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SALES
MAGIC WANDS
When two sexy Aussies decided to combine their professional magic acts and hot in-the-buff bodies into one stage show, they knew it was going to be special unlike any that came before. Meet the men of The Naked Magic Show.
26
SPICE IT UP
20 years to the day after the Spice Girls smashed onto the U.S. pop scene, Atlanta gets a book launch by two local gay men that picks up the Girl Power torch and carries it into the future of women in music.
30
LOOK: BOOK
Nothing says lazy summer in the sun like sunglasses, a pitcher of cold beverages, and a good book. We gather the latest gay titles that will keep you scrolling or flipping through the rest of the season.
40
WHAT YOU KNOW
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datebook
where to go and
what to do this week NAKED MAGIC SHOW What do you get when you take two ripplinghot Aussies, strip them down nothing and have them perform an extravaganza of world-class magic? Not just another night, that’s what. Come see what pops out of hats, and read our preview in this issue. Friday July 8 and two shows Saturday, July 9 • Buckhead Theatre • 3110 Roswell Road • thebuckheadtheatre.com
JOCKS IN JERSEYS As gay sexual archetypes go, athletes in uniform are right up there in the top tier of common fantasy. The guys at Atlanta’s first and only gay sports bar know this, of course, so where better to make the most of it when you don your team colors and show them off to other jocks and sports fans? Saturday, July 9, 9 p.m. • Woofs • 2425 Piedmont Road NE • woofsatlanta.com
12 | 7.6.16
photo: Project Q
photo: Center for Civic Innovation
DJ GRIND
DINE OUT FOR A CAUSE
ATL: AN LGBT MECCA?
This international sex symbol hits town to take your already hot summer into sizzling territory. After a great Joining Hearts last year and a Jungle set last Pride, grind with Grind upon his Heretic debut. His latest mixes as a producer come with a specialty light show to boot.
One of the most fun ways to have your charity and eat it too is a Dine Out event where a portion of your bill goes to benefit local gay non-profits. Cue Atlanta Pride and the new Out Front Theatre Company. Take their fundraising as an excuse to treat yourself and pig out.
Atlanta gets a lot of love for as a gay haven, but does it deserve it? A moderated panel convenes to discuss that question in the new Social Studies series. Gather your would-be queer activists to pull at the cultural, political, and economic threads shaping Atlanta's future.
Saturday, July 9, 10 p.m. • Heretic • 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road NE • hereticatlanta.com
Sunday, July 10, 6 p.m. • Out Front @ 10th & Piedmont • facebook.com/outfronttheatre/ Monday, July 11, 5 p.m. • Pride @ Agave • atlantapride.org
Wednesday, July 13 • Center for Civic Innovation • 115 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW • civicatlanta.org
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Seen@
14 | 7.6.16
Atlanta Pride Run in Piedmont Park
photos: Matt Hennie
Seen@
16 | 7.6.16
Pensacola Pride
photos: Jason Mietelski
confessions
everyone had a messed up family and no one escapes unscathed. Anger turned into hatred to the point that I wished misfortune upon family members. Days turned into months. It wasn’t sustainable, and I finally broke.
Total disconnect by Chris Vizzini
I WAS ANGRY AT GOD. WHY DID HE LET SO MUCH BAD HAPPEN WHEN I LIVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE EVERYONE LAUGHED AND SEEMED AT PEACE? IT MADE NO SENSE. Why did the people outside my window get to wake every morning with youthful excitement of what the day might bring? What had I done by the age of 5 to command such wrath? Was His hatred for me that intense? It was about that age that I learned to disconnect, my body’s way out of pain it could no longer endure. Being that young with adult experiences and no vocabulary to tell it, escapism became my retreat. But detachment doesn’t work when the landscape of your mind and body change rapidly, like the geographic landscape whenever my mother married a different man. By my teenage years, pissing off authority was the embryo of a mask I wore for the upcoming 20 years. AS MY 20S ARRIVED, therapists had thrown pills at the problem, and I 18 | 7.6.16
I scoured the internet to find one other person who could relate to my combination of my experiences. One night, I hit the jackpot. I found a forum where people posted every ugly detail. The more I read, the more the acronym “PTSD” came up. I knew it stood for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I vaguely knew that it affected people like soldiers and rape victims, but hadn’t fully grasped that it can happen to anyone who has a single traumatic experience, or in my case, prolonged and multiple traumatic experiences. As time goes on, talking about PTSD has gotten better, but it’s still nowhere near what it should be so I’m here to shout it from the rooftops. Many family and friends of people with this disorder are uncomfortable and choose avoidance. That makes PTSD even more painful and makes sufferers feel even more alienated and alone. So I’m begging you: Draw the strength from somewhere and hold out your hand.
I FOUND A SPECIALIST and was evaluated, and the PTSD diagnosis was confirmed. It was such a relief. All of these awful thoughts had a name. There would learned to drink. Mixing pills and liquor be no more pills. My cognitive behavioral was a heavenly escape, especially since therapy and coping skills training is wonI figured out authority would disap- derful, and it works! prove. What more could an emotionally stunted rebel ask? God doesn’t hate me and never let anything bad happen. I was just not dealt In my late 30s, I’d become so discon- an ideal hand. Without a father and an nected that I only felt anything on week- absent mother, I did the best I could with ends drinking copious amounts of vodka. what I had which wasn’t much. I wasn’t On weekends, I did use it as a means to bad and I didn’t deserve the early introreconnect to some emotion on any level. ductions to adulthood. As my 40s crept up, this no longer worked. Blaming people and being angry for letBy my mid-40s, I noticed a shift. Once ting such things happen to are agonizing pleasurable feelings turned to anger that and fruitless. With help, I’ve poked a small snuck in like slowly drifting storm clouds. hole into a dark room permitting a ray of The shift wasn’t perceptible to the naked illumination, and I’m beginning to see that eye, but I could sense a storm was afoot. my mother might not have had a great upbringing herself. I’m starting to see her THE SUM OF OUR EXPERIENCES is as an imperfect person, and the anger is all we know as “normal.” I knew my family morphing into forgiveness. Maybe she did was dysfunctional, but I hadn’t a clue of the best with what she had. Maybe that’s the profound impact it had on me. I figured all we can expect from anyone.
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theatre lifestyle
‘THE NAKED M
BARE by Elijah Sarkesian
TWO HUNKY NAKED AUSTRALIANS DOING MAGIC TRICKS IN ATLANTA. THAT’S ONE WAY TO SHOW THERE’S NOTHING UP THEIR SLEEVES.
C
hristopher Wayne and Mike Tyler are creating quite a stir. Meet the Aussie natives currently in the midst of their North American tour of “The Naked Magic Show,” which hits Atlanta this week. The naughty-in-a-good-way production strips away many of the basic theatrics of magic – plus the clothes off the magicians themselves – and delivers a rollicking good time.
According to Wayne, who talked to David Atlanta before the duo makes its Atlanta debut July 8-9 at Buckhead Theatre, the two magicians wanted to combine their acts to create something unexpected.
22 | 7.6.16
MAGIC SHOW’
ES ALL “We really wanted to reinvent the wheel, because magic has sort of had its time,” Wayne says. “We thought, ‘What about making a naughty magic show?’ “We spent over a year putting together the best bits from our individual shows and changing the context of them into a naughty context,” he continues. “We wanted it to not just be naughty, but really, really funny. We put together this show – the Naked Magic Show – which is now the naughtiest and funniest magic show on the planet, and it’s honestly changed our lives.” Just to be clear, that name isn’t a metaphor. “A lot of people think it’s just a gimmick, or just a name,” Wayne notes. “We do start off clothed, and kind of like a date, we lose our clothes bit by bit throughout the show. And by the end of the show, we’re two naked Aussies.”
davidatlanta.com | 23
The show definitely touches on risqué subjects, though Tyler’s Not that performing naked doesn’t have it’s own perks. “It kind quick to point out the show still has some class. of also serves as a bit of misdirection, because half the time, the audience is busy looking at us, and that lets you get away “All of the subject matter in the show and all of the magic is with a lot more than you would if you were a normal magician.” based around the things we normally don’t talk about. But it’s not smutty,” Tyler says. “We don’t go below the belt – we just It’s not just the magicians who are making things wild, though. Tyler put our hands on the belt and tear it off.” notes that even though Australian audiences can get pretty wild, Americans are making the show into something even more fun. The tricks touch on some modern topics, along with some fun naughty subjects – tricks revolving around drunk texting, celebrity “We’re noticing when a lot of people come to see the show over free passes and hypothetical porn that involves audience members. here, they don’t just come to see the show – they’ve come to party for the night,” he laughs. “So we’re trying to make sure “All of these naughty tricks spin around into amazing magic,” Tyler that the show now has a party atmosphere from the second you says. “So it’s taking magic to a place where it’s never gone – into walk into the room. that naughty corner of the room. The thing about it is, every single adult has that naughty side to them, so the show really does ap- “Every night over here, we walk off stage saying, ‘That was the peal to people from all walks of life because of that.” wildest show. There’s no way we can be any wilder than that.’ Sure enough, the next night, we’ll walk off saying, ‘That was the Of course, part of the draw is seeing these two hunky Aussies wildest show.’ People are responding to it in a really fun way naked, something that the pair works on as much as their magic. as we slowly reveal ourselves to more and more of America.” “Since Mike and I weren’t strippers or anything like that, the biggest challenge for us is that our bodies always look good,” Wayne says. “So we’re eating well on the road and exercising, and then when we’re on-stage, we’re making sure the audience has something really good to look at.”
But Tyler’s excited for the show to hit Atlanta – for one reason in particular.
“We have our first performance in Atlanta at night, but the next day, I’m getting a rental car, and I don’t give a shit how tired I am – I’m going to all the Walking Dead locations,” he says. This Just as challenging: finding ways to perform without the clothes is what I’m excited for. We’ve seen some cool stuff … took a that aid most magicians. day to see New York, and we saw the Bean in Chicago, try to see some touristy stuff, but for the most part, it’s pretty hectic. “We’re literally taking away the top hat “But I’m fucking seeing the Walking Dead.” and cape, the sleeves – everything,” Wayne says. “So we have to be re- “The Naked Magic Show” plays ally secure at our craft. I think the July 8-9 at Buckhead Theatre. challenge is creating jaw-dropping, Visit thebuckheadtheatre.com. impossible magic, but without trap doors, without sleeves, without anything.”
24 | 7.6.16
davidatlanta.com | 25
music
SUGAR AND NICE AND EVERYTHING
SPICE GIRLS
by Jeffery Silvey
ON THE EVE OF THE SPICE GIRLS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, A GAY ATLANTA AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR TEAM UP ON THE ULTIMATE, DEFINITIVE COLLECTIBLE
I
n March of 1998, the Spice Girls were on top, travelling the world promoting their second album, gearing up for a world-wide tour, promoting a film, and preparing for the release of their seventh single. In the middle of this pop culture chaos, back in the states, a young fan named Quentin Harrison was just turning 13.
Harrison, who lives in Atlanta, has always been a big fan of the Spice Girls, well before his 13th birthday. His level of fandom and admiration is evidenced by his initial refusal to say which Spice Girl was his favorite, instead proclaiming that he loved them all for different reasons. After much pressure, he later conceded that Sporty Spice was his initial favorite. When Harrison first discovered the group as a little boy growing up in Dayton, Ohio, he was immediately drawn to their engaging music and their range of pop styles. 26 | 7.6.16
Illustrations by Paul Wolski
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photo: Quentin Harrison by Travis Muller
“Their music has range, reach and depth,” Harrison says. “These women have a commitment to excellence and artistry, that is worth discussing.”
Record Redux: Spice Girls arrives on the group’s 20th anniversary, mixing nostalgia with celebration. While the book serves as a personal accomplishment for Harrison, it also acts as an introduction to Discussing the Spice Girls’ influence and a larger conversation he wants to create impact is just what he does with his new about the music. book Record Redux: Spice Girls. The book, the first in a series Harrison plans on As a self-taught music historian and critic iconic female artists, makes a committed with a strong interest in English, Music effort to dive into the musical catalog of History and Library science, Harrison the popular quintet, as well as their solo combines his interests to create the book. outputs beyond the group. It comes at a time when nostalgia for the group is high, but its intention is to break It comes complete with intricate time- the Spice Girls out of nostalgia and place lines, gorgeous photos, and info made them in the current musical conversation. easy by the graphic stylings of local gay illustrator Paul Wolski of AlterEgo Pop Art, “I want people to discover or rediscover, who also created the book cover. Taken all depending on the reader, great music together, the fun, insightful and easy-to- without the noise of chart chatter, gossip read collection offers a cohesive and in- and things that distract from the content,” formative overview on one of pop music’s Harrison says. most successful acts. The book serves as Harrison’s publishThe Spice Girls enjoyed a tremendous ing introduction to a larger conversation amount of success, despite only serv- he wants to create. Just as the Spice ing as public five-piece group for less Girls have cemented a place in great than two years. They broke onto the pop nostalgic pop of the past, so do variscene in 1996 and took a break in 1998 ous other female artists whose contribefore finally disbanding in 2000. Their butions and successes are sometimes impact and popularity has sustained long overlooked and even neglected in mubeyond their tenure. Popular demand sical discussions. Harrison wants to fill helped them reform in 2008 for “The the conversation void with what will be Return of the Spice Girls,” a concert tour his 12-part book series that examines that Harrison was lucky to see in Long the catalogs and creativity of female Island, New York. artists from the 20th century. 28 | 7.6.16
Donna Summer, Sheena Easton, the Supremes and Gloria Estefan are just some of the artists that Harrison’s Record Redux series will cover. Singer-songwriter Carly Simon will be the series’ second installment. In a culture where success is measured by Youtube views and Spotify streams, Harrison’s desire for current music audiences to rediscover great music is admirable. Somewhere in the middle of transitioning into the digital age, some music transitioned away from quality for a chance to rule the charts, with a greater emphasis on digestibility than a lasting impression. Record Redux plans to present the successes and influences of its artists to a new audience while also analyzing their bold choices and longevity. The books will take the careers of legends from the past and firmly place them in the present as defining members that helped to shape pop music to what it is today. Record Redux: Spice Girls Release Party takes place in Atlanta on Friday, July 8, the 20th anniversary of the Spice Girls U.S. debut, at Slice, 75 Piedmont Ave. NE at 7:30 p.m. The book becomes available on Amazon and Kindle the same day.
davidatlanta.com | 29
literature
YOUR SUMMER
READING LIST by Mikey Rox
GIVE YOUR THUMBS A BREAK WITH 8 NEW GAY BOOKS TO HELP YOU SPEND AT LEAST A FEW HOURS AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE THIS SEASON
S
ummer is just starting to heat up – literally! – and it’s time to hit the beach. Throw down a towel, pop open the umbrella, and sink into the sand with these LGBT-themed recreational reads that’ll keep you entertained all season long. The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White Gay Mormon Greg Cope White hilariously recounts the summer he haphazardly enlisted in the pre-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Marine Corps at age 18 and spent a summer in boot camp (because all he heard was “summer” and “camp” when his best friend proposed the idea), an experience that gave the author a sense of belonging and self-worth in the last place he ever expected it. Heart in Chains by Elodie Parkes Relationship-weary Conner, scorned and single, escapes to Indonesia to put the past behind him. Mysterious Jay Levesque holds secrets of his own as he tries to put a lifetime of dangerous liaisons to rest. Alas, neither of their hesitations are a match for the romance of the exotic island or its erotic summer nights.
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley As the LGBT community continues to struggle with religious acceptance in a post-Orlando world, Conley’s memoir about being outed and forced to make a life-changing decision – agree to conversion therapy or be disowned – is even more poignant and important. Heartbreaking and courageous, Boy Erased will simultaneously enrage you and make your count your blessings. 30 | 7.6.16
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davidatlanta.com | 31
Knit Tight by Annabeth Albert The fourth installment in Albert’s Portland Heat series, which received the April 2016 Seal of Excellence by RT Book Reviews, Knit Tight gets tangled up in the would-be affections of Brady and Evren – a well-liked local barista and charming out-of-towner, respectively – as Brady tries to get the handsome stranger out of the friend zone and into frothier territory. I Am Woman: Surviving the Past, the Present & the Future By Daliah Husu Still having trouble making heads or tails of the “T” in LGBT? You’re not alone. Many of our lesbian, gay and bi brothers and sisters struggle with what it means to be transgender – and how to appropriately address, recognize, and appreciate transgender people – but Husu’s honest and emotionally charged memoir shines a flickering light on her stigmatized world of self-hatred, dependency on men, drug abuse, sex work, and what it’s like to be a not-so-privileged trans woman in America. You can’t understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked in their shoes, as they say, and it’s time to take the first step. Jury of One by Charlie Cochrane A murder in nearby Abbotson thrusts inspector Robin Bright into yet another intricate web of crimes, but there’s something more curious about this case: An old crush of Robin’s lover Adam pops up in the murder investigation, ultimately jeopardizing the happy couple’s relationship in this homo whodunit. Jury of One is the second book of the Lindenshaw Mysteries series. The Scheme of Things by Tim Parks Henry Dodge does his best to hide what makes him different from the other boys – like his bourgeoning lust for his brother’s best friend Danny – by escaping into the TV, movies and music of the 1980s. As such, his affinity for nighttime soap operas leads him to devise a plan to follow Danny to Los Angeles, unchartered territory for the teen, which has secrets of its own.
Hiatus by L.A. Witt Gay throuples get their own comeuppance in an all-too-familiar tale of three boyfriends trying to make a ménage à trios work over the long term. But just when it seems like it couldn’t be more idyllic, the trio face a roadblock on the path to triangular happiness when the original couple starts to question their love for one another but each still holds a torch for their rock-star third wheel. 32 | 7.6.16
davidatlanta.com | 33
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The Human Rights Campaign invites you to our inaugural tennis social, Serving for Equality. Join us for an evening of fun doubles tennis, music, food, and drinks all in the name of equality!
Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 Sharon Lester Tennis Center - Piedmont Park 400 Park Drive, Atlanta, GA 30306
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Ticketing Players: Regular - $60 General Admission: $25. Players and attendees will receive: HRC Membership or Renewal, complimentary food from Willy’s Mexicana Grill, and drink tickets.
Community Sponsors
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“A SMART, DEEPLY TOUCHING AND BIG-HEARTED NEW MUSICAL.”
From the Pulitzer Prize & Tony Award-winning Creators of Next to Normal, the Director of Rent and the Producer of Wicked
PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS; ILLUSTRATION: ZINA SAUNDERS
-The Washington Post
August 9-14 FoxTheatre.org/IfThen 855-285-8499
davidatlanta.com | 39
health
10
things you didn’t know about HIV
by Mike Fleming
HISTORY, ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM FACTS AND MYTHS MARK THE HIVAIDS STRUGGLE AS THE EPIDEMIC ENTERS ITS 36TH YEAR
G
ay men passed one of our biggest milestones in LGBT history last month. It was even bigger than the one from the June 1969 Stonewall Riots.
It was June 3, 1981 when the New York Times first reported a “rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals.” Two days later, the CDC confirmed five cases of gay men with severe pneumonia. For the next 14 years, AIDS was all but a death sentence. Anti-Retroviral medications changed the game, but the once-called “gay plague” is far from over. The good news is that there’s as much hope as heartache these days. Here are 10 things you might not realize our ongoing struggle. 1. ‘Patient Zero’ is a myth. You may have heard that a Canadian flight attendant single-handedly brought HIV to North America. “And the Band Played On” author Randy Shilts and his editor later admitted that they fabricated the story to better sell his 1987 book. 2. Non-HIV-related deaths are more likely if you’re poz. Life expectancy for people with HIV has 40 | 7.6.16
viral load is unlikely, studies show that men with HIV who are in treatment overestimate how infectious they are.
7. Most transmissions are between regular partners. Some 68 percent of new HIV transmissions in gay men occur within relationships or between regular sex partners. That jumps to 79 percent for guys aged 3. Hepatitis C is a bigger threat. You’re statistically more likely to contract 16-24. sexually transmitted Hepatitis C than HIV, and Hep C is the biggest killer among all 8. Gay men are using condoms less. infectious diseases in the U.S. It’s not a matter of “never using condoms.” More gay men “sometimes” break the ban, especially under the influence or 4. A cure is coming. There is one person officially “cured” of when having sex with someone special. HIV, and several are in what French scientists call “HIV remission.” A final cure may 9. HIV rates are dropping, unless be years away, but doctors finally believe you’re gay. that they are hot on the trail of the culprit. The overall diagnosis rate in the U.S. has dropped 19 percent in a decade. Among 5. PrEP is not helping enough. gay men, new infections are just now Awareness of Truvada as a preventative “leveling off,” but not dropping. is high and rising. Actual widespread use of it is not. A long-acting injectable ver- 10. “Superinfection” isn’t a thing. sion may be available by 2020, but finan- It’s possible to contract more than one cial access for most at-risk people is still strain of HIV, but studies show that “suquestionable. perinfection” doesn’t affect the disease progression in the body. 6. Poz guys aren’t as infectious as they think. Sources: Poz Magazine, Centers for Disease Despite increasing evidence that trans- Control & Prevention and the Advocate mitting the virus with an undetectable risen dramatically, but poz people are twice as likely to die if they smoke or drink in excess, as much as three times if they contract additional diseases or infections.
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Men of David 2016 Red Carpet at TEN Atlanta
photos: Russ Youngblood
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Men of David 2016 Crowning Event at TEN Atlanta
photos: Russ Youngblood
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Men of David 2016 After Party at Heretic
photos: Russ Youngblood
WOOFS WITH JUST TOBY STANDS WITH
ORLANDO
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Fridays at Woofs
photos: Russ Youngblood
the D list David Atlanta’s weekly list of truths all gay men have come to know
10 ways to make gay love last
Value Plus
Make like a Plant
Communicate
Be Honest
Laugh
Respect & Empathy
Keep Date Nights
Friends
We Over Me
Look for someone who values the same things as you but also can teach you/show you new things and vice versa
Talk about the hard stuff. It's not an option to hole up and be silent.
When you’re angry, tired or arguing, the one thing that will last longer than any of it is hitting below the belt.
As the sage gurus Leslie and Ben taught us on ‘Parks & Recreation,’ nothing beats, ‘I love you and I like you.’
It beats lying, even when it hurts, and even when it can get you in trouble. In fact, especially then.
Anna Madrigal in ‘Tales of the City’ says, "All of life is maintenance, dear" Tend it; feed it; keep it growing.
Your best match most likely gets your sense of humor. The couple that laughs together, stays together.
Life happens, and suddenly you haven’t had time to enjoy each other outside daily grind. Schedule it.
While you should both be getting what you need, the couple, not the individual, should be getting what it wants. Compromise.
Sit. Stay
Ag re e t h a t n e i t h e r o f yo u w i l l p u t u p h i s toy s a n d l e a ve t h e g a m e w h e n t h e g o i n g g et s to u g h.
Got an idea for an upcoming D List? Want to share your truths with the rest of the Gay-TL? Write mike@davidatlanta.com so we can include it. 58 | 7.6.16
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F1 B1 Amsterdam Ave.
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B6 12th St. NE
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14th St. NE
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Charles Allen Dr. NE
9th St. NE
B3 Peachtree St. NE
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S1
Spring St. NW
H1
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10th St. NE
4th St. NE
R1 C1
B5
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
Midtown Bars
B1 Amsterdam 502 Amsterdam Ave NE B2 Blake's 227 10th St NE B3 Bulldogs 893 Peachtree St NE B4 Friends 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE B5 The Model T 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE B6 My Sister’s Room 66 12th St NE
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Dining th D1 10 & Piedmont 991 Piedmont Ave NE D2 Einstein's 1077 Juniper St NE D3 F.R.O.G.S 931 Monroe Cir NE D4 G’s Midtown 219 10th St NE D5 Henry’s 132 10th St NE D6 Joe's on Juniper 1049 Juniper St NE D7 La Hacienda 900 Monroe Dr NE
B4
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
D8 Ten Atlanta 990 Piedmont Ave NE Retail R1 Barking Leather AfterDark 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Clubs C1 Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
Hair/Beauty H1 Helmet 970 Piedmont Ave NE Fitness F1 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE Spa/Bath S1 Flex Spa 76 4th St NW
Billiards/Darts
Drag
Non-Smoking Area
Dancers
Leather
Patio
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted Matthew 5:4 New Covenant Church of Atlanta stands with Orlando NEW COVENANT • 2091 Faulkner Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324 • www.SavedAndGay.com D1 B4
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B1 BJ Roosters 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd B2 Opus 1 1086 Alco St NE B3 Tripps 1931 Piedmont Cir NE B4 Woof's 2425 Piedmont Rd NE Dining D1 Las Margaritas 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd D2 Roxx 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd Retail R1 Barking Leather 805 Lambert Dr., Suite A R2 Southern Nights 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd
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B1 Burkhart's 1492 Piedmont Ave NE B2 Felix's 1510 Piedmont Ave NE B3 The Hideaway 1544 Piedmont Ave NE B4 Mixx 1492 Piedmont Ave NE B5 Oscar's 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Not Shown
Bars The Cockpit Atlanta 465 Boulevard SE Mary's 1287 Glenwood Ave SE Sister Louisa’s Church 466 Edgewood Ave SE Swinging Richards 1400 Northside Dr NW
Dining D1 Cowtippers 1600 Piedmont Ave NE Retail R1 Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE R2 Brushstrokes/Pleasures 1510 Piedmont Ave NE Hair/Beauty H1 Bubbles Salon 1579 Monroe Dr NE
Dining Lips Atlanta 3011 Buford Hwy NE Club Club Rush 2715 Buford Hwy NE Spa/Bath Qi Clay Sauna 130 Buford Hwy A-107
davidatlanta.com | 61
bartab
got an upcoming event?
calendar@davidatlanta.com
Monday
Friday
BLAKE’S Martini Monday’s with Doug and Heros • Pride Kickball, Host Bar 8pm • Ru Paul's Drag Race 9pm with Edie Cheezburger BURKHART’S Blue Monday Karaoke with Darlene at 10PM EAGLE Music Videos with Scotty FRIENDS Texas Hold'em 8:30pm HIDEAWAY Industry Night 1/2 Off Well, Domestic, & Wine JUNGLE Stars of the Century Show 11:30pm MODEL T Monday Night Madness 8pm MY SISTER’S ROOM Industry Night OSCAR’S Service Industry Night with Eric SWINGING RICHARDS Hip-Hop Night, Sponsored by Hennessy 8:30pm TRIPPS Customer Appreciation All Drinks $1.00 Off WOOFS Texas Hold'em Poker 7:30pm
BLAKE’S TGIF with Doug & Brent 3-9pm • “Deadly Vixens” Drag Show 11pm • Bill Berdeaux Spins Street Level BURKHART’S FEMME FATALE with Destiny Brooks and Justice Taylor at 11PM CLUB RUSH “Got Leche” Free entry until 11pm 18 & up - Open until 4am EAGLE DJ Dance Party FRIENDS Happy Time Friday with Kelly & Bryan 6pm HERETIC PUMP featuring Atlanta’s hottest deejays - Occasional special events. No cover b4 11 HIDEAWAY $5 Smirnoff drinks & Martinis DJ Marc J. Cubs @10pm in back room JUNGLE The Other Show with Edie Cheezburger 9:30pm LIPS ATLANTA Glitz & Glamour Las Vegas Style MODEL T Texas Hold’em Poker 9pm MY SISTER’S ROOM Dance Party upstairs featuring Drag, DJs & Hosts OSCAR’S Music Video Night SWINGING RICHARDS T-Shirt Review,$10 TEN ATLANTA Music & Videos by DJ Daryl Cox 10pm TRIPPS Jeremy Presents “Skin” 4pm - 2am WOOFS Fur Fridays
Tuesday BLAKE’S Latin Night with Guest DJ’s • 1/2 Priced Menu ‘til Midnight BURKHART’S DRAG-EOKE with Angelica D’Paige at 10PM CLUB RUSH “Tipsy Tuesday” 18 & up - Open until 4am FRIENDS Let's Make A Deal with Ken 6-10pm HIDEAWAY Game night: Poker and blackjack 7:30 Trivia with Jason Walker 8:30 LAS MARGARITAS Cuban Night - $12.95 All You Can Eat Cuban Buffet & $5 Mojitos MODEL T Texas Hold’em Poker 7pm OSCAR’S Show Tune Tuesday with Chad- 8 pm SWINGING RICHARDS 1/2 Price cover WOOFS Poker Professional Hour BLAKE’S Party Pop Hits w/ Doug 3-9pm. “Voyeur Wednesday” Go-go guys, 10 p.m.
Saturday
BURKHART’S HUMPDAY KARAOKE with Darlene at 10PM FRIENDS Hump Night with Regina Simms HERETIC WarpZone Video Game Night 7pm - Pig Dance Black Out Party DJ Stan Jackson 10pm-3am NO COVER HIDEAWAY Beauty and the beat! Ruby Redd Charity Bingo @8:30 free to play. karaoke W/ Tyler @ 11:00 $ 3.00 well drinks all day long JUNGLE Dragnificent Season 4 - 9pm LIPS ATLANTA Bitchy Bingo MODEL T Wonderful Wednesdays 7pm MY SISTER’S ROOM Karaoke TRIPPS Hump Day Buffet Free Food @ 5 pm w/ Drink Purchase WOOFS Trivia and Bear Hump Hour
10TH & PIEDMONT Bottomless Mimosa Brunch BLAKE’S Open at 1pm • “Glitter Bomb” w Edie Cheezburger • Guest DJs Upstairs 10pm-close. BURKHART’S SYNERGY with Shawnna Brooks and Monica Van Pelt at 11PM CAMPAGNOLO Legendary Musician Robert Ray on the piano 10pm-1am EAGLE DJ Dance Party FRIENDS Free Pool 2-6pm HERETIC Varies. EARLY COUNTRY (8pm-12:30am) & LATE NIGHT DANCE with Billboard DJ MIKE POPE @12:30-close. No cover except special events. HIDEAWAY $2.50 All Well Drinks JUNGLE Fantasy Girls 9pm; Club Night, Various Guest DJ’s LIPS ATLANTA Glitz & Glamour Las Vegas Style MODEL T Texas Hold’em Poker 3pm MY SISTER’S ROOM Brunch 11:30am-4pm - Dance Party upstairs featuring Drag, DJs & Hosts OSCAR’S DJ Christopher Kind SWINGING RICHARDS T-Shirt Review $10 TEN ATLANTA Music & Videos by DJ Rob Reum 10pm WOOFS Game Day
Thursday
Sunday
BLAKE’S Texas Hold em Poker 7pm • #TBT 90's Divas with Shawnna Brooks 11pm BURKHART’S DANCEFLOOR DIVAS with Phoenix (RuPaul’s Drag Race s3) at 11:30PM EAGLE Balls Deep Karaoke w/ Mikey FACES LOUNGE The All Star Cabaret Drag Show & Karaoke FRIENDS Texas Hold'em 8:30pm; Ladies Nite 10pm HERETIC 3 Legged Cowboy Night 9pm Free dance lessons 8-9pm. No cover. HIDEAWAY Hot Mic’ Comedy w/ Ian Aber at 10pm followed by Karaoke at 11:30. Draft Beer Special LAS MARGARITAS Dirty South Trivia $5 Smirnoff & Cuervo Drinks. House Cash Prizes & $5 Wings LIPS ATLANTA Dinner with the Divas MODEL T Pre-Weekend Party! 7pm MY SISTER’S ROOM College Night - King of Thrones Drag Show OSCAR’S Twisted Thursday with Eric SWINGING RICHARDS 2-4-1 VIP & Entry WOOFS Country Music Night 7pm
10TH & PIEDMONT Bellini Brunch BLAKE’S Open at 1pm - Bloody Mary’s with Robin. Texas Hold em Poker Upstairs 2pm. • "Midtown Rouge" Drag Show w/ Peaches 8:30pm • High Energy with DJs Will Bryan & Bill Berdeaux. BURKHART’S Tossed Salad hosted by Brigitte Bidet - Music & Drinks 10pm - Showtime 10:30pm CLUB RUSH Hip Hop and R&B - 18 & up - Open until 4am FRIENDS Sunday Delights 2pm-closing HIDEAWAY $3.50 wells the Armorettes @8:00 LIPS ATLANTA Gospel Brunch w/ Bubba D. Licious LAS MARGARITAS Papi’s $17.95 Unlimited Brunch & Choice of Mimosas, Sangrias, Bloody Maria’s, & Mojitos MODEL T Karaoke for a Cause 8pm MY SISTER’S ROOM Brunch 11:30am-4pm - T Dance Party featuring $3 Mimosas & $5 Bloody Marys TEN ATLANTA Brunch 11am & music by DJ Rob Reum inside and DJ Robert Ansley on the patio 4pm TRIPPS 2nd & 4th Sunday - Tripp n Joe’s Open Mike Show 6pm WOOFS Sunday Funday
Wednesday
62 | 7.6.16
davidatlanta.com | 63
advice
the mystery, novelty and infatuation out to play. It’s also normal for the excitement to wane. It’s less common for guys to give up entirely. Most trade the initial interest for an interest in sharing their daily lives, enjoying the camaraderie of a partnership, and making this person a special part of their ongoing priorities. Whether from fear of abandonment, internalized homophobia or sheer narcissism, you have a mental block to that last part happening. Do you really want a relationship? Because a lot of your letter sounds like excuses to stay out of them. Consider finding help if necessary to learn this: Feelings are human, not feminine. Accepting them in others is key, but getting in touch with yours is a priority before you lead another guy down a road to disappointment. With a little work and a little help, you can break the pattern. Hey, Daddy!
HEY,
Daddy! Hey, Daddy!
I’ve been partnered for 17 years and married for 10. Well, married in Georgia for one, but you get the point. Somewhere along year seven, the thrill was gone. We love each other madly, but the romance left the building never to be seen again. About that time, I got out of my car and met the love of my life. We had a passionate month or so, but my marriage and his wife made us decide to end it. We see each other once a year but as I near the big 5-0 birthday, I wonder if I set what really mattered aside for what is safe. Still I Lament Love Yearly
I laughed off bitchy comments as jealousy of how Dear SILLY: much ass I get, but I’m starting to see a pattern and realize the grain of truth is that I start losing interest the Romance isn’t the fire; it’s the spark. Blame evolution. That exmoment there’s even a hint that the quest is conquered. citing, passionate, enveloping feeling that entirely preoccupies you serves a psychological, biological and sociological purpose. I’ve taken heat for being all about the chase, but now I It draws people together so powerfully that they do not see each realize it’s true. Even before sex, the more a guy hits on other accurately. They do not see faults and rush head-long into me, the more I wonder if they’re needy, have no con- a sexual relationship that sustains a social construct we all need. fidence (which I loathe), or aren’t really that attractive. Romance can be perpetuated by absence. You and your parI see feelings as effeminate, which kills my boner. When amour have extended the separation and therefore the fantasy. it comes to real dating, I can force myself to last about After romance comes a bonding that you have with your husthree months – because I really do want a relationship band, and is no less powerful and compelling. – but when I hear “I love you,” I’m out. Like, every time. The lasting bond is actually more rare and precious than the roI used to be proud of my hit-em-and-quit-em reputa- mantic kind of love. People fall in love all the time, but they don’t all tion, but lately the pattern is just depressing. Help! fall into daily lives as couples that last for years. Staying together for the day-in and day-out takes a special set of circumstances. But Love Is Not Desirable Deep down you know this already, and you and your annual fling made your decisions based on it a long time ago. Dear BLIND: Despite the age-old adage, what you don’t see is, in fact, hurting you. I’d be depressed too. Your carry-on baggage is chock full, so I’ll attempt to help you unpack some of it. It’s pretty common in men to go “all in” at the beginning, when the sexual chemistry is at its most potent, and the newness brings all 64 | 7.6.16
Daddy
Daddy loves his boys. He knows the answers you need, and you’re going to get them. Reach out to him with your burning questions via our editor, mike@davidatlanta.com. Warning: Advice given in this column is intended for entertainment and novelty purposes. Please proceed at your own risk.
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fairyscopes ARIES (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19):
LIBRA (Sep. 23 – Oct. 22):
TAURUS (Apr. 20 – May 20):
SCORPIO (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21):
GEMINI (May 21- Jun. 20):
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21):
CANCER (Jun. 21- Jul. 22):
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19):
LEO (Jul. 23 – Aug. 22):
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18):
VIRGO (Aug. 23 – Sep. 22):
PISCES (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20):
The trick is to avoid rushing to assumptions about how you feel. The situation is more complex than a single reaction can adequately encapsulate. Take time to acclimate. Not that something you recoil from at first will later prove an utter delight, but you might miss out on a more satisfying experience by heeding only your earliest reaction.
You’ll have a hard time ignoring the unmistakable evidence of interpersonal friction or conflict. But while you actively distance from the negative, you must actively identify and move toward the positive. If you don’t already have strong feelings about a person, give ‘em the benefit of the doubt and try to enjoy their company.
Rather than cower or cringe at how much you must get done, remind yourself that what you bring is unlike what anyone else offers. More than perfect qualifications or mastery, have confidence in your willingness to work with what you’ve got. Don’t let attention drift to complications or to replaying the past for emotional self-torture purposes.
It’s easier now to accurately convey what’s on your mind and have it be welcomed with accepting ears. You’re looking at the broader perspective with heightened idealism, allowing you to speak with sympathetic vision about how personal values and concerns are connected to the bigger picture. Offer ideas, opinions or advice, and strive to choose a rightful path.
Mindful inactivity is the appropriate way to simply be with the emotional self-realizations coagulating in your consciousness. To aim to ‘do something’ is to paddle against the current. You may encounter inner resistance to such a reflective pause, but don’t beat on yourself if you aren’t so productively busy. Existence, in and of itself, beckons.
To relish the fruits of sincerely belonging requires you to actually put yourself in the mix. Be as frank about your true feelings as possible to allow your comrades to connect with you, but frame it in a spirit of solution-driven collaboration. Better to take a group-minded lead and voice where you are than to defend an unconsciously undermining attitude later.
66 | 7.6.16
More details on your gay horoscope at
Astrobarry.com by Barry Perlman.
The most important quality you bring to a project, organization or governing board is when you actually care what happens beyond how it impacts you. You probably have a heartfelt connection, or you wouldn’t have stuck around. Lead with the part of you that’s legitimately invested. Your value goes up when you embody genuine passion.
Deploy your wide-lens, values-driven, integrity-oriented discernment in deciding just how you’d like to assert your agency during this critically self-defining month ahead. This is a piss-poor time to be flippant, vindictive, escapist, or obsessed with what anybody else is doing. Stand tall in the life you’ve deliberately built.
Don’t do anything crazy. The psychic complexity levels have palpably intensified, but it’s nothing you can’t deal with. The hardest part is to not just take responsive action merely to signal you’re a ‘take action’ kind of person. Wait it out. You’ll benefit from delving more deeply into questions and concerns via open negotiations.
Follow the desires of your other half, best friend, partnerin-crime or trusted collaborator. You’ll have a lighter, looser and more loving experience by considering the other person. There is no universally correct way to live, just variations of different temperaments, skills and aspirations. Just take note quietly of the ones that drive you crazy.
You’ll register professional tenacity not by aggressively insisting on taking the reins, but by quietly continuing to do the work that’ll back up your claim to authority. A war against anyone not living up to their esteemed role won’t be won on some declaration, but by demonstrating how to do it better. Define it through your actions.
Basking in the beauty that’s all around you right this very moment is just about the most effective statement you could make. Exemplify through deed rather than word what matters to you. Be aware of instances when you censor yourself from frolicking exactly as you’d like: The problem isn’t you, but your choice of incompatible peers.
Bitch
S E S S I O N
SEND US YOUR BITCHES! Text 404.969.BTCH, tweet @BitchSessionATL or email bitch@davidatlanta.com *This page reflects the bitchiness of the community not David Atlanta or its publisher (although we’re bitchy too!)
Love your life! People hate that.
Orlando was awful. AIDS in the ‘80s and ‘90s was worse. Don't forget the real massacre of our community.
We get it, your parents are important & rich. But, how did you end up so white trash and poor?
Nothing more disappointing than 'masc top' bragging about dominating me, and find out he's 5'2". Not today, Mighty Mouse.
Pretty sure my facial hair doesn't "give you life." stfu
Apparently, Gay Atlantans are all experts on #Brexit, Gorillas, and Prince. Who knew?
68 | 7.6.16
Where did 'on fleek' come from, and who do I have to kill to make it stop?
You had your 15 minutes of fame. It's over. Go home, you're (still) drunk.
Music Midtown lineup isn't homo enough. Try again.
When he says he's DDF, you don't have to take him at his word.