Miss ASAP is Dunedin bound
The AIDS Service Association of Pinellas is shaking things up a bit this year with its annual Miss ASAP Pageant. The organization is taking the pageant north—at Blur Nightclub in Dunedin, to be exact. The annual pageant features female impersonators vying for the coveted title to represent ASAP for a full year. The move north pulls the annual contest out of St. Petersburg and stretches into the northern part of the county, where ASAP services many clients. Outgoing Miss ASAP Monica Moore will help organize and host the pageant and will also step down at the end of the night before crowning the next queen in the dynasty. For details or to enter, visit the Miss ASAP 2015 Facebook page.
Quench Lounge: The new Bear Cave
The Tampa Bay Bears finally have a home again! The social club for the hirsute and their admirers will meet every Friday at Quench Lounge in Largo for drinks and camaraderie. Bears president Mike Tobias told Watermark that he hopes the club will not only attract new members by having a new home, but that the group can schedule more outings and dinners throughout 2015 by having a common meeting place. The first official gathering of bears is Friday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. If you missed it, don’t worry, they’ll be back next Friday. The bears will also be the benefiting organization of January’s Watermark Wednesday event, held at Quench Lounge, at 6 p.m. Jan. 21.
Baxter’s gets an update
For 30 years, Baxter’s Lounge has served the LGBT community of Tampa Bay. The popular neighborhood night spot has hosted pageants, dancers and karaoke throughout most of its life. Now, the South Dale Mabry bar is getting an upgrade, according to our friends Mark Bias and Carrie West of MC Film Festival. The pair posted that the Lounge is undergoing some renovations and remodeling since it is now under new ownership and management. Details are still tightly wrapped, but we can expect anyone who celebrated New Year’s Eve there got a preview of what’s to come in 2015.
Girls night at the Hideaway Cafe
What better way to start the new year (other than having a crazy New Year’s Eve, of course) than celebrating the music of Joni Mitchell with well known local female musicians? On Jan. 9, join Chasing Jonah, Iris Calling Band, Sandi Grecco and DeLaran Withers for Girls Music Night at the Hideaway Cafe. This music venue, at 1756 Central Ave., is LGBT friendly and is set up specifically for live music. Things get rolling around 8 p.m. There may be a small cover charge at the door. For more information, find the Girls Music Night Facebook page.
