Transgendered performer Buck Angel turns up the heat at New York's Black Party '06.

By Michael White

Once again, thousands of party revelers will be making their annual pilgrimage to New York City for the celebration of the Northern Hemisphere's vernal equinox, otherwise known as The Black Party. The event takes place Saturday, March 25, at New York's Roseland Ballroom.

Staying true to its roots as the world's largest S/M leather extravaganza, this year's theme, Schwarzwald, derives from the Black Forest area in Germany where Grimm's Fairy Tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs emanate. While the modern day interpretations of these stories have been adapted as children's classics, at their core, the characters, settings and scenarios are much darker and more sinister providing an ideal backdrop for The Black Party.

Grammy Award winning artist Peter Rauhofer promises to infuse a dark, heavy, sexually charged musical odyssey into the first half of the night. Israeli superstar Offer Nissim will then shift gears with a lighter second half set signaling the transition from winter to spring.

The highlight of the party, however, will be a performance by the female-to-male transsexual from the recently released Titan video, Cirque Noir, Buck Angel. Last week, Buck made radio history when he became the first man on Howard Stern to have vaginal sex with a dildo. Was that a preview of what we can expect at this year's Black Party? We went straight to the source.

IN: For those who have never attended a Black Party, can you describe what it's all about?

Buck Angel: 8,000-10,000 gay men in leather partying the night away.

Do you have to be into the S/M leather scene to enjoy The Black Party?

If you don't have previous experience, or if you have only fantasized about leather or fetish, this is the opportunity to experience and experiment. You should come prepared to see some things you've never seen before.

You've been doing a lot of press gearing up for this year's event. You even appeared on Howard Stern.

I've always wanted to go on Howard Stern because I knew I would blow him away. And I did! Howard was virtually speechless. He described me as the most memorable guest he'd ever had.

Tell us about the dildo.

They gave me a dildo but didn't really believe I would do anything with it. Well, I dropped my jeans and hopped on! They were all flabbergasted. It was fun to see that look of utter shock on Howard's face. I signed the dildo and they hung it on the wall.

Is New York the only city that can pull off The Black Party?

I don't think the party would be the same anywhere else. New York has its own vibe and energy, and of course the huge population is there to make a party of this scope successful. Yes, I do think New York is the only place for The Black Party.

The Black Party takes place Saturday, March 25, at Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd St., New York City. For more information, visit www.saintatlarge.com.