Real Men Wear Eyeliner

There wasn't alot of activity in the ol' trailer this weekend. It's mid June in the south and single wide mobile homes are about as cool as the inside of a baked tater wrapped in aluminum foil.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that we had access to all the movie channels on Direct TV this weekend, so while I worked on Twisted Mare, I was able to catch a few movies I'd not seen before, like Ocean's 12 and 13. In addition to the movie channels, we had all the other channels that aren't normally included in our programing package, including VH1 Classic.

Oh lawsy.. the drippy eyeliner.. the pouty lips.. the sweaty spandexed goodness.. and that's just the men!

I spent the better part of Saturday watching old videos from those days I fondly refer to as "back when I had a life." There was one band, Apprentiss (you had to misspell band names in the eighties, there was a law.. or somechit,) that I used to go see every time they played the tiny, hole-in-the-wall bar down by the Ocean View strip. Bryan Davids was the kind of bar where everyone was welcome, bikers, sailors and strippers on break from their dancing job at the Pirate's Cove just across the street. The Pirate's Cove was well known by the ladies who hung out at BD's for their nickel draft specials, an attempt to attract more T and A through the doors. It didn't work, we'd run over there and get loaded on a dollar while the band was on break, then stagger back through traffic to BD's for more head banging goodness.

One of the waitresses at BD's used to have a little "gathering" at her apartment whenever Apprentiss came to town. These little parties always took place after closing when most of us already had a few hours of drinking under our belt. I was usually pretty well on my way to trashed by the time we got there, where I'd spend most of the evening standing in the corner of the kitchen gazing at the "oh-my-damness" of the lead guitarist.

Tall, not too thin, long, curly black hair and eyes that twinkled in that come hither way when he was just starting to get a buzz. He usually wore black leather pants, the requisite 80's studded belt and open chested shirts with long, poofy poets sleeves. Oh and he could make a guitar do anything.

I devised a plan, back in the day, to find out as much as I could about the guitarist. I borrowed my cousin's 35mm Canon and told the boys in the band that I was doing a freelance article for a local rag that focused on the music scene. None of it was true.. but I was on a mission.

Just for the record, I still have the mad stalking skizzles, I just choose to use my powers for good now.

Heh.

Anywho, somewhere in my closet there's a an envelope filled with pictures of Apprentiss, along with Polaroids with their full names listed on each one. Before I knew, I imagined his name was like.. Blackie or Rock.. something tough and uber rocker like. I was only momentarily disapointed when I learned that the rocker o' my dreams was named Larry Cunningham.

But.. that was ages ago and although my tastes may have matured... just a smidge.. there's still something about a man in eyeliner that makes my heart skip a half a beat.

P.S. You ask, Mahala delivers!! Designs featuring original photography at Twisted Mare are now available on t-shirts and active wear.