Letters From Laguna

Even as the Boom Boom Room sits silently, Laguna Beach hasn’t lost it’s gay appeal

BY RICHARD ANDREOLI

The warm setting sun tingles my cheeks as Steve and I relax on our bedroom balcony and sip glasses of wine. Below, the crashing waves create a meditative hum that seems to gently wash away the stresses of our week. We smile but say nothing, simply enjoying the peaceful respite we found at the beautiful Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach.

Laguna may sound like an odd vacation choice — the closing of the popular Boom Boom Room nightclub caused many to pronounce gay life dead in this seaside town—but it’s still a great escape, featuring quaint shops, a thriving artistic community, wonderful restaurants, and a pristine beach. Likewise, the city has always been a haven for homos and still features a gay beach as well as a handful of rotating nighttime activities, making it a welcome destination for LGBT travelers.

Resting in the middle of this is the Surf & Sand, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and twenty feet from the Pacific Ocean. Originally built in 1948, it’s become a secret must-stay spot for gay visitors who appreciate a smaller property with luxury accommodations. Best of all, the gay-friendly staff embodies the perfect mix of Laguna Beach’s spirit: high-end service mixed with charming, friendly warmth.

All 165 rooms at Surf & Sand command spectacular views of the ocean and nearby coastline, and feature plantation shutters, bleached-wood furniture, and simple design elements that emphasize Laguna’s natural beauty. Beach front rooms with balconies, like the one Steve and I chose, are prime real estate and totally worth the price. For pampering, Aquaterra Spa is located steps from the sand, and features numerous specialty treatments and body therapies to suit any interest; the unique couples services like antioxidant scrubs with side-by-side massages are really tops. Downstairs, Splashes restaurant is open all day, offering those same stunning views while serving delicious American coastal cuisine. If you don’t get a balcony room, make sure to hit Splashes Lounge at sunset for a gorgeously romantic experience.

And that, I think, is what we love most about the Surf & Sand: the experience of just being here. It’s been ages since the two of us stood in silence watching the sun slowly drop below the ocean and turn the sky from yellow to orange and then red. But here, such easy acts are encouraged. Indeed, this is one of the few locations where we get all the amenities we want, and are actually afforded the opportunity to simply relax.

For more information on The Surf and Sand Resort call 888-869-9299 or visit www.surfandsandresort.com.

COMMUNITY

Majority Rules

Guerrilla Queer Bar Orange County is making straight bars gay—for a night at a time

BY JAMES F. MILLS

With the number of gay bars in Orange County dwindling, many locals are lamenting the lack of places to call their own. Some have even fantasized about taking over a straight bar and making it gay. Now that fantasy seems poised to become a reality—at least for a night.

A group calling itself “Guerrilla Queer Bar Orange County” is forming, intent on gathering queers at an unsuspecting straight bar for the evening. Their first guerrilla event is planned for late February. And if successful, they'll start doing it on a regular basis.

“This isn't a confrontational thing,” says organizer Billy G. (who asked that his last name not be used). “This is about gathering like-minded people for a night of fun.”

Typically, a guerrilla group gathers outside a predetermined bar and invade it over flash-mob style. Suddenly with the majority of patrons gay, the place becomes gay for the evening. The bar makes a lot of money off them and discovers a client base they've overlooked.

“There are only a handful of queer-centric establishments in Orange County now,” Billy says. “That's paltry compared to what the overall population is and what that representation should be. So, we're doing what we can to change that.”

Guerrilla queer bars first started in San Francisco in 2000 and the idea quickly spread across the globe. Guerrilla Gay Bar Los Angeles has been going strong since June 2006, with events on the second Friday of each month. After attending an L.A. guerrilla event, Billy and his boyfriend Stephen decided they needed to do something similar in Orange County. They've been talking it up and collecting e-mail addresses to gauge interest.

Now they're ready for their first event. Notices will be sent out the day before, telling people the intended target and what color to wear so they can recognize each other. Billy declined to name the specific bar they'll take over, but says it will be centrally located.

While the titillation factor of taking over a bar for a night is high and the political ramifications of such an act is strong, Billy says his main goal is to help create community and have fun. “The biggest thing to me is to get people to have a good time,” he says. “Although it is political and has those overtones to it, I would say the greater overtone is to have a good time.”

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/guerrillaqueerbaroc.

STAGE

Viva Las Vegas

Men Alive Bring The Strip To The O.C.

BY SYLVIA RODEMEYER

“I am always looking for a unique way to make choral music a show stopping, blockbuster experience even for people who are not into choir music,” says Rich Cook, Men Alive’s artistic director. With their latest concert Vegas Gold!,

Men Alive, Orange County's gay men's chorus brings the glitz of Las Vegas to the O.C. as they continue their season-long tour of U.S. glamour capitols.

The chorus' spring show will feature music made popular by much loved entertainers such as consummate Vegas icons Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley to contemporary stars Celine Dion and Elton John. The energy and variety aims to appeal to all ages.

Cook said this show presented difficult but rewarding challenges, “Just as our last July hit show, Rock Star, was an unusual stretch for a chorus to sing rock & roll, Vegas Gold! has the same stretch. It is another opportunity for a choral group to perform with lots of production and spectacular showiness.”

“Showiness” will definitely be on display as Men Alive sample the artists that made the Las Vegas strip what it is today, including Wayne Newton, Liberace, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin, and others. In addition, no Vegas-themed show would be complete without showgirls and showboys, the “unsung heroes” of Vegas lust and lore. Through the sequins and show tunes, Men Alive brings Broadway veteran Michael Misita to the group as a guest choreographer.

Response to Vegas Gold! has already caused the group to add a third performance of the show. “It's great, each year we see a 10-15% increase in attendance. We're lucky to have such a loyal audience,” says marketing director Paul Findlay. Audience size is expected to grow yet again for their summer concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, featuring Bernadette Peters.

Cook founded Men Alive in 2001. The group is currently celebrating its seventh season and is focused on being a positive voice and influence in Orange County and Southern California. Membership in the Chorus currently numbers more than 120 singers.

Vegas Gold! will be performed March 7-8 at Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine. For tickets, visit www.thebarclay.org, or call (949) 854-4646. For more information, visit www.menalivechorus.org.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

A speedy date for Valentine's

Dateless on Valentine's Day? Here's a chance to celebrate the day and maybe find a man in the process as MPower OC hosts a Valentine's Party preceded by a speed dating event. “It gives people 3-5 minutes of meeting people during the speed dating portion, then enjoy a Valentine's party afterwards,” says MPower project supervisor Michael Li. The speed dating starts at 7 p.m., the party runs 8-9:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the MPower offices, 3303 Harbor Blvd., Suite B-6 in Costa Mesa. The event is completely free and open to all. Those not interested in speed dating are welcome to come for the party. For more information, log onto www.mpoweroc.org.

Send an appeal to save gay landmark

Even though Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room, the oldest gay bar on the West Coast, closed six months ago, a new campaign is underway to preserve the building which is currently for sale. Citizens are asked to mail pre-printed yellow post cards to building owner, billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, appealing to preserve the historic building as a gay landmark. “Mr. Udvar-Hazy is a generous man. He donated nearly $70 million to the Smithsonian to create The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of The National Air and Space Museum near Washington DC's Dulles Airport,” says Save the Boom founder Fred Karger. “Now we sincerely hope that he will consider donating the historic building that he owns in Laguna Beach.” To get the post cards, call 949/494-4750 or send e-mail to savetheboom@aol.com.

Shy guys and gals get their day

Attention all you shy guys and gals, Friday, Feb. 29 is your day! Break out of your shell and ask that man/lady you've been dreaming about/lusting over out on a date to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day. Originating in the Li'l Abner comic strip as the day when women would be outgoing and ask men to marry them, Sadie Hawkins Day was initially observed in November, but over the years somehow became a Leap Year Day observance. That means it only comes around every four years, so make the best of it!

Dreamboat man

Extra tall with dark hair and a deep voice, handsome Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell could easily fill many a gay man's vision of a dream man. He's married (to a woman), but nonetheless has a loyal gay following after runs on Broadway in Ragtime and Kiss Me, Kate, a performance which won him a Tony. The Washington Post said Mitchell “has emerged as one of the rare personalities in the modern musical theater, a leading man with star quality.” Mitchell brings his star quality to the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa on March 6-9. For tickets and information, call 714-556-2787, or log onto www.ocpac.org.