6.29.2010

Adventures in LadyLand


me & Janina

Valtronic & Tara Foxx

Kelle and Marty E of the Dirty Pearls

Janina's Tatts

El Grace

Miss Guy

Me/Ash Fox in one of my favorite scarves, which with a little clever pinning became a top

photos by El Grace from 6/10/10

Every Thursday night, R&R devotees head to the Hudson Hotel to dance, prance, mingle, and jive. R&R excites the ears, calms the nerves and awakens the beast. If you're in town come by and get wild!

"LADYLAND : A ROCK N ROLL DANCE PARTY about Love, Light, Laughter, Ecstasy, Inebriation, Grit, and Glamour spreading and celebrating the spirit of a real and infectious musical sound which christened a lifestyle of liberation, libation, and celestial satisfaction. This is a place for souls who know that god still needs guitars and hearts don't beat to a click track. As one million dreamers tap their toes and tune into Jagger's lips and lyrics spitting on and all about the streets of New York....the very streets that we’re groovin on tonight.....we will be the faces they dream of, and this, my friend, is where those faces will meet. Come play with fire and paint it black. Come dance, little sister, dance with a motley cast of muppets, models, and musicians every Thursday at The Library in Hudson Hotel, Hell's Kitchen, NYC. EVERY THURSDAY, 11 PM – 4 AM"

6.24.2010

Oh You Pretty Things


Judas Priestess!!!

how sick are those armbands?

rockin it out to Judas Priestess. Can you spot me..."Where's Waldo" style?

me and the very handsome rock DJ maestro, Kelle Calco. Have you seen his closet on Stylelikeu? Jaw dropping.

Venetric working magic on a neon hula hoop

The lovely nightlife host and fashion chameleon Lady Valtronic

Bombshell Janina Flohn and her leopard panties

Michel T doing Bowie proud in a "Thin White Duke" style suit

all photos by Bryan Kwon of http://www.dailyeyes.com

There are certain events that make me grateful to live in NYC. "Oh You Pretty Things", an all-night ode to glam and metal on May 30, 2010 was one such night. New York's finest artists, beauties and eccentrics came out to pay homage to all things glam. Every bit felt like a scene out of "Velvet Goldmine".

"Judas Priestess", the baddest all girl tribute band around kicked things off. The crowd was revved up, roaring, with devil horned hands in the air twinkling with bangles, sparkles, and spikes. Michael T's band honored Bowie and Roxy Music, playing all our favorite glam anthems. Lady Valtronic, Kayvon Zand, and Shien Lee hosted tables of pretty little Ziggy Stardust disciples. When the night was over I felt like soaking in a bath filled with glitter bubbles.




6.20.2010

Just a Fan: My Stone Temple Pilots Concert Saga

Without fail, whenever I have a concert to attend, it rains. However, having to bear the elements always sets the mood of the story. "We stuck it out in 5 inch heels in the dead of winter for 6 hours straight" is a line that shows up in almost all of my concert re-tellings. Fro-ed out, frizzy hair is pretty much a guarantee, no matter how smooth it was when getting ready. When the band hits the stage you're too caught up in the magic of experience, transfixed by the music to give a crap about what you look like. Rain storms, other than emphasizing what I'll withstand for rock, and making my hair a frizzy mess, have made me superstitious. If it rains on a show date I'm pretty sure that night will be a magical rock n' roll experience. I've never been wrong.

As I made my way downtown to meet my friend at the Gramercy theater, I recounted my crazed, groupie fan girl days. In the past, I'd arrive an embarrassing number of hours before the show to secure my front row spot - now I was cool with showing up only an hour in advance. Over the course of my fandom, I went from buying tickets on Ticketmaster and Craigslist, to prearranged comped tickets, VIP passes, and band's guest list. I went from having my ribs slammed into the barricade by drunk, sweaty beer stenched men, to watching the show backstage with plenty of room to dance and breathe, standing next to Tommy Lee. After a few years out of the scene, spoiled by the rock-star treatment I was back to Craigslist.. compulsively checking for overpriced scalper's tickets. The trade off of being an insider is having to be on your A game at all times. You're not going to let on how much of a crazed, screaming fan girl you really are while standing next to Tommy. The trade off for being just a fan is having to deal with the travesty of acquiring tickets through Ticketmaster, Craigslist or the scalping agency fronts for Ticketmaster.


At 4 pm on the day of the sold-out show, after a week with no ticket options other than a $400 ticket from a scalping agency...I got a call from someone willing to sell me his tickets. Apparently, he and his girlfriend got into a fight and weren't going to the show. My adrenaline was rushing at the thought of tickets, so I ignored all of the "too good to be true" signs. I absolutely believe there is no dream too good to be true, but when something in reality seems too good to be true, run. When the guy showed up to deliver my ticket I asked him a few questions, gave him the money and jumped for joy inside that I’d be finally realizing my dream of seeing STP in a teeny tiny venue. Stone Temple Pilots are a stadium band and they rarely if ever play theaters. This small show was a special exception, a taping for Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The idea of being scammed didn’t even enter my consciousness until the dude online next to me told me he bought his ticket on the street from a scalper and had a feeling it was fake. He asked to see my ticket and mine was just as dull, thick, and blue as his. The couple to my left had purchased their red, thin, shiny tickets at the venue. My heart stopped and all the tell tale signs came flooding through me.. how overly eager the seller was to come to my location, the lack of perforation on the ticket, the fact that he sold them to me for only 20% over face value, and most obviously... his thinking that Stone Temple Pilots was a punk band. It's humbling to write this. Around 10:30 pm they started letting us into the venue. The moment of truth. The group of guys in front of me who purchased tickets from the street scalper were scanned first. "Fake, Fake, Fake, and Fake" the scanner girl said. "Sorry, you have to be careful when you buy tickets from scalpers.” I was shaking hard as I handed over my ticket to the scanner. “FAKE!” She ripped up my heart and my tickets. I was too numb to feel my friend tugging on me to leave. "You need a drink" he said. "There’s no point in standing here torturing yourself.” I turned to him and said, "No, I need to punish myself and feel this." I was naive and deserved my fake tickets. My adrenaline rush had overpowered my sixth sense. I stood on the other side of the barricade watching grinning STP fans, with authentic tickets in hand make their way into the venue screaming "woo hoo." How far I'd fallen. I was standing behind the barricade holding back tears, telling myself I deserved my humilation, what a chump I was buying tickets from a dude who thought STP was a punk band. I deserved my fate. Suddenly, a woman with a staff badge came outside and started calling out for the guests of the band to come up front. I was the farthest thing at this point, a peon. Her eyes caught mine. She said "Are you waiting to go inside?" "No, I bought tickets from a scalper on craigslist and they turned out to be fake. My tickets were ripped up." I said. "You look devastated. I can tell you're a real fan. You know what?" She reached into her VIP staff badge pocket. "Is this better?" She held up two hard-tickets. "These are for you, enjoy the show." I was in utter shock. All I could do was hug and kiss this angel sent from the hard rock heavens.

The show was magical.



Post show, I was in a state of euphoria. We hung out at the Gramercy Hotel for a bit enjoying our post show high and then took a little walk. We walked past the theater and noticed a few diehards waiting for the band. We saw our fellow scammed friends. They ran over and hugged and kissed me. As it turned out my admittance of defeat had helped four other scammed people get into the show. The hard rock angel took pity on them too. Suddenly out walked Eric Kretz, STP's drummer, who posed for a pic and gave me a huge hug. Minutes later, Dean Deleo came out in an amazing denim buttondown with red rhinestone buttons, and gave me a massive hug and kiss and told me "beautiful women like you are the reason I love my job." I guess I stood out as one of the few women amongst STP's grizzly, sweat-soaked, male fan base. Robert Deleo came out and we chatted about the new album. He looked and smelled amazing and was very friendly. Scott Weiland had left the venue earlier. With all I'd experienced, how could I be disappointed?


Sometimes it's great to just be a fan.



6.15.2010

Dave Navarro's Rock Loft



images courtesy of the LA Times/ Chicago Tribune, and Heidi Toll Design

Dave Navarro's Hollywood loft designed by Heidi Toll is the perfect crash pad with its golden ratio of modern elegance and rock n' roll glamor. Bone imagery, dramatic red lighting, and snake skins, give it the metal edge suitable for a the guitarist. I totally get off on unexpected patterns like the X-ray wallpaper, which has that Chuck Close affect.. it would look like a simple diamond pattern from a distance. The bathroom is a stage dressing room on steroids. How fun would it be getting ready for a night on the town in front of those glorious bulbs? The red lit chandelier over the bed is exceptionally sexy. A famed rock n' roll photographer once told me that red lighting makes everyone look better...I'm sure this applies here.
The design modernizes gothic imagery and makes it appropriate for everyday living. Instead of a dirty rock bar it feels like a swanky hotel suite. Such a fantastic representation of the rock world at it's most glamorous, made for the rock star accustomed to sleeping at the Waldorf as opposed to a tour bus cot. All of this glam couldn't be achieved without the expertise of designer Heidi Toll, who clearly understood Navarro's personality and vision. All in all it's a space sophisticated in it's design, but playful enough for Dave's lifestyle.

6.14.2010

ALEX YORK Tour Kickoff Show



Tonight's ALEX YORK's last NYC show before he kicks off his summer tour.

Have some free drinks while we dance to "HEARTBEAT".

ASH's list at the door for FREE admission and OPEN BAR!

Arlene's Grocery / 95 Stanton St / 7PM



If you're not in NYC tonight, you can be at the show in spirit..for song samples, tour dates and MORE check out AlexYork.com . We may be coming to your town!

6.08.2010

Take me to LadyLand


me, Janina Flohn, and Kelle Calco

Janina Flohn, and Lady Valtronic

Kelle Calco and David McCullough

Marc Halcomb, and Andrew Mukamal


Lady Valtronic





me and Janina Flohn

El Grace

Janina Flohn

Tom Karl

Miss Guy, Kelle Calco, and Ian El Dorado

El Grace

Tom Karl and Miss Guy

Kayc Deville


me: Ash Fox
LadyLand at the Hudson Hotel- all photos by El Grace

If you're longing for the glory days of Studio 54 when it was all about Jagger, Jerry, and Warhol...
If you weren't even an embryo when Blondie played CB's, and the Stones reigned, but were born with rock n' roll in your veins...

..follow Club Calco to Ladyland.

No, it's not a harem with naked women sprawled out on Moroccan rugs, or a phantasmagorical lake with mermaids and fairies...it's the newest rock party at the Hudson Hotel.
Kelle Calco, and Miss Guy, spin everything from the New York Dolls, to Aerosmith and Metallica. Sexy hosts, Dynamite Dave & Nathianial John of The Party Death, Tommy Hotpants, Andrew Mukamal, Niko Liakaris, and Ian El Dorado hold court in the mahogany Library Room, while glamtastic ladies and gents sip champagne. Last week raged. Even Debbie Harry made an appearance. There's nothing like letting your hair go wild, workin' up a sweat, grooving to a solo, while boppin' to a drumbeat. Janina Flohn and I will be dancing all night long. Come play!

"LADYLAND : A ROCK N ROLL DANCE PARTY about Love, Light, Laughter, Ecstasy, Inebriation, Grit, and Glamour spreading and celebrating the spirit of a real and infectious musical sound which christened a lifestyle of liberation, libation, and celestial satisfaction. This is a place for souls who know that god still needs guitars and hearts don't beat to a click track. As one million dreamers tap their toes and tune into Jagger's lips and lyrics spitting on and all about the streets of New York....the very streets that we’re groovin on tonight.....we will be the faces they dream of, and this, my friend, is where those faces will meet. Come play with fire and paint it black. Come dance, little sister, dance with a motley cast of muppets, models, and musicians every Thursday at The Library in Hudson Hotel, Hell's Kitchen, NYC. EVERY THURSDAY, 11 PM – 4 AM"

6.04.2010

Rock n' High Fashion Collide: Givenchy



When Ricardo Tisci took over Givenchy in 2005, we were in for a treat. Givenchy became the go-to label for well tailored clothing with a modern approach to iconic rock looks. Even if the prices are out of reach for the average Jane or Joe, they inspire the season. This spring I scored a Bowie stripe inspired Givenchy knock blazer at H&M.. good design trickles down. Givenchy is still known for their brilliantly tailored suits, but now they look less like office wear and more like stage attire. Recent campaigns for the brand pay homage to the glam, metal and gothic elements of rock n' roll with unexpected styling. Each collection focuses on rock star staples--bold stripes, striking hair, and layers and layers of chains. If I could only peek into Tisci’s studio, I wouldn't be surprised to see a picture of Shirley Manson tacked to Fall '10's mood board. I may just have to go magenta come fall.

My favorite Givenchy looks for Fall. Obsessed with the tube top and arm band look.