I love it when an event transports me – to a time & place I’ve never been to like when a guy or gal plucking a guitar takes to the Riverboat 1963; or, as happened this past Sunday night at Lizzie Violet’s open-stage birthday bash at the Central. This time I was whisked into my own east coast past to kitchen parties where guitars and fiddles were mixing and melding – including someone with baby rattle maracas.

The second floor at the Central had a great feeling, even with strangers accidentally wandering in as the fun spilled out into the street. We were treated to great sets by various combinations of the circle of jerks: I Hate Todd, Big Name Actors’ Hugh Wilson,Melting Pot’s Nelson Sobral & non-jerk Natasha Jolly. All kicked off by Cate McKim’s excellent tuxedoed drag king turn.

Todd did a high energy…

A hot sweltering night didn’t keep Noir fans from packing the house. I kept hoping the ice-cream truck would show up during the breaks in the show. There must be an app for that 🙂

First up was Trasharella who give an reading of Philip Cairns’ ‘Why I’m Not A Star’ to be featured at Gay Play Day this fall. An affectionate reflection on Philip’s acting experiences starting with being told, at age 11, he was too effeminate by a casting director, to getting cast as a gay duck in last years Fringe ‘quack quack, darlings.’ Comic, ironic, sometime bitter, biting & always honest he left us wanting more.

Music feature Marcus Walker was up next. Accompanied by Nelson Sobral & a fine sax player (whose name I didn’t get) he did a set of songs whose sensual rhythms rode the pulse of a hot summer night. The soaring sax…

The Damned launched their move to Q Space with another stellar line up – Philip Cairns hosted, his bejeweled emerald outfit brought out the Irish in him for sure. A jam packed open stage ran the gamut of 15-year -olds getting on stage for the first time to tired old bald guys, like myself. It’s good to see so many new, to us, faces on the open stage.

First feature Shawna Dimitry give us a set of emotional and romantic pieces some dealing with mental health – ‘the pills are dissolving, so am I’ ‘handcuffs and stomach pumps aren’t the luxuries we wished for.’ Her powerful, direct images connected with us all. She mixed in some tender love poems – ‘you cracked my fear with a kiss.’ A strong set delivered with a sense of humor and acceptance of the issues many deal with ‘I’m sorry I didn’t live up…