Scott Cramer was voted best party promoter last week by Reader readers, so we figured, who better to lead us through his Pride weekend? Cramer does publicity for Berlin, Abbey Pub, Do312.com, and through his own firm, Cramer PR & Events. He’s also director of the Decibelle Music & Culture Festival and organizes an every-Thursday gala at Berlin called Stardust. Yeah, he earned that award.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
5 PM: Frantically shopping (and working via iPhone in downtown dressing rooms) to find a something to wear tonight.
6 PM: VIP meet-and-greet for Do312 upstairs at Schubas with DJ Greg Corner. Phoebe—the cupcake angel, as we refer to her—comes by with a tower of 100 cupcakes (mmm, salted caramel).
10 PM: Break out of Schubas to head to Jewel for frozen pizza and breadsticks, then home to disco change, let my dog Kea Sophia relieve herself, and consume half of the pizza and breadsticks while compiling the guest list for the door at Berlin.
11 PM: In a cab to Pride weekend kickoff at Berlin with God-des & She, Alinka, All the Way Kay, and Orville Kline.
1 AM: Rendezvous with my friend Andrew of ASL-media.com in the bathroom for a photo shoot. The Berlin bathroom is his favorite place to take pictures; he likes the tile background. To me it’s reminiscent of the NYC Misshapes party’s white background shots circa 2006. I pull my old pal Yoly into the bathroom to style me.
2 AM: It’s getting hard to walk. I go outside for a smoke. I don’t have a lighter so I ask a cute couple of gals, Michelle and Amy, for theirs. They’re a bit perturbed that the line is reaching past the Belmont train stop entrance, so I bring them to the front of the line and into the party.
4 AM: Andrew takes a roll in the hay, while I document!
5 AM: In a cab to drop off BFF and Stardust bartender Andrew Thanos, then home to finish the other half of that pizza!
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
Note: this day doesn’t really happen for me; see Saturday.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
1:30 PM: Pride fest is going on in the streets of Boystown, so my partner Matt and I set sail for Halsted for some early afternoon debauchery.
2 PM: Weinermobile spotting! (I’ve always wanted to win a ride in that thing.)
2:30 PM: I run into Malachi, a filmmaker I’m working with. He has a booth and is raising money and awareness for his next film, a story about his uncle who hasn’t seen his lover, who lives in Iran, for 33 years. It’s called I Am the Water, You Are the Sea.
4 PM: I set up camp under the VIP Red Bull tent, just behind the booth where Psycho Bitch is DJing. Teri Bristol goes on next, and Chrissy Murderbot stops by in a dapper pastel suit.
6:30 PM: The real action starts when Michael Serafini starts DJing; there’s vogue line dancing to house music! I ask Michael if he’d ever seen such a thing. He says vogue, maybe—line dancing never!
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
I have a Pride curse; I wake up with a 102 fever. Last year, I spent Pride in the hospital on a morphine and antibiotic drip; a spider bite got me good. Anyhow, I pull myself together.
3 PM: The event at Berlin with Chances Dances and a gaggle of performers is packed.
11 PM: I leave Berlin. No less packed.