Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 00:55:25 -0700 Subject: Electric Dreams/Road Report ELECTRIC DREAMS The Wide World of Parties Road Reports If this e-mail was forwarded to you, register for your own free membership at . CONTENTS Boston Pride, by Rob Vitale Cherry Event Delights Beneficiaries, by Dave Parham An Affair of the Heart: Tea at Tyrconnell, by Dave Parham NOTE: Boston Pride activities have been rescheduled for this coming weekend, July 11-12, including the popular GRGRF Street Dance, which will take place on Saturday afternoon. Rob Vitale sent in this rainy Road Report from the first attempt at Pride celebrations several weeks ago. BOSTON PRIDE by Rob Vitale The theme for this year's Boston Pride (June 13-14) should have been "Kiss the Rain", instead of "Retro Pride". Monsoon-like weather caused the cancellation of all outdoor events, but certainly didn't dampen the spirits of the weekend party-goers. The weekend festivities began on Friday evening with most people attending house parties throughout the South End. The heavy rain began late, yet there was hope that it would stop by morning before the parade. On Saturday, it became apparent that the rain would not let up. Word quickly spread that the parade and the GRGRF Street Dance were canceled. Telephone lines burned up as an entire city seemed to coordinate a last minute change in plans. Pre-parade brunches and house parties went forward as planned, but took on lives of their own as they became the focus of the day. Some turned into all day events. Throughout the South End, there were numerous house parties--some casual cocktail parties and a few serious dance parties with shirtless, sweaty boys. Some people stayed put, while others braved the torrential rains and ventured from party to party. Despite the fact that there was no one organized event, there was an air of excitement and spontaneous energy. Saturday evening the nightclubs were packed with South End boys and out-of-towners. By this time the rain had subsided, and those with cabin fever were ready to have some fun. Dance Diva Joi Cardwell performed at Buzz. Afterwards, there were several afterhours parties to keep people entertained into the early morning hours. Even though by Sunday morning it had not rained for several hours, the outdoor Carnival was canceled. However, the festivities were moved inside Chaps, where DJ Julian Marsh entertained a capacity crowd until around 9:00 p.m., followed by DJ David Knapp and a live performance by Kristine W. Around the corner at the beautiful and spacious Roxy, DJs Michael Fierman and Joe D'Espinosa played a thematic "retro" sound to a small but enthusiastic crowd at the Unity Party. Across town at Avalon, DJ Frankie Knuckles performed for an energetic crowd, spinning a soulful and funky sound which the crowd loved. When the music is as good as it was on Sunday, there is nothing quite like the lights and sound of Avalon. Those who didn't have to work on Monday couldn't say good-bye to the weekend, and continued the festivities with several afterhours parties. All in all, Boston Pride 1998 turned out to be a hodgepodge of smaller events, but this didn't detract from the fun and purpose of the weekend. It was still a celebration of Pride with friends and neighbors, and best of all, we get a second crack at it this weekend. CHERRY EVENT DELIGHTS BENEFICIARIES by Dave Parham The Metropolis Fund announced recently that a total of approximately $42,000 would be distributed to three Washington DC-area beneficiaries: Food & Friends, the HIV Community Coalition, and the Victory Foundation. Each organization received a check for just over $12,000 and should receive additional funds as the accounts are closed on the Cherry Delight party weekend (April 24-26), according to Moody Mustafa, Executive Director of the non-profit group. Some 3,000 revelers passed through the turnstiles at the official events which featured DJs Rick Mitchell, David Knapp, and Susan Morabito. Organizers used tricked-up local clubs as venues, while also securing corporate underwriting. A handsome program booklet also raised money, and several other sanctioned events contributed to the weekend take. The result was an entirely enjoyable affair and one of the city's most successful fundraising efforts. Food & Friends announced that the money will allow it to provide three meals a day for a week to 181 people with HIV and their partners. The HIV Community Coalition called it one of the largest donations they've ever received, and said the funds will support their referral counseling, job support, housing assistance, and intermediation services. The Victory Fund will use its donation for training and outreach programs for those who seek public office. Cherry Delight was the third in a series of benefit party concepts hatched in the nation's capital since 1993. The first was Spring to Life, a party at the Old Post Office Pavilion on the night before the 1993 March on Washington. A year later the event was repeated, but failed to attract enough support to make it an annual affair. In 1996 another organization, Friends Being Friends, launched Cherry Jubilee, using political connections to gain access to Federally-owned venues. Beneficiaries received about $47,000 that year, although the group ran headlong into a political buzz-saw wielded by Congressman Bob Dornan and the Family Research Council, who objected to the use of government buildings for circuit parties. In its second effort last year, Friends Being Friends avoided public venues and produced an elaborate and well-attended party weekend. But no donations were made until a year later when it was announced that just $3,300 would be divided among the three beneficiaries, raising the ire of local media. The Metropolis Fund was organized in 1997 and announced plans for Cherry Delight in January after it became apparent that Friends Being Friends wouldn't produce a third Cherry Jubilee. A portion of the weekend’s net proceeds, beyond the sums distributed to beneficiaries, was retained by the Metropolis Fund for its own purposes. More specific financial details were not available. (Dave Parham, a regular contributor to EDreams, was an organizer of the first Cherry Jubilee event in 1996.) AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART: TEA AT TYRCONNELL II Resting peacefully along the New York/Washington social vortex, Baltimore has avoided the circuit party phenomenon either by circumstance or by choice, even though numerous Charm City residents are well-known dance floor regulars. For its own benefit, AIDS Action Baltimore opted for a glitzy daytime event--Tea at Tyrconnell on Sunday, May 3 (the 2nd annual). The centerpiece for the affair was the Tyrconnell estate’s huge stone manor house surrounded by acres of landscaped grounds and forest. With heavy local corporate support, the event organizing committee treated some 700 guests to a lavish buffet under huge tents on the lawn and a silent auction in the formal gardens. Philadelphia DJ Brian Norwood spun a lush mix of down-tempo music during the first part of the afternoon while guests ate, drank, gossiped, and kept an eye on their auction bids. For the last three hours, Norwood picked up the tempo and the volume, moving the ambiance from a slow swirl to a full twirl. Proving that a dance crowd can have a wonderful time while actually wearing expensive clothes (rather than just checking them), the event netted $40,000 for AIDS Action Baltimore. -------------------- The opinions expressed are those of the authors. Reproduced with permission. Members are invited to submit road reports to . Entries are subject to editing. Please--no anonymous entries! The author(s) may not be formally affiliated with the events they are writing about. Copyright 1998 by Party Planet, Inc., All Rights Reserved Alan Brown, Publisher