Recap: Good Morning, From Here, May 10 – 16
Good Morning, From Here, May 12, Monday
I hope everybody had a weekend like mine! With not one but two Mother’s Days back to back to celebrate being the mom of my kitty Bogie, I did only what I wanted for 2 days straight. I futzed in my garden a little, caught a few rays, didn’t nap because I didn’t have to leave the house for over 72 hours. So, no makeup, no shoes, just tending to whatever caught my eye, like remaking a dress I bought with my sister Patrice at the tianguis in Coapinole a few weeks back. I was hesitant to buy it because it was an extra small, and I am not that anymore, but it turned out to be salvageable, and bonus – it’s pure silk!!! A bargain for 10 or 20 pesos only. It was a tricky fix, but my brain unscrambled long enough to remedy the situation, and I may wear it tonight to Casa Karma. Pictures later!
On Friday, the last human face I saw was Sandra Bradley’s. She and I met at Casita & Garden to watch and listen to Tromba Vetusta, the couple of lovebirds from Costa Rica who deliver delicious mini-concerts around Vallarta every few weeks. Sandra and I nibbled on assorted olives and edamame. We listened to Dabit Azofeifa play accordion and violin as Ale(jandra) Matus sang in multiple languages to each one of us in the audience. To observe these two perform onstage is akin to watching their hearts beat in a single rhythm. They rarely tear their eyes off one another, remembering somewhere in their subconsciousness not to forget those who came to see them.
I think the two would be perfectly suited on a desert island – as long as they had music to make together, they would be blissfully unaware of anything else. And so when Ale or Dabit find your eyes in a crowd, you are welcomed in like family.
I don’t know how Dabit makes accordion-playing sexy, but he does.
Vocalist and cellist Kath Sparo lent some interesting undertones to Tromba Vetusta. The trio will introduce a new collaboration next month; I will let you know when and where.
Tonight, a fundraiser at Casa Karma for the Gay+ Community Center. The amazingly funny and poignant – at the same time – storyteller Jamie Brickhouse returns to Vallarta with his outstanding production “Dangerous When Wet.” I will have a full report in the morning.
This week before Pride kicks off is loaded with cool things to see and do, starting with a(nother) Gay Mixer, brought to you by Out & About Puerto Vallarta magazine at Coco Cabaret on Tuesday. Then, the Gay Art Walk on Wednesday. Thursday has the first ever Gloria Fiona and Kim Archer collab at Nacho Daddy, a Reception for Cuban artist Joaquin at Arte Vallarta on Friday, Luis Villanuevas’ new show at La Catrina Cantina on Saturday afternoon, and Sargento’s last Mentiras at Nacho Daddy on Sunday.
See you at all of the above, From Here.
Good Morning, From Here, May 13, Tuesday
If this is Tuesday, then it must be a great shopping day! I am meeting Sharon, then we are descending on the colonia of Coapinole for their fabulous outdoor tianguis, then La Comer for coffee and Costco, and be done and home by noon. That’s the plan anyway! A full report on the extravagant abundance in the morning.
Yesterday afternoon, I hopped a taxi south to Conchas Chinas and the gorgeous villa that is Casa Karma for a very special event. Jamie Brickhouse flew in from New York City to perform his one-man show “Dangerous When Wet” as a fundraiser for the new Vallarta Gay+ Community Center. A small, select crowd filled the living room with views of the sun setting in Banderas Bay.
Prior to the show, Jamie mingled with everybody that he towered over in his six-inch high, bright red heels, showing off his magnificent legs in short shorts. Two large tables were covered in delectable food prepared by Casa Karma’s chef, Javier. Tiny tarts stuffed with creamed mushrooms, an extraordinary cranberry and maple-baked brie, crudités, and a whole bunch more meat-related finger foods like two-bite pizzas. Fabulous, all of it. I didn’t even think of taking photos of the dessert table after the show, with tea, hot chocolate, chocolate raspberry mousse, cornbread, cookies, and more. The atmosphere was vibrant and filled with laughter, enhancing the evening’s charm.
But let’s go back to the reason we gathered at Casa Karma… Jamie described in detail his first taste of alcohol when he was five years old. The most telling was that it tasted like being an adult. All he ever wanted to be a child – a stylish, sophisticated adult with a martini in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and his head thrown back in laughter. A perfect Joan Crawford moment extended into all parts of his adulthood.
His stories of growing up in Texas with a Southern Belle for a mom – Mama Jean – are funny and sometimes creepy, as are all childhood memories at times. His coming out as gay happened against the backdrop of Acapulco’s Princess Hotel. Once he escaped Texas for New York City, his new chic lifestyle revolving around parties and alcohol took hold hard and eventually nearly killed him.
His tales of recovery, rehab, and his redemption — by promising his mother, in her last moments of sanity, that he would stop drinking, resonated deeply through all of us listening. He has held fast to his promise more than a decade after she passed of Lewy Body Dementia, the same neurological disease that inflicted Robin Williams. Jamie is a warmly wonderful storyteller. In voice, mannerisms, and a brilliant mind to remember nearly 90 minutes of dialogue without a break. I wish he would have brought copies of his books from which his one-man shows have sprung, as they would have added even more depth to the intimate evening. His narratives lingered long after the final applause and well-deserved standing ovation, weaving a lasting impression in our hearts.
Jamie Brickhouse is here until the end of the week. We have promised to get together over mango smoothies and hugs, From Here.
Good Morning, From Here, May 14, Wednesday
When all the plans are smooth as silk, a gremlin pops up and seemingly messes with your day. I have learned to observe the changes as an opportunity I hadn’t considered before the interruption or disruption. My long day of shopping with Sharon was disrupted half an hour before it could begin by circumstances beyond her control, so instead of the entire morning of shopping, I hit Costco and La Comer and was finished within an hour, which left me energy to spend at Open Mic that hadn’t been on the calendar at all. AND, it turned out to be one of the best Open Mics I have had the pleasure to sit through! More on that in a second.
The moral of the story is to make plans but do them with the anticipation that they will go awry and create an entirely different adventure!
I was late getting to Coco Cabaret last evening for the Gay Mixer. It was packed by the time I arrived, with Hedda Lettuce lovingly haranguing the audience – that was SRO, with all the chairs removed to contain the crowd. Coco had put together some entertainment snippets, including a taste of Waleska’s fabulous Madonna Tribute, Steven Retchless’s Britney Spears, and the very sexy Boys on Fire that I had to miss so that I would not be late for the start of Open Mic, a couple of blocks over at Nacho Daddy.
I chatted for a while with co-owner Tammy, who was uncharacteristically sitting at her bar with Sargento Dan, who has two shows at Nacho Daddy that nobody should miss next week. The first is his farewell performance of Mentiras, which will go down in Vallarta’s history as one of the most inventive, clever shows ever to be produced in the city. The second is a one-night-only performance with Amy Armstrong. They will sing duets and solos of only happy songs. Now, that is like a breath of fresh air! Check Vallarta Calendar for show details.
Tuesday’s Open Mic might continue into June IF those left in Vallarta can peel themselves away from home and get to Nacho Daddy to boost the audience numbers. The entire upstairs of ND was full of entertainers, a handful of whom I had not heard before: Holy cow and OMG. Everybody was on their best game – full moon charm, perhaps? Two, nope, ALL the singers were incredible. I have never heard Will Walker nor Kimberly Grandi sound better, and Gloria Fiona, with her brand new wife of two days! was simply spectacular twice. The first was a sultry song nobody had heard before, and then the challenging “Time to Say Goodbye” in Italian, Gloria’s native tongue, left us breathless.
The downside of the night was that nobody made any money. Entertainers support other entertainers with their love and applause, but paying the bills in the summertime has to take precedence.
So, Vallarta, you have had your rest! Get out and participate on Tuesday, May 27, upstairs at Nacho Daddy, where Selena Luna will host the next Open Mic & Cheese.
Look for an article in Vallarta Mirror today on Angeloo, who gave us some “Don’t Cry” by Guns ‘N Roses last night From Here.
Good Morning, From Here, May 15, Thursday
I love Vallarta when it’s quiet in the morning. When each sound can be picked out and separated because there are so few, those weird frogs that live by the river two blocks from me sound like owls hooting. A car or two accelerates on Juarez, and birds converse quietly as if they are respecting those still asleep.
Is anybody else hearing the different electrical sounds? Like the hum of a refrigerator but doesn’t generate from there. It’s like the world is purring. Sometimes, I can feel the sounds through my bare feet on the floor.
Pride starts in two days and the big parade is one week from today. I hope to hook up again with Sharon and find a table ringside somewhere on the Malecon and scream, yell, and cheer for our myriad of gay friends who participate in the most joyous celebratory parade ever. Genders are most definitely blurring as we continue to evolve; change is the only constant.
Not all gay men enjoy the hoopla and in-your-face gay-ness, content to be on the sidelines quietly being themselves without needing to shout the fact. One Hollander explained his life growing up in the Netherlands to me as being in a war – him against everybody and everything just because he was gay. He doesn’t celebrate war nor Pride. He accepts and respects others’ desire for the flash/bang, but he is tired enough from the fighting.
I am going to see Kim Archer and Gloria Fiona tonight at Nacho Daddy at 8:30. An unusual pairing. Check back in the morning for a full report!
Tomorrow, Friday, will be an artist reception for Cuban printmaker Joaquin up the hill on Pilitas in Zona Romantica at Arte Vallarta. From 6 to 8 pm, you can see displays of Joaquin’s work and practice your Spanish!
Sargento Dan’s brilliant one-man show, “Mentiras” (Lies), closes on Saturday, May 18, at Nacho Daddy at 7 pm. Sargento has taken the longest-running Mexican musical in history and whittled down this multi-cast member soap opera into an experience you will never forget. This will be my third time seeing this version, and I can’t wait for it.
Sargento is very excited to fly up to Canada in June for the first time. He will land in Vancouver if memory serves, then make his way to Vancouver Island, meet up with his “Mother” Gouda Gabor, perform their version of “Glee” that they did here this season, and then fly home to Vallarta. There will be stories to tell about this working vacation for months to come!
Today, I will play in my tiny garden, enjoy the sunshine, and do some work with love and diligence. Enjoy this deliciously perfect day From Here.
Good Morning, From Here, May 16, Friday
Happy First Anniversary to my beautifully exotic Humphrey Bogart, aka Bogie. A year ago today, I picked him up at Nathalie Herling’s Arte Vallarta, the handoff executed by Alan Ross, her second-in-command. Bogie and I are still learning – and unlearning, behaviors as we go along.
I mentioned something last night to him about the possibility of some kitty crack for him to celebrate our big day that only comes once in a lifetime. He slept with me almost the entire night to ensure I did not forget. (I am so easily bribed.) Thank you, Nathalie and Alan, for the great gift of him. I am eternally grateful.
I am grateful, too, for an unexpectedly fantastic concert last night at Nacho Daddy. A good crowd attended, given the short notice. I went with curiosity foremost in my head, and by the time 90 minutes had flown by, I had a dozen ideas for this unlikely pair.
Gloria Fiona sang, but almost nothing you would expect her to sing. Kim Archer accompanied on guitars – six and 12-string (how I would love to hear more of the latter) and sang a little solo but mostly incredibly fine harmonies.
Gloria and Kim put this show together in two weeks; during that time, Gloria had her wedding. I am so excited to hear what the future has in store for these two. I hope they spend the summer working on a playlist that will have both of them shining like superstars.
Some of the mashups they created were masterful, interesting, and gutsy. Like “Tennessee Whiskey” and “What’s Up?” with Kim and Gloria trading songs midway through and the audience happily helping with “What’s going on?” WOW, is what went on! It was a supercharged rendition of two old and one very overdone song.
There were songs from the 70s with a singalong from John Denver. It put me right back in the Red Room at Act2PV years ago for the first time I ever heard the brilliant Renee Armand and Paul Alleman do a show together. All that joy flew back on one Country Road.
There is work for Kim and Gloria to be done, of course, but if last night is any indication of what these two musicians can do together in only two weeks, then clear a path Vallarta for some serious, rapidly-paced, excellent music with the odd ballad pitched into the energetic mix just to give the musicians a bit of a breather. Otherwise, it was a finger-snapping, toe-tapping, chair-dancing extravaganza of dusted-off moldy oldies given new life and much joy. What a pleasure it was, Gloria and Kim; thank you both, From Here.
