So as some of you know, I went to Vegas this past weekend w my mom. While there, we caught Elton John's show, The Red Piano, at Caesar's Colosseum.
Mind you it is not the monstrous production that is Celine's A New Day (which Elton's performance replaces when Celine's on hiatus), but it was debauched fun nonetheless.
Here I was watching one, if not the, most influential and well-known Gays in the world, performing his gay gay songs to even gayer David LaChapelle-visual imagery splashed across a giant 20 ft screens behind him...with my mom and an audience full of Midwestern white trash.
Well, I obviously don't know or think they were all Midwestern white trash, but I can tell you that I barely noticed nary a gay, appropriately-dressed Liberal heterosexual, or just any non-trashy heterosexuals in general.
One of the most memorable - awkward yet funny - moments was when Elton described one of his songs as being about Love, and not about all of the "hate, intolerance, and bigotry" that pervades current society. A brave statement followed by only a smattering of applause. I swear only 1/5 of that audience clapped in agreement with his statements.
Well, the best part of it was LaChapelle's design work for the show. Since Elton's show is nothing like the uppity Celine show, LaChapelle faced the challenge of creating a design that had a visual energy and dynamic that would integrate with his music without distracting away from it. He also was tasked to create videos that wouldn't ruin the iconic status of some of his songs. A brave and successful feat methinks.
The best of all was his video for 'Someone Saved My Life.' Filmed in a typical LaChapelle aesthetic, the video features none other than MISS AMANDA LEPORE herself...topless...panties-less...and with blood streaking down from her nose in one scene.
For those of you not in the know (and why are you reading my blog anyways) Amanda is the self-professed "#1 Tranny in the world" (behind Janice Dickenson of course). She's also the performer of the hit Tranny Billboard singles - 'Champagne' and 'My Hair Looks Fierce.'
So the video also features a shirtless boy in sparkly tights and angel wings writhing away in most of it which prob made my mom uber-uncomfortable.
But the kicker is near the end when Amanda is being charged on an electric chair, with a piece of dynamite exploding from her cooch. Yes - dynamite through her cooch.
Here I am sitting with my conservative little Indian mom, surrounded by a gaggle of spiritless yet shocked tourists, watching Amanda with a piece of dynamite in her pussy on a 20 to 30 ft screen, with the biggest queen herself, Elton, singing on his big gay red piano. The whole situation was just too much to handle.
Elton, Amanda, and David - flaunting their outrageous/gay/cutting-edge/however you want to describe it aesthetics and sensibilities on a possibly confused and perplexed audience. I LOVED THAT.
Anyways, I'd seen the video before, but seeing it that large and live w/ Elton singing was great. LaChapelles amazing - but that's prob b/c I love spectacle with alot of color and shine added to it. Someone get him to direct a Bollywood film.
I've included some links to his work for Red Piano, as well as the video where Amanda debuted to my mom.
you have to manually copy and paste these into your browser:
http://www.davidlachapelle.com/projects/photo_gallery.shtml
http://www.davidlachapelle.com/projects/index.shtml
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