July 23, 2018July 23, 2018 MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

MICHAEL GONGORA

As one of the few native Flordians—who was also the first openly-gay commission in Miami Beach, and the first openly-gay Hispanic elected into office in the entire state—Commissioner Michael Gongora has seen many things come and go in Miami Dade over the years, not the least of which were the legendary Versace-era clubs of the 1990s.

Where did you grow up? I was born in Coral Gables, but I grew up in Miami. I moved to Miami Beach in 1992 right after Hurricane Andrew. How long have you lived in South Florida? I’ve lived here my whole life except for high school, when I lived in St. Pete. Where do you live now? In Miami Beach. What do you like most about living here? I like the weather, the great mix of people, and all of the special events that are here. It also helps that most of my friends and family live here, too. What South Florida venue do you miss that’s gone? Warsaw will always be magical in my memories. I miss many of the classic Lincoln Road venues including bars—Score and MOVA; also, 721, if you count Lincoln Lane—the Lincoln Road Art Center, and many unique, small businesses such as Pink Palm, Fly Boutique and Lupa di Roma. Where do you hang out in South Florida? I hang out mostly in Miami Beach. I still spend time on Lincoln Road. I also enjoy the Sunset Harbour Shops, a lot of the restaurants in North Beach—especially Prima Pasta and George’s Italian—and O Cinema.

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What place is a hidden gem in Miami Beach? The happy hour at Doraku on Lincoln Road is an amazingly good deal. I’m surprised that more people don’t take advantage of it. What was the best event that you went to in South Florida? If we’re talking “ever,” then this is a tough one. The White Party at Vizcaya in the 1990s was for sure one of the best events. Back then everybody used to get dressed up, and the best way to arrive was by yacht. Many celebs attended, including Madonna. You could also spot her dancing at Warsaw back then, too! My 24^th surprise birthday party at Amnesia in the VIP room was pretty special, too, and a great memory. Which award are you proudest of? I’ve been fortunate to receive many distinctions over the years, but two stand out. In 2013, the three premier Latin organizations—the Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce, South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and CAMACOL—collectively gave me the “Hispanic Leader of the Year” award. And in 2014, I was selected by popular vote at the Pink Flamingo Awards as the first ever “Favorite Local Hero.”

Besides the office that you hold now, what’s you dream job? My dream job would be to communicate and educate through television, or other media, on a variety of topics such as law, politics, social issues and more. A talk show, of sorts. Which one of your old jobs most prepared you for what you do now? In college, I pursued acting and was fortunate to land a national TV commercial for Subway. The experience of auditioning for so many different types of things honed my confidence in public speaking on a wide variety of topics. If God were to take you tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered? I would like to be remembered as a good son, a supportive friend, and someone who gave back to the community. I live to make a difference for myself and others. Will you ever retire? I doubt it, although I do fantasize about it. What’s the weirdest question that a “fan” has asked you? I’m not sure that I have fans, but I do have followers on Facebook! One of the oddest requests from someone that I’ve never met in person was to come by their apartment for ice cream. What celebrity did you act like a “fan” around? Probably Joe Manganiello, because I found him so good looking. Also, Lady Gaga. What’s the last thing that you looked at online? Facebook.

What’s the best place that you’ve visited? The Amalfi Coast in Italy and the isle of Capri. They’re breathtakingly beautiful, the food is delicious there, and I love Italians. What’s the last thing that you watched on TV? Big Little Lies on HBO. I’m catching up before Season 2 comes out. What’s the craziest thing that you ever did? Personally, probably flying out to Rhode Island when I was in college with very little money, no credit cards, no cell phone—they didn’t exist then—and hoping someone I barely knew would be there to pick me at the airport. It somehow all worked out. Politically, filing to run at the very last moment for state senator in 2016 in an un-winnable election. What’s your favorite book? I have many. Back in 1997, I really loved Memoirs of a Geisha. More recently, I enjoyed Gone Girl. I also loved The Southern Vampire Mysteries—I read them all. What’s the best concert that you ever went to? Every Madonna concert has been amazing, but I will never forget the first one, The Virgin Tour, because I was so excited to see her. I’m also a big fan of Whitney Houston, and I went to see The Bodyguard World Tour twice. What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older? To fully fund my 401(k). What did you learn from your parents? The value of being loved unconditionally.

GONGORA WITH HIS MOTHER IN THE WHITE HOUSE

What public figure do you respect? Oprah Winfrey. She’s a completely self-made billionaire who impacted so many people’s lives for the better through her television show and financial generosity. What’s your best characteristic? Loyalty. How do you enjoy spending your time? Surrounded by people I love, or, if alone, getting a deep-tissue massage. What celebrity do you have a crush on? Channing Tatum and just about every actor in the Magic Mike cast. Who do you admire? My grandparents for having the courage to leave Cuba and leave everything behind to start over again from scratch in their 40s in a country where they didn’t speak the language. If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be? My grandmother. I miss her every day. Where would you go in a time machine? To the French court under Louis XIV. I’d also like to be able to time travel to the 1970s disco era and visit Studio 54 and all the other hotspots of that era. What would your last meal be? A zarzuela de mariscos with lobster and shrimp, a bottle of a good-quality Falanghina wine, and a chocolate soufflé for dessert. What do you worry about? Not being able to maintain my current lifestyle financially. It gets me out of bed every morning.

What are you afraid of? Illness. I’m not so afraid of death, but living with poor quality of life petrifies me. If you were a musical instrument, what would you be? A flute. Are you more like a sheep or a wolf? A wolf in sheep’s clothing. Who depends on you, and for what? My parents, and for emotional support. Who are you closest with? My parents, and my tight-knit circle of close friends. They know who they are. What would your autobiography be called? Prisoner in the VIP. What music do you listen to when you’re upset? Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston—they’re both amazing vocalists. What’s on your bucket list? An African safari, and a trip to Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. What’s your greatest regret in life? Not getting in on the real-estate market before it exploded. What’s something that you never told anyone else? If I told you, I would have to kill you. Where can we see you? Everywhere. At Miami Beach commission meetings, on Facebook, through my email blasts, at a concert, or walking down Lincoln Road!

April 1, 2018April 15, 2018 MIKE JEKNAVORIAN National Interviews

SHERRY VINE

From crack whorehouses in Hollywood, to men getting fisted next to her on a movie set while she’s putting on her makeup, international drag star Sherry Vine tries to make the most out of each and every day

Where did you grow up? In Columbia, Maryland. What do you miss about Columbia? Absolutely nothing! Where do you live now? In NYC, in the Hell’s Kitchen area. What’s something that’s unique about New York that would surprise most people? People always say, “There’s too much concrete.” And I say, “Honey, there’s this little thing called Central Park.” Surprise! What New York venue do you miss that’s gone? Many of the ones from the 1990’s: Bar d’O, Jackie 60, Squeezebox and BoyBar. If you had to live somewhere else, where would you live, and why? Barcelona. It’s my favorite city for culture, food, beach, art and men. I’m always content there.

Will you do anything fun while you’re in South Florida? Yes. I’ll go to the mall (laughs). What’s your claim-to-fame? International drag darling, YouTube sensation, and the creator and star of She’s Living for This. How did you come up with your name? There was a building on Vine Street in Hollywood that looked like a crack whorehouse. Appropriate. Other than your own TV series, what’s your favorite TV show or film that you’ve been in, and why? Scream, Teen, Scream. We had so much fun filming it, and 20 years later, it’s still funny. Did you watch the sex scenes being filmed in The Raspberry Reich? No, but someone was getting fisted next to me, at 7:00 a.m., while I was doing my make-up.

What town did you perform in that was most unique, and why? Bisbee, Arizona. It’s the strangest mix of people: gays, lesbians, trans, bikers, and copper miners. But they all get along, and it works. What’s your dream gig or role? My own variety show, like She’s Living for This. Which one of your old jobs least prepared you for what you do now? Folding sweaters at Benetton. How would you like to be remembered? “Sherry made me laugh when I needed it.” Will you ever retire? I hope not! What’s the weirdest question that a fan has asked? “Why?” (laughs). Literally, that’s what was asked. A guy came up to me and just said, “why?”

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Featuring Sherry Vine, Canadian sexploitation filmmaker Bruce LaBruce goes to Germany to write and direct the satire, *The Raspberry Reich*, inspired by real-life ’70s radical group the Baader-Meinhof gang.

What celebrity did you act like a “fan” around? Carol Burnett and Madonna. What’s the last thing that you looked at online? Press-on fingernails. What’s the best place that you’ve visited, and why? Budapest. It’s a stunning city. What’s something that you learned in life only when you got older? How to peel away the layers of bullshit and the things that don’t matter, and how to focus on what does. Let go, girl! What did you learn from your parents? Unconditional love and empathy, and how to laugh. If a politician that you didn’t like was drowning, would you save him or her? Yes.

What’s your favorite drink? Jack Daniels and ginger beer. What’s your most treasured possession? I’m not materialistic, but I treasure my photo albums. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes. Either living or dead, who would you love to have lunch with? Carol Burnett. What performer do you admire, and why? Jackie Beat. She’s lightning fast. What’s your best characteristic? That I genuinely care. How do you enjoy spending your time? Watching the same Marvel movies over and over. What celebrity do you have a crush on? Joe Manganiello.

If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be, and why? Douglas Sanders, who passed away too young. He was my best friend and co-conspirator in theater. Where would you go in a time machine, and why? To Studio 54, in the 1970’s, so that I could dance and party! What would your last meal be? Popeyes fried chicken and a milk shake. What do you worry about? The next gig (laughs)! What are you afraid of? Spiders. If you were a musical instrument, what would you be, and why? An electric guitar. It’s so sexual. Are you more like a sheep or a wolf? Both, depending on my mood. Who depends on you? I don’t think that anyone depends on me, actually.

Who are you closest with? I’m very close to my parents. I’m also close with Josh, Erik, Bruce and Jackie. Oh, and Joey Arias. What would your autobiography be called? Little Votive Nights. What music do you listen to when you’re upset? I play the guitar. It always lifts me up. What’s on your bucket list? I don’t have one. I try to do what I wanna do as it comes up. What’s your greatest regret in life? Je ne regrette rien. What’s something that you never told anyone else? I’ll never tell. Where can we see you? You can see me this Friday and Saturday at The Pub. I’m also all over the world with lots of exciting shows. Check out my website for my schedule!

January 2, 2018April 1, 2018 MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

MICHAEL TRONN – PART 2

In a two-part exclusive, founding club kid, artist and promoter Michael Tronn tells us why he’d like to travel into the future, and how reanimating evil could help save the world

What Los Angeles venue do you miss that’s gone? “Osko’s,” a.k.a., “The Zoo.” I never made it there, but the film Thank God It’s Friday was shot there, and it looks amazing! What’s the best event that you produced in Los Angeles, and why? Halloween at Avalon was incredible. I transformed the old theater into a haunted house, complete with a castle façade. We also had gruesome acts of dismemberment in the lobby and dozens of chandeliers made of skeleton bones hanging over the dancefloor. What opportunity did Miami miss out on? Developing an industry other than tourism and retail. The worst offense is the missed opportunity to have The Whitney Museum from New York open a Miami branch. What project are you the proudest of? I’d like to think it hasn’t happened yet. However, I’m very proud of my two major solo art shows in Miami. How would you like to be remembered? As a good person who helped heal the world. Will you ever retire? That’s unlikely, but I’ll take long sabbaticals to travel and create art. What’s the last thing that you looked at online? The Studio 54 book by Ian Schrager.

David Bethune’s homage to the incredible murals of Miami’s Wynwood district, the largest collection of street art in the United States

What’s the best place that you’ve visited, and why? Petra, in Jordan. To have seen firsthand this city from 312 BC, which was carved into a mountain, was awesome and awe-inspiring. It’s an incredible feat of designing and engineering. What did you learn from your parents? Love, tenacity and creativity. What performer do you admire, and why? As cheesy as it is to say, the greatest showman of our time is Madonna.
Obviously, it’s not innovative to cite her, but nobody else has so many facets, and nobody else has done it the same way. Most people don’t see all the hidden meaning—the subconscious—that’s in her art. This is especially true with the Music album, which is laden with numerical, color, and geometrical symbolism, and the video for “What It Feels Like for a Girl,” where every shot contains a visual riddle about spirituality and Kabbalah. What are your best characteristics? Creativity, empathy and spiritual understanding. How do you enjoy spending your time? Creating art and literature, plotting my mission out, meditating in the sun, and swimming in the clear ocean when it’s like bathwater. What celebrity do you have a crush on? Matt Bomer and James Franco.

Who do you admire, and why? Everyone who’s courageous enough to be unique who’s brave enough to think both deeply and critically. Specifically, Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Buddha, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, Rumi and Carl Sagan. If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be, and why? The worst person in the world—and you can fill in the blank there—and Jesus. I believe that after we leave this body, we’re able to see ourselves in hindsight clearly. If I brought back a malevolent spirt, with everything that’s going on in the world right now, he or she could teach all of the prejudiced, hateful, scared-shitless people how wrong being that way is. And, hopefully, they would listen. As far as Jesus goes, I’d expect that the bigots who think they’re very “Christian” would deny Jesus if He told them to stop acting that way, which is pathetic and tragic.

Where would you go in a time machine, and why? I’d travel to the future—and I’d go as far as I’d have to go—when there’s peace on earth. I’d go there because I want to see what I want the world “to be.” What would your last meal be? As reprehensible as it is to admit it, I love the taste and texture of fois gras. I learned about it as a child, way before I knew how it was made. I feel very bad for the geese, but I can’t say that it’s not delicious. What do you worry about? How I can be a catalyst to help cure the ignorance of mankind. If you were a musical instrument, what would you be, and why? I can’t be just one; I have too many sides. I’d be the flute, the electric guitar, the Theremin, a giant gong, a crystal singing bowl, an organ, and a sitar. Are you more like a sheep or a wolf? I’m a sheep in wolf’s clothing. I’m soft and sweet on the inside, but I have to be strong on the outside to get things done. Who depends on you, and for what? My friends and family. I give them love, support, unconditional loyalty, and I help them make decisions (when they ask for it).

Who are you closest with? My immediate family. What would your autobiography be called? Probably Fuck Shame. Strip Fear. Do you ever put music on when you’re upset? Yes. I listen to lots of downtempo electronica, plus, my go-to’s—Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon, Tracy Chapman’s New Beginnings, Audioslave, Moby, Deva Premal, meditation music and Creed. What’s on your bucket list? To accomplish all of my artistic goals. That way, I’ll leave a legacy that helps transform mass ignorance and fear into mass understanding, wisdom, acceptance, love and enlightenment for every soul in the entire universe. Also, I’d like to publish the children’s book that I’ve been working on, which is about the universe. What’s your greatest regret in life? That I can’t stay younger, longer. But it’s not for vanity. I need more time to accomplish my goal. Can you tell me something that you never told anyone else? Maybe one day. Where can we see you? At michaeltronn.com and michaeltronnfineart.com. And, always, at the Bareback Follies at El Tucan.

December 25, 2017April 1, 2018 MIKE JEKNAVORIAN Local Interviews

MICHAEL TRONN – PART 1

In a two-part exclusive, founding club kid, artist and promoter Michael Tronn tells us what South Beach was like before the Versace era, before letting us into the elite world of some of New York’s and Miami’s hottest clubs

Where did you grow up? In New York, across the street from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. How long have you lived in South Florida? I moved here in 1997, but I was visiting here since about 90’ or 91’. What was South Beach like then? My first trip was fairly spontaneous, and I knew nothing about South Beach except that it was a cool, secret spot for New Yorkers and fashion people. This was before Versace, before Lincoln Road—the place was virtually a ghost town. Back then, the Versace mansion was a run-down apartment building for seniors. Ocean Drive was lined with elderly people in plastic chairs sunning themselves with reflectors under their chins. The only things that were going on then were photo shoots and some very hedonistic nightclubs, such as Warsaw and Paragon. Why did you move here? I decided that if I could get a good job at one of five companies that I was interested in, then I would move permanently—and I did. Liquid hired me to be the new creative and marketing director, and I stayed in Miami from then on. What part of South Florida do you live in? When I’m in Miami, I live in South Beach.

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What do you like most about living here? The ocean, the air, and the amazing memories that I have of South Beach’s heyday, such as the beginning of Wynwood. Where do you hang out in South Florida, and why? I don’t hang out at any one spot like I did in the past, but I find that Wynwood is the most interesting neighborhood. In some ways, Churchill’s is my favorite. What’s your claim-to-fame? I was one of the co-creators of the “Club Kid” scene in New York. That was in 1987. I also promoted and/or launched many notable clubs in New York such as Tunnel, The World, the Red Zone, Mars, The Saint, Studio 54, Roxy and MK. In Miami, I’m known as the director of Liquid, building and launching the Ice Palace Film Studios, launching Crobar and promoting ANTHEM Sundays there, opening the restaurants Rumi and Studio, and for having my own art space in Wynwood. How did you come up with your name? People think I made my last name up, but Tronn is an old Russian family name. Whose fashion look do you admire, and why? I much prefer style over designer clothes, and I always have. My favorite style idol is Iris Apfel. She’s 100 percent unique and real, and she dresses only for herself.

What’s your favorite place that you’ve lived? It’s a tie between Miami from 1991 to 2006—there was never anything as amazing as that, and I don’t think there ever will be again—and New York in the 70s and 80s. That period was New York’s golden age in so many ways. What New York venues do you miss that are gone? Palladium, The World, Area, Danceteria, Mother and Studio 54. What are your favorite events that you’ve produced in New York, and why? Well, I’ve produced over 1,000 events, but three New York events stand out: one, a hair-sculpture completion at Tunnel (we had salon tables in the basement… the creations were amazing). Two, the opening night of the “It” party at The World (I had the entire first floor done in tin foil as a tribute to The Factory, the entire stairwell—including the floor—was painted with the sky and clouds as a tribute to Magritte, the top floor was designed and decorated red as a tribute to Diana Vreeland, and I had mountain climbers rappel down the face of the building while the crowd waited for the doors to open). And, three, the opening Night of Crobar New York (the production was over-the-top, and we had 15,000 people).

What South Florida venues do you miss that are gone? Warsaw and Paragon. Warsaw is a heartbreaking loss. At least the site of the original Paragon became Level, and then Mansion [it closed in 2016]. But Paragon really is the best venue in Miami. What are your favorite events that you’ve produced in Miami, and why? Once again, there are three major standouts: the Grand Opening of Crobar, which was insane. I had a $70,000 budget, and I staged a car wreck out in front with live models—people still talk about it today. The “White Starz” party at The Coconut Grove Convention Center, where I not only transformed the entire space, but I had Yoko Ono perform in between the sets of Junior Vasquez and Tony Moran. And “GUIDO” on Fridays at Liquid, which was in the VIP lounge. We had immersive themes there each week, such as a “Bollywood” wedding, and it became the place for major fashion launches.

Stay tuned for PART 2 next week…