Black Party 2005

My legs throbbed as I stood. They did not want to support my weight anymore, much less dance. The spirit was willing and the body unable.
The energy level was at a low ebb now that Roseland was emptier.
One person moved past me as I went down the stairs to the coat check.
I handed the attendant my ticket in exchange for my bag and jacket. As he handed my stuff to me he asked, "Did you have a good time?". Yes, yes I did.

Passing the ticket booth, I handed in my claim ticket for my camera phone.
Powered it up, 1:55PM, Hmmm… not bad.

Two messages, one at 9:00AM.
Hi, just checking, call me when you get out.
Next one, 1:52PM.
Haven't heard from you. Call me.

The day was gloomy and wet as I exited the lobby. Under the marquee, I made a few calls, hoping the rain would abate some. No such luck, well, not in the 5 minutes I waited. I steeled myself and stepped out, as a cab splashed another pedestrian. Time to rejoin the world.

So about the Black Party

The Crowd
It was hot, men dressed in their leather gear. I was acutely aware of the leather this year and the bears, oh my. What a furry, hot crowd. Since reading Oliver's blog and with all the pictures and links to other bears he posts, I recognized many of them (being that I have good visual memory). They don't know me from a hole in the wall and I don't have a single hair on my chest, back or arms. (also my ass if you must know. :-P) All I can really say is woof.

Ran into:
Dermott, whom I've seen many times before and is now newly crushing on me. Must have been the leather. Such an impish smile. Lots of fun to dance with, esp. when we're grinding. heh. Lots of attention from this man. Leo's like that.
Oliver, with a sheen of sweat on him from dancing (I assume), in his chaps. Très chaud. (gee, I hope that's the right translation) He was impatiently waiting for an opportunity to get a fresh bottle of water.
Joe, whom I caught on various occasions scribbling notes and was great to keep company with in the early (late) hours.
Greg, a crush whom I'll downgrade to a curiosity seeing as he paid me little mind. Leo's don't like that.
It wouldn't be a circuit party without the obligatory porn star sighting. Alex Fuerte, a new Hot House exclusive, sighted in the downstairs bathroom. Hot man, but looked bored with the bathroom scene.

The Dome
Wow. Harkening back to the original Saint, it's a nice homage. They had the dome last year, but I didn't go. It was a great visual experience as they projected starscapes and patterns on to it.

The Music
Completely on point. Chus & Ceballos were all I hoped for and more. They brought a great energy with their Iberican sound. It was nice blend of drums and beats that had the dance floor jumping very early in the night. Too many choice tracks to name, I've already relived a few moments by listening to some of their CDs.

Victor followed up with an equally astounding set. More great energy and his signature tribal beats.
Musical Highlights:
So Strong - Ben Shaw feat. Adele Holness- Sander Kleinenberg Mix (A Fav track)
It's Love (Trippin') - Andrea Brown (It got played out, but it was great song to begin with. Nice to hear again.)
Oliver did remind me that Victor DID NOT play the whole Depeche Mode "Black Celebration." Which is a travesity. I immediately bought 101 on the iTunes store to compensate for it.

Randy Bettis - lots of fun beats. I didn't think I'd enjoy his set. I usually feel obligated to dance, but honestly, my shins felt like they'd split down the middle. But I was reluctant to go home, so I sat with Joe and chatted and we bobbed our heads to Randy's beats. Joe notes that Randy did play "The Visitors", I don't recall or it didn't register. I must've been so tired by then.

The Performances
Can't really comment on them as I didn't pay much attention to them. They were relegated to the sides which is really kind of sad on the basis that the Black Party has always been about porn-formances, raunch and kink. The main stage was occupied by the DJs and the secondary stage by the flaggers. Upstairs they had a stage set up and someone was being "tattooed" on it early in the night. I never went back upstairs until in the afternoon, so I don't know if they did anything else.

Backroom
No, I didn't. Really.

This is the fifth occasion I've found myself attending the Black Party, and truth be told, it was the best time I've had. No, I don't think this party was any different than the last four I went to. I was different. This time around, I actually bought leather and wore it. I was more participant than casual observer. I got gussied up in leather down to my engineer's boots which is a big NO-NO when it comes to dancing. I was fine for most of the night, when my legs were numb. Fortunately, I was bright enough to pack sneakers. Yippee. That was a new lease on dancing.

I realize it isn't about what I wanted to experience, but about drinking the experience in at the Black Party.

How not to pick me up.
"Hey, I know you, I saw your ad on ManHunt."
Um… no, you've got the wrong guy. and You wish.