SATURDAY 8/4

HEDWIG SIPS IN

Let's put on our fabulous heart-shaped glasses of Gay History for a moment and turn our queer eyeballs to a few things of deep historical import: a little bar in Manhattan's so-called "West Village" (aka "Faggot Mecca") called "Julius'," the events that occurred there many years ago, the brave warriors who executed said events, and, of course, an amazing little 'mo who never ages (WITCH!) called John Cameron Mitchell.

Julius' is a historically rich little bar that's taken something of a backseat to the world-infamous Stonewall Inn and its riots, which you undoubtedly know all about because you're no slouch. But! Julius' importance to our cause is almost every bit as significant as Stonewall's, if tragically under-sung by comparison.

See, waaaaaaay back in 1966—long before any of us were alive, Goddess knows—there were real live laws on the actual "books" that made it illegal to serve booze to homos. Imagine! (The vile bigots of '66 sure knew how to hit us where we live.) "No service for known homosexuals," the law demanded, but our righteous gay ancestors weren't having any of that nonsense. A group of 'mos calling themselves "The Mattachine Society" staged an ingenious act of pure revolution: They walked into the damn bar and demanded a damn drink. (Oh, the pearl-clutching horror of it all!) They called the action a "Sip In," and some say that had it not happened, Stonewall wouldn't have happened, either (but I suspect dead Judy Garland might have something to say about that).

Fast-forward to now. In honor of the original Mattachines and their drinky, drinky subversiveness, this dance party that's named for them has a simple and singular purpose: to pack dance floors with happy drinking/dancing 'mos who have no legal problem buying cocktails whatsoever, thank you, and spreading the love. They've been doing it at old Julius' for the last four years to tremendous effect, and sometimes they travel. Like tonight! Nark Magazine brings them and their top-drawer DJs to our salty shores... along with none other than gay super-legend John Cameron Mitchell, who is just as historically important because HEDWIG (!!!). He's the event guest star, and he'll be spinning and chatting with the crowd and being amazing in general. "It will be like a private party in John Cameron Mitchell's living room," according to our good friend Nark. (See also preview.) Chop Suey, 9 pm, $8 adv/$10 DOS, 21+.