Tony Buff
Marina Dennis
More Cruise picsThe twenty-fifth anniversary tour of
Queen City Cruise disembarks at noon on Saturday, August 12 from Pier 55 for a five-hour cruise of the hot spots of Seattle's inland waterways.
Along the way, the nearly 500 Cruisers aboard the boat, which is dubbed the
HomoAquatic tour this year, enjoy dance music spun by
DJ Carlo Cochran and mixed by
the bucket. During dance breaks, the show's co-hosts,
Marina Dennis and
Tony Buff and entertainers keep the crowd hopping with contests and performances.
For the past several years,
the bucket (whom very many of you know, whether you know it or not) has created special dance mixes for
DJ Carlo Cochran to play on the Cruise. We asked him to give us a hint about any of the booty-shaking surprises he might have in store for Cruisers this year.
[the bucket:] Tacky Tourists will hear a compilation of dance music the likes of which they can hear nowhere else. It'll be better than K-Tel and like nothing you can hear on T.V. It will definitely not be sold in stores. It will be better than the stuff you get from any other bucket - KFC or otherwise - and with less fat and preservatives.
What do you look for when picking dance music for the Cruise?[the bucket:] The three keys to satisfying music on the Queen City Cruise are great songs, variety, and brevity. DJ Carlos Cochran and I pack as much great dance music into five hours as we possibly can. We both share a love of familiar dance songs -- he favors the hits of the 70's and I'm a real 80's guy. I search high and low for new mixes of older stuff to shake things up a bit -- adding a new beat to an old tune, so to speak.
We can't dance to "oldies but goodies" alone, so I'm also working to feature some of the bigger hits of the last year, as well as a few new songs that you?ll not hear in the clubs for a few more weeks, if at all.
I'll know my job is well done when I see all those smiling faces and shaking booties on the Queen City Cruise -- and you can bet your sweet, sweet bippy, that the bucket will be out there smiling and booty-shaking it with them.
Randy Henson checks out the crowd on the 2002 Sea Monkey Tour
We also managed to get the event's producer,
Randy Henson who created the party 25 years ago, to pause for a moment in his hectic schedule of preparation to answer a few questions by email.
It's been 25 years. Can ticket holders expect anything new on this year's Cruise?[Randy:] Every Queen City Cruise is a unique experience. We plan many surprises, and some surprises just happen on their own. The rule is to expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride.
We have what may be the best pre-boarding line-up ever, including the debut of Tony Buff -- our first male MC without makeup. You can call him Mr. Microphone, SIR!
The dock and the Goodtime II will feature new decor in this year?s playful HomoAquatic theme. We?re also featuring a new caterer and the buffet promises to be oh-so-very palatable.
As for the scenery, one can never predict the reactions we get from people at the Locks and on other boats. As always, we hope to see a few full moons.
For the pre-boarding show at Pier 55, you have drag queens performing at 11am in broad daylight on a public dock. How do you convince them to get up so early? (Or is it convincing them to stay up so late?) [Randy:] Tina Crawford knows all too well the answer to this one: it?s the publicity.
Seriously, for many of these local stars, the dockside show provides a larger and culturally diverse audience than a more traditional nighttime venue. The combination of Tacky Tourists and traditional tourists yields an enthralled audience of anywhere between five and six hundred people.
Additionally, our talented performers grace the stage long before brunch as a special favor to the TTCA in appreciation of our record of support for the Seattle LGBT community. We value their participation.
What's the usual reaction when you explain what the venue for the performance is?[Randy:] "You're telling me I can't perform in heels?!?"
The dock is very unforgiving when it comes to fabulous footwear that might get stuck in the gaps between the planks. Performers wear heels at their own risk ? and without a net, I might add.
The passage through the Locks is often a highlight for both those on the boat and those on the shore. Are you planning special performances there again this year?[Randy:] Every year, we have two or three scintillating sirens perched on the bow and the stern. They sing that old homosexual spiritual; ?I Am What I Am?, accompanied by a heavenly, manly chorus. Hundreds of tourists from all over the world capture this moment on film as a memento of their Seattle experience. Can there be anything more special than that? I'm tearing up just thinking about it.
Are you really going to sell out so early this year?[Randy:] Does Rush Limbaugh have a four-hour erection? Does the word "Santorum" leave a nasty taste in your mouth? YES - Tickets are selling incredibly fast. I think they sold faster only in 1989, when tickets were cheaper, hair was a lot higher, and Vancouver Pride was a more modest community event. Back then, they thought ?circuit? was an electrical term.
At the current ticket sales rate, we?ll sell out at least two weeks in advance.
Why do you think that happened?[Randy:] I think there are a number of factors. People are in a celebratory mood this summer, I think mainly because of the passage and implementation of the so-called Gay Rights Bill. Look at the huge turnout for Pride in Seattle this year, in spite of all the controversy with the move. Plus the weather has been fabulous this summer.
In addition our talented webwrangler, Robin Evans, is doing an incredible job keeping the Tacky Tourists Clubs website updated and fun all year, advertising the Cruise to the tens of thousands of Internet visitors worldwide. [ed: We, your WebWrangler, bows.]
The galleries on the site are proof of the success of the past two Queen City Cruises - both of which rank in my top five favorite Cruises.
Last, I think people are reacting favorably to this year?s fun HomoAquatic theme. We know that this theme will yield some terrific costumes.
Even though they're expected to be sold out by sometime next week, tickets are still available
by online order at the Tacky Tourist Clubs website. $50 each.
The Cruise is produced by the Seattle Chapter of
Tacky Tourist Clubs of America, an organization known for its imaginatively outrageous events and excursions.
Sponsors include Purr, R Place Bar & Grill, manray Video Bar, Changes in Wallingford, Martin's Off Madison, Rosebud Restaurant and Lounge, the Embers Avenue (Portland), Stoli Genuine Russian Vodka, and Coors. [
see map]
Proceeds will benefit the
Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington,
Action Northwest, and
Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee for Sexual Minorities (SEAMEC) [which has a great new website].
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Gay Gay party Queen City Cruise Seattle Queer SeafairLabels: drag show, Gay events, gay organization
