Someone’s in the kitsch-en with Mary
Hamburger Mary’s, perhaps the only gay-targeted restaurant chain in America, knows its clientele
(9/5/04) Arnold Wayne Jones Dallas Voice

...If you haven’t been to Mary’s yet, you’ve missed out on one of the few essential gay experiences available nationwide — a chain of queer-owned and -operated eateries. The idea would have been unthinkable when the first Mary’s opened in San Francisco 32 years ago, but even the Bush Administration can’t stop them now. They are peppered across major cities across the country, from Washington, D.C., to San Diego, with Dallas’, which rolled out its carpet earlier this year, being the largest of them all.

When the local branch first opened, I wasn’t all that impressed. I attributed the spotty service to growing pains. I’m glad I came back, because not only has the service improved by leaps, it’s also an amusing place to hang out. The décor is silly, campy and decidedly gay-centric: bejeweled shoes that seem to have escaped from deep inside Dorothy’s closet; TVs blaring dance-music videos from NSync, Kevin Aviance and Kristine W.; and Mary herself, a blowsy, top-heavy broad who would look at home at any truck stop across America...

 

Transcript: JC at Last Chance Summer Dance
(9/5/04) Z100 Portland (thanks to Dotcita and Candy for the sound files and to Stamplet for transcribing!)

Last Chance Summer Dance – Z100 Portland – backstage interview – 9/5/04

Kobe: ...move to the girl...(?)

JC: What was that all about? I don't know...boy, uh, Buckhead...he's like, "Turn around man, turn around." I was like...I felt like I was in a fashion show for a second. Then all of a sudden, I had a t-shirt in my crack. I didn't know how I felt about that.

Kobe: [laughs]

JC: But, uh, you know, what are you gonna do?

Kobe: Be careful of Buckhead, he might try something even crazier.

JC: I know, I gotta watch out for this guy. I'm learnin', I'm learnin'.

Kobe: You and I got somethin' planned a little bit later for up onstage. We're gonna keep that a secret though, okay?

JC: Yeah. We're gonna have some fun with the crowd, though.

Kobe: Definitely. And, uh, so what's goin' on with you, man? What've you been up to?

JC: Um, you know what? I've been battening down the hatches. I, I live in Orlando, right now we're getting hit by a hurricane, so I'm talking to everybody about every – every fifteen, twenty minutes and they're going, "Yeah, it's, uh, windy. It's raining." So that's what I've been doing lately. But I was just actually in LA this past week or whatever, and I actually, um, got in the studio for the first time in almost a year to...um, thinkin' about startin' up another record. So, uh, I started messin' around with some ideas, actually, last night.

Kobe: You should, man. I mean, you know me, I mean, I tell you every time I see you, man. I'm, I'm one of your biggest fans. I, I just...I think you're talented, I think you've got the total package. You've got the look, you can dance, and you can sing. I mean, you can sing. Not everybody can sing, man, you know. You're amazing, man.

JC: Well, thank you, man. I, you know what, I just do it because I enjoy it. And, um, I feel like I have something to share with people out there. I feel like, uh some of my ideas, people can relate to, so that's why I do it.

Kobe: I mean, business has ups and downs. What do you do to, just continue fighting, keep pushing, and just keep trucking on?

JC: Um, you know what it is? Um, it's like...I think everybody has a bit of a survival instinct, you know what I mean? My whole thing is, hard work pays off, you know. It might not pay off everyday, but sooner or later, in the end hard work pays off. People respect the work ethic and, uh, if you show up every day and do your absolute best, sooner or later that's gonna turn around for you.

Kobe: Everybody I know who knows you, loves you. I used to work in LA. I saw you there a lot of times, and we both know JoJo. You know, JoJo at KIIS FM...

JC: Yeah, of course man, he's a great guy.

Kobe: And everybody loves you, man. So you know what, you've got tons of people supporting you, you're talented, and we're so happy to have you here.

JC: Oh, man, it's my pleasure. I, you know, I'm having a great time today. It's a beautiful day here, so I'm happy to be here...much better than being in rainy Orlando right now, that's for sure.

Kobe: All right, man. Do you have family and stuff down there too?

JC: Uh, yeah. My sister and my father are down there, and like I said, they're keepin' an eye on my place. But uh, you know, it is what it is. I'd much rather be here and enjoyin', you know, enjoyin' the sun and enjoyin' the crowd. You guys got a great crowd out here, you know, we're gettin' to watch some great artists, and life is good.

Kobe: I hope your family and everybody's okay, man, seriously.

JC: No, I...you know what, my family and I would say everybody in the central Florida area, I hope the best for them.

Kobe: Definitely. Hey, there is an afterparty, and I know...we're gonna keep it a secret whether you're gonna go or not, but if you do go, I'm gonna take you back to a little VIP area and we're gonna have exclusive entrance. So you might wanna go to the Barracuda tonight, 'cause JC Chasez, he just might – I'm gonna, I'm gonna say you might show up, okay?

JC: That's fair. That's fair. I might...I'm gonna go have a nice...I think I'm gonna go have, like, a nice dinner after this, and then I'll probably...and if I'm up for it, I might pop out.

Kobe: Cool, man, cool. Well, thanks for comin' out, man. JC Chasez on the show!

 

Dallas songwriter Steve Holt survives industry spin-cycle, finds solace in The Now
(9/5/04) Aaron Teel North Texas Daily (thanks charlidos!)

...Steven Holt has continually peered over the precipice of mainstream success. He has also come to terms with the responsibilities of fatherhood, worked with an erstwhile member of N'Sync, and, somewhere along the way, become a songwriter of surprising maturity and depth. vIn late '99 Holt returned to the stage with a new band called Bicycle Thief. After a slow start and some legal wrangling over the use of the name, his new outfit re-christened themselves OHNO and began crisscrossing the country, without the support of a label. They played prestigious gigs in New York and L.A. They opened for The Strokes and recorded with Dave Matthew's Band's producer, John Alagia. OHNO built its reputation on melodic, emotionally charged, keyboard driven pop songs and Holt's soaring, rough-around-the-edges voice.

After four years of being the next big thing, OHNO decided to call it quits in June. "It was just time to end it," Holt said, on the band's demise. "I was tired of chasing the carrot. We had exhausted all our resources and it just wasn't fun anymore. We're all still friends."

But the end of OHNO hasn't spelled the end for Steven Holt. Appropriately calling themselves The Now, Holt, along with OHNO guitarist Vince Martin and members of Tripp Fontaine and Vibrolux have started playing music that they enjoy. "It's a very exciting time right now," Holt says. "Everybody in this band is on the same page and everybody is contributing, which makes it a lot more fun." The Now has only played a handful of shows so far, but the buzz is building fast.

Comparisons have ranged from The Stone Roses to Radiohead, and Holt sees them somewhere in between.

"The Now songs are very emotional, straight-forward rock songs. It's just fun to play. My only ambitions, for this band, are to have a good time and to make good music that we're all happy with," he says.

As for the business of writing songs for Chris Kirpatrick, formerly of N'Sync, Holt is defiantly unapologetic.

"I had a one year old son at the time," he says, without a hint of remorse. "I just needed to make money. My agent approached me about it, and I was reluctant, but I just thought, 'you know, I've been writing songs for a really long time and it's something I do well. If I can make money to support my family doing that...'" Holt trails off, but then returns to the point.

"Honestly, I don't regret the time I spent with Chris at all. I kind of felt for the guy; I mean, he's been abandoned by the industry now. There's nothing really happening for him, but he just keeps chugging along. He's a survivor."

Maybe the two of them aren't such a strange pair after all.