IML Madness

Memorial Day weekend started with a bang at Hydrate Nightclub and a kickoff party. Adult movie legend Dean Monroe greeted guests at the front door. The rooms were filled with shirtless studs that led to the back with Channel 1's Chi Chi LaRue spinning out the old school hits in the DJ booth.

Friday I was stopped by a Best Buy worker while shopping and was asked, "Aren't you supposed to be at the IML market?"
Can't a guy shop for electronics in peace?
After interviewing Chaz Bono and Jenny McCarthey, I ran to take pictures for Time Out Chicago at the Black Out music festival. It like a local Lollapalooza with a new band every 45 minutes. The night ended with me running a promotion for Manhunt at Touche with porn star Will Clark.

I was woken up the next day by porn stars texting me to come down and interview them at their hotel rooms. Brazilian hottie Alexsander Freitas has a strong accent so I was not looking forward to transcribing what he said. Who needs to talk when he showed me his tattoos and homemade porn videos straight from his camera? I then hit the leather market seeing everything from prostrate massagers to boy butter and the owners were generous with samples. After I took more pictures at Black Out and a mosher almost broke my camera! Then I ran over for the red carpet at the Grabbys. This annual porn star awards ceremony has a lot of meaning for the guys that are nominated. While a little long and dull in parts mainly because of sound and presenters not being able to open the envelopes, a musical guest could of spiced things up. I met Alan Cumming after his show at the Harris Theatre and proved life is a Cabaret for this nightcrawler. Then I headed to the Metro to wander into a forest of bears and the Blow Off event featuring rocker Bob Mould and remixer Richard Morel. Read my interview with them in the interview section. The line wound up down the block for this all nighter.

Sunday was long day working the Manhunt booth with adult film legend Ricky Sinz. We had fun all day chatting with fans, making guys try on Manhunt jocks and watching graphic porn videos across from our booth. It is always surreal watching your friends in a porno and giving you a behind the scenes.
Ricky invited me to his Frankie Knuckles War Party later that night where I danced the night away with my friends to old school tracks.

Monday was a little more relaxed at the IML Manhunt booth as the weather finally heated up. The day finally ended with the closing party at Excalibur and goodbye to a long weekend!