, and for who I’m going to be happy living as.” Eureka additionally explores gender expression and fluidity on “Big Mawma,” singing in her male voice for the first time. “It's something I should celebrate, regardless of being trans or not. This is the voice I have, so I should be proud of it,” she explains.
In addition to her many music/acting projects, as well as her non-profit organization Influence the World (which harnesses the power of social media influencers to give back to people in need), Eureka, always a consummate entertainer, will appear onstage throughout 2022 and 2023. She’ll star in her own “Eureka’s Castle” popup concerts produced by House of Queens, and she’ll return to Las Vegas’s successful RuPaul's Drag Race LIVE! revue alongside other queens like Asia O’Hara, Derrick Barry, Kameron Michaels, Naomi Smalls, Vanjie, Jada Essence Hall, Plastique Tiara, and Trinity K. Bonet. “Whenever I’m available to go back to that show and give them love, I do it,” she says. “I definitely owe Drag Race a debt, as far as them helping me find my placement in Hollywood. I will always owe them that gratitude.”
Now Eureka’s place in Hollywood is well-established, and the time is finally right for the Elephant Queen to fully ascend her showbiz throne. “Hollywood is going to be ready for me because it has to be ready! And because I'm not going stop until I get where I need to be and what I want do,” asserts Eureka. “I know what my talent is, and I know where my passion lies. I just had to get to a fully realized version of myself, and be authentic, to get where I need to be. I think what I was scared of is what's going to end up being the glory in my life.”
Follow Eureka Here:
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Michael's Musings
I Hope You've Been Naughty... Michael Shinafelt |
Well I suppose I need to acknowledge the jolly dude with the red suit in the room, yeah, ya know Christmas is this Sunday. "Yes" Christmas is officially Sunday Funday this year, go figure...
Have you been naughty? If so then you will get a personally delivered package from me this year - Ho, ho, ho (wink) Oh, there's more of that and other Holiday Cheer right here, right now!!!
Today is a glorious day to be a twat, join me won't you???
Openly gay robots, discuss...
Tis the season to be _______ fill that blank in and fill it good (if you get my drift, I'm pretty sure you do)
Yesterday was the Winter Solstice and the longest night of the year. Shout out to all my witches in the house
Please! I'm a star!!!
To those individuals who follow zero people on Social Media: What a bunch of tossers!
Kudos to Amy Grant who is hosting her nieces same sex wedding. Amy believes Jesus wants us to love God and each other. Amen Amy.
Old MacDonald had Tourettes E I E I c#nt! Yeah I know this is an oldie, but it's a good one and it's the season of giving after all
Woman Crush of the Week - Brooke Shields showing she's still got "it" wearing this hot outfit at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball held at Madison Square Garden. Slay Brooke!
Remember anything is a Christmas Ornament if you put a hook on it, ask Leatherface
Some people want Cha Cha Heels for Christmas, I want a Daddy Saddle, the more you know...
FYI Santa is on the way to your home because he needs another Ho
I'm either going to see Babylon or The Whale Christmas Day, haven't decided which yet
Want a White Christmas, well if you...
Get in touch with me about that here: