Saturday night of Hands On : Shade during Palm Springs Pride, we held a vogueing ball hosted by Hector Xtravaganza of The House of Xtravaganza and judged by Raja of RuPaul’s Drag Race and friends — MikeQ provided the soundtrack, The Miracles Club wailed, and Beyondadoubt got Isaiah Tillman into contortions. We took a break to watch Paris is Burning in the Clubhouse — apparently everyone has the script memorized seeing as how it was like a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening with impromptu live accompaniment. Shots from our Sunday pool party with The Miracles Club and MikeQ up shortly. Stay tuned.

Notes from the field — our road trip from Portland to Palm Springs with The Miracles Club, Beyondadoubt and Isaiah Tillman for Hands On : Shade, a celebration of queer ballroom culture at Ace Hotel & Swim Club during Palm Springs Pride. Kiki Xtravaganza hosted a mini-mini-ball by the pool to warm everyone up for the real thing later that night in the Amigo Room with MikeQ. More on that later.

Girl, you know that shit buttons on the right side. Wear it, be it, know it, work it, twerk it, or do absolutely nothing by the pool this weekend at Hands On : Shade, our queer NYC ballroom celebration during Palm Springs Pride at Ace Hotel & Swim Club, with a poolside screening of Paris is Burning, a mini-ball with Kiki from the House of Xtravaganza, and sets by MikeQ, The Miracles Club, Mustache Mondays and Beyondadoubt. It’s Mike’s birthday too, so bring him something nice. Whatever you bring, it best be real. We still have a few rooms available through the weekend — see you by the pool.

Mr. Ian Svenonius has sung his @#$&ing heart out in bands like The Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses, and in the meantime has procured quite the collection of rare soul 45s. He stays with us at Ace Portland Thursday night to spin wax at the 5 Year Anniversary of I’ve Got a Hole in My Soul, Beyondadoubt’s legendary soul night going half a decade strong. Come dance for five bones and win $100 at the midnight dance contest with Jonathan Toubin of New York Night Train. Ian, Toubin, Beyondadoubt and the one and only Mr. Fine Wine of WFMU — the godfather of soul 45s — will help you ruin a pair of heels, get the girl and watch the sun rise. We asked Ian to curate a playlist for Ace to support crappy weather survival — as he says himself, all the DJs will be mining their crates to pizzazzle your winter weariness. Come dressed in your midcentury finest.

RAINY WEATHER MUSIC REPORT by IAN SVENONIUS

When the weather’s bad, (i.e. rainy, dark, cold) those of us with S.A.D. (sensory Affective Disorder) tend to huddle up in a ball, lay on the bed and listen to “Healing music,” i.e. lots of minor chords, aching songs of “love and loss,” Cohen, Dylan, Satie, et al. Some go all the way and listen to truly depressing music: murder ballads and “goth” music by people dressed in black. Goths nurture depression and a “dark” view of life. 

The idea of “Goth” came from the tribes who initially migrated out of “Gotland,” or what would now be Western Sweden, in the 4th Century. They were so depressed and melodramatic they sacked Rome and plunged the world into a “Dark Age” which lasted (accounts vary) between 700 and 900 years. 

Ironically, if one goes to Scandinavia now, there is little evidence of “gothic” dress or behavior. In fact, Danish and Swedish design is marked by bright colors like yellow and red, and festive patterns. It seems the really depressed “Goths” all traveled South 1500 years ago and those who were left had a different approach to bad weather: denial and sublimation. 

Happy music is therefore also a Scandinavian trademark. Abba, Cardigans and Aqua. Since Scandinavians purport to have a high standard of living, we’ll follow their lead in promoting joyful music as a way to wrestle with the interminable rainy months.

Beyondadoubt’s 5th Anniversary of her world famous “I’ve Got a Hole in My Soul” party at Rotture will feature the kinds of infectiously delightful songs that will keep you dancing til May, as well as internationally renowned guest DJs Mr. Fine Wine, Mr. Jonathan Toubin and — yours truly — Mr. Ian Svenonius. We will be playing soul all night December 8th!!! With a Dance Contest!!!!

MY PERSONAL PLAYLIST FOR WINTER: 

Richard Humble & the Continents – Summer All Night Long
The Baubles – Pardon me, Ma’am
The Horsemen 4 – Craters and Rainbows
Gayle Troyglad – Poor Omen
Pass Outs – (Do the) Crack and Squeeze
Paul Moriarty with the River Rangers – I Love Wyoming
The Intentions – Good Intentions 
Other Women – More, More, More 
Alexander Muskrat – I Smell (A Muskrat)

Photo of Ian by Jackie Roman

Saturday night, Light Asylum took everyone to church and shook the walls of the Amigo Room with dark, hard, danceable freakout. Beyondadoubt laid out her bounce and house tracks with a mix of nu-wave, cold wave and dark wave perfection. CockFight opened up the night with an inexplicably pitch perfect mix of house and rock for our penultimate eve of HANDS ON.

Photos by Maicol Chavez

Fun Active Gentlemen Society spun an enchanted vibe by the pool today at Ace Palm Springs at HANDS ON, brought to poolside revelers by our friends at Heineken, Towleroad and LA Weekly. We’re looking forward to an unforgettable show tonight with power duo Light Asylum with bounce master Beyondadoubt and DJs from COCKFIGHT (LA) in the Amigo Room, 9pm til 2am, free in the Amigo Room.

Photos by Maicol Chavez

Summer doesn’t have to be over. Join us in the desert for five days of amazing bands, DJs and performers at HANDS ON, our queer music & arts festival at Ace Hotel & Swim Club during Palm Springs Pride, November 2-7, brought to you by Heineken. Rooms are 15% off and we’ve got a handful of Feel Good Spa specials ranging from the mystical to the practical, using everything from crystals to sugar. It’s going to be about 85, so you can have a second summer vacation in November.

BUTT Magazine hosts a pop-up shop and Jeremy Kost previews new photographs in the Clubhouse and signs his book It’s Always Darkest Before Dawn, hosted by Mr. Black LA. Light Asylum swoops in from New York with their soul-spinning, operatic drama, in collaboration with CockFight, an underground warehouse party hailing from Los Angeles and Beyondadoubt, just back from a European tour with Beth Ditto. Stay Gold brings their dance-cum-art party from San Francisco to duels on the decks with DJs from LA’s Mustache Mondays. Mr. Black plays another poolside afternoon party, and Blok and Myles Cooper play live sets in the Amigo Room. We’re also screening two films — The Strange History of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and Paris is Burning — at the Commune pool, on Thursday and Friday night, respectively.

See you there, with bells on. Stay tuned here for interviews, videos and more, and see the full schedule on our calendar.

INTERVIEW : DIPLO

The legendary Diplo caught us up today on the past, present and future. He was recently seen hanging out of a 5th story window at Ace Hotel New York, and is now walking around Kingston getting ready to DJ at a bakery. Diplo is DJ, producer and songwriter, and a dad. He named himself after a dinosaur, worked with M.I.A. before you were even out of diapers (well before his son was out of diapers), and runs both a record company, Mad Decent, and a non-profit organization called Heaps Decent. 

What’s your favorite thing to do in NYC at 4am?

Well I could be sleeping. Or just leaving a party. NYC is great at having classy after-parties. But maybe I’m on a flight or could be fishing…

I heard you had a dinosaur obsession as a kid. If we are dinosaurs in the making, what do you think will be our latin name 185 million years from now?

Latin name… Miguel or Raul.

Best Thai food in Philadelphia?

I ate for years alongside broke vegetarians. So there was plenty in Chinatown, but not totally Thai. There’s Penang (Malaysian restaurant) off 10th and Arch.

What have you done while staying at Ace New York that we really shouldn’t know about?

I jumped out the window on the 5th floor during the Duck Sauce video. In fact lots of really bad things happend during that week I was in that room. And I’m glad to get a pretzel sandwich at the coffee place attached like round mid-morning if its not busy. And I can use gym and punch the bag for hours.

What are you up to today?

Walking around Kingston filming a travel show. Got a lot done and it might be good? Now I’m goin to drink and DJ at this place called Susie’s Bakery.

Your best show in Portland.

Had to be the first time at Doug Fir with CSS an Bonde Do Role. A heap of lesbians and strippers. Tourin with CSS is a good time, girls loved them. And then strip clubs and vegan donuts after. Also played at Holocene with Beyondadoubt a few years ago.

What are you doing on New Years?

Gonna DJ and then wake up early and hang with my baby boy and make some sandwiches.

Do you have any resolutions?

No curse words or misogyny in 2011, and I wanna make the wierdest film of all time over one million dollars.

Thanks, Wes.

Photo via Melaphobe