Coloring Books For A Cause!

It never occurred to me to pick up an Adult Coloring Book before, but a global pandemic quarantine will have you doing a lot of things you've never done before. When my Mom was in a nursing home, her neighbor lady colored in a coloring book all day, every day, and I thought it was really sad. But then all of this happened, pretty much everything is sad, and I heard that Har Mar Superstar (Sean Tillman) and his fiancée, Laura Hauser, had created Coloring Books For A Cause, and suddenly I'm a crazed colorer.

Brainstorming ways that they could help local Minneapolis musicians out of gigs, Tillman and Hauser (a teacher and illustrator) thought about how First Avenue was celebrating its 50th Anniversary, all local musicians have played or hope to play on that storied stage, we're all home going nuts ... how about The Big Coloring Book of First Avenue and the bands who love it, to support them while they're out of work?! A plan was hatched, page were drawn, and the first Coloring Book For A Cause was off to the printers! All in like two weeks. The Twin Cities Music Community Trust is stoked!

So many great Minneapolis bands are in there ... I had a blast coloring Babes In Toyland, especially Lori Barbero's dreads.

Prince is in there, of course, as First Avenue is widely known as the house that Prince built for Purple Rain ... but the truth is he didn't play there all that often, and a zillion other bands have really made it what it is, but the association is there for life. And we're all forever proud of it.

The Replacements ... Hüsker Du .,.. Soul Asylum ... the classic First Ave bands are very well represented.

Newer (to the rest of the world) acts like Lizzo and Nur-D are there too ...

... as well as pages of the club itself for you to go freestyle and fill in however you like. It's weird, but it IS kind of addicting. Like, I get my mom's old roommate now. There's something soothing about it, and there is a satisfaction when you complete a page, as well as a kind of numbing to what's going on around you. I'm a coloring book convert!

And that's a good thing, because they're already on their THIRD Coloring Book For A Cause! There is now The Big Coloring Book of Grumpy's and Palmer's - to benefit the service industry workers currently out of their jobs at those classic Minneapolis bars. There is also now the brand new Dance Party Coloring Book - to benefit Violence Free Minnesota, because there is sadly a lot of domestic violence going on during this pandemic. Color for a cause!

It's catching on too. City Pages put a coloring page on their inside cover, with a totally appropriate phrase for the times:

... And the Star Tribune is releasing weekly coloring pages now, to be in with the cool kids. It's heartwarming to see how quickly these books are being churned out and snatched up, as they really are helping people while they're at it. This virus has done a lot of harm, but we're seeing an awful lot of good come out of it too. People are thinking of creative ways to help each other left and right, and I'm hoping that that will be the lasting legacy of this absolutely insane time in all of our lives around the world. I gotta go finish coloring in Atmosphere to look like Smurfs (Slug asked for it), but order yours and post your pictures, and help out some excellent organizations while you're at it. Thanks!

Order your super cool coloring books HERE.

*PS - I think this is a great idea for clubs and bands and bars all around the world to do! All the local people would get into it. Give it a shot!

Petty About Pride

The fight between Venice Pride and the Venice Chamber of Commerce is so petty I can barely stand to talk about it, but here we are. The Chamber responded to what they say are false accusations with an overly wordy and evasive letter on their website that is essentially a smear piece directed at Venice Pride Board President, Grant Turck.

I know Turck, and I know how tirelessly hard he works to put on a joyous celebration for not only the LBGTQ members of our community, but for everyone. He has stood up to bullies since he was a kid in the Midwest starting his own Gay club at high school, the first of its kind. There are very clearly personal problems on both sides, but I can't stand bullying, and this whole situation feels an awful lot like just exactly that.

This all started when Turck asked for some accountability when going over Pride invoices and finding that there were some big discrepancies. He merely asked about them, and was immediately met with vitriol and the threat of canceling the Pride sign lighting, way back in July of 2018. Essentially, we don't like how you're playing, so we're gonna take our sign and go home (though it is not theirs, they are merely the custodians). This is all documented - but not at all addressed in the response from the Chamber, nor was it addressed why they would choose June - exactly when they know Pride to be - for the sign to be taken down for maintenance. Why not take it down NOW (the O'Venice is already past its freshness date, and needs to be taken down anyway) so it can be ready for the Summer tourists, and Pride? In the Chamber's attempt to punish Turck, they are in effect leveling their judgement at the entire community.

Turck's response to this personal attack was the following:

"Venice Pride always paid the Venice Chamber as agreed. In 2018, the Chamber opted to pay Venice Pride $3,500 via a member of their executive committee as part of a larger sum to settle accounting errors allegedly made by Chamber leadership involving equipment billed to Venice Pride but used at a June 8 Chamber event called Flower Fest."

So ... you know what would clear all of this up? A transparent and complete audit of both Venice Pride's event and the VCC's event for everyone to see. Turck is up for that, but with the avoidance of the topic shown in the Chamber's response ... I'm not so sure they are. I say let the community decide, as that is who both of these entities purport to serve.

I have no real dog in this fight. I'm not gay, and I'm not a member of the Venice Chamber of Commerce. I don't even really want to be involved, but I do think my Venice community should be aware of what's going on .... and I'm always going to stand up against bullying. When you break it down, it's Pride versus Commerce - and the names kind of say it all.

The Venice Pride celebration (with DJ Victor Rodriguez returning!) is happening on June 1st, with or without the lighting of the Venice Sign ...  and I hope that all parties involved can put this pettiness behind them and move forward - and that there will be a fun story to write about it! I'm out.

Venice Pride Preparation - Get Ready For Gaywatch 2017!

Venice Pride is rapidly approaching, and now in its second year, will have no problem topping the inaugural celebration last year. With events planned all weekend June 1-3, this year's Pride celebration will most certainly be memorable.

I sat down recently with Pride organizer, Grant Turck, to hear about what's in store for our LBGTQ friends this year, and was happy to hear about how much the whole thing has grown even in just one year. The main fundraiser for the Pride events is the sale of the colored light bulbs that will make up the rainbow Venice sign. Bulbs can be adopted through the Venice Pride site for $100 each (you get to pick color and placement), and you keep the bulb after the festivities. Gratitude to the individuals and local businesses who have already taken part, especially the L.A. Rams, who sprang for all of the blue bulbs in the letter "C"! Way to support your Community, Football! - And they're new to town, so it would be nice to see longtime local businesses helping out as well. Or maybe those entities who are trying to take over our Community might like some decent p.r. while trying to un-do some damage? Just a thought ... These community events don't happen for free, and the sale of the bulbs is more important than ever to pull off this year's special events. 

Events like the dedication of the Bill Rosendahl Memorial Beach on June 1st, which will be the stretch of sand from Park to Breeze Avenue. The lifeguard tower at Brooks Avenue will be painted in rainbow colors marking the sand destination for the gay Westside. The beach is a beautiful way to recognize and remember Rosendahl, the first openly gay person elected to the City Council, and a true champion of Venice. A permanent plaque indicating the site as "Bill Beach" will be installed later this Summer.  I think Rosendahl would have loved to know that there will be a permanently inclusive beach named in his honor. How cool.

Friday, June 2nd will be the lighting of the Venice sign in its rainbow colors for Pride month. The street party there on Windward will begin at 5 p.m. until the sign is lit (by a special guest!) at 9 p.m. There will be booths and exhibitors, food trucks, music (by DJ Victor Rodriguez) and dancing in the streets the entire time. This year there are two official after-parties: "Gaywatch" will be held at The Birdcage (upstairs at The Victorian on Main Street) and go from 11:30 to 2 a.m., and "Queer As Funk" featuring the Puscie Jones Revue will be happening at The Townhouse/Del Monte Speakeasy from 9:30-2 a.m. for even more dancing and celebration. Gay, straight, whatever you are, this street party is always a blast for the entire community. A Community that needs dancing in the streets now more than ever. And support and solidarity.

For those revelers that manage to get up in time there will be a big beach clean up on Saturday morning, June 3rd, named "Beach, Please!" I love it, and I love that there is an element of giving back to the community in the mix. Everyone needs to do their part in keeping Venice beautiful, and not just by being good looking partiers (thank you in advance!). The beach clean up will be followed by a "Status Is Sexy Pride Extravaganza" at a stage at Muscle Beach, with performers and fun until 5 p.m.

With a little less than a month to go before Venice Pride arrives, now is the time to chip in where you can to help make all of this fun happen. There are still 51 rainbow bulbs available (as of this typing) for adoption, as well as the sale of Venice Pride shirts that will both help, and look great when you wear it to the sign lighting. There are also volunteer and sponsorship opportunities available, both of which may be signed up for at the website as well.

These are the times to be looking out for each other. I'm not gay, but I can sure understand the importance of inclusion and acceptance of all people, no matter what their sexual preference. Seriously, who cares? Whatever makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone else is cool in my book. And those things should be not only supported, but celebrated. That's why we're talking about this today ... so that there is still time to make this the best party our LBGTQ will attend all year.

Let's "Light up the night for Equality!" together. Let's show the whole world that there is a whole lot of Pride on the Westside! Thank you for your ongoing support of our wonderful Venice Community - one and all.

A Prince Memorial Party In The Canals

Last Friday was the one year anniversary of the death of our beloved Prince. Minneapolis people feel the loss harder than anyone, and those of us who live in California feel extra homesick when we see all of our hometown people gathering to celebrate the life of the once in a lifetime musical genius that was Prince. So we have our own gatherings.

This year the tribute party was held at the home of our friends, Danielle and Rick, who live in the Venice Canals. Danielle went to my same high school (Go Richfield Spartans!) but we met right here in Venice at the beach. That was a happy day, especially because Danielle feels the same way that I do about Prince.

We had to school her Aussie husband Rick a bit about him, but now he totally gets it. Has the shirt.

Last year we sat on her couch sobbing and watching the hometown news together in total disbelief. This year, we're still sad, but it was more of a party. And Danielle finally got her wish to dress up like Apollonia.

Everyone got the memo and was either in purple or something Prince related.

I wore the shirt I got at last fall's Prince Tribute show in St. Paul, that gave me my hometown collective mourning moment that I needed. Even Danielle's little puppy Lexi was in her Prince shirt. Feeling it.

The soundtrack was all Prince, of course. At one point, Danielle got our attention and asked for a moment of silence while we listened to "Purple Rain" - the signature number that always gets you crying again.

When the opening notes began, we turned around and Rick had rigged up a thing with pvc pipe and a drill and a hose and all of a sudden we had a sheet of purple rain across the entire front of the patio! It was awesome.

Neighbors would row past in the canals and take pictures, and at one point the sound from Danielle's speaker went out and we could hear "Purple Rain" playing from other houses around the canals! The familiar chords rang out across the water, and it felt like the entire world was sharing our memories of this legendary entertainer from our hometown of Minneapolis. It was special, and made us feel a little bit closer.

We sang and shared Prince stories late into the night (sorry canal neighbors!), and everyone vowed that it must be an annual event each April 21st. This way, we'll keep the music of Prince alive forever. And one of these years I'll be back at First Avenue dancing with everyone there all night long. Let's Go Crazy!

It's really still hard to believe. Thanks to Danielle and Rick for a great party, and to everyone playing the music for making it easier.

A Party For Prince Weekend In Venice

I'm physically sore and completely hoarse today from dancing so hard at our Prince party here in Venice all day and all night yesterday. And it's totally worth it. My Minneapolis friends and I out here have been having a very hard time of it after the world lost Prince last week, and it's been tortuous to see all the outpouring of love for him back home and not be able to be there with everyone. Like actually super painful, in a way that we had no way of anticipating.

So we decided to dance. We decided to sing. We decided to party so hard that our friends back home could hear us ... and we did. My awesome friend Shane is real serious about Prince. He drove out his vast vinyl collection from Minnesota because it was too massive to ship. He generously offered to host a listening/dance party for all of us transplants that are seriously grieving, and the friends who sympathize with us, and it would be an all day bbq affair. A real Housequake.

I could already hear the tunes blaring from blocks away when I arrived early to help set up (and watch the Wild lose the last game of the Season - but not after an awesome Prince tribute on the ice!), I almost cried - again - because there was Shane up on a ladder, hanging massive sheets of purple and paisley fabric as our mourning bunting, to set the tone of the day. He meant business.

I got out the kids' sidewalk chalk and did my best to draw Prince's symbol to invite the guests in, and then we thought it would be nice if everyone signed their names on the driveway, so we could have a big physical memorial of our own. Some might think this is all over the top for a rock star, but then they don't know how Minneapolis feels about our Prince.

So we show them. We wear purple. We wear paisley. We cry. We share stories. We DANCE.

The kids all got into it, not exactly clear on why the grownups were all so sad about this fun guy with the fun music, but they were happy to wear purple and jump all day (and night) in the trampoline along to the hours and hours of classic Prince hits.

People showed up in mostly Prince, purple, paisley, or Minneapolis clothing.

I had my First Avenue sweatshirt on, of course, and underneath the shirt they gave me at Paisley Park when I did my college senior project there. It's a simple, boxy, pre-ladies cut shirt, but I'll never get rid of it now, and wore it with great pride yesterday.

Folks brought purple potato salad, purple cupcakes, and purple drank. One friend had stopped and had custom purple tear stickers made, so we all walked around like purple gangsters all night.

I really appreciated the school spirit for Prince that everyone displayed, with even the most casual fan in attendance decked out in purple and offering their sincere comfort to their clearly upset friends.

We told stories, of all the shows we'd seen, and all the Prince sightings we'd had back home. We taught the cleaner song words to the kids and seriously danced our faces off.

One song would end, and an even better one would begin, making it impossible to get off the dance floor that was the entire yard. I didn't actually take too many photos of things when they were in full swing, because I was far too busy getting DOWN.

Minneapolis came together in Venice, and we really needed that. We needed the solace of people that understand, and share the same super insane crushing sense of loss. No, most of us didn't know him personally, but that doesn't matter. We grew up with him in the very fabric of our days in Minneapolis, and for me, he was a big influence on my world views and possibilities. There was never, and will never be, another entertainer like Prince. Period.

People came and went as the day went on, but most everyone just stayed and danced. It was next to impossible to walk away from yet another masterpiece being spun, and so we just kept at it. I think there were times when I was actually asleep on my feet, but just needed to listen and move.

It was a Sunday night, long after the Purple Rain credits ran on the t.v. inside, and the kids were all spent and long asleep, but still we danced. Monday was looming pretty large, and still the cries for "One more song!" continued, but ultimately ...

Life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last.

I still really can't believe it's real.



THANK YOU to Jenny and Shane for letting us all party like it was 1999 ... and to everyone who was there and understands. It was cathartic, and so, so needed. Minneapolis, I hope you feel the love from absolutely everywhere, and I hope you know that we're all the way there with you in spirit!!! LOVE.


*Photos by Paddy Wilkins, Paul Gronner, and me.