Plastic Love — the LA duo of DJs Bas Elgharib and Jimmy Maheras — spin disco, house, techno, acid, shoegaze, polka, dubstep and everything in between December 1 at Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. Based in LA but inspired by both coasts, Jimmy and Bas showcase global artists through their radio show and webcast Plastic Love Radio. Jimmy made a mix just for Ace to give a taste of what he’ll be playing next Saturday in the Amigo Room.
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.
Tomorrow, Paris burns by the pool at Ace Palm Springs for pride weekend. Hands On : Shade, a celebration of queer NYC ballroom culture all weekend with a mini-ball hosted by Raja from RuPaul’s Drag Race and Kiki Xtravaganza of the House of Xtravaganza, plus a screening of Paris is Burning and sets by MikeQ (Vogue Nights, NYC), Miracles Club and Beyondadoubt, and pool party with Mustache Mondays. We have a couple rooms left for the weekend — it’s 86 and sunny. Come werk.
We’re in a van driving down the I-5 today with The Miracles Club, Chanticleer of Magic Mouth and Beyondadoubt to celebrate all stripes in the desert for a few days. Come down and hang out with us.
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.
Our third annual queer arts and music festival at Ace Hotel & Swim Club werks into Palm Springs for LGBTQ Pride November 2-4. This year, Hands On: Shade celebrates underground gay ballroom culture in NYC and all the legendary children and butch queens who’ve made the way for everyone — gay, straight and all — to be themselves and work it hard.
The Miracles Club, MikeQ, Beyondadoubt and Mustache Mondays spin house, vogue, bounce and ballroom all weekend, and Kiki Xtravaganza of The House of Xtravaganza puts on a mini ball by the pool and one in the Amigo Room late night, after a poolside screening of Paris is Burning. We’ll also host the Type Truck so you can slink over with a cocktail in your swimsuit and make some letterpress art, betch. We’ll whip up some easy phrases or you can invent your own for a new generation of realness.
Rooms are on the cheap and we’ll have a bunch of Feel Good Spa specials, free clay face masks by the pool and freshly muddled cocktails. Git.
New York friends Martin Carvajal and Ben Ferencz of FairEnds set up shop in Montana making headwear “for those who dream fully, and for those who believe adventure comes at any moment.” We like that so we made a hat with them. The Ace Hotel & Swim Club x FairEnds Five-Panel Camp Hat (whew!) is built from durable cotton twill with a vegetable-tanned, adjustable leather strap and antique brass clasp in back with an Ace Swim Club meets San Jacintos logo twill label in front. Pick one up in red, white or blue on our shop.
Claude Collins-Stracensky’s Distiller after a temporary setback at High Desert Test Sites in Joshua Tree, California, caught by photographer Oriana Poindexter.
