An Affair to Remember

Leave it to the gays to make weddings something again!

That was my friend Al, right before the ceremony last night at the wedding of Daved and Tom.  It was the first of what I know to be several gay weddings I will attend and it was what one might expect in such a celebration, unique and decidedly memorable.  This was a wedding I wasn't invited to...I don't know Daved and Tom that well yet...but my friend Kyle asked me to come as his guest and I am glad he did.

The wedding was very Gatsby, through and through, from the attire to the decor to the aura.  The celebration took place at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead and right from the start it felt like you were at not just any ordinary wedding reception, but a grand affair.  Guests needed to check in at the box office and get their table tickets before entering the venue, which was done up very elegantly.  Tables were set up in levels down towards the stage and beautiful flowers and lighting providing a beautiful backdrop.

  

It's a beautiful night

We're looking for something dumb to do

Hey baby

I think I want to marry you

The two lovebirds both have a background in singing, and if you didn't know it, that fact became evident at the start of the ceremony as the sounds of Bruno Mars' Marry You came blaring out of the speakers and Tom and Daved surprised everyone by entering the room singing.  It was a fun start to a special evening.  

Daved and Tom's wedding was definitely an affair to remember.  Great food, great music and great friends all in one place, all having the time of their lives, and I am so happy I got to be a part of it.  In this day and age, it seems so natural to see so many people celebrating the love two people have for one another, regardless of their respective genders.  It's almost incredulous that this hasn't been more mainstream to this point, but regardless gay marriage is now a part of life here in this society and like everything else, it seems, the gays will be setting a new standard for theirs and 'traditional' wedding celebrants for years to come!  Here's to Daved and Tom...may you share many years of wedded bliss!

Writing Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Today is Wednesday, May 30th and it's hard to believe that June is right on our doorstep already, but it is.  Ah, time flies...  Here's this week's Writing Wednesday:


Portland, TN

Strawberry Festivals

Summer is time for outdoor fests and the season always starts in June with great Strawberry Festivals celebrating the harvest of the delectable fruit.  Check out all of the strawberry festivals happening around Long Island next month:

Strawberry Festivals around Long Island

Gay Pride

June is gay pride month and I've been posting several pieces on Examiner covering all the pride events happening in and around the NYC Metropolitan area.  Check em out:

NYC

Long Island

Outer Boroughs and New Jersey

Sponsor a Youth for a Gay Prom

Every year, LIGALY (Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth) holds a prom for gay youth as an alternative to the 'straight-up' kind.  This event gives these kids a chance to be themselves and the organization is seeking donations to help defray the cost of the event for these kids.  Check it out and donate right here.

More Donna Summer

Here's a new piece I wrote for Yahoo Voices, featuring some great Donna Summer songs you probably don't even know.  Check it out right here, and check out Donna's "Supernatural Love":

John's World

A Walking Roller Coaster

This is cool!  Just cool!

Memoirs: Cherry Grove and Dark Clouds

The latest from my so-called life.

Music

What's a week on John's World without a little music news and videos?  Take a look at these:

Lady Gaga cancels Indonesian concert

Summer Music Spotlight

Crowded House drummer passes away at 45

There's also been some great new music featured on John's World this week.  Check these out:

Kylie Minogue - Timebomb

Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo - Let's Go

Pauline - Give Me a Call (well, this one's new to me, but it's oh so good!)

Scissor Sisters - Only the Horses

Nelly Furtado - Big Hoops

Well I think that's enough reading for today, lol.  Enjoy!

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I'm Addicted to Madonna Album Release Party Tonight at Ritz

Though I'm extremely upset that this event is on a Sunday night and I cannot go to it, I feel I need to remind any interested readers that the "I'm Addicted to Madonna" album release party is happening tonight at the Ritz, 369 W. 46th Street in Manhattan. If it's anything like the one at Splash last month, it's gonna be good! Have fun kiddies!

Image Source: Madonna's World/Facebook

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Just Posted to Madonna's World: New Madonna Album Party at The Ritz

Why does it have to be a Sunday? :-(

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Another M.D.N.A. Party?

I saw an ad on Facebook this morning for an "M.D.N.A." Launch Party coming April 1st somewhere in NYC. That's a Sunday....hmmmmm! If it's gonna be anything like the last one, I may just have to take off work that Monday. Click the title for more!

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M.D.N.A.thon 2012- All Madonna, All Night at Splash NYC

Last night was one of the best nights ever as me, my pal Rich and a few hundred other fellow Madonna devotees took to the dance floor at Splash for the M.D.N.A.-thon 2012. It was the first time I’d ever seen, much less attended a Madonnathon, and it was completely awesome! The event was hosted by a group called Madonna's World and it could not have been any better.

All Madonna, All Night Long

Madonna is really the only artist for whom any bar could have such a night. Sure there are other artists that have enough material to fill an evening’s worth of music, but none with such a vast catalog of music in the dance genre. From early pure club smashes like “Everybody” and “Lucky Star” to more recent favorites such as “”Give It 2 Me,” “Hung Up,” and “Revolver,” Madonna’s got enough iconic and danceable songs to keep the floor full from opening until closing, and that’s just what happened at Splash last night.









A Packed House

Rich and I arrived at Splash around 10:45 and the place was packed in. Normally the club hosts an event called F-Word Fridays, which I’ve gone to and this was definitely way more crowded than any of those nights. The crowd was decidedly mixed, men and women, younger and older, black, white, Hispanic and Asian, and they all had one thing in common: a love for Madonna.

Deejay Susan Levine, who is the regular Saturday night spinner at Cherry’s on the Bay on Fire Island in the summer, was on hand to spin the best of Madge, old and new. Rich and I got drinks and headed out to watch the goings-on on the dance floor, which was full of people. “Borderline” was playing overhead and I had a smile on my face from ear to ear as I think this was the very first time I ever heard it in a club.

Soon Madonna’s debut single from 1982-3 came on, a bassy dance tune called “Everybody,” and my night of dancing had begun. I excused myself from my pal, who was not ready to jump on it just yet, to make my way to the dance floor.

I know you’ve been waiting
Yeah

There I was dancing, singing and smiling the whole time, and in another rarity, the people around me were doing the same thing and returning one another’s smiles, being friendly. I danced with several people to “Celebration,” “Get Together,” “Fever,” and more before Rich finally joined in on “Express Yourself.” It was an absolute blast, and we literally danced our asses off!

So for any club owners out there who are looking to do something different, host a special night and attract a lot of people to it, I highly recommend having a Madonnathon. I promise you will attract a crowd that will be mixed and friendly. As for myself, I’m going to keep an eye out for more of these…

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M.D.N.A.-thon 2012 at Splash this Friday

I am so excited for this Friday night, as the folks at Madonna's World present the M.D.N.A.-thon 2012 at one of my favorite clubs, Splash NYC. Anyone who knows me knows that Madonna is my favorite music artist of all time and I've always dreamed of this kind of night. Miss M. has had so many great songs over the years, I'm sure that there would be no great difficulty in filling an entire evening of stuff. It is going to be the bomb, for sure!

From what I've seen of the guest list, there are over 300 people attending the event, and I think it'll be a blast to mix, mingle and dance to stuff like "Everybody," "Vogue," "Like a Prayer," and more. At least that's what I'm hoping for!

So if you're a big fan of Madonna's and you live in the NYC area, be sure to check out the M.D.N.A.-thon 2012 at Splash NYC, 50 W. 17th St., between 5th and 6th Avenues. The party begins at 10.

L.U.V. Madonna!







Image Source: Madonna Design

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