Now, during Moroder’s set, security had been limiting access to and from the patio, but after Debbie implored us to call her, call her, anytime, the club was put into lockdown mode, as the divine Dita von Teese entered the venue for her special surprise performance. And as the slow, throbbing beats and toe-curling moaning of Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” oozed out of the speakers, Miss Dita began what I think might be the jewel in her crown of burlesque performances. Maybe it was the embargo on cameras and phones. Perhaps it was that, as a Giorgio’s regular, she knew she was among friends (and most likely recognized many of the faces looking back at her). But whatever the reason, she got into it. And how!

Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, wearing bedazzled pasties and silk stockings, beneath a (short-lived) corset and garters, she popped the cork from a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and poured the foamy elixir all over her supple flesh. Then, sliding down, into the bathtub, she removed her stockings, flinging drops of water all over the audience — that by this time was one surging mass of people, surrounding the stage. I was front-and-center, and holding an ice bucket (more on that in a minute). The lights were mostly blue, and Dita looked like her skin was emitting a moon glow.  Then, as Summer moaned, von Teese undulated, removing a rhinestone-encrusted nozzle from its handle, and began “washing” herself. Now, I haven’t prayed in that church since shortly after college, but I’ve gotta say it: I was standing at full attention, giving Dita my one-gun-salute!

Suddenly, as if it had been a highly eroticized dream, it was over, and the musical stylings of DJ Adam 12 resumed. Now absolutely drenched in sweat, with ice bucket in-hand, I escaped to the patio. There, with Angela Janklow Stein, Jeff Stein, and Kathy Jeung, I walked to the very edge of the patio, bent over, and poured the mostly-melted contents of the ice bucket over my head. After a quick chinwag, and bidding adieus to the Steins, Kathy and I reentered the club and recommenced with our boogying.

Then, I looked up to see Dita, dressed pretty as a present, standing in the DJ booth, and before I knew it, she was joining Darryl Gibson (L.A. Regional Director of Culture, Standard Hotels) in singing “Happy Birthday” to Bryan and Adam. I made my way to the stage, and staked-out some prime real estate, whirling like a dervish, to Sylvester. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed confetti falling, so I turned around. There was Dita, shoving handfuls of paper into this tube, the end of which was right near my face. And as I turned to inspect this tube, there was a loud “Whoosh!” and before I knew what had happened, I’d been hit in the face by a hundred pieces of confetti! And as if this wasn’t funny enough - because the confetti was made from tissue paper, and I was soaking wet — it stuck to me.

Once I’d dislodged most of the confetti (while dancing to Shalimar), I made my way to the DJ booth. There Bryan introduced me to Dita and we posed for photos. Over the course of the following few hours (for people were dancing well into the wee hours of the morning) I would bump into such fellow revelers as Tony Okungbowa (DJ, The Ellen DeGeneres Show), Rose Apodaca (A+R), Eduardo Ponti with his gorgeous wife, Sasha Alexander (Rizzoli & Isles), Rose McGowan, Ace and Matt Sorum (Guns n’ Roses, The Cult), Mathu Anderson (Producer, RuPaul’s Drag Race), and Kama Carnes (President, Kiki de Montparnasse).

Finally, I made my way back to the DJ booth, to thank Adam for being the wonderful discaire that he is. As I observed Crystal Lourd dancing with Alex Pettyfer (aka “The Kid” from Magic Mike), I marveled at the incredible evening that had just elapsed; full of friends and fabulosity; and realized that — long after that decadent music stops playing (God forbid!) and those halved disco-balls no longer spin (heavens, no!) — it is destined to be one of those nights that we’ll be talking about for many, many years to come.

Giorgio's 2 Year Anniversary
mmhmm at The Standard, Hollywood
Click HERE for info

Get into it!

[This article originally ran, in its full form, at Medium.com/cuepoint on July 1st, 2015]

The world’s greatest hip-hop collective returns this weekend with the second edition of the history-making WU-TANG CLAN: THE SAGA CONTINUES… THE LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY