Tonight, after 9 years, thousands of giveaways, hundreds of guests, a hundred or so beneficiaries, four locations, four DJs and hundreds of vodkas and Jack Daniels, we close up shop on The Will Clark Show feat. P*rno Bingo.
Sure, it's always been about raising funds for LGBTQetc organizations.. and I've always loved promoting my guests and the companies that give stuff to me to give away.... but it's always really been about the people who come to get out of their lives for an hour or two - to my little show and enjoy each others' company and laugh, learn, experience, drink, relax, etc.
It's the people that have always made Porno Bingo strong. And it's those people, some of whom have become friends, that have made me strong. And, at several junctures in the last 9 years, I've needed to borrow their strength to get through particularly tough times. And it's those people that have kept me doing this week in and week out.
But that's not the whole story.
Because, after working in the corporate world for the past year, I have a new appreciation for why people need nightlife to begin with.
Working in a corporate environment is fucking hard. And for those that are LGBTQetc, it's especially difficult to maneuver through the byzantine layers of dealing with others' boundaries, office politics and simply how to talk about your husband or wife without risking getting fired, ostracized or simply disregarded.
Finding a spot where you will be amused, where you will find friends, where you will find sex, where you can let off some steam, where you will even find meaning, is all anyone really wants when they go out. And we in nightlife are here to give you a space to do that (whether or not we realize that that's what we're doing).
And, not just in the last 9 years, but since 1995, I can say that I have always had a great time as an entertainer. Sure, there were a few (ok more than a few) bumps along the way .. but it's amazing how easy it is to forget all the bad stuff, and remember only all the amazing moments as if they just happened yesterday.
We opened at the 9th Ave. Bistro on February 16th, 2005 and they gave me six weeks to see if it would work or not. 457 shows later, I guess we can say that it did. :)
If you're not able to be there, please consider donating to our first charity, the Gay/Lesbian Anti Violence Project. On the donation page, you can fill in the little "how did you hear about us?" box with "Will Clark" or "Porno Bingo" and they'll count it against tonight's total.
If you are able to join us, well, I'll see you there tonight
All my best I send to you all,
Will Clark
February 16, 2014
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