Rufus Wainwright Focusing on a Day in the Life of an Opera Diva

Rufus Wainwright, who was presented with GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award (named for the late casting director and given to an openly gay member of the entertainment or media community for his or her work toward eliminating homophobia) at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles over the weekend, told Variety about his next project, Prima Donna, an opera which focuses on a day in the life of an opera diva.

Said Wainwright: "I've written songs for so many years that it's basically become a bodily function. There's nothing glamorous about it whatsoever. I've wanted to write an opera since I was about 14 years old, but I couldn't find a story that I could wrap my head around. (Inspiration came from my fascination with) the construct of the diva, from Maria Callas to Norma Desmond and the (Jean-Jacques Beineix) movie 'Diva' from the '80s. And God darn it, there's a bit of me in that too. Once the lights go down, it all kind of boils down to the same thing. It just has to be good."

Wainwright (pictured here with his partner, German arts administrator Jorn Weisbrodt, at the GLAAD awards) will function "as both composer and librettist (in French)" for the work, which was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.

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News: Coral, Indiana, Rufus Wainwright, Berlin, Neil Patrick Harris

Indiana Senate votes 39-9 to ban same-sex marriage: "The amendment now goes to the House, where it died last year and where it's stalled again this year. State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, the chairman of the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, which was assigned the bill, has already said he will not give it a hearing because this session's focus is on property taxes."

Someone commit him: Ambulance-chasing Bobby Trendy holds Britney vigil outside UCLA medical center.

Elton John holds fundraiser for gay London mayoral candidate and former top cop Brian Paddick.

California same-sex marriage foes relaunch drive for constitutional amendment: "Signature gatherers have been spotted by people out in the field, [Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California] told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday, January 29. He said the measure's supporters have raised over $350,000 so far, and he said signatures are being collected in the Sacramento and Central Valley areas, as well as in Southern California. Kors said there isn't "extensive visibility" yet and that he wasn't aware of signatures being gathered in the Bay Area. Kors said the anti-gay groups need about 1.1 million signatures by April 21 in order to collect the nearly 700,000 valid signatures needed to put the measure before voters. Kors said he and others just learned of the group's efforts last week, and are working to develop plans of their own."

Gray January: NYC gets no snow for first time in 75 years.

Carson Kressley on Carson Kressley: "I can't say what people are thinking, but I'm never going to defend my actions as being one way or another. I defend them as me being me. If I say I was being stereotypical and I do what "shouldn't" be stereotypical, then I'm living my life for somebody else and I'm marching to the beat of somebody else's drummer, and that, I think, is a worse thing."

The case for Katie Holmes faking the NY Marathon.

Researchers: Human sunscreen killing off coral reefs around the world. "Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species. The chemicals cause the viruses to replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral communities. Zooxanthellae provide coral with food energy through photosynthesis and contribute to the organisms' vibrant color. Without them, the coral "bleaches"—turns white—and dies...The researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching."

More Becks on the beach photos.

Rufus, Rufus, Rufus: Victoria Beckham isn't the only one appearing naked on those new Marc Jacobs T-shirts.

New York City comptroller William Thompson leads anti-discrimination charge with the LGBT Community Center and the New York City Pension Funds, calling on more than two dozen large companies including ExxonMobil to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity: "We must work together to make sure that corporate America embraces acceptance and affords all employees the same protections..."

New York Post endorses Barack Obama.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka to duet for Broadway Backwards 3, the gender-bending concert of show tune favorites benefiting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

Hundreds of Pennsylvania students sign petition to force administrators to take on anti-gay bullying: "The petition circulated after an openly gay senior student left school halfway through the year, claiming he was repeatedly harassed by fellow students. Superintendent David Volkman says the district has formed a new committee to look at the issue. He says the school is already looking at ways to reinforce its harassment policy, and has created 'safe rooms' for students who would like to talk with teachers about the issue."

Europe's first gay old folks home fully booked.

New York's Gay City News endorses Obama: "The McClurkin episode, unfortunate as it was, pales in comparison to the divisiveness that Senator Clinton has allowed her campaign to devolve into. Her comparison between the roles played by Dr. King and President Lyndon Johnson in advancing civil rights can be chalked up to inartfulness. The comments coming from her surrogates are far more disturbing, forming a pattern that sadly can no longer be ignored."

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Music News: The BBC Edits "Faggot" Out Of The Pogues' Christmas Classic, Plus Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Shelby Lynne, Gary Barlow

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning weekly music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

In the U.K., the BBC backed down a day after announcing its decision to censor the word "faggot" from Radio 1 plays of The Pogues' holiday classic, "Fairytale Of New York". The 1987 song, a duet with deceased vocalist Kirsty Maccoll, features reminiscent bickering between fictional ex-lovers, wherein Maccoll admonishes Pogues' singer Shane MacGowan with "you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot," and he refers to her as "an old slut on the junk."

The BBC had previously said, "We are playing an edited version because some members of the audience might find it offensive." Today, the BBC reported, "Controller Andy Parfitt said the original decision was 'wrong'."

The decision came after the Stonewall organization took the BBC to task for its apparent hypocrisy, as popular morning show DJ Chris Moyles refuses to apologize for his frequent use of the word "gay" in a manner "more associated with homophobic playground language."

Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill said to PinkNews.co.uk: "We would be happier to see Radio 1 take action against the persistently anti-gay Chris Moyles rather than bleep one word of a Christmas classic." In an awards ceremony put on by Stonewall last year where Chris Moyles was named Bully Of The Year, host Ian McKellen commented, "Chris Moyles repeatedly uses the word gay in the playground sense, without apology, that is inappropriate language for a host of a national breakfast show who speaks to millions of young children."

The U.K. paper The Telegraph also published comments from readers regarding the censorship of "Fairytale Of New York." Said one man identifying himself as gay: "To begin altering songs made long ago would mean bleeping out a lot of the music back catalogue. However, if the song was made today and directed at homosexuals solely then I do think that would be a whole different story."

"Fairytale Of New York" is a Christmastime staple on U.K. radio. The song originally peaked at #2 on the British chart in December 1987, held back by the Pet Shop Boys' "Always On My Mind." It has been re-released on several occasions, and is currently at #8 in this week's U.K. Top 10.

Within three days of its YouTube debut, Britney Spears' "Piece Of Me" video has garnered over 1.6 million views. There's nary a Chris Crocker cameo to be seen in the paparazzi-themed clip, but dig those backing vocals by Robyn.

Specifically designed to make you feel old, Epic will release the Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition (pictured left) February 12. Michael Jackson's landmark album will feature the nine original songs -- which include "The Girls Is Mine," "Beat It," "Wanna Be Startin' Something" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" -- as well as remixes, unreleased tracks "Carousel" and "Someone In The Dark," and a bonus DVD with three music videos and Jackson's original performance of "Billie Jean" from the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today And Forever special, where he first unleashed "the moonwalk" upon an unsuspecting world.

Martha Wainwright will join her brother Rufus on stage tomorrow at New York's Highline Ballroom for a Christmas charity performance benefiting SaveDarfur.org.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

Pretty much the only album from a major artist this month, Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains, is out. The singer worked with Ne-Yo, The Neptunes, Polow da Don and Stargate on the record.

Also made available on iTunes are singles from Nick Lachey ("Ordinary Day") and Shelby Lynne ("Anyone Who Had A Heart"). Lynne's full album of Dusty Springfield covers drops in February.

HOLIDAY CLIPS: I'll leave you with the music video (featuring a Matt Dillon cameo) for The Pogues' "Fairytale Of New York," and a perhaps less-offensive clip -- or more, depending on your tolerance for schmaltz -- of a 15-year-old, pre-Take That Gary Barlow performing his original composition "Let's Pray For Christmas" in a 1986 song competition on BBC's Pebble Mill. He didn't win.

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When You Were Young: Rufus Wainwright

Nearly twenty years later this pint-sized crooner would be belting out Judy Garland tunes at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Check out his performance in the 1988 film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler, after the jump...

Rufus Wainwright, before he developed his trademark drawl.
(source)

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Music News: Can Sugababes Cross Over? Plus Rufus Wainwright, The Smiths, Nas, Buffy, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning occasional music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

This week, pop/rock/electro trio (as they're billing themselves these days) Sugababes celebrate the triumph of having both the #1 single ("About You Now") and #1 album (Change) on the official U.K. charts. It's no small feat, as the 'babes have been around long enough to issue five LPs and the ubiquitous greatest hits, and have surpassed the typical sell-by date that sees most pop acts reduced to subpar reality show stints.

But "About You Now" -- written by Cathy Dennis (yes, that Cathy Dennis, who had the early '90s green-bodysuit solo career and later penned Britney's "Toxic" and Kylie's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head") -- actually marks the Sugababes' sixth British #1. In their home country, they've had more hits than the Spice Girls, and this year they became the first pop act to play the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival.

So where's the love for the curvy threesome in the States? In recent years, urban-heavy American radio has warmed up again to British acts, such as Coldplay, Natasha Bedingfield, James Blunt and Amy Winehouse. Sugababes (aka Keisha, Heidi and Amelle) write a majority of their own material, and certainly their R&B-tinged pop merits them being a shoo-in for at least a hit or two on these shores.

Granted, the gals don't play their own instruments, but then again, you never saw Beyoncé or Kelly Rowland shredding a whammy-bar-kickin' guitar solo, either. It just seems that in a land where the only thing passing for fun pop on the American charts these days is Britney Spears, surely we should welcome the Sugababes with open arms.

Here's the video for "About You Now":

Rufus Wainwright does Judy! Judy! Judy! on CD and DVD this December.

Morrissey performs a new track on Last Call With Carson Daly while Johnny Marr goes back to school and receives top honors.

British pop star and X Factor winner Shayne Ward (pictured left) turns 23.

Rapper Nas chooses yet another eyebrow-raising album title.

Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel to headline South African HIV/AIDS benefit concert for Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign. Lennox writes about her involvement with the campaign as a 46664 ambassador in the November issue of Instinct magazine.

U2 to reissue four different versions of The Joshua Tree in November for the set's 20th anniversary.

The successful life and quick death of the nationwide Buffy The Vampire Slayer sing-alongs: "I was under the impression that everything we were doing was completely legal and had been cleared by the appropriate people," says Buffyoke organizer Clinton McClung.

Post-rehab, Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty record a song together.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

The Killers' new single, "Shadowplay" -- a Joy Division cover featured on the Control soundtrack as well as the forthcoming Killers' collection of B-sides and rarities, Sawdust (due November 13).

Thirty years after its initial release, iTunes adds Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols.

Soul singer Angie Stone's The Art Of Love And War, from the newly relaunched Stax label.

The album/DVD combo R.E.M. Live.

Jimmy Eats World's Chase This Light, exec-produced by Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins producer (and Garbage member) Butch Vig.

Ultimate Santana, featuring the guitar legend's greatest hits and new tracks with Chad Kroeger and Jennifer Lopez.

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News: Ian Somerhalder, Frog, Marcel Marceau, Todd Oldham

Deaths: Legendary mime Marcel Marceau dies at 84. Stage actress and Bewitched star Alice Ghostley dies at 81.

Scientists develop see-through frog.

Fort Lauderdale debate over gay rights and Mayor Jim Naugle dividing South Florida's black community: "Despite the support that many black ministers showed for Naugle, the local NAACP took a public stand against the mayor, calling his crusade a 'hate campaign.'...'I'm not here to condone or condemn gay sex,' Marsha Ellison, head of the Broward NAACP, told The Miami Herald. 'This is a hate campaign against gays launched by the mayor.' She said the branch's position -- adopted after a unanimous vote of its 22-member executive committee as well as branch members -- echoes the national NAACP's position. 'Anytime any group is discriminated against it becomes a civil rights issue,' she said."

First conclusive evidence presented that velociraptors had feathers: "It's sort of as if you scaled up a chicken and then gave it really nasty teeth and big claws on its feet."

Your chance to have dinner and drinks with Michael Biserta, the New York firefighter renowned for his big hose.

Suburban Chicago teenage girl sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to write letters of apology for distributing anti-gay fliers with a friend outside Crystal Lake South High School: "Police arrested the two girls May 11 after they had distributed about 40 fliers in a student parking lot at the high school, 1200 S. McHenry Ave. The fliers had a photograph of two male students kissing and included inflammatory words."

Todd Oldham named creative director at Old Navy.

Israeli man detained in Lebanon on suspicions of murder and espionage tells authorities he is gay: "The events leading to Sharon's arrest last Thursday began when authorities in Beirut questioned a Lebanese security agent in connection with the shooting death of the man's roommate, according to a report in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar. The agent claimed to have been with a German friend at a Beirut hotel at the time of the killing. When authorities questioned the German friend, they discovered he was an Israeli who spoke Arabic and who had repeatedly visited Lebanon, the report said. Sharon denied allegations he was spying for Israel, the reports said. He told police he visited Lebanon for tourism and that he was a homosexual who had relationships with Lebanese men, according to the reports."

Former model Ian Somerhalder returns to the runway.

PlanetOut seeks entries for short film awards: "Winners will be announced in January 2008 at PlanetOut's annual event during the Sundance Film Festival, and the Grand Prize Winner and four runners-up will be screened at a special ceremony and program in Miami as part of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Sunday, April 27, 2008. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize and will be exhibited on PlanetOut.com and Gay.com, along with the runners up, who will each receive cash prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500...Judges will consist of film and TV executives from companies such as Bravo, Logo, and Sony Pictures Classics, and representatives from PlanetOut Inc. and MGLFF."

Rufus Wainwright wraps up his Judy tour with performance at the Hollywood Bowl: "The most striking costume change of all came during the encore's first song, 'Get Happy,' when Rufus pranced out in full Judy drag: fedora, diamond earrings, red lipstick, double-breasted tuxedo jacket, seamed black stockings, and high heels. The audience subsequently went crazy."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #149

DAVID BECKHAM: A new ESPN spot to hype the arrival of the Real Madrid superstar. Music is a cover of the Beatles by Son Volt.

JEN from BIG BROTHER 8: Cries when she sees her picture on the wall for the first time because she doesn't like it. Reality contestant train wreck at its finest.

MIKA and BETH DITTO: Sing a cover of "Sweet Dreams" at the Oxegen Festival in Dublin.

GOING TO A TOWN: The making of the Rufus Wainwright video. Here's Part 2.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: UFO, Chelsea Hotel, Mark Dalton, California Gay Marriage

Northern Ireland politician Ian Paisley Jr., who made disparaging remarks about gay people last month, has no regrets about being a bigot: "What is done is done, I've said those comments why should I try and hide what I've done."

UFOs spotted over Britain: "It was 2,000ft up and stationary. I thought it was about 10 miles away, although I later realised it was approximately 40 miles from us. At first, I thought it was the size of a [Boeing] 737. But it must have been much bigger because of how far away it was. It could have been as much as a mile wide. I'm certainly not saying that it was something of another world. All I'm saying is that I have never seen anything like it before in all my years of flying."

Activist outs homophobic Russian politician on national TV.

Gay accusations fly over domestic partner benefits in Kentucky gubernatorial race.

Elton John raises £110,000 for karaoke tune.

Historic Chelsea Hotel to be the east coast's Chateau Marmont? "Hotelier Andre Balazs, owner of the historic Hollywood inn, was spotted 'checking out' the interior of the Chelsea Hotel on Tuesday. The Chelsea's owners just turned its operation over to powerhouse BD Management, and we hear Balazs, with his knack for historical preservation, will have a role in running and restoring the place. Now all he has to do is figure out how to entice people who have long lived there for little to no rent to vacate."

Gay porn actor Mark Dalton arrested...again. (sites NSFW)

Canadian Anglicans to vote on allowing churches to bless gay couples.

California Supreme Court asks each side to answer three questions in gay marriage case: "The first answer the court required from both sides was a specific and detailed explanation of how California’s existing domestic partnership law--one of the most comprehensive in the country--and legal marriage differ from one another in terms of legal rights for families. Secondly, the court required lawyers from both sides to offer their interpretations of what the California state constitution’s provisions might be for marriage rights" and "Do the terms ’marriage’ or ’marry’ themselves have constitutional significance under the California constitution?"

Rules and regulations: Rufus Wainwright in choreographed number with muscle men.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #145

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: His appearance on Canada's The Hour, with George Stroumboulopoulos.

ERIC SCHMIDT: The CEO of Google speaks with Pat Mitchell, President and CEO of the Paley Center for Media, at the World Economic Forum on June 13, 2007, and eventually shows off his iPhone.

MADONNA: The official video for her Live Earth track "Hey You".

BEEFCAKE: Footage from AllAmericanGuys set to Rihanna's "Umbrella".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Rufus Wainwright on Anderson Cooper and the Closet

From a new interview in Spin magazine:

"If they stay in the closet, they're going to make a lot more money. I go to the same gym as Anderson Cooper. When I look at him lifting those 5-pound weights, it makes me think, 'He's just trying to live his life and be all that he can be.' But he still goes to the gayest gym in New York."

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Jake Gyllenhaal Joins Rufus Wainwright in Surprise NYC Appearance

Rufus Wainwright has been hosting special guests at his concerts during performances of the track "Between My Legs" from his new album Release the Stars. At Friday night's show at Gramercy Hall, folks were shocked when Jake Gyllenhaal appeared from behind the curtain.

Jake took on a spoken word portion of the song that comes near the end. There are rumors that Gyllenhaal is looking for a proper theater gig in NYC. So this may have just been a warm-up.

"Between My Legs" — Rufus Wainwright

(image source, source)

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News: Criss Angel, Rufus Wainwright, Thierry Mugler, Mike Jones

Ted Haggard escort Mike Jones talks to Deborah Solomon in the NYT magazine: "I’m really not this left-wing liberal like some people have tried to paint me. I think I’m very moderate. I’m a registered Democrat, but I’ve voted Republican. I voted for Bush in the last election."

Magician Criss Angel begins 24-hour Times Square cement box stunt: "About 100 fans gathered in the rain to watch the spectacle in a parking lot just off Times Square, the same spot where U.S. magician David Blaine spent two days in November shackled to a gyroscope hoisted in the air before escaping. Angel, 39, sat in a four-foot (1.2 meter) square clear box slowly being encased in cement that was suspended 12 feet above the ground as he spoke to reporters and fans. The box will be lifted to 40 feet later on Monday and Angel will try to escape on Tuesday morning before the box is sent plunging to the ground."

Bush nominates James Holsinger for Surgeon General. Holsinger founded Hope Springs Community Church which seeks to "cure" gays and lesbians.

Rufus Wainwright: "I do feel like I live a fabulous life. And I know that’s why a lot of the critics get so mad at me sometimes, because they’re just really jealous.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has begun allowing conjugal visits for gay and lesbian inmates registered as domestic partners: "The change will allow gay and lesbian inmates the same rights as other inmates, who are eligible to spend up to three days with family members in living areas -- usually trailers -- on prison grounds. Corrections officials say they are responding to legislation signed by former Gov. Gray Davis that awarded more rights to registered domestic partners and prohibited state agencies from discriminating against domestic partners...The changes were prompted by complaints from Vernon Foeller, 40, who was serving a 20-month sentence, convicted of attempted burglary, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Foeller's request to have his domestic partner visit him last summer was denied, leading him to contact the ACLU."

Rosie O'Donnell is in Celebrity Detox.

Robbie Williams, football hero?

William Silver, the first openly gay man to apply for ordination in the Methodist Church, has died at 59 of complications from AIDS: "A grandson of Presbyterian missionaries in China, Mr. Silver hoped to follow them into the ministry when he entered the Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan in 1969. It was in his final year there, in 1973, that he came to terms with his homosexuality. Two years later, when applying to the Presbytery of New York for ordination as an assistant pastor at the Central Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue and 64th Street, he shocked committee members interviewing him by saying he was gay. 'It was like electricity had been sent through members of the committee as they sat upright, and we really didn’t know what to do,' Byron Shafer, one of the committee members, recalled in an oral history interview."

Death of American math genius Scott Johnson 20 years ago off Sydney Australia's North Head being investigated as murder by anti-gay gangs: "In 2004 Coroner Jacqueline Milledge ruled that violent gangs preying on homosexuals probably hurled three of the group to their deaths at Marks Park, overlooking Bondi Beach. She also determined that gay bashings in the park were common and that similar attacks might have occurred at gay beats at Alexandria and Randwick. Spurred by the findings, Johnson's brother Steve has hired US investigative journalist Daniel Glick and retired NSW detective John McNamara to determine if the same scenario occurred on Sydney's northern beaches."

Fashion designer Thierry Mugler becomes "Manfred" in extreme makeover. WARNING: Not safe for work at all.

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Highlights from the 2007 Coachella Music & Arts Festival

[by Arjan Writes, guest blogger] Over the last few years, the Coachella Music & Arts Festival has grown into one of the biggest outdoor music festivals in the country. When Madonna appeared last year, she added a mainstream flavor to the event and brought a whole new audience with her. This gave organizers the confidence to grow the event and turn it from a 2 to 3 day event. Set in the scorching desert three hours east of Los Angeles, this year's event was action-packed with some of the hottest talents of the moment perform.

There were many great moment, but here are a few of the highlights (click images to enlarge):

Bjork returned to Coachella playing on Friday night wowing the crowd with new tracks ("Earth Intruders") and old favorites ("Hunter," "Army Of Me," "Pagan Poetry"). She appeared in a costume that looked like The Last Emperor meets Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers played an energetic set on Saturday. They mixed it up a little and covered Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" with a few bars of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love."

Perfectly coiffed and styled, The Feeling turned it up a few notches for their show on Sunday afternoon. Openly-gay frontman Dan Gillespie-Sells (above and right) stayed true to form. He introduced the last song "Love It When You Call" with "I will leave you with this little tune, my darlings."

Mika (left) appeared a little earlier on the mainstage. Dressed in a simple white tee and "cartoon motion" military pants, he went over very well with the crowd of boarder dudes and rock chicks who had settled early in front of the stage in anticipation of Rage Against the Machine later that day.

Break out act The Klaxons (below, right) presented a fresh, exhilarating sound on Sunday that had me dizzy on my feet from beginning to end. Set included the delicious "Golden Skans." This is a band to watch.

Members of British band Placebo have never made a secret of their sexuality. Singer Brian Molko (below, left) is bisexual and bassist Stefan Olsdal is openly gay. The group played a tight, soaring rock set that included a remake of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill."

Tiesto made the Dutch proud when he headlined the mainstage and closed the Saturday program. This was the first time a DJ was chosen in favor of a rock act to get this honor. Tiesto played a pre-programmed set that was timed in conjunction with compelling visual effects. He included older fan favorites and tracks from his new album "Elements of Life."

Peaches (left) rocked her set on Friday night. This chicks knows how to bring it. The brash performer kept a steady pace accompanied by the handsome JD Samson on keys and drummer Sam Maloney. After opening the show with her light saber routine, she jumped on the drum set while chanting "Impeach my bush, impeach my bush."

Rufus Wainwright played songs from his new album "Release The Stars" on Saturday in a packed Mojave tent. Appearing in a robed "gay messiah" costume, he played the piano and acoustic guitar. He was backed by a full band including a horn section. He was quoted saying, "It's great to be here in the desert, where all the rejects had to go and the Jews and the homosexuals."

Dance lovers were in for a treat well with kicky sets by French DJ David Guetta, Felix da Housecat and Paul van Dyk. Faithless delivered a powerful performance on Friday night, sending the crowd into frenzy with live renditions of "Mass Destruction" and the pumping " Insomnia."

Arjan is the author of the music blog Arjan Writes, where you can find new music, free downloads, album reviews, and artist interviews. More on each of these artists there.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #117

VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTER CHO SEUNG-HUI: The killer's video, sent in the mail to NBC News.

CLERGY CALL FOR JUSTICE: 220 clergy members from 50 states gathered on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for hate crimes legislation as well as the Emplyment non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This is their press conference.

DELETED WHITE HOUSE EMAILS: Karl Rove finally finds a use for that pesky Microsoft paper clip! Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez begins his testimony today at hearings regarding the Bush administration firing of U.S. Attorneys.

JOHN MCCAIN: Jokes about bombing Iran on campaign stop in South Carolina: "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: White House Emails, Mystery Clouds, Beckham, T Rex

White House says it "lost" five million emails. What a crock. Case begins to get "quite interesting".

Scientists to study increasing number of mysterious "night shining" clouds they say could be related to global warming: "The clouds were first observed above polar regions in 1885 – suggesting they may have been caused by the eruption of Krakatoa two years before. But in recent years they have spread to latitudes as low as 40°, while also growing in number and getting brighter."

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) to join celebration marking 25th anniversary of Wisconsin becoming the first state to approve gay rights legislation.

Anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson says yes, he does have the videotape that shows his trip to Latvia to hobnob with anti-gay forces was as a "special envoy" sanctioned by the White House, but no, he's not going to let anyone see it.

Rufus Wainwright talks Brandon Flowers again: "I do relate him to a sort of Brando character - somewhat conservative but yet volatile and also extremely handsome. But also highly sensitive. So it's just a good old gay fantasy."

Movin' on: Reichen Lehmkuhl guides new beau before the flash bulbs at Red Line premiere.

New York's meatpacking district has been designated "historic".

Leaving for L.A.: David Beckham planning male-only going-away bash.

Confirmed: Tyrannosaurus Rex's closest modern relative is the chicken. "The analysis shows that T-rex collagen makeup is almost identical to that of a modern chicken - this corroborates a huge body of evidence from the fossil record that demonstrates birds are descended from meat-eating dinosaurs."

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Rufus Wainwright is Tired of America

You took advantage of a world that already loved you well.

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News: Brandon Flowers, Rudy Giuliani, Genetic Cleansing, Brazil

Rudy Giuliani's gay talking points.

Rufus Wainwright claims Brandon Flowers is salty, and perhaps a bit stale: "I don't know [Brandon] that well, but I wrote this song about him which is kind of hilarious - it says he tastes like potato chips in the morning."

Gays with money stopping the Rick Santorums of tomorrow: "a group of rich gay philanthropists...quietly joined forces last year, under the leadership of a reclusive Colorado technology mogul, to counter the tide of antigay politics in America that has generated, among other things, a succession of state ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. Carroll had sponsored such a bill in Iowa and guided it to passage in the state House of Representatives, the first step toward getting it on the ballot."

Trent of Pink is the New Blog" survives plane fire drama over the Mojave Desert!

The real War on Christmas: Thomas Kinkade painting to become holiday movie.

Illinois parents protest school panel featuring gay students talking with freshman students about their experiences: "'We have a great deal of pride in the program and don't feel we are overstepping any boundaries that [most] parents would feel are inappropriate,' [assistant superintendent Suan] Hebson said. But Ellen Waltz, a Deerfield mother of eight, said the climate has changed so much that students who believe that homosexuality is immoral and violates their religious beliefs are now the ones being bullied."

Southern Baptist wingnut calls for genetic cleansing of original sin.

Thousands protest Bush arrival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And Brazilian reactions to the U.S. president, then and now: Clinton vs. Bush.

Fans freak to meet Jackson.

Obama and Clinton battle for Chicago: "Mike Bauer, for example, decided to use his years of fundraising experience and contacts in Chicago's gay community to raise money for Obama. He helped with Obama's first fundraiser after the campaign's official launch last month -- a huge Chicago event that Bauer says was intended to make a statement. 'Clearly there was a desire, an intent, by the Obama campaign to hit the ground first in Barack's hometown,' he said. 'It was important, both for financial reasons and psychological reasons, to show that he has tremendous support from the people who know him the best.' Bauer said he knows several of the presidential candidates and decided to help Obama after a personal request from the senator. Obama contacted him around Thanksgiving to discuss a possible run for president and seek Bauer's support if he did run."

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News: Damien Hirst, Jake Shears, Gaydar, Steve Irwin, Woodpecker

British bachelor gets dream date with Anderson Cooper — for $21,000.

In ironic hanging, Steve Irwin portrait replaces Germaine Greer's at Australia's National Portrait Gallery. At the time of Irwin's death, Greer had slammed the animal lover, saying "The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo-owners in their turn."

Britney Spears' rat nest goes up for sale for a cool million. But she wastes no time replacing it.

Scientists: May be too late to save polar ice caps.

The Guardian reflects on gay "dating" site Gaydar and its founder Gary Frisch, who plunged eight floors to his death from his apartment balcony in south London last week: ""Some people are uncomfortable with Gaydar because it encourages a culture, almost through peer pressure, which kind of obliges users to reference themselves by their sexual preferences and the size of their equipment. You won't generally find that someone will call themselves, say, librarian3. It's going to be cocklover72 or something. You feel obliged to be that way because it's part of the culture. If you were to step outside that culture you would just look odd."

Gay Jamaican who appeared on TV anonymously has attempted suicide after residents in his community recognized his pendant and IDed him.

Damien Hirst offers up butterflies to Hollywood: "Indicative of how important his attack on Hollywood is for him, Hirst is flying more than 100 members of his staff into LA for the event and the Oscar parties. His first Hollywood show is not just about those tired old warhorses, money and celebrity. It’s also about credibility."

Love Comes Quickly for Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant and Jake Shears.

Shame: How the Bush administration honor's America's troops: "Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses."

Judy Garland (aka Rufus Wainwright) brings Carnegie Hall to London.

Robotic birdwatcher to search for ivory-billed woodpecker thought extinct.

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Alan Cumming Weds Partner Grant Shaffer in Civil Partnership

Last November we talked about a wedding in the works for actor Alan Cumming and his partner of two years, illustrator Grant Shaffer.

Apparently the civil partnership ceremony took place this weekend in London and was attended by Rufus Wainwright and actress Mary-Elizabeth Mastrantonio, among others.

Cumming is the second high-profile actor in two weeks to register a civil partnership in the UK. Just before the New Year, John Barrowman tied the knot in Wales with his partner.

Best wishes and plenty of Cumming for the both of them.

Alan Cumming Marries [queerty]
Tony-Winner Alan Cumming Weds in London [broadway world]

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Viktor & Rolf Stage Gay Rebellion Under the Louvre

While Rufus Wainwright warbled "Over the Rainbow" in the background, fashion designers Viktor & Rolf staged a "subversive" runway show under the Louvre in Paris on Monday afternoon in which stereotypical gender roles were tossed aside:

It was just before the final parade of models appeared, however, that what could have been another canned fashion spectacle turned into something else. Pumped from the ceiling, a bank of artificial fog rolled onto the runway. Suddenly, through the mist, appeared eight men in tailcoats and with patent-leather hair. Filing onto the catwalk as the orchestra struck up a song, each turned crisply to another, partnered and began to dance.

Fred and Ginger became Fred and Fred.

It was not the Stonewall rebellion. It was not Paris, May 1968. Yet, amid all the posturing and attitudinizing that goes on in fashion (and let’s say we ditch the concept of rock ’n’ roll “rebels,” a fashion chestnut, now that Mick Jagger has a knighthood and Bono has turned into Kofi Annan), there was something sharp and resolute, even radical, about this one small moment.

If you've ever wondered what a gay wedding in the Emerald City might look like...

Radical, Chic [nyt]

you may have missed...
Viktor & Rolf/Rufus Wainwright Collaboration #2 [tr]

(thanks Jonno and Peter)

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