Bay Area Reporter
Going Out, Homing's in, May 19-27 2022
Days and nights continue to fill up with festive fun in nightlife, arts and community events. Scroll on, and find your fave form of fun.
'Downton Abbey: A New Era' -— Hit Brit Sequel Not so New, but Not so Bad
'Downton Abbey' never pretends to be anything more than what it is: A romanticized, frothy soap opera fantasy with expensive china that will warm you like a well-worn angora sweater.
Women on the Verge: The Lavender Tube on 'Million,' 'Candy,' Soap Nuptuals, & 'Law & Order's Big Mistake
Women take center stage in several TV dramas, from soap opera weddings to creepy killers making headlines, and passionate affairs.
Lady Zen: Acclaimed Jazz Vocalist at Oasis
Lady Zen is one of the best singers you may never have heard of. With operatic training and a natural feel for jazz, country music, and the fusion of all three, she has been called a "shockingly good" singer.
Heartstopper: Netflix Gay Teen Romance's Winning Formula
"Heartstopper," the sensational British coming-of-age TV series on first love, friendship, coming out, and mental health, has become the darling of social media.
'Harts' Desire' - Mark Nadler's meet-cute musical at Theatre Rhinoceros
San Francisco's Theater Rhinoceros hosts the debut of an altogether different 'Hart to Hart' (not the TV show) project from gay cabaret ace Mark Nadler, a solo show abrim with its own bonanza of queer bonafides.
I (Still) Want my MTV: Queering the Once-Diverse Music Channel
Several months ago, MTV celebrated its 40th birthday, with no mention of the subtext of the channel: The open exploration of the use of ambisexuality as a visual and cultural hook. Let's take a queer look back at some music video highlights.
Strong: Gay Weightlifter Inspires New Kids' Book
Gay author Eric Rosswood wants LGBT kids to believe in themselves. In his new children's picture book "Strong," Rosswood tells the story of Rob Kearney, a gay strongman who trains himself to lift hundreds of pounds.
Going Out, Homing's in, May 6-13, 2022
May continues to blossom with fresh new arts, nightlife and community events, some with a bit of a gothic edge.
King of Filth: John Water's 'Liarmouth'
Step aside, Dawn Davenport. There's a new bitch in town and she means business. Her name is Marsha "Liarmouth" Sprinkle, and she dominates all the depravity in filthy filmmaker and bestselling author John Waters' debut novel, "Liarmouth."
Paul Mendez's 'Rainbow Milk' - an Auspicious Literary Debut
Raw and transcendent are the words applicable to Paul Mendez's semi-autobiographical debut novel "Rainbow Milk," a multi-generational dissection of sexuality, race, and religion on the rocky evolution of a young gay Black man set in England.
Pandemic Prose: Excerpts from 'Arlene Francis & Me - Pandemic Diaries from Castro Street 2020'
While we holed up indoors in 2020 — which now seems like much more than two years ago — prolific local gay author Mark Abramson took notes.
Gran Fury's Glory: Jack Lowery Discusses His Book, 'It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic'
In "It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic," author Jack Lowery fully explores the history of Gran Fury, the ACT UP activist-artist collective that cleverly incorporated advertising styled messaging.
Legacies, Loss and Losers: The Lavender Tube on Vampires, Cute Teens, and the Antigay AFA
Catch up with a gay romance on "Legacies," the end of "Batwoman," and rightwing hissy fits over queer-inclusive commercials.
Eli Conley: Queer Trans Country Artists to Perform in East Bay
On May 15, Eli Conley will be perform in Queer Country West Coast at the Ivy Room in Albany. It's an afternoon show with Conley, Mya Byrne, Polythene Pam and Side Pony.
Ocean Vuong's Rainbow Afterglow: Poet Returns with 'Time Is a Mother'
One true way to envision Ocean Vuong is as, if not The Survivor, a survivor. His newly released second book of poems was occasioned by the silence that enveloped him after the death of his mother.
Going Out, Homing's In, April 29-May 6, 2022
May the 4th, through 6th and beyond, for this week, bring you arts, nightlife and community events of interest, plus online amusements as well.
The Art of Ajuan Mance at the Cartoon Museum
Opening April 30 and running until August 7, San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum presents the art of Ajuan Mance as part of its ongoing Emerging Artist Showcase. The Mills College professor is known for her vibrant portrait series, '1001 Black Men.'
'Firebird's flight: Peeter Rebane and Tom Prior's Russian Cold War love story
When "Firebird" screened at last year's Frameline Festival in the just re-opened Castro Theatre, it received a deserved standing ovation from the nearly full house. The Russian love story is back, screening locally and internationally.
Homecoming Queen: Alejandro Varela's 'The Town of Babylon'
The problematic return of a gay Latinx man to his hometown after decades away is supreme fodder for an engrossing and melodramatic novel, and debut author Alejandro Varela seems more than happy to seize the moment.