5/24/05 and The Mystery Woman

The Dakar Apartments-My first floor apartment is on the left.

    I happened upon some photos recently that were taken on May, 24, 2005. It got me thinking about the past, which is what I do best. What was going on with me 20 years ago that day? It's also the day I took the photo of the mystery woman, a photo that I’ve reflected on many times over the years. 

The Magic of Burleskaraoke

    All the way back in May of 2019 Ruby Mimosa introduced us, along with Queer Bar on Capitol Hill, to Burleskaraoke. This is a wonderful night of singing and stripping, sometimes a marvelous symbiosis of singer and burlesquer. The night is filled with mirth, merriment and even downright hysteria as dollar bills, along with peeled-off gloves, stockings and g-strings(sometimes lobster claws and narwals too)fly through the air as performers bump and grind on the stage, tables, bars and lucky laps. This event is all glued together with DJ Baby Van Beezly, always getting the night started and finishing us all up strong. Baby keeps the flow going the whole night as the singers come up to the stage and the go-go dancers and burlesquers get freakin' down. I think what makes these events so special is not just the magic of burlesque and mixing it with the fun of belting out your favorite songs, but also the immersive atmosphere of the night. Sometimes it feels like all of us, the burlesquers, singers, DJ and audience are all part of one big orgasmic explosion. The best part is the performers don't know what songs they'll be stripping to. Will it be an epic 80's rock ballad? A funky Hip Hop standard? Lizzo, Led Zeppelin or Disney's "Be Our Guest"? They never know what they'll get. There may even be an opera singer or two to bring down the house. And since the beginning of Burleskaraoke, I've had the privilege of photographing every show. This is probably the most I've ever sweated photographing a show as I'm running back and forth and sliding on my knees to get the best shots. I am exhausted at the end of the night. So here are some photos from all eight Burleskaraoke shows so far. The next show is Wednesday, January 15th . Don't miss it.

Max

 Beau Briefs

Ruby Mimosa