I've spent a lot of time over the past two weeks wondering what sort of new fashion mutations are going to make an appearance next weekend at the Parade. Gold lame hip waders? Homespun rainbow lioncloths? Your guess is as good as mine. I do, however, promise here and now to high five anyone wearing the following:

What exactly is this? Hanes for her or Hanes for him? A pair of boxers? Briefs? A brassiere? A tanktop? A T-shirt? A Boxtop? A T-Brief? A shirtief?

Whatever. Take photos this week people. You know where to send them: vancouvergayblog@gmail.com.

Here's a little love from Canada's own Tu. I love these girls and love this song. I've been waiting for a remix to hit the clubs, waiting, waiting. If you're game, make one and I'll post it on Right Up Your Alley and see if I can get you some exposure here in Vancouver. And hell, if I see anyone wearing a zebra print skirt-suit this week, their prize will be a guest spot here on RUAP. And if I see the Tu twins wearing matching yellow raincoat dresses, we will have to elope and make glorious gay pride test-tube babies that we can raise to be cruel pop starlets who will, in turn, rule the Canadian music scene for decades to come.

If you can't take it, skip the video to the one minute mark and watch from there. As my blog counterpart in Toronto puts it: Hotarious.


Never heard about Tu? Here's some background from their unofficial website:

Welcome to Unofficially Tú, a site dedicated to 80's Canadian pop vocalists Amanda & Cassandra Di Blassi.

Inspired by the cantonese word for art, twins Amanda and Casandra DiBlasi founded Tú in the mid 80's, after being discovered by producer and former Red Rider keyboard player Steve Sexton when they appeared as extras in a music video.

Regulars in the Toronto studio scene by age 15, the twins had graduated from the Royal Conservatory Of Music and had already appeared in numerous television commercials when they started writing and recording their self titled debut in 1986 with Platinum Blonde producer Bruce Barrow, to whom they were introduced by Steve Sexton.

Released in late 1987 with RCA/BMG Music Canada, the formerly titled "Siamese Kiss" album yielded two singles, the first single being top ten hit "Stay With Me", which peaked at the 8th position in November that year. A second single, "The Language Of Love" was released in the first months of the following year, resulting in additional sales of Tú and more tour dates through-out Canada.

In 1988, the twins left RCA/BMG Music Canada and embarked on their second album, with a new label - CBS Records. Also produced by Bruce Barrow, "Secrets In The Dark" was released the following year with two moderately successful singles ; "I Used To Cry" and "Stop Breaking My Heart". This was unfortunately their last album.

 

Oh my G-string! Terry Costa along with James and the boys at Celebrities know how to put on a kick-ass show. Tonight's finale of Vancouver's Next Go Go Boy Star was not to be missed. Sergio stole the show and truly deserves his newfound star status (and hey, Sergio, if you're reading this, thanks for the love. That Xtra! West exclusive photo of you and me will probably be in Pride issue).

I decided to bust out my point-and-shoot and cover tonight's event for Right Up Your Alley. Your winner, Vancouver, is smoldering up the right-hand side of this pic:
And here's my pick/pic of the night:

And as far as routines go, this guy won my heart over with his:

Mad love for any man who can channel Mariah Carey and is thoughtful enough to bring a grab-bag full of racing flags for his audience. He was the only dancer who strip-teased...the crowd favourite by far. Click here for more information on the finale. It should be updated by the end of day Friday. (NB This is Starlen Gold, local Van dancer)

And yes, I have been waiting and waiting to get a Mariah Carey reference on here and am glad my first MC plug is for that forgotten gem, 2001's "Loverboy":

 

 

Seeing as there's less than two weeks to go until the best parade of the year rolls through the West End, methinks it's time to start a countdown. Not just any countdown. No no. This isn't your standard weekend MuchMusic fare with shiny pg-12 banter from those sexless Toronto robots CHUM employs to brainwash Canadian youth into buying tens and tens of Sam Roberts records every year. Nor will this countdown take a page from the Cape Canaveral rocket launches of yesteryear, though I imagine there will be blastoffs of one kind or another every night for the next 13 days. (Reminder to check out the fireworks on Wed July 31)

This is a gay countdown. Or in other words: the gaydown.

And what better way to kick off summer excess than with excess' favourite poster girl.

Is she straight? Is she gay? Does anyone even care?

My sister sent me this photo a few days ago and I thought, perfect, finally Lindsay Lohan is wearing something that I can relate to: a Pride flag dipped in sparkles. And look at that hemline! It's short enough to make Dame Edna Everage clear her throat, straighten her glasses and purr: "I'm trying to find a word to describe what you're wearing, darling... affordable!"

I would like to take this opportunity to applaud Lindsay's new lady friend for encouraging Lindsay to throw caution to the wind (so to speak) and let the rainbow take her where it may.

Well-gayed, Lindsay Lohan. Well-gayed indeed. 

 

Truth be told, like many other Canadians living on the West Coast, I don't speak a lick of French. When I was presented with a myriad of linguistic choices in highschool, before making a decision, my mind naturally latched on to the following pop culture icons:



Thanks to the dimpled-miracle that is Mario Lopez, I decided to study Spanish. And my love of all things latino has continued on, long and strong, to this very day.

There are times, however, that I wish I had learned the other official language of our country. Last week, while I was writing a couple of fashion articles for Xtra! West, a friend suggested I check out Yelle's "Je Veux Te Voir" and I haven't been the same since. The first 40 seconds of the video is like a Walmart commercial on crack.

I have it on good authority that the song title translates to "I want to see you" in English. To my endless sorrow, I do not understand anything else, though still find myself loving Yelle and her synth-heavy know-how. Her short shorts are short, her hair is bobbed and her beats make me feel like I just rolled out of bed in the middle of a sexy Parisian discotheque. Je l'aime...tres fort!