On Friday night, a newly designed and freshly re-launched WOW TV (check out how much easier it is here) celebrated the launch party of James St. James’ Freak Show in a storefront in the World of Wonder building on Hollywood Boulevard. The recently vacated sex-shop locale was a great setting for the fabulous and freaky to party, and once the lube had been cleared out, cosponsor Svedka vodka came in to make sure one and all were otherwise lubricated for the night.
The party’s theme was Homecoming, and among the beer kegs and prom dresses we spotted actress Stevie Ryan aka YouTube star Little Loca, accompanied by Clint Catalyst (in a Jared Gold jacket that seemed to come straight out of Super Mario Land). Stevie was talking excitedly about her new CW hosting gig which tapes later this month, a sort of America’s Funniest Home Videos from the internet. Russ Meyer babe Kitten Natividad was one of the first to arrive (and almost the last to leave), and enjoyed the free cheeseburgers from the Tommy’s truck and frozen desserts from the ice-cream truck – both parked right outside – before dancing away to superstar DJ Keoki (of Party Monster fame).
Popbytes blogger MK made an appearance, while fellow blogger Perez Hilton arrived toward the end of the night, fighting his way through Bobby Trendy‘s entourage, who were hamming it up on the sidewalk for a TMZ cameraman. Other WOW TV alumni included Michael Lucid of the hilarious Pretty Thingsss; superstar-in-the-making Lenora Claire, who was also celebrating a birthday; necklace designer to the stars Onch; and today’s Ring My Bell guest, hunky cartoonist Glen Hanson.
If you were to ask James what the highlight of his party was, he would undoubtedly say it was disco star Thelma Houston dancing to her hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” James, not so incidentally, was resplendent in a white suit with gold shoes, signing copies of Freak Show at a school desk in the store’s window, a sight which attracted a gaggle of bemused tourists and random gawkers. Oh! And the window display had its very own Billy Bloom, the “gender obscurist” hero of the novel, preening in the window in a green dress and prom-queen sash, seemingly having just stepped off the book’s jacket. The night was over by a respectable 10PM, leaving everyone to further pursue their drinking and dancing elsewhere, and no doubt blame Svedka for their misbehaviors and hangovers the following morning.
– Steven Corfe w/ SS
(Photos by Fenton Bailey. From top: the party space only hours before; James St. James and Randy Barbato in the window with someone who found the night a blur; Party Monster‘s rat Daniel Franzese and James; blogger Perez Hilton enjoys a Svedka cocktail; WOWers Jason Bryan, Tom Wolf, and Lydia Rendon with bottles of Svedka; WOW Report blogger Saban; Lenora Claire and a view to the Boulevard; Billy Bloom impersonator with Stevie Ryan and Clint Catalyst; Steven Corfe and Bloom; Chad Rogers with girlfriend Victoria Salisbury)
