New York – October 10, 1997 (Full Issue)
In this issue:
John Perry Barlow’s 50th
WebCinema pulls all the stops
October 10, 1997
WHERE ELSE WOULD you find Spaulding Grey, Ed Bennett and Stacy Horn all in the same room? At John Perry Barlow’s 50th birthday party, of course. It was set inthe Gemini Lounge in the East Village last week, where the dark gray brushedsteel walls and deep eggplant hexagonal columns section off low eggplant velvetsofas from the low-lit bar. The crowd is dressed mostly in black.
After a lengthy and descriptive poem read by Avalanche’s Cherry Arnold andsing-songwriter Lisa Cunningham, the likes of Steven Levy, Mark Frisk and Matt Peyton enjoyed some Ferrara Pasticceria birthday cake. Rezrocket jammed early atthe party, with the unique software that allows you to play live, studio-qualitymusic with anyone around the world. Unable to find Lingala, the African trancemusic, the newly-ancient Barlow suggested looking at Lincoln Center while DJ JonSpooner mixed together some perfectly slick cyber sounds.
Super-tall skinny model-waitresses strutted in tight black lycra stretch pantsand corsets taking drink orders. Andrew Rasiej of Irving Plaza and CeciliaPagkalinawan of Abilon and spoke with me about the upcoming WWWAC Holiday Party.Aside from the birthday boy from Wyoming, the most “colorful” character presentwas Rainbow Heart the body painter. Feathers in his hat, sparkely scarf andbeaded vest, he sat down and painted various adventurous souls’ faces. I endedup with glittery red, white, and blue wings on my eyelids dramatic enough tograce the side of a souped-up Harley. Hey, face paint wants to be free.
CHAOS WAS THE WELL-NAMED venue for Webcinema and CNI Cinema’s party Tuesday celebrating the upcoming feature film production “Silicon Alley.” The invitation promised “the Digerati and Gliterati converge,” but I think itwas more just a lot of actors posing for Jonathan Sarno and a few producers.Witness tall, svelte, milky-skinned Rhonda Roenfeldt, who was pulling all the stops to get “Spyder” Sarno to cast her in his movie. With six years of highfashion modeling (at Click Agency) and more than a year of acting under her tinybelt she was ready for the ask. And with a credit from the MTV Promo show “Austin Power’s Psychedelic Pussy Cat Swingers Club,” it was straight to thefront of the line, Baby.
Canadian Consulate types Anthony Reposo and Matthew Toner Deborah Newman (NK-2) and Mark Stalhman (NYNMA), Robert Ponce, and Jonathan Faber (LIFILM) were also in attendance. I learned exclusively that @NY editor Tom Watson has been cast as a Damon Runyon ink-stained journalist type in the film, but may be balking at a proposed nude scene. After an argument with the bartender and Sarno over whether I should order water of a cosmopolitan, I picked out a T-shirt and headed for the balcony.
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