GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM February 17-March 2, 2009 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 1
2 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM February 17-March 2, 2009 Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide GayMardiGras.COM SouthernDecadence.COM
GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM February 17-March 2, 2009 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 3
the "official" dish by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain RipandMarsha.COM E-mail: marsha@ripandmarsha.com Gay Mardi Gras Guide Features the Hottest Action & Events This big 48 page edition of Ambush Mag brings readers some 31 pages advertising the hottest activities happening in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Metairie, LA; Mobile, AL; and Pensacola, FL. Ambush [AmbushMag.COM] is the Gulf South s oldest and largest Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender [GLBT] regional publication covering the lucrative Texas through Florida market since 1982. This publication has served as the official mag for all the major events for years and is proud to be the Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide while GayMardiGras.COM serves as Official Website of Gay Mardi Gras. Drink, Dine, Shop, Work Out, Get A Haircut, Buy Real Estate The Crescent City is renowned for its numerous drinking party establishments. In this issue of Ambush you will find numerous bar related activities centered around the Official Gay Mardi Gras celebration including costume contests, internationally famous circuit DJs, male strippers, shows and more. As you look through the ads, you are sure to find just the activity you want to experience this festive weekend. Restaurants, grills and delis are in abundance as well. You ll want to see Chop Chop for Ambush s dining recommendations (page 18). Of course, shopping is a favorite delight! Flip through the ads or look in the Classified listings (page 30) for retail/ shopping, bookstores, florists, galleries, gardening, hair/wig salons, laundries, lodging/accommodations, massage, models/escorts, museum/arts, organizations, pharmacies, photography, real estate, services, spas, theatres, and tattoos/piercings. 45th Annual Bourbon Street Awards Back on Bourbon The Forty-fifth Annual Bourbon Street Awards Show, the ultimate costume contest, is set for Mardi Gras Day, February 24 at 12noon. For the first time in 23 years, the contest will actually take place on Bourbon Street. Since 2002, Oz New Orleans has presented the contest on St. Ann at Bourbon. This year it will be outside Oz on Bourbon Street down from Ambush Headquarters at 828 Bourbon. The awards were previously held outside of Cafe Lafitte in Exile until 1985 when it was moved to the corner of Burgundy and St. Ann outside of Rawhide 2010 in 1986. Johnny Chisholm and Oz New Orleans, as well as Bud Light brings us this fantastic contest. Award categories include: Best Drag, Best Leather, Best Group and the grandest award, Best of Show with 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in each category. Celebrity emcees will feature the talents of mega circuit star Bianca Del Rio and Oz's own Blanche Debris. The Bourbon Street Awards, well into its fourth decade, has hosted some of the most exciting and extravagant Mardi Gras costumes ever seen. The parade of costumes this year will originate down Bourbon at Dumaine passing both Cafe Lafitte in Exile and Clover Grill, the original site of the awards, heading past Ambush Headquarters towards Oz at 800 Bourbon. The 45th Annual Bourbon Street Awards promises to be The Best Free Show of Mardi Gras. 22nd Annual Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss Led by KCQ XVI Tami Tarmac February 24 King Cake Queen XVI of Gay Mardi Gras, Tami Tarmac, will lead the 22nd Annual Official Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss from the balcony at Ambush Headquarters, 828 Bourbon Street, on Mardi Gras, February 24 beginning at 2pm, following the Bourbon Street Awards. As many of you know, the King Cake Queen is chosen from the invited balcony guests for the bead toss from the previous year's festivities hosted by the Krewe of Queenateenas. The only qualification is to be the individual exhibiting the most enthusiasm and expertise in bead toss techniques. The hard part is for us as co-captains to judge which individual fits the bill. Tami definitely St. Patrick's Day Edition due out Tues., Mar. 3 DEADLINE: Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25 inside the pink pastor 8 ambush paparazzi/nola 10 sappho psalm/ambie winners 12 trodding the boards 14 cookin' with auntie dee 16 chop chop, tracy young interview 18 celebrazzi 20 48th petronius ball paparazzi 22 22nd gay mardi gras bead toss 25 ambush paparazzi/nola 26 mr. & miss lsgra 2009 28 classifieds 30 pensacola/mobile paparazzi 35 out & about/mobile 36 hot tails of red stick/baton rouge 36 acadiana paparazzi/lafayette 38 allons acadiana/lafayette 40 red stick paparazzi/br, nola 42 krewe du vieux paparazzi 45 e-mail/letters 46 Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 828-A Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 504.522.8049 info@ambushmag.com did and will reign as "The Grandee Queen" over the 2009 theme of Gaudy Girls. The bead toss is limited to 50 invited guests enabling revelers greater access and movement on the balcony. The 22nd Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss honors the King Cake Queen Royalty Club including KCQ II & KCQ Emeritus: Jewel of the Nile, Jay A. Loomis/1995; KCQ III: The Rainbow Queen, the late Smurf Murphy/1996; KCQ IV: Pearl of the Sea, Reba Douglas/1997; KCQ V: The She Devil, Elizabeth Simms/1998; KCQ VI: The Czarina, the late Christine Cheridon/1999; KCQ VII: Sex Goddess, Stephanie Williams/2000; KCQ VIII: The Peacock Queen, Phyllis Denmark/2001; KCQ IX: The Freedom Queen, Lisa Beaumann/2002; KCQ X: The Voodoo Queen, Teryl-Lynn Foxx/ 2003; KCQ XII: The Amazon Queen, Savanna DeLorean/2005; KCQ XIII: The Diamond Queen, Raven Kennedy/2006, KCQ XIV: The Fantasy Queen, Princesse Stephaney/2007; and KCQ XV: The Fleur de Lis Queen, Marsha-Naquin-Delain/ 2008. For more on the Krewe of Queenateenas, visit GayMardiGras.COM/ KCQ. Remaining Gay Mardi Gras Balls The Friday Night Before Mardi Gras, Inc. (FNBMG) organizers host their 10th anniversary costume party at the Audubon Tea Room in world famous Audubon Park at 6500 Magazine Street in New Orleans Friday, February 20. The theme of the party this year is Divas at The Tea Room and the three hours of fun begins at 9pm. Tickets must be purchased by calling 504.427.0145 or at FridayNightBeforeMardiGras.COM. On Saturday, February 21, the Krewe of Armeinius hosts their 41st annual bal masque: There' Something About Mary! at 9pm in the Alario Center across the river in Westwego. Doors open at 7:45pm. Tickets are available at KreweOfArmeinius.ORG or at Fredrick Guess Studio, 910 Royal Street. The final ball of the season is the Mystic Krewe of Lords of Leather presenting Bal Masque XXVI: A Lordly Celestial Evening on Sunday, February 22, 8pm also at the Alario Center in Westwego. Tickets may be purchased from any krewe member or at LordsOfLeather.COM or by calling 504.400.3974. Shows, DJs, Entertainment There is plenty of entertainment covering all venues available this Mardi Gras. You can catch the talents of Candy Riedl playing and singing live Friday, February 20, 8pm- 12midnight at Big Daddy's. And then on Monday, February 23 at the same location, catch Rusty LaRoux's annual Lundi Gras Show beginning at 11pm for some of the best in female impersonation. Circuit great DJ Tracy Young kicks off dance action Friday at Dance Club of the Year, Oz. She is followed on Saturday with DJ Joe Gauthreaux and on Sunday by DJ Abel. Also, on Sunday, 6pm, catch the All Male Revue and Andrew Christian Fashion Show with Bianca Del Rio and the Men of Manwatch. On Lundi Gras, Monday, it's resident DJs Tim Pflueger and Jason Lanoux with the Bianca Del Rio Show at 6pm. Over at Cafe Lafitte in Exile you can experience the talents of resident DJs Johnny Love and Myke, along with their fab videos all weekend. The Phoenix weekend DJ lineup features DJ Tony B. on Friday, Monday and Tuesday, 9pm til; and DJ Karbin Saturday and Sunday 9pm til. It's shows, shows and more shows at Starlight By The Park beginning on Friday, 12midnight, with the Starlight Showcase hosted by new Easter Grand Marshal X Marcy Marcell. On Saturday, 12midnight, it's The Jaded Jade Revue, and on [continued on 6] THE OFFICIAL MAG Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 Texas-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide Official Gay New Orleans Guide Official Southern Decadence Guide OFFICE/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 USA OFFICE HOURS: 10am-3pm Monday-Friday [Except Holidays] E-mail: marsha@ripandmarsha.com PHONE: 1.504.522.8049 1.504.522.8047 ANNUAL READERSHIP: 650,000+ in print/3.5 Million+ On-line NATIONAL CIRCULATION: USA... Alabama-Birmingham, Foley, Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Shreveport, Slidell Mississippi - Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson Texas - Austin, Dallas, Houston STAFF: PUBLISHER/EDITOR R. Rip Naquin-Delain, New Orleans PRODUCTION DIRECTOR M. Marsha Naquin-Delain, New Orleans GULF SOUTH/NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Rip Naquin-Delain 504.522.8049 LESBIAN/POLITICAL ISSUES Toni J.P. Pizanie, New Orleans THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands, Patrick Shannon AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Brad Benedict-Baton Rouge, LA Patrick Clinton-Lafayette, LA Rev. Clinton Crawshaw, Donnie Jay-New Orleans Bob Brunson, DJ Chromatic, David Long, Craig Powell, Leon Weekley-Mobile, AL Roy Williams-Pensacola, FL NATIONAL ADVERTISING REP Rivendell Media~212.242.6863 AMBUSH Mag is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush, Inc., R. Rip Naquin-Delain, President. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 4pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: marsha@ripandmarsha.com, except for special holidays. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual's name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual's sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc., appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Mag. Subscription rate is $45 for 1/2 Year; $75 for 1 year. Sample Copy is $3 First Class Mail. 1982-2009, AMBUSH, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE RE- PRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS. AMgrant - AMbush Advertising Grant Donation 4 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM February 17-March 2, 2009 Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide GayMardiGras.COM SouthernDecadence.COM
GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM February 17-March 2, 2009 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM 5