’80s icon Starck Club opens for circuit party benefitting Legacy
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| YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND, BABY: Circuit DJ Blaine is one of two spin doctors at the Starck Red party Saturday. |
It was 25 years ago that the Starck Club became Dallas’ answer to Studio 54 — a haven of hedonism at the edge of the West End, almost as famous for being raided as for being the nightspot of trendy Texas.
A quarter of a century later, the partying is back — although the mission is different… at least for this weekend.
Starck Red is a party at the former bastion of excess, and it promises the same pulsing beat as its predecessor, albeit with probably less classic disco than once reverberated off the walls. (Organizers do promise modern and retro tracks from its two celebrity spinners, starting with DJ Blaine at 10 p.m., followed by DJ Kimberly S from 3 a.m. till past sunrise.)
But there will also be some good done here. Host Billy Smith decided to turn the occasion of his 50th birthday into a fundraiser. Proceeds from the event benefit the Legacy Counseling Center and Legacy Founders Cottage, which provide comprehensive treatment, care and support for those living with HIV.
"I try to do something each year to help Legacy," he says. "It breaks my heart to see this humble home with these great people."
Starck Red Party in the former Starck Club, 703 McKinney Ave. June 6, 10 p.m.–8 p.m. $50–$125. Starckred.com.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
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SOLMONESE AND CHORALE: IN FOR A PENNEY…
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How’s this for a turnaround: When Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, Plano-based JCPenney pulled its advertising from her sitcom, "Ellen." Gay consumers were not pleased.
Now, 12 years later, the company has obtained a 100 percent rating on the HRC Equality Index for two years in a row (2008 and 2009) and boasts an exemplary employe support and service organization, the Gay & Lesbian Educational Associate Network.
To celebrate Gay & Lesbian Pride Month, JCPenney is holding an event, Out For Equality, on Friday, June 5 at the company’s home office. To demonstrate just how far the corporation has come, the keynote speaker at the event is Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, pictured, who will be followed by performances by the Turtle Creek Chorale.
C’mon, Exxon Mobil — if JCPenney can do it….
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 5, 2009.