The gentleman is a lady (Day)
The gentleman is a lady (Day)
by Maggie Bloodstone - SGN Contributing Writer

Joey Arias
The Triple Door
April 9
$25

It's a long and winding road from belting "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" in Maleficent horns on the stage of the legendary Limelight to center stage in Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity. But such a trajectory would have come as no great surprise to anyone involved in the heady, happening club/performance art scene of early '80s New York if the subject is Joey Arias.

Arias is a particularly luxuriant branch of the ever-growing family tree of artistes who broke through the glass ceiling of pre-Stonewall girdles 'n' falsies drag in the late '60s to discover just how far they could take the concept of genderfuck and push it right over the edge and into the Valley Of The Dolls (the Russ Meyer version). This would include the transgressive likes of the Cockettes, Wayne/Jayne County, Jackie Curtis, Holly Woodlawn, Klaus Nomi, Leigh Bowery, and Divine, all of whom had far less interest in "realness" than in keeping it real, with unclassifiable personas and indescribable performances.

Making good on his pledge to become a "chanteuse" upon moving to New York from North Carolina in '76, Arias has built a lasting reputation as a stunning performer on little more than a spectacular voice, an innate sense of innovation, and theatrical Talent-with-a-capital-T (you all remember "talent" - it's what famous people had before reality TV).

I got to see Arias at the Re-Bar in '91, being familiar with him only through what I read in Michael Musto's column, fleeting moments in Big Top Pee-Wee and Mondo New York, and his Saturday Night Live appearance as backup singer (alongside Nomi) for David Bowie in '79. But I had heard about his superhuman ability to channel Billie Holiday, and had to experience this phenomenon in the flesh. Well, lemme tell ya, it's one thing to see a dusky diva in satin and gardenia who looks the spit of the original article while merely lip-syncing, but quite another to close one's eyes and be transported into 1930's Harlem for a sublime hour or so (being brought back to the present when Arias/Billie encored with Madonna's "Holiday").

Paula The Swedish Housewife brings Arias' Strange Fruit, with Eliot Douglass on piano, to The Triple Door April 9, continuing 21 years of bringing icons, legends, and one-of-a-kind oddities to discriminating Seattle audiences, starting with Arias' contemporary, John Sex, in '87 (at the old Vogue on 1st Ave. - yes, of course I was there). I must insist you attend; how often do you get to see two Icons on one stage, much less in one body?

The Triple Door is located at 21 Union St., (206)-838-4333, www.thetripledoor.net. And don't forget to enter August 13 into your Blackberry, cause that's when The Swedish Housewife brings Ann Magnuson to that same venue. If you thought she was the most fabulous thing about Anything But Love, wait 'til you see her perform "Sex With the Devil" (it's a song. Honest).
Sakura-Con 2008 a fan's paradise
by Robyn - SGN Contributing Writer

Being a longtime observer - but not necessarily what one would consider a dedicated fan - of the art of anime and manga, I decided to take the plunge, feet-first, into the world of fandom. This year's Sakura-Con appeared to hold true with the original form envisioned by its creators. There was indeed always something taking place, and something to get involved in. However, many of the larger scheduled events and panels tended to take place prior to or around noon, which left this night owl at something of a disadvantage in that respect. There were however several other panels and events that were apparently transpiring as we arrived, however, both myself, and my respective tour guide into the realm of anime - being new to the Sakura-Con experience - found ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer multitude of the convention's most palpable element: the cosplay (short for "costume play") of the fans.

They arrived in droves, bedecked in an array of colorful, funky, unique, and outlandish costumes from a variety of popular anime and manga cartoon series, movies, and anime-based video games. The most prevalent this year were those dressed as characters from Nintendo's popular The Legend of Zelda series. My makeshift anime tour guide/co-photographer pointed out the large number of individuals dressed as characters from the popular Bleach and Naruto series.

Lost in the sea of costumed fans, we primarily took to meandering about the convention space. We first found ourselves in the exhibitors' hall. We strolled through an attention-getting assortment of souvenirs and sundries from a wide array of anime games and series. Displays also included colorful, furry, and occasionally fetishist additions for fan cosplay, with many exhibitors ready to construct costumes on site. Large displays including simulated and real swords and staves filled out the costume bill. Comics from every anime genre were of course a requisite addition, including everything from more popular Japanese manga, to the more exclusive sects of the "yaoi" (a more explicit anime take on homosexual love between male characters).

We also strolled by the ever-populated videogaming room, but weren't inclined to wait among the many eager fellow gamers for a chance to play the latest titles. The much more subdued tabletop gaming room held a markedly lower number of dedicated players. It was also hard to ignore the loud pop music blasting from the AMV (anime music video) theater and ballroom that housed a slew of dancing costumed fans.

After meandering for nearly two hours, we were ready to finally attend a panel. However, the long and seemingly immobile line at the relevant escalator made us do a U-turn toward Artist Alley. There were definitely many skilled artists to be seen. Trekking through the Convention Center for two hours straight, my cohort having an early work schedule the following morning and the convention confusion we experienced precluded us from staying longer and waiting for the larger events of the evening. We were, however, left with a good impression of this year's Sakura-Con. The mood was upbeat, and the fans were definitely the heart of this convention. This would definitely be a con to drag oneself out of bed earlier for, to get the full experience. From my perspective, though, it was still enjoyable.