35 years! Who says gay men cannot stay faithful- Oh, that’s right I usually do.
Last night was an epic event-that little hole in the wall ( If I had a nickel for every time I heard that Feathers was closing I wouldn't be eating Happy Meals anymore.)- turned 35 years old! (ps- if you haven't seen the spectacular remodeling then you are in for a BIG SURPRISE!)A loud round of applause to the staff for making it the place to be! From the moment you saw security guard PAUL’S smile to RAY’S in the ticket booth you knew the night was going to be a good one! Eye candy EDDIE and PAUL had the downstairs electrified with their energy! Okay, so maybe DJ JULIO VIVES had something to do with it. He was crazy with his music! People did not want to go upstairs he was so on! But, I eventually did and LADY TITA out did herself with playing off the crowds energy! She is the essence of a hot Saturday night ! PRINCIPITO PRESENTS provided entertainment that went beyond what I am used to seeing at Feathers. The Dancers were insane! (see pics) and Miss Peppermint- well, what more can I say! LOL.
Feathers really struck gold having PRINCIPITO. ANTONIO CEDENO is a hard act to follow, but PRINCIPITO is amazing the crowds at FEATHERS with his parties and entertainment! Speaking of ANTONIO CEDENO, it was GREAT seeing him last night. This is the spirit that FEATHERS creates. Antonio was a bartender at FEATHERS and left to broaden his event promotion business (Events such as SKY HIGH on 46th Street, and the Asbury Park SAND BLAST). But, every anniversary party finds him, with me, cheering to FEATHERS SUCCESS!
Shout out to MOIRA, Feathers New Floor manager, JOEY P. and RANDY who had serving hot Hors d’oeuvres all night! I LOVE that idea! So much better than plated food! The dance floor found VINNIE swamped the whole night, between his dazzling personality and being located on the dance floor I don’t think he got much breathing time. BARTENDER SCOTT is my home base. He is such a great guy and always on the ball. Always has a smile and makes you feel so good! Manager EDDIE-what can I say! He trained me to bartend- so many years ago. He has been a GREAT FRIEND and ROCK for me through so many of the events that have hit my life. He has a way of turning life’s hardballs into water balloons and then laughs at getting wet, after all the water dries and we’re still here. . Very rarely do you find a soul that cares, but he does. Whenever I needed to be caught he was right there for me.
I started working at Feathers when it celebrated its 5th anniversary and everyone thought it was the last, it wasn’t. Neither was the 10th, or the “unlucky” 13th or the 15th or the 20th or the 25th. For me those anniversaries became jail sentences. I kept waiting to get paroled. I kept praying the place would close so I would be forced to find another way of making a living. I remember decorating for the 20th anniversary vowing that I WOULD NOT BE HERE FOR THE NEXT ANNIVERSARY! But, I was-and the next and the next. My last anniversary was the 30th. It was the right time. The bar needed a change and so did I.
As the anniversaries continue, my heart grows softer. I think of all the wonderful people I met there and all the smiles. I think of all the crazy people I met there and wondered why they were the ones that ended up in my bed? I grew up in that place, gained my identity working there. With all the smiles came the tears. I worked there during the A.I.D.S. epidemic and saw so many faces disappear overnight. My heart breaks when I think of the lives we lost before we knew about “safe-sex”. I was there when the dancing was second to the drag shows. People would travel to see FEATHERS performers. (The old manager limited where the performers could perform.) Unfortunately, with the nice came the nasty. Feathers had its share of nasty people. There were times the life was sucked out of me before the front door even opened. I used to dread walking through the employee door. A wise waiter named Dave once said, “Feathers is a place- what you make of the place is up to you.” Dave was GREAT! So, were Rob and “Marilyn” and Gary and so many others. My brain would explode it I tried to mention them all and the effect they had on me.
Maybe it wasn’t like being in prison, but it was like being a child at home. You can’t wait to be old enough to move out on your own and then when you do you realize how good you had it. I LOVE the adventures that life has to offer me, but I do like that I have a home to go back to on Friday and Saturday nights.
Like Dave reminded me, Feathers is a place. A place you create and make what you want it to be. It can hold GREAT memories, or bad ones. It can be a place where you "come out", or hide in. It can be place where you create your own "click", or sit alone. But, what ever it is you create. Enjoy and know that one day you will out grow Feathers and move on. You will find other interest and places to go, but TRUST ME, it's nice to have a place to call home and go back to visit. Oh, some may look back and be bitter, but you can't blame the place because it's what you made it.
So, here is to 35 more years and to all the beautiful souls that make going home that much more enjoyable!
.jpg)
ps...Must mention DJ's John Rizzo and Steve Sidewalk! They are rocks that rock!
35 years! Who says gay men cannot stay faithful- Oh, that’s right I usually do.
Last night was an epic event-that little hole in the wall ( If I had a nickel for every time I heard that Feathers was closing I wouldn't be eating Happy Meals anymore.)- turned 35 years old! (ps- if you haven't seen the spectacular remodeling then you are in for a BIG SURPRISE!)A loud round of applause to the staff for making it the place to be! From the moment you saw security guard PAUL’S smile to RAY’S in the ticket booth you knew the night was going to be a good one! Eye candy EDDIE and PAUL had the downstairs electrified with their energy! Okay, so maybe DJ JULIO VIVES had something to do with it. He was crazy with his music! People did not want to go upstairs he was so on! But, I eventually did and LADY TITA out did herself with playing off the crowds energy! She is the essence of a hot Saturday night ! PRINCIPITO PRESENTS provided entertainment that went beyond what I am used to seeing at Feathers. The Dancers were insane! (see pics) and Miss Peppermint- well, what more can I say! LOL.
Feathers really struck gold having PRINCIPITO. ANTONIO CEDENO is a hard act to follow, but PRINCIPITO is amazing the crowds at FEATHERS with his parties and entertainment! Speaking of ANTONIO CEDENO, it was GREAT seeing him last night. This is the spirit that FEATHERS creates. Antonio was a bartender at FEATHERS and left to broaden his event promotion business (Events such as SKY HIGH on 46th Street, and the Asbury Park SAND BLAST). But, every anniversary party finds him, with me, cheering to FEATHERS SUCCESS!
Shout out to MOIRA, Feathers New Floor manager, JOEY P. and RANDY who had serving hot Hors d’oeuvres all night! I LOVE that idea! So much better than plated food! The dance floor found VINNIE swamped the whole night, between his dazzling personality and being located on the dance floor I don’t think he got much breathing time. BARTENDER SCOTT is my home base. He is such a great guy and always on the ball. Always has a smile and makes you feel so good! Manager EDDIE-what can I say! He trained me to bartend- so many years ago. He has been a GREAT FRIEND and ROCK for me through so many of the events that have hit my life. He has a way of turning life’s hardballs into water balloons and then laughs at getting wet, after all the water dries and we’re still here. . Very rarely do you find a soul that cares, but he does. Whenever I needed to be caught he was right there for me. 
I started working at Feathers when it celebrated its 5th anniversary and everyone thought it was the last, it wasn’t. Neither was the 10th, or the “unlucky” 13th or the 15th or the 20th or the 25th. For me those anniversaries became jail sentences. I kept waiting to get paroled. I kept praying the place would close so I would be forced to find another way of making a living. I remember decorating for the 20th anniversary vowing that I WOULD NOT BE HERE FOR THE NEXT ANNIVERSARY! But, I was-and the next and the next. My last anniversary was the 30th. It was the right time. The bar needed a change and so did I.
As the anniversaries continue, my heart grows softer. I think of all the wonderful people I met there and all the smiles. I think of all the crazy people I met there and wondered why they were the ones that ended up in my bed? I grew up in that place, gained my identity working there. With all the smiles came the tears. I worked there during the A.I.D.S. epidemic and saw so many faces disappear overnight. My heart breaks when I think of the lives we lost before we knew about “safe-sex”. I was there when the dancing was second to the drag shows. People would travel to see FEATHERS performers. (The old manager limited where the performers could perform.) Unfortunately, with the nice came the nasty. Feathers had its share of nasty people. There were times the life was sucked out of me before the front door even opened. I used to dread walking through the employee door. A wise waiter named Dave once said, “Feathers is a place- what you make of the place is up to you.” Dave was GREAT! So, were Rob and “Marilyn” and Gary and so many others. My brain would explode it I tried to mention them all and the effect they had on me.
Maybe it wasn’t like being in prison, but it was like being a child at home. You can’t wait to be old enough to move out on your own and then when you do you realize how good you had it. I LOVE the adventures that life has to offer me, but I do like that I have a home to go back to on Friday and Saturday nights.
Like Dave reminded me, Feathers is a place. A place you create and make what you want it to be. It can hold GREAT memories, or bad ones. It can be a place where you "come out", or hide in. It can be place where you create your own "click", or sit alone. But, what ever it is you create. Enjoy and know that one day you will out grow Feathers and move on. You will find other interest and places to go, but TRUST ME, it's nice to have a place to call home and go back to visit. Oh, some may look back and be bitter, but you can't blame the place because it's what you made it.
So, here is to 35 more years and to all the beautiful souls that make going home that much more enjoyable!
.jpg)
ps...Must mention DJ's John Rizzo and Steve Sidewalk! They are rocks that rock!
