In the late 80s, I used to frequent a bar in NYC’s Soho called Bar Doh. As in Brigitte Bardot. It was one of the first “lounge spaces” that appeared versus just a bar. I lurved it. The clientele was varied - trendy hip people, fags and their hags, lesbians - and the music was PHENOMENAL. You’d get a cocktail, sit on a sofa amid fab people, someone would offer you a joint and you’d just want to stay there forever. This was, natch, at one AM. On every other Thursday night they’d have female go-go dancers with pasties dancing to French pop music from the Sixties.
Another reason I’d go was to see my good friend Joey Arias perform which he did weekly. Joey and I had become friends through various people and while he often did shows on a larger scale (he even appeared on Saturday Night Live) at Bar Doh he could really let loose to a crowd thoroughly ready for his magic.
Appearing with Joey was a singer named Brenda Bergman who’d also sing with her back-up singers, the Bodascious Ta-tas. Brenda, I later found out, was a Downtown Celeb having appeared with Divine Off-Broadway in The Neon Woman. She was like a cross between Bette Midler and Jennifer Cooldge and she was fabulous. Her (then) nine year-old son would often come and applaud and cheer her on seated among the chic crowd.
Brenda and I became friends and I became one of her entourage to her various gigs. Once I asked the HOTTEST GUY EVER from my gym to join me at Bar Doh. I was trembling with wonderment at the luck I’d had getting him to accompany me and when Brenda went on stage, the first thing she did was send a big shout-out to me which made me a star.
However, the best moment was one morning when my phone rang at 8 AM.
ME: Hello
CALLER : HUGHIE! It’s me Brenda!
ME: Where are you?
BRENDA: I’m backstage at Maury’s!
Brenda was about to go on national TV on Maury Povich. apparently as a prime example of the “Downtown Scene” in New York City at the time.
BRENDA : Turn it on! TURN IT ON!
I did, groggy as I was. There was Brenda, resplendent as ever, and I wondered who would gain hope from her as I did. What Small-town Gay would see her and realize there was another world outside of the tiny town they knew.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
sro home /
