Gay Pride Wrap-Up

Goodness, where did the time go?
It’s Wednesday. Gay Pride has just passed yet it feels like it happened weeks ago.
The festivities and the parties have ended. Yes, Pride should be lived everyday. But we all need a little reminding, “Life is a party. take part no matter how you do it.”

I’d enjoyed myself the first nights (mornings) of the weekend with goods friends, good music and a fair amounf of dancing. They only whet my appetite for a more robust and full on experience for Pride. I knew the folly of such high expectations, but I wanted a party to knock my socks off.

I rested most of Sunday, waiting in quiet anticipation for Monday morning. By the time 3:30AM rolled around, I was done waiting. I was ready to go. Friend Frank asked I call to see if he’d be up to joining me at that time. He wasn’t, he’d meet me later. Fine by me, less for me to hassle with.

I rode in on the subway. It was a clockwork experience, moving easily from one train to the other with little wait.

I’d arrived in Chelsea around 4:45AM. I was a tad on the early side *sarcastic grin* but I wasn’t walking into the club with the sun peeking out in the sky. It’d been rising around 5:30.

I walked quickly as if in fear that the sun would ignite my skin. I’m not a vampire. Swear. Just a night owl. I have a tan line. Wanna see? :)

Anyway, arriving at Spirit, I breezed in. Club security was extremely lax. Not even a pat down. The will call woman asked my name and she looked through her stacks of enveloped tickets.
First stack, nothing.
Second stack nothing.
Third stack nothing.
Back to the second stack.

“There it is.” she exclaimed. “I wrote these myself. I know your name.”
“Err, you do?“ I questioned.
”Yeah, you buy from the website ALL THE TIME for ALL THE PARTIES.“
”Um, yeah. So how about a comp the next time?“ I said.

No, I didn’t really say that last part. I took my ticket and slinked away to the doorman.

Upon entering, the sound of hip-hop hit me. WTF?!? I headed for the bathroom (it was long train ride you know). The hip-hop music was playing right in front of the restrooms. There were people grooving to the music. I peed, quickly, and headed down to the main floor where I was greeted with the sound of proper progressive house being served.

YES!

Junior was purportedly coming on at sunrise. DJ Escape was opening for him and currently playing. He was having quite a time in the booth, bouncing and dancing around, having a fine old time with the homos. Escape was doing a more than respectable job. In fact he surprised me how good he was throwing down, to the point I worried that Junior would have a tough time following up his act.

Yes, he was that good.

But honestly, I had NOTHING to worry about. When Junior went on, he was on. His music selection was insane. It was relentless, it was inspired, it was uplifting. Junior mixed fluidly with nary a hiccup, at least none that I could perceive.

The crowd had been light when I walked in. Not surprising since Alegria was happening across the way. Still, it was a cute crowd. As expected an hour or two into Junior’s set, you could see the migration of boys/men from Crobar into Spirit. A muscley, handsome infusion beset the dancefloor and the vibe was elevated more as this took us into peak time. Such a wonderful time to be gay and dancing amongst our own. Hee.

I don’t think I ever danced so hard. There were times that sweat was pouring off my body, the tops of my jeans were soaked through. I worried that I’d over-exert myself but doing it as often as I do, I guess I shouldn’t.

I stayed till about 1:30PM. By then, RedBull was becoming putrid to me and I couldn’t mentally fortify myself to stay any longer. I left happy and content. The party ran till 5:00 which some people complained was too early. But I say whatever, the party has to end sometime. I was certainly happy to leave at 1:30PM. I didn’t want to take a train home wearing clothes that I’d sweat through at least three times over, with normal working folk. I reeked. No, that would have been unseemly and skanky of me. The trains were nice and empty in the middle of the day.

Arriving home, I peeled my clothes off, showered and slept, soundly.

I can unequivocably say, Junior’s Gay Summer Camp was exactly what I hoped it to be.

It has been an exhaustingly good weekend. I’ve been a state of fatigue, trying to catch my breath since Monday morning, only getting back to the gym today. My body refused to do my bidding yesterday.

Heh. Can’t wait to do it again next year. Who’s with me? :)