Be You!

Ah....June - the official month of all things LGBT.  The amazing folks at Pride St. Louis have been busting their ass to once again present the community with a fantastic, fun-filled weekend chocked full of amazing performers and emcees.  The festivities kick off at 11am on Saturday, June 23rd at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis.  The fabulously sexy Lola Van Ella and Sammich the Tramp will be your hosts on Saturday.  The dynamic bust-gusting duo of Dieta Pepsi and Trish Busch will be your emcees on Sunday.

Here is a little teaser as far as the entertainment PrideSTL has lined up for you on the Bud Light Main Stage. 

Saturday - June 23

Anti-Gravity - Ricky Phoenix - Summer Osborne - Selena Luna - Lola Van Ella - Margaret Cho

Sunday - June 24

Jammie Qualls - MCC Choir - Frenchie Davis - Pandora Boxx - Kristine W - Deborah Cox

Team Saint Louis teamed up with Pride St. Louis and established Athlete's Village, which has several athletic events scheduled throughout the weekend.  The activities including a volleyball tourney, rugby and soccer scrimmages, rock climbing, and the annual Pride 5K Run/Walk via St. Louis Frontrunners on Sunday morning.  Be sure to check out the Athlete's Village section  on the PrideSTL website for a full schedule. 

I am always engaged with one activity or another during Pride weekend.  Saturday - you can find me with my amazing wife at the Team Saint Louis booth slinging those delicious and refreshing cocktails from 1 - 3PM.  Saturday night is the annual ULTRA White Party at Erney's 32° in the Grove - yes, I will be there wearing my one white outfit for the year.  Sunday is the annual Pride Parade, and I have the distinct honor of riding with the fabulous group from the Handle Bar located in the Grove across from my other favorite bar - Just John's. 

Here is your ten minute history lesson today, kids. 
Why we celebrate LGBT pride in the month of June?
Here's a hint:

Hop in the way back machine and travel with me back to the evening of June 28, 1969 - Stonewall Inn - Christopher Street - New York City.  Back in the day, it was common for patrons of known gay establishments to be the victims of police harassment.  This was ongoing because of the laws in place at the time which forbid any homosexual behavior in public and private businesses - namely and more specifically - gay bars.

On the evening of June 28th, 1969 - the patrons of the Stonewall Inn said no more to such harassment and fought back.  A riot quickly ensued as the patrons began to hurl objects back at police officers outside of the bar.  News about the riot quickly spread throughout the city as more gay men and women flocked to Stonewall to join in the fight.  Police were dispatched to diffuse the situation and began beating...yes, you read correctly - beating individuals in the crowd.  The next evening - the crowd returned with even greater numbers and more pissed off than ever .  They continued to protest and riot outside the Stonewall Inn until the riot mob squad came in to disperse the crowd.  The protests and demonstrations continued on for several days.  Shit got serious, folks.

This moment in LGBT history became known as the Stonewall Riots and so began the gay liberation movement, which has since then evolved into a global celebration of LGBT pride.  In June 2000, Bill Clinton - of all people - declared the month of June as Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.  Yes, the same Bill Clinton that initiated the whole DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) thing.  We sure use our share of acronyms don't we?  So there you have it... this, my friends, is why we celebrate who we are in the month of June.  PrideSTL did an excellent job in capturing this through their Be You theme and campaign, and I greatly thank the folks at PrideSTL for the use of their 2012 Pridefest logo.  For more information on Pridefest 2012 including a full schedule of all events - visit the PrideSTL online.

On that note - I give you a great track by The Electric Six.  This track was featured in the documentary Small Town Gay Bar.  Check it out - great documentary. 

See you at Pridefest 2012! 



And So It Ends...

The hammer of law enforcement came down swift and hard on Camp Zoe and its renowned owner, Jimmy Tebeau, yesterday morning in a Missouri courtroom.  Jimmy pleaded guilty to one felony count of maintaining a drug-involved premises according to the attached article courtesy of KTVS out of Shannon County, where Camp Zoe is located.  According to the current plea agreement, Jimmy agreed to forfeit the land associated with Camp Zoe - a whopping three hundred and fifty-plus acres - in addition to serving two and half years in prison.  In a nutshell - the feds are basically nailing Jimmy for the old 'crackhouse' law that became infamous a few years back with rave promoters and so forth.  Although Jimmy claims he had nothing to do with the actual sales and distribution of illegal substances on his property - he is unfortunately still liable and responsible in the end or so the law states. 

The trouble at Zoe pre-dates back to August 2006 when Missouri Highway Patrol arrested two patrons who were allegedly distributing mushrooms for financial gain at one of the events.  Since that time - and perhaps unbeknownst to Jimmy and those who worked for him at Camp Zoe - the campground and its many festivals were on a radar they certainly did not want to be on - one monitored and managed one federal government agency know as duh duh duh...the DEA.  Over the course of the next four years - agents were secretly investigating the distribution and sales of illegal substances in an undercover manor.  These undercover agents managed to conduct numerous sales with distributors who were selling everything from moonshine liquor to cocaine.  The article notes that the estimated cash flow to these distributors averaged roughly half a million dollars per event.  That kind of cash flow, my friends, will not only get the attention of the DEA - but will also send up red flags for the IRS if the financial truths of these events become known.  That they did.  

On November 1st, 2010 - Camp Zoe was hit hard and raided by federal agents as the annual Spookstock event for that year came to a close.  Patrons were still on the premises - some barely awake after the weekend festivities.  No individual arrests were made with exception to involving a patron with existing warrants, but they certainly had the shit scared out of them.  This date will now be known as a sad day in history for Camp Zoe and Schwagstock.  Spookstock 2010 was the last festival to be held at Camp Zoe under Jimmy's reign. 


A long running series of music festival madness and life altering experiences has certainly ended.  Regardless of abundance of certain illegal substances - the ultimate premise was sharing good vibes and times with friends and in some instances total strangers.  Schwagstock was a strange phenomenon if you will.  It was means of escapism for many who have succumbed to the monotony of everyday life.  Getting away for a weekend in more ways the one became an annual event for the majority of those who attended the many Schwag events that date as far back as the late nineties.   Jimmy and his crew have moved from campground to campground since the birth of Schwagstock - Lesterville, Leasburg, Bagnell Dam -  finally settling in at Camp Zoe in 2004. Jimmy (with a little help from his friends) was able to purchase the land associated with Zoe and set up residency for himself and all future Schwag-related events.  Little did he/they know but this ownership would seal the fate of Schwagstock a few short years down the road.

That being said - the majority of those who are aware of and attended these festivals knew that the probability of this happening was relatively high given the circumstances.  Attendance numbers grew exponentially over the course of time - well into the thousands.  It outgrew the majority of the original campsites prior to Zoe, which is more than likely the reason why Jimmy and company decided upon Zoe as a permanent residency for such events.  The numbers went from two-thousand to nearly quadruple that amount over the past five to ten years.  The more it grew - the more attention it received....and in return the behavior and activity occurring at such events became more notorious.  Stories of rape and overdoses began to surface - most of which were either highly exaggerated or downright false.  At some point - roadblocks - compliments of the Missouri Highway Patrol - became a constant factor when going to and from the festivals - a sure sign that Schwag was officially on the radar of state and local law enforcement. 

In some ways - those of us inside the boundaries of the campground felt safe and secure from law enforcement and the everyday evils of the world.  Realistically - it was the exact opposite.  They - undercover agents - were there the entire time - lurking and gathering evidence.  In some ways - it is a bit creepy to contemplate.  Ultimately - maybe somewhere deep in the hearts of many of us....it was known that the end had to be near.  The influx of traffic - groves of people wearing tye dyed clothing - the smell of patchouli and dank...well, you get my point.  When multiplying such elements by the thousands - it is bound to attract the wrong attention.  Perhaps it came down to one too many festival goers fucking up - getting arrested and dishing out details about Jimmy and/or Zoe events in exchange plea bargains.  The only certainty is that this fantasy land was bound to end.  It was simply a matter of time.   

Ah...the infamous porta-potties!


I am - by no means whatsoever - here to slander Jimmy, the Schwag, the festival, or even those involved with death of Camp Zoe and Schwagstock.  It was one incredibly amazing ride, but we all knew it eventually had to end.  In the end - everything does.  Nothing can last forever nor should it.  Moments and events end for a reason - primarily so new ones can be created and begin.  Surprisingly - I remember virtually every amazing moment I ever experienced at the events I attended over the years.  It often reminded me of a time warp back to the sixties or at least what I envisioned the sixties to be like - minus the weird raver kids and modern technology. 

I was able to share these experiences with good friends and those strangers that wander from campsite to campsite sharing stories amongst other things.  I fondly remember my first Schwag and most certainly my last up until the very moment where the sun came up on the final day.  I wish Jimmy the best and hope he is able to carry on and move past all the negativity associated with the allegations and pending sentencing.  Schwagstock definitely had its moment in the limelight, and it will forever be remembered by all of us who were fortunate to experience it at its best.  Rest in peace and thank you for the beautiful memories!

"What a long, strange trip its been."

 

Camp Zoe owner pleaded guilty to federal drug charges - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff