Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
White Party 2006 Part 4: The Official White Party
Well here is was, Saturday Night, the eve of the Palm Springs White Party 2006. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the White Party, it's basically the main event and mid-point of the weekend. The entire weekend revolves around this one night and this one party.
The White Party has always been tied to Easter Weekend and was started by Jeffrey Sanker as a small party, eventually growing to become one of the largest Circuit Parties on the West Coast. This year marked the 17th year for the Palm Springs White Party. The main point of the party is simply a celebration of friends, music and community. It's almost a gay ritualistic, tribal event, where nearly everyone dresses from head to toe in white. Some outfits are simple, while others are so ornate that the wearer must have spent several months before the party on it's design and creation.
The Palm Springs Convention Center, which is directly connected to the Wyndham Hotel, was the host location of the White Party. We arose from our 2 hour disco nap around 9 PM to shower and get ready. Once we were all finally ready and dressed in our white wardrobes we walked outside and headed around the back of the hotel to the convention center. The doors opened at 9 PM and we arrived just as the main room opened at 10 PM and the party officialy started.
As soon as we walked in we ended up running into a few friends from Phoenix including Bruce and Tracy. It was a very surreal experience to look around and see everyone in White.
As you can see from the photos, my friends and I chose the simplistic route with our outfits. Dressed completely in white, and accessorized with a few items such as dog tags with white silencers, arm bands, and stick on body rhinestones.
While many people at the party took the same route, there were the people with the more 'Interesting' outfits as well ...
The main room quickly filled up with men in white for as far as the eye could see ...
The entire convention center was transformed this one night into a colossal dance club with oversized decor, incredible lighting, multiple stages and amazing music by Rosabel (DJ Able and DJ Ralph Rosario)
The featured performer for the evening was Toni Braxton. I can't say I was overly impressed with her, I mean seriously ... most people I spoke too that night were asking 'Who the hell is Toni Braxton and what's she even done lately?' My point exactly. There were rumors floating around that Madonna might actually show up since over the next weekend she was performing at the Coachella Music Festival just up the road, but alas I suppose someone forgot to tell Madonna this rumor, because she never did show up.
The entire evening was pretty much a blur for me. All I remember is that the music was amazing, I was hanging out with my friends and having an awsome time. It was such an intense, raw, tribal feeling in that room and the energy was beyond belief. You couldn't just help looking around, taking it all in and smiling the entire night. It was also Bernard's birthday at Midnight, so it was really special that we could all be there to celebrate with him.
The night flew by and before you know it the party was coming to an end around 5 AM when we decided to head out and walk back around to the hotel to get ready for the after-hours party which was just beginning back at the hotel ballroom.
Despite the fact that those constumes are absolutely horrifying, it does look like a good time was had by all.
With that said, it's an experience that would be rather intimidating for a smalltown boy such as myself.
Sometimes I forget how big the world is.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Michael @ Thursday, April 27, 2006 11:41:00 PM
Michael -- Actually the funny thing for me is that not so many years ago I too was a smalltown boy from rural Pennsylvania. This is what happens when you get a little older and venture away from home. We all had a great time and it's an experience I will never forget.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Rich Brown @ Friday, April 28, 2006 1:21:00 AM
