If you're headed up to Whistler or thinking about it, expect to see lots of hot guys up here. This aside from fresh snow, great ski conditions and incredibly beautiful weather.
I just left a hopping apres-ski social at Maxx Fish, where members of Seattle Ski Buddies are about to join a standing-room-only crowd in feasting their eyes on a group of go-go dancers. Cocktails and watching fit, half-dressed men dance in a bar after a day of skiing and snowboarding? Works for me! Although, I'm headed to the tube park for a bit of evening snow intertubing with a friend from SoCal. A late night party is scheduled at Buffalo Bills. There are snow-types here from all parts of the US, Canada and world.
Tomorrow's agenda includes a naked ski run, beginning at 1:00 pm. Talk about poles! There's also on and off-mountain lunches planned, an apres-ski social at Bear Foot Bistro and a masque/rave late night party at Maxx Fish. Besides snow-type stuff, you can check out a rock climbing gym, have coffee and dig into good reading material at various coffee shops and bakeries, or find a place in the village to cruise the sexy skiiers and snowboarders. That's a sport all its own.
I had a fantastic massage today at the lesbian-owned Solarice spa, and I can't believe I'm following that up with intertubing down a mountain. But, you gotta have fun! So if you're headed up here or want to, visit www.gaywhistler.com for updates and details on this week's event. I'm at Whistler through tomorrow, then headed back to Vancouver to rest my tired self. Accomodation recommendations in Vancouver are the Opus Hotel (www.opushotel.com) or the Sandman Suites on Davie (www.sandmanhotels.com), and at Whistler I suggest the Adara Hotel (www.adarahotel.com) or the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre (www.whistlervc.panpacific.com).
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Monday, February 6, 2006
Live from Gay Whistler Ski Week - Monday
The weather was absolutely fabulous up here at Whistler/Blackcomb today! And the gay boys, and a few girls, are beginning to collect for what's expected to be a fun, exciting week. In just minutes, a western gay night will start at Buffalo Bills. I find the locals, who I'll refer to as Whistlers, to be quite friendly and helpful.
For those who haven't been to Whistler, it's a two hour drive or bus ride from downtown Vancouver. Whistler Village, where the majority of hotels are located is where most gay visitors are staying. It's a small resort town, but filled with great boutiques, specialty restaurants, cafes and of course, ski equipment rental and sales shops.
Whistler is pricey, and skiing as a sport isn't cheap so expect to spend some cash. But you can cut costs in several ways, most notably by eating in vs. eating out. The IGA grocery store has everything you need, fresh produce, meats, prepared food, bakery, and it even has a Pizza Hut inside that offers $4.79 personal pan pizzas. You'll also find McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks here. I ran into two gay couples at the IGA who taught me something new about bananas. Hmmm...
Besides skiing (I'm actually not a ski lover), you can roam around and shop, go to a movie ("Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "Good Night, and Good Luck"" are all playing here), visit the library, go for scenic walks, go ziptreking (an outdoor activity for anyone not afraid of heights), OR you can cruise the hot looking men - straight, gay and everything in between. I'm smitten at the moment with a young Australian attendant working in my hotel. By the way, there are a lot of young Australian men here - and they're all beautiful and friendly.
On tomorrow's agenda, aside from snow activities, is an after-ski social at Maxx Fish and a late night party at a yet-to-be announced location.
For those who haven't been to Whistler, it's a two hour drive or bus ride from downtown Vancouver. Whistler Village, where the majority of hotels are located is where most gay visitors are staying. It's a small resort town, but filled with great boutiques, specialty restaurants, cafes and of course, ski equipment rental and sales shops.
Whistler is pricey, and skiing as a sport isn't cheap so expect to spend some cash. But you can cut costs in several ways, most notably by eating in vs. eating out. The IGA grocery store has everything you need, fresh produce, meats, prepared food, bakery, and it even has a Pizza Hut inside that offers $4.79 personal pan pizzas. You'll also find McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks here. I ran into two gay couples at the IGA who taught me something new about bananas. Hmmm...
Besides skiing (I'm actually not a ski lover), you can roam around and shop, go to a movie ("Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "Good Night, and Good Luck"" are all playing here), visit the library, go for scenic walks, go ziptreking (an outdoor activity for anyone not afraid of heights), OR you can cruise the hot looking men - straight, gay and everything in between. I'm smitten at the moment with a young Australian attendant working in my hotel. By the way, there are a lot of young Australian men here - and they're all beautiful and friendly.
On tomorrow's agenda, aside from snow activities, is an after-ski social at Maxx Fish and a late night party at a yet-to-be announced location.
Grammy Central: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
About 48 hours to go before the big night! This is the last category being highlighted before the ceremony. You can check out my prediction and picks for Album, Record and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist in this week's issue of the Seattle Gay News. The link is below. I'll do a last-minute update and preview on Wednesday.
http://sgn.org/sgnnews34_05/page21.cfm
I've had a great time doing this for you. Keep track of the Oscars race with my fab co-writer Lorelei Quenzer right here. Here's a look at an always-close race.
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
It's Like That - Mariah Carey
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Good is Good - Sheryl Crow
I Will Not Be Broken - Bonnie Raitt
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
This is a closely watched category each year, and this time around it features the top three selling female artists of 2005 in an all-out catfight, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani. Missing from the list are Madonna and Fiona Apple.
My prediction is that it's too close to call between Carey, Stefani and Clarkson. Grammy voters usually reward younger artists here (Norah Jones, Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado), so that bodes well for the latter two. Carey, riding on a hugely successful year, may get a boost from voters who feel 5 million copies sold of "The Emancipation of Mimi" has to be recognized outside of the major races.
My personal pick is Kelly Clarkson. Plain and simple, as the category title suggests, it's the best performance turned in of these five respected contenders.
http://sgn.org/sgnnews34_05/page21.cfm
I've had a great time doing this for you. Keep track of the Oscars race with my fab co-writer Lorelei Quenzer right here. Here's a look at an always-close race.
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
It's Like That - Mariah Carey
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Good is Good - Sheryl Crow
I Will Not Be Broken - Bonnie Raitt
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
This is a closely watched category each year, and this time around it features the top three selling female artists of 2005 in an all-out catfight, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani. Missing from the list are Madonna and Fiona Apple.
My prediction is that it's too close to call between Carey, Stefani and Clarkson. Grammy voters usually reward younger artists here (Norah Jones, Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado), so that bodes well for the latter two. Carey, riding on a hugely successful year, may get a boost from voters who feel 5 million copies sold of "The Emancipation of Mimi" has to be recognized outside of the major races.
My personal pick is Kelly Clarkson. Plain and simple, as the category title suggests, it's the best performance turned in of these five respected contenders.
Sunday, February 5, 2006
Live from Gay Whistler Ski Week
Greetings from Whistler, BC! The Seattle Gay News joins a small group of gay press-media representatives covering the festivities, including Genre, Diva and Gay.com. I will be up here through Wednesday morning, providing you with as much information as I can on the current and upcoming agenda.
The bus ride from downtown Vancouver to Whistler was about two hours and quite scenic. It's so beautiful in these parts! I met a very nice gay couple from Birmingham, Alabama on the bus ride to Whistler, and at least a dozen gay skiers and fun-seekers were on our bus as well.
A welcome party at the Telus Conference Center is under way and a post-reception takes place at Buffalo Bills. The gay boys thus far are, as you'd expect from avid and novice skier and snowboarder-types, fit and easy on the eye.
Tomorrow, asides from snow activities, there are on-mountain and off-mountain lunches for gay visitors and an after-ski social at Monk's Grill. The weather is gorgeous - the snow is terrific - and the party action is just heating up. If you plan on heading up here or want to, visit www.gaywhistler.com for hotel information. I recommend the newly opened, splashy-cool Adara Hotel. (604) 905-4009.
Off to party and meet the skiers! Type to ya later.
The bus ride from downtown Vancouver to Whistler was about two hours and quite scenic. It's so beautiful in these parts! I met a very nice gay couple from Birmingham, Alabama on the bus ride to Whistler, and at least a dozen gay skiers and fun-seekers were on our bus as well.
A welcome party at the Telus Conference Center is under way and a post-reception takes place at Buffalo Bills. The gay boys thus far are, as you'd expect from avid and novice skier and snowboarder-types, fit and easy on the eye.
Tomorrow, asides from snow activities, there are on-mountain and off-mountain lunches for gay visitors and an after-ski social at Monk's Grill. The weather is gorgeous - the snow is terrific - and the party action is just heating up. If you plan on heading up here or want to, visit www.gaywhistler.com for hotel information. I recommend the newly opened, splashy-cool Adara Hotel. (604) 905-4009.
Off to party and meet the skiers! Type to ya later.
Saturday, February 4, 2006
Grammy Central: Best Pop Vocal Album
In case you haven't heard, Madonna is scheduled to perform at Wednesday's Grammy Awards ceremony with Gorillaz. Joining them on the performers lineup are Coldplay, U2 with Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Mariah Carey with Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir, John Legend, Ciara, Keith Urban, Faith Hill and many more.
Here's a look at another exciting race going into Wednesday night.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
Wildflower - Sheryl Crow
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - Paul McCartney
Love.Angel.Music.Baby - Gwen Stefani
What an interesting category. Paul McCartney vs. Fiona Apple vs. Kelly Clarkson Wow! Not to mention a pair of new and veteran Grammy darlings, Stefani and Crow.
My prediction is that Paul McCartney will win, if only because he's performing on the program and Grammy voters love to honor rock dinosaurs. He's also nominated for Album of the Year, as is Gwen Stefani, which gives him a nice lift.
My personal pick is Kelly Clarkson. I'd love to see Fiona Apple win for her torchy rock collection, but I actually think she belongs in a different category. Clarkson's terrific pop standout is fueled by four major hits, all of them ear-pleasing, and she defined herself as a force in the music world to be reckoned with long after her "Idol" days.
Here's a look at another exciting race going into Wednesday night.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
Wildflower - Sheryl Crow
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - Paul McCartney
Love.Angel.Music.Baby - Gwen Stefani
What an interesting category. Paul McCartney vs. Fiona Apple vs. Kelly Clarkson Wow! Not to mention a pair of new and veteran Grammy darlings, Stefani and Crow.
My prediction is that Paul McCartney will win, if only because he's performing on the program and Grammy voters love to honor rock dinosaurs. He's also nominated for Album of the Year, as is Gwen Stefani, which gives him a nice lift.
My personal pick is Kelly Clarkson. I'd love to see Fiona Apple win for her torchy rock collection, but I actually think she belongs in a different category. Clarkson's terrific pop standout is fueled by four major hits, all of them ear-pleasing, and she defined herself as a force in the music world to be reckoned with long after her "Idol" days.
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Oscars Central: To rent or not (able) to rent?
So ... you've got your list of Oscar-nominated movies and your list of the films you haven't seen yet, and you know what? They're practically identical. Well, that's what happens when you stay holed up in your apartment during these long rainy months.
The good news: you can get a few of the nominated films on DVD, maybe even enough to convince yourself that you can make a prediction. At least in the Feature Animation and Documentary categories. The bad news: Most of the big films won't be out on DVD until after the awards ceremony, thus prolonging their hold on the box office. More bad news: one foreign film (Italy's Don't Tell) and two of the documentaries (Street Fight and Darwin's Nightmare) haven't been scheduled for DVD release. Street Fight and Don't Tell may not see the light of day in the US.
Sigh. Looks like you'll have to venture out of doors - however briefly - to see what you need to see by March 5th.
On DVD: Batman Begins, 1 nom; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 1 nom; Cinderella Man, 2 noms; The Constant Gardener, 4 noms; Crash, 6 noms; Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, 1 nom - documentary; Hustle & Flow, 2 noms; Junebug, 1 nom; March of the Penguins, 1 nom - documentary; Murderball, 1 nom - documentary; Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, 1 nom - animation; and War of the Worlds, 3 noms.
Coming to DVD before the Oscars: North Country, 2 noms, DVD 2/21; Pride and Prejudice, 4 noms, DVD 2/28; and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 1 nom - animation, DVD 2/7.
Opening in theaters before the Oscars are three of the feature foreign film nominees: Joyeux Noel, from France, opens 3/3; Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, from Germany, opens some time in February; and Tsotsi, from South Africa, opens on 2/24. It's not clear whether Seattle will get them immediately upon their theatrical release or if we'll have to wait. Guess it'll depend on which film wins.
Still in theaters: Brokeback Mountain, 8 noms, DVD in May; Capote, 5 noms, DVD 3/14; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 2 noms, DVD in April; Good Night, and Good Luck, 6 noms, DVD 3/14; King Kong, 4 noms, DVD in March; Match Point, 1 nom, DVD in May; Memoirs of a Geisha, 6 noms, DVD sometime in March; Mrs. Henderson Presents, 2 noms, DVD in April; Munich, 5 noms, DVD in May; The New World, 1 nom, no projected date for DVD; Pride and Prejudice, 4 noms, DVD 2/28; Syriana, 2 noms, DVD 4/11; Transamerica, 2 noms, DVD in May; and Walk the Line, 5 noms, DVD in June.
You can still catch it ... in Tacoma: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 1 nom, DVD 3/7; and The Squid and the Whale, 1 nom, DVD 3/21. Actually, if you're quick you can catch TS&TW at Queen Anne's Uptown tonight, but it leaves on Friday.
Coming to DVD after the Oscars: all of the films still playing in theaters except Pride and Prejudice; A History of Violence, 2 noms, DVD 3/14; Howl's Moving Castle, 1 nom - animation, DVD 3/7; and Paradise Now, 1 nom - foreign, DVD 3/21.
Note: all DVD release dates are for Region 1 Formats.
North Country photo courtesy Warner Brothers Studios.
Shemekia Copeland performing one show Superbowl Sunday at Jazz Alley
In deference to Super Bowl Sunday - and our fabulous Seahawks - Jazz Alley has whittled its Sunday night lineup down to a single performance from the equally fabulous Shemekia Copeland. Instead of the previously scheduled 6:30 and 8:30 pm shows, Copeland will be taking the stage just once, at 7:30 pm.
Football's not really on my radar screen, but Shemekia Copeland is... check out my preview from last week's Seattle Gay News for the scoop. Going to a Super Bowl bust? Just don't fill up on the ubiquitous hot wings and beer at the XL party - save room in your tummy for a nice nosh and room in your ears for awesome blues and R&B. You can make your reservation by calling 206-441-9725.
Photo courtesy of www.shemekiacopeland.com; photo credit: Larry Busacca.
Football's not really on my radar screen, but Shemekia Copeland is... check out my preview from last week's Seattle Gay News for the scoop. Going to a Super Bowl bust? Just don't fill up on the ubiquitous hot wings and beer at the XL party - save room in your tummy for a nice nosh and room in your ears for awesome blues and R&B. You can make your reservation by calling 206-441-9725.
Photo courtesy of www.shemekiacopeland.com; photo credit: Larry Busacca.
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