Jon McLaughlin interviews with Seattle Gay News on July 25

Jon McLaughlin has accomplished something that people spend their entire lives dreaming about...appearing on the Academy Awards. The 25 year-old performed the nominated song "So Close", from Disney's Enchanted, on this year's Oscars telecast.

The native Midwesterner, born and raised in Indiana, will release his second album in October featuring the initial single "Beating My Heart". Watch the music video for it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foA0CFgu08M. Um, try not to drool.

McLaughlin performs live at Seattle's The Triple Door on Sunday, July 27. For reservations, visit http://www.thetripledoor.net/. But before he even arrives in the Emerald City, he's speaking to Seattle Gay News in our July 25 issue. Add grabbing a copy of our newspaper to this weekend's "to do" list and become familiar with the young, talented Jon McLaughlin who has already toured with Kelly Clarkson, Colbie Caillat, and Sara Bareilles.

Photo courtesy of Island Records.

Pemberton Festival coverage begins July 24

Seattle Gay News is heading to the first-ever Pemberton Festival next weekend (July 25-27), just outside Whistler ski resort. The three-day music festival in British Columbia includes Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Wolfmother, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Secret Machines, Flaming Lips, The Crystal Method and Metric, to name a few.

Exclusive coverage of the Pemberton Festival begins on July 24 from Vancouver BC. If you are heading to Pemberton from the Northwest-US, check our daily blogs for information on transportation, accommodations, and of course, highlights from the festival.

To relieve yourself of traffic headaches, we advise taking Amtrak (www.amtrak.com/) from Seattle to Vancouver BC ($76 roundtrip), then taking the Whistler Mountaineer (www.whistlermountaineer.com/) to Whistler. There, a shuttle will be available to transport festivalgoers to-from Pemberton. If staying overnight in Vancouver, we recommend the always-cool and rock star-friendly Opus Hotel (www.opushotel.com/).

Seattle Gay News is pleased to call Sundial Boutique Hotel (www.sundialhotel.com/) in Whistler our homebase for the Pemberton Festival. For hotel accommodations and other information in Whistler, visit www.tourismwhistler.com/. A full list of performing artists and daily lineup for the Pemberton Festival is located at www.pembertonfestival.com/.

Weezer in Seattle - Seattle Gay News has the scoop

Seattle Gay News was among the giddy pass-holders for Weezer's "Hootennany" stop in the Emerald City.

From a balcony at The Vera Project last Saturday evening, right above lead singer Rivers Cuomo, we overlooked an ensemble of guitars, strings, cellists, horn players, flutes, and even a gong. It was a recording session that lasted two hours, complete with a photo at the end.

Grab a copy of Seattle Gay News this week, out on June 27, to get the full scoop of Weezer's one of a kind shindig at The Vera Project here in Seattle.

FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS AND A FOND FAREWELL TO PROVINCETOWN

Lights! Camera! Action! Awards! The 10th Annual Provincetown Film Festival came to a glittering climax tonight as the HBO Audience Choice Awards were given in six categories. The top prize (for best feature film) went to Frozen River, a triumph for first-time director Courtney Hunt. The film was also an award winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

The closing night party was held at The Boatslip, one of Provincetown’s best known and best loved gay venues (where daily tea dances are one of the town’s staples). After the party, I took my very own bar crawl – to Gifford House (with its Porchside Lounge, a casual place to hang out and chat – Club Purgatory, a more serious leather den – and a Lobby Piano Bar). At Atlantic House (“A-House” to those familiar with it) I found a dance bar, smaller bar and a Macho Bar (use your imagination!) And at the Crown and Anchor (where I’m residing) which has so many bar venues that I’ve lost count! Talk about a full service resort!

So I bid a fond farewell to Provincetown. Hope you’ve enjoyed my tales of adventure. I hope to be back soon…….

THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER IN PROVINCETOWN

The first official day of summer brought in the season with a bang. The town was comparatively quiet during the last few days. But the weekend has arrived, and Commercial Street is packed with revelers, the clubs are bursting with patrons as the Provincetown Film Festival has its next-to-last day.

Musical fan that I am, I went to see Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway, a movie which follows the development of the Tony-winning musical adapted from the classic film. Doug Hughes, Pulitzer Prize winning author was on hand to discuss his contributions to the musical and was in very good humor. Next on my list was a movie I had been dying to see for months: Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story. This affectionate, very funny look at the king of movie schlock had the audience laughing out loud at Castle’s escapades in publicizing his movies with outrageously tacky stunts.

Tomorrow promises a glittering closing night party at which the festival awards will be presented. Will fill you in on all the details, so stay tuned…..

I hated to go indoors on this sunny day, but really wanted to see more films in this 10th anniversary edition of the Provincetown Film Fest. What lured me indoors was Anita O’Day: Life of a Music Legend, a riveting documentary on the life of the legendary jazz singer who, while not a household word, is revered among jazz buffs as one of the greats. The movie was a knockout, as was its subject. Don’t miss this one.

The next film I caught was When I Knew, in which GLBT people are asked to talk about the moment they knew that they were drawn to people of their own gender. It’s a touching and funny short film.
On the way back from the fest, I stopped in for a cool drink at The Gifford House, a complex that has a piano bar, a porchside lounge and the Purgatory Dance Club. Not wanting to stay in purgatory too long, I set off for home – which is the Crown & Anchor Inn, and hung out at their piano bar for a while – where guests were in the throes of show-tune heaven…..More from the Seattle Gay News (and purgatory and heaven) tomorrow. Please stay tuned….

What a day! It’s 1:30 a.m. and I just got back from a fabulously unreal time at the Wellfleet Drive-In Theater, where a special film program was shown as part of the Provincetown International Film Festival. It was a double bill of The Tingler, a so-bad-it’s-good scare-fest directed by William Castle (from 1959) and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, the masterpiece of horror (produced by Castle). I’ve only been to three drive-in theaters in my life – but there’s nothing like it. This theater just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007.

Earlier today, I saw Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, a superbly constructed documentary that exposes the corrupt forces behind Polanski’s trial for having sex with a minor, but does not sufficiently address his culpability for seducing a 13-year old girl.

The sun is still out in full force – and I was able to catch some rays after grabbing a great breakfast at The Patio – a local eatery where you can watch the passing parade on Commercial Street. I will be back tomorrow, continuing my coverage from the tip of Cape Cod for the Seattle Gay News….