So every year since 2017 I’ve produced a bar show called Night of 1000 Thots, celebrating the anniversary of my site Thotyssey.com. Traditionally it’s been in one of the West Village bars on a mid-July Saturday, around the same time as my birthday, but this year it just seemed that all the bars on Christopher St. had early Saturday shows. So I decided to do it on a mid-August Friday, when surely the latest Drag Race viewing party would be over. Little did we know that World of Wonder would dive immediately into Secret Celebrity RuPaul’s Drag Race the week after All Stars 7 ended and that once again they’d be airing the episodes on Fridays, and LORDT did I Carry when I learned that. But it seems that the rest of NYC is suffering from the same Drag Race fatigue as I am (or at least they don’t have much interest in this particular season’s format — and btw, we’re sending Loretta Divine home on the first episode!?), as not every venue is screening the Secret Celebrity and the ones that do aren’t necessarily seeing huge crowds. I dunno, the Friday Drag Race viewing parties have never really helped NYC nightlife very much and it’s been argued a ton of times whether the show’s key demographic is still straight people. People we should wean ourselves off the viewing parties, and let teen girls have the show? The oversaturation of the brand and drag in general is not helping the art form, and new queens should really be looking towards the charismatic drag legends of NYC history to see what made it so special to begin with and stop trying to be perfect fashion acrobat reality twinks.
But having said aaaaaall that, the queens who showed up for August 20th’s Night of 1000 Thots slayed the game, as well as all the live singers in the lineup and DJ Galindo in the booth. Sure, we had a bunch of dropouts at the last minute, but that only led to a (*ahem*) tighter show and afforded us a longer break for all to drink at the bar and make the venue some cash. Social media fetish bae Dean Dante and queen AuDrey Phoenix, who co-produce the sexy Leather & Lace events across the city, made for fun and efficient hosts, and everyone from slaytastic drag coven The Assassins to swift and deadly queer rapper Senerio to hilarious dance diva Brenda Dharling to Marcel the Artist and Jack Tracy with their electrifying dance troupes (and everyone in between), it was a show to remember. I almost never get to enjoy them Night Of as much as I would like because I’m running around Producing, but even I could see that it was a special night. Thanks to everyone who came out and participated, I adore you!
But you might find yourself getting off my love train sooner than you’d think, cuz… I’m getting a podcast (Listen to the debut episode here)! I know, just what the world needs. But I have high hopes for this one! Thotlight will feature yours truly alongside our sis Freddie Cosmo (who’s been doing this for a while, care of his long-running Redifine Radio), and we’ll be discussing nightlife news, playing music from local queer artists and chatting with people in all genres of the scene about their lives and gigs. Pretty much what I do every day on Thotyssey, but with a little more immediacy and human connection. I’ve been practicing being a compelling guest on a few friends’ podcasts recently, and have even been risking some cancel-worthy social media posts like suggesting DC just release The Flash movie and be done with it, even if it means giving cult demon Ezra Miller RESIDUALS! I mean, as a rule I generally try not to rock the boat and can’t always bring myself to care too much about the things Theez Kidz 2Day carry on about… but I gotta find somewhere to put all these half-buried opinions, and I need New York Magazine or someone to quote me before I die.
We’ll be recording Thotlight in a super secret office for now, but once Daniel Nardicio‘s new venue RedEye is open to the public we’ll be recording it live in front of a studio audience, like Olden Times! I’ll be letting you all know on Thotyssey where you can hear us as soon as I know, but once Red Eye opens you can come throw your gay tomatoes! Can’t wait!
Thot Stuff: 1000 Thots & Learning to Be Shady!
Jim Silvestri is the creator and editor of Thotyssey.com, i.e. "a peek through the glory hole" of NYC nightlife. He also does coat check to pay the bills.
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