Back In The Day: V-Rag Classic Track

Take the human touch, combine it with a digital computer and you've got Giorgio Moroder. Found this little promo video gem on the internet while searching for his epic 16 minute version of "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer, and although it's not technically a "track", it'll work for this week. The announcer sounds like Troy McClure but the album E=MC2 is an electronic masterpiece. And Moroder rocked that moustache way before the Village People. Viva Italia Electronica!

V-WEB: Our Weekly Obsession (March 25/10)

What do you get when you mix the style of Leigh Bowery, the voice of Sylvester, the body of Divine and the electro-synths of Giorgio Moroder? Why, it's Italy's own Disco Queen Hard Ton of course! The latest addition to Gigolo Records, the label which discovered Tiga, Vitalic, Miss Kittin and Fischerspooner, is set to be the wildest Italian export since the Versace family. Check out their videos for the full Hard Ton experience, prepare to be dazzled!

Back In The Day: V-Rag Classic Track

Last night was the biggest, glitziest drag night of the year in Vancouver, where every queen from the city, the country and even the continent gathered. It was Coronation 39: A Night in Athens, and there was more glitter and rhinestones than a Cher tour bus! We'll be uploading all the photos from the event in the next day or two, but until then, let's keep on going with the RuPaul vibe. This week's V-Rag Classic Track is my favourite tranny house track, "House of Love" produced by Eric Kupper in 1994. It wasn't the huge hit "Supermodel" was, but superior follow-up singles sometimes miss the pop radar. Hope it brings back some memories, Come On In!


"House of Love (T-Empo's Kitsch Bitch Mix)" - RuPaul

V-WEB: Our Weekly Obsession (March 11/10)

Yup. We're addicted all over again. Last year, our television world was changed by RuPaul's Drag Race, the over-saturated airbrushed spectacular that introduced us to Nina Flowers. Oh yeah, and that other queen that won. Season 2 is now in full swing after its debut in February on LogoTV. And since Glee is on hiatus, we're in desperate need of some prime-time gay TV! Although it's not on MuchMore here in Canada yet (WHEN?!), you can watch full episodes online or on Logo. So far, guests have included Tanya Tucker, Kathy Griffin, Dita Von Teese, Alec Mapa, Phoebe Price and Mike Ruiz. Face it Tyra. Every week, drag status is going up and yours is going down. Deal with it.

Check out the official RuPaul's Drag Race site on LogoTV.

V-WEB: Our Weekly Obsession (March 4/10)

The Junior Boys are nothing new to anyone who enjoys indie Canadiana. But holy hell, is their new video HOT! The Hamilton, Ontario natives have served up a glitchy beepy electro masterpiece dripping with soul from their album Begone Dull Care. And the video for "Bits & Pieces" is a gay love letter from the boys. House of Monroe, the Toronto-based vogue troupe show us who the legendary children really are with glow-in-the-dark neo drag courtesy of Mary Messhausen! What do we really wanna see now? A vogue battle between House of Monroe and House of Dangerkat! WORK!


"Bits and Pieces" - Junior Boys

Joan-E's Rag: Olympics on Davie?

Did anyone notice that Davie Street was rather lame over the Olympics?

Now that the Olympics have wound down, I thought it might be interesting to broach a rather tender topic in Vancouver's GLBT community. That topic being Vancouver's rather (ahem) intimate party scene. Every month it seems we have less and less places that cater to us! Even the few clubs and pubs that we do have are often half full and forced to throw straight-centric evenings to pay the bills! Furthermore, many a party promoter has lost his or her shirt in this lazy crazy beach town and many a queen has had to pack in her gowns and grow a beard!!

We have one of the most highly dense GLBT populations in the world and yet we have three cabarets, half a dozen pubs (almost all sports themed) and a few restaurants. There is no tranny bar, no full time leather bar, barely a Lesbian scene and with the closing of the Dufferin, no FABULOUS place to find strippers and hustlers and freaks (OH MY!)

I decided to make a list of what HAS worked long-term in this city.

1. Drag shows: Myria Le Noir's historic "The Bitch is Back" show at Celebrities, Willie Taylor's "Almost Live" show and her Lyps Inc show with Carlotta (which Carlotta continues) at the Odyssey, Symone's dinner show at Doll & Pennies, and Miss Adrian's Thursdays. All of these promotions have lasted at least half a decade.

2. Circuit style parties: From "Out on the Slopes" to "Big Roger" to Tommy D, there has always been fun and games for the boys with the massive pecs, a hatred of wearing shirts and a love of water bottles. These have worked best when the promoters provided a "Name", a "Show" a kick-ass DJ and made their crowd more diverse.

3. Karaoke: Numbers has reinvented itself as the comfy lounge where everyone is welcome and all are encouraged to belt out their best Celine, Britney or Gaga. The Dufferin also had HUGE success for over a decade with their Karaoke nights.

4. Special event fundraising nights: The Christmas show at the Fountainhead, WIGGLE, Diorama, Coronation, Miss Wesa, Fit for a Queen, and Gambado to name a few. When our Community needs it, Vancouver will come out in droves.

5. Club nights: Electro Lush Lounge at the Denman Station, Shower Power at the Odyssey, Release at Celebs, Amateur Strip at Numbers, and Dreaddy's Thursdays at 1181 are just a few examples of what happens when clubs get it right!

The one thing that all these success stories have in common is that they were Events!! No one just opened the door and said "Come on in for a regular old night"! That does not work in Vancouver!!! YOU MUST BUILD IT OR THEY WONT COME!

I guess what I'm trying to say is: In this City, you need to throw SOMETHING. We had the world on our doorstep last month and, with some notable exceptions, I think we dropped the ball. We just assumed that people would come in droves to the Village and it didn't happen. I looked in the stores, the pubs and even the clubs and saw disappointment in the eyes of management, staff and customers alike.

In the future, I suggest the businesses of Davie Street work TOGETHER to create excitement for the Village! City Hall has loosened up a bit! During the Olympics, we should have had a fabulous Davie Street block party put on by the Merchants of Davie street in co-operation with Qmunity, our charities and the Davie Street Business Association! It could have been magical! Instead, it was just a'ight.

My hats off to all of the promoters, artists and visionaries in Vancouver who attempt to create a great party. You are my heroes!

For more of Joan-E's Rag and Essential Gay Intelligence, check out PINQ.CA!

March: 9 1/2 Months

Nine months ago, the first issue of V-Rag hit the stands in Vancouver. In that time, I could have had a baby (maybe not physically), and that's how this publication has felt. Month after month, we got better and more mature, and although we're still a very young magazine, I'm proud of the little arts & culture rag that could. Continuing the trend of high profile features, we're excited to have an exclusive interview with British electro-pop sensation Little Boots! Not only did she release my favourite pop album of 2009, Hands, but she's extending her North American tour to include Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and L.A. this month. Lucky us!

Also featured this month, home-grown stars Team Canada DJ's chat with us about their whirlwind month of being the soundtrack to the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver and in Whistler. And speaking of Whistler, it's time to get your boots and bindings on and head up for WinterPRIDE 2010! We have the ultimate guide to all the parties and events that you don't want to miss. March also marks our biggest photo shoot ever, with the boys of Gay Top Model and photographer Ian Sheh. Check out their apres-ski apparel, choose who your favourite is, and don't forget to attend the finale on April 1 at Celebrities! It'll be a great show that will benefit the Friends For Life Society. Joan-E will remind you just why that's so important in this month's Joan-E's Rag, along with our other regulars, music and movie reviews, and the debut of The Third Kind by Justin Meisner. Have fun, and play safe in the snow... If you can find any.

Wanna Be On Top?

We recently held a challenge for the contestants of this year's Gay Top Model competition, along with photographer Ian Sheh. The theme: winter apres-ski, just in time for WinterPRIDE 2010. The boys got to trade in their undies and skinny jeans for board pants and hoodies in an exclusive photo shoot that will appear in the March issue of V-Rag. The winner of Gay Top Model will be announce April 1 at Celebrities and will be featured on our May cover. In the meantime, check out behind the scenes of our March shoot. Who do you think should be on top?