We had seen Holly Woodlawn in the movie Trash at the student center at FAU. We arrived a little bit late; I knew it would be a great experience because people were already walking out in disgust. So when they announced that she would be at Tangerine, I had to go.
Tangerine was originally a bar named The Mouse Trap. There was a mural of a mouse in a top hat on the outside of the building. So sophisticated. As a kid, I was always fascinated by it when we drove by. I asked mom and dad to take me there, but I had to wait until it turned into a gay bar until I actually got to go.
I don’t remember exactly, but I think Tangerine had three levels. There were a couple of bars on the first floor, a dance floor on the second, and a piano bar on the top floor. Quite convenient really: first floor to get started, second to dance once I had a few drinks, then the piano bar to be maudlin at the end. Another drunken evening tipping the piano player to play La Vie en Rose – damn those college French classes!
But when we went to see Holly Woodlawn I hadn’t had a drink in a month or two, maybe three. I ordered a coke and Manuel ordered a crème de menthe. He sipped that little fucker through the whole show too. Drove me crazy; that’s no way to drink.
She came on stage wearing a sequined pantsuit, with a scarf around her neck, (pale green I think). Maybe to hide her Adam’s apple? Maybe to match Manuel's drink. I don’t know and don’t really remember much of the show, but it was my little bit of gay glam for the bicentennial.
For just the beginningnest bit of information about Holly Woodlawn go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Woodlawn
2 comments:
I immediately thought of manuel weed when i saw this post, bob. it probably wasnt him(was it?), but then again i didnt know what you were doing in the 70s after i got married. hell, in 76, phaedra, my youngest daughter,was born. oops, this is your blog, isnt it? happy july 4th, guy.
Yes, you got the right Manuel. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing in the 70's. I do remember quite a bit of it, but '77 -'79 is cloudy. There was something going on at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and a house party in Long Beach (LI) that's cloudy.
I could play the drums with the right chemicals and speak French if I drank just the right amount. Oh yeah, and choosing Quentin Crisp as a career role model - maybe not a good idea
You can talk about Phaedra on this blog anytime you want.
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