On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: Gloria Gaynor, Maxine Nightingale and The Blue Notes @ Resorts World, Queens

Smiles of a summer night! Few nights can compare to Saturday this week for pure joy and celebrating nightlife in New York City as well as life itself!

I went out to Resorts Casino in Queens with my friend, Kevin, whose recent birthday we were honoring. It was a night of wine, women and song or, more specifically, cosmos, divas and a concert.

We had a great livery car driver, a neighbor it turned out, taking us there and back in his sedan. The ride from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jamaica, Queens (extremes of both boroughs) is like international traveling to me. The long drive to the casino was wonderful, as it was all along the waterfront with cooling breezes on a hot day and the smell of salt water was in the air.

Resorts could have its act more together on their ticketing/ admissions but I won't elaborate. They could also provide more seats for the space their showroom occupies, too. Traffic had us arriving just a little late. Harold Melvin's Blue Notes opened. We walked in just before they sang "Don't Leave Me This Way," a song they recorded ahead of Thelma Houston's better known version.

The crowd for this show wasn't all that diverse. Mostly disco dinosaurs, many with canes and walkers, so there wasn't a lot of booty-shaking (well, not in the dance sense anyhow) with all the probable hip replacements except for one septuagenarian gentleman who dramatically busted a move early on. (Was it The Hustle or a seizure?)

Maxine Nightingale, who is 62 years old now, looked all fab and glam. Much hotter than Madonna, almost 57, in fact. She ended with her two hits, "Lead Me On" and "Right Back Where I Started From" after a series of strong disco covers by others like SOS Band's "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" and Alicia Bridges' "I Love the Nightlife." She was in good voice throughout her set.

But the glorious Gloria Gaynor blew everyone away. She has survived and thrived. Go, Glo! She opened with her famous disco version of "Going Out of My Head" and then her '80s dance version of Kander & Ebb's "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles. Her long set included other disco hits like "I Never Can Say Goodbye" as well as a dance-music version of Christine Aguilera's "Beautiful," another positive, self-empowerment number. Ballads like "Killing Me Softly" and a great gospel version of "Every Breath You Take" were included for balance and diversity mid-way through her act. The audience was teased, tantalized and craving more throughout it.

Donna Summer said if she was The Queen of Disco, then Gloria Gaynor was The First Lady. The two formed a friendship and not a diva rivalry. GG did a Donna tribute that was admired by all. The evening's medley included "Last Dance," "MacArthur Park" and "Heaven Knows."

Of course, our prima diva ended with "I Will Survive," a 10-minute version that left no one disappointed. This has got to be one of the most famous songs, internationally, ever recorded. Even today's younger generations know it.

After the show, I cried and then I held my head up high and went with Kevin to the casino. Beginner's luck, I spent $10 and immediately won $65. I cashed out. However, I did get the opportunity to lean over the balcony and see part of the later show by Robin S doing "Love for Love" and "Show Me Love." Our '90s diva's voice has definitely deepened. She now sounds like Barry White and looks very ghetto in her denham, rag-tag and very "street" outfit. Very butch but still a big belter.

So we were back, from out of space and into our car home. Same driver. We mentioned the show and "I Will Survive" and our commander-in-chief played that song in various languages and English interpretations from his cell phone over the car's speakers, then segueing into other artists like Rihanna and Usher before we got home. Disco on wheels. A party night, right to the bitter end!

Dj Buddy B's Weekly Diva Dish 3/28/14

"Long, long ago, around 1980, through a veil of hot, briny tears, I seem to recall that I toured the world with my show, for the first time, and lived to tell," Bette Midler tells us. "Reissuing 'A View From A Broad' with a fresh, new introduction next week!"

Well, New Yorkers, it seems the Divine Miss M will be autographing copies at Barnes & Noble at Union Square on April Fool's Day! I hope to be there but no guarantee I'll get in to this Divine Madness. Will keep you abreast so to speak.

I purchased the original 1980 edition but seem to have lost it during one of my tumultuous divorces. Lucky not to have lost my mind along with it. Here's my chance to reclaim it in all its Simon & Schuster glory.

The window of opportunity to get Bette's "John Hancock" are daunting, however. Says the bookstore: "Due to time limitations, we cannot guarantee every customer will obtain a meeting and live signature from the author. Event space to open at noon for book purchasers. Customers are allowed 1 CD to be signed, if purchased at B&N. NO memorabilia, please. Call our store for details."

Bette also informs us that, on that same day (April Fool's Day She'll be on CBS This Morning's Chatting with Gayle King. "She is always such a hoot," writes Bette. "We will be discussing my life as an author and nincompoop."



Cher's tour has hit the road! Opening night reviews out of Arizona were awesome! The UK's Mirror crowed: "It seems Cher really can Turn Back Time – squeezing into the oufit she wore in the video for her hit of that name 25 years ago. Only her hair is bigger as she slinks about in the spangly see-through body stocking and embellished leather jacket. Looking just a fraction of her 67 years, the pop legend delighted fans by sporting the iconic costume to open her aptly-named Dressed To Kill tour – her first time on the road in nine years."

The tour will arrive in Brooklyn on May 9, Barclay's Center. (My birthday's on the 13th and Cher's on the 20th.) Divine synchronicity, sweeties!

Saturday's March 29th Night of a Thousand Gowns Gala in Manhattan will feature quite an impressive line-up of Divas! Sandra Bernhard, Martha Reeves of Martha & the Vandellas, and Expose. The event will support God's Love We Deliver & the True Colors Fund. However, sweeties, I hope to be at Resorts World Casino in Queens where Evelyn "Champagne" King, France Joli, Anita ("Ring My Bell") Ward and Sharon Brown ("I Specialize in Love") will perform.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta's birthday is March 28th, by the way. Happy Birthday, Lady Gaga!

I specialize in divas. Now, excuse me while I put away the dishes. Until next week, chanteuse wishes and diva dreams!

Dj Buddy B's Weekly Diva Report for 3/15/14

Evelyn "Champagne" King

"And tho' I'll admit I've dished you, I've gossiped and gloated, But I'm so devoted...," Jerry Herman, "Bosom Buddies" from Mame.

Divas Are Invading Queens! The borough that is. On Saturday, March 29, no less than the likes of disco divas France Joli (whom I interviewed last November http://blabittobeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/11/dj-buddy-beaverhausen-comes-to-france.html), Evelyn "Champagne" King and Anita ("Ring My Bell") Ward will headline NYC's Resorts World Casino's "Disco Inferno" night. So put on your boogie-woogie dancing shoes and prepare for a night of vintage diva power under the mirror ball!

Amber Dirks' latest dance tune, "Dominate My Love," is bound to be popular locally, what with NYC's The Black Party coming up next week. On the latest Billboard dance chart, "Dominate" topped from the bottom nationally, from # 47 last week to # 3. Amber was one of the first divas of dance to consent to a Dj Buddy B interview, back in July, 2012 (http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/07/exclusive-q-with-dance-diva-amber-dirks.html) and spoke to me again, this year, about the recent Arizona controversy (http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/02/go-west-arisona-issue-part-two.html). She is certainly one of the sweetest divas going with a powerhouse voice that sometimes reminds me of Donna Summer, sometimes Loleatta Holloway, but mostly unique, sensational and always divine.

Divas on My Turntables this week: Kristine W's "So Close to Me" gets a facelift for 2014 with new remixes, the best of the lot being Ranny's Big Room club mix. 

Funkstar DeLuxe remodels Kim Wilde's cover version of "You Keep My Holding On." Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (this week entering the top ten at # 9 on Billboard's dance chart), nicely given new life by Alex Gaudino. These are two mixes that make us believe echos of the '80s New Wave are big again this year. 

Heather Small was the distinctive voice of M People, one of the monster club hit-makers of the '90s. Their early single, "How Can I Love You More," has been beautifully and energetically remixed by Julian Marsh (interview from last summer http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-exclusive-q-with-remixer-producer-dj.html) for Sobel Promotions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SobelPromotions/

And this week, Lady Gaga managed once again to spark a scandal. Wrote Refinery29: "Is Lady Gaga an actual philanthropist, or just a clever promoter? That's the question being raised after a close look at her Born This Way Foundation's 2012 federal tax report revealed that, out of more than $2 million it held in assets, just $5,000 was actually donated to charity. Hmmm."

Until next week, when we worship and dish once more, diva lovers, this is Dj Buddy B urging you to channel your inner diva, then let the fur fly!

Ciao for now.