Hey kids,

Just a quick note to send you the link, I have a new video of one of
my new tunes online, let me know what you think!


Also a reminder I am singing at the Backstage Bar tomorrow from 5-7:30
with Mike Murray and Tony DePaolis, hope to see you there!

And next Saturday..... I vant to drink your Bloodweiser......
Draculacon is happeneing in Windber and I am the Mistress of
Cereminies!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
2:00pm - 9:30pm
The Arcadia Theater
1418 Graham Avenue
Windber, PA

A Delightful Day of Dracula Con Speakers featuring:
SATURDAY DAY AND NIGHT APRIL 25, 2009
$10 at door, includes night performances as well (see below for event
descriptions)
2 PM - 5 PM
(in the beautiful Arcadia Theater, downtown center of Windber)
http://www.arcadiatheater.net

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE!
(VFW next to the Arcadia Theatre, downtown center of Windber)
Free! Please come down and donate your blood!
9 AM - 2 PM
www.redcrosslife.org

The Harris Funeral Home will be bringing their fabulous motorcycle
hearse, to be parked out front the Arcadia for the day!

Host and emcee:
PHAT MAN DEE

Event organizer:
BLAIR MURPHY, filmmaker of Jugular Wine, owner of the Grand Midway Hotel, and your host for Dracula Con, speaks on Count Dracula, Bram Stoker, and this event.

ROSEMARY ELLEN GUILEY:
"Mondo Bizarro Real Vampire Tales!"
Author of the underground classic Vampires Among Us, the fan book The
Complete Vampire Companion, and the authoritative The Encyclopedia of
Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters.

MICHAEL MARARIAN:
Deliciously-creepy fine artist of Inky Dreadfuls.


CATHERINE COX:
"The Space of Desire and the Hammer Dracula Films"
Catherine S Cox, PhD, teaches in the Humanities Division at the
University of Pittsburgh's Johnstown campus, specializing in biblical and
medieval literature and gender studies. She's published two books,
"Gender and Language in Chaucer" (1997) and "The Judaic Other in Dante, the Gawain
Poet, and Chaucer" (2005), and is currently working on a third, on ethical
dilemmas framed by contiguous religious traditions.

THE MEN IN BLACK
Tim and John Frick (the Brothers Frick) have long been fascinated by
the Man in Black legend. They first began investigating MIB cases in
2002. In 2005 they were asked to portray the Men in Black for a Travel
channel documentary (Weird Travels Creepy Creatures). Since then they
have appeared on a Sci-fi documentary as the MIB and filmed with the
Biography channel for a show that has yet to be released. They have
also portrayed the MIB at various parties and conventions, and have
appeared as MIB every year since 2005 at the Mothman festival in Point
Pleasant, WV.

VOXX:
"Magic and the Paranormal Influence within the Vampire Myth"
Voxx is listed in the national best-selling book, "America's Top 100 Psychics," where she is featured as the world's youngest and most accurate Psychic.


SILENT CINEMA BILL
"Early Hollywood, light and shadow, and the films Dracula and Nosferatu"
Silent film professor Bill Eggert says the reason he loves silent film so much is because the work transforms us to a world that seems underwater, full of magic and unique haunting beauty. Having spoken at several other Grand Midway events, Bill is a familiar good friend to the local scene as well as a filmmaker himself.

Dinner Break
5 PM - 6:30 PM

DRACULA FEST NIGHT... Continuation!
Note: If you paid for the first portion, you do not have to pay for this.
The $10 covers day and night, no discounts will be given for just the night portion.
(Arcadia Theater)
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

THE CADILLAC CREEPS
"Children of the night! What sweet music they make!"


DAVID J. AND DAMIEN YOUTH
Next, as if all that wasn't enough, the legendary David J, of the seminal goth band Bauhaus and later Love and Rockets, and underground legend Damien Youth, lead performer for decade of Anne Rice Halloween parties, along with Pittsburgh's very own classical violinist Paul
Dvorchak, join forces to make history one night only performing a slow deconstructed acoustic version of the classic all-time goth masterpiece Bela Lugosi's Dead! It just doesn't get much cooler than this...


DEVIL MUSIC ENSEMBLE & NOSFERATU
"The climax of the night: A screening of the classic silent film
NOSFERATU set to live music by Devil Music Ensemble"
The Devil Music Ensemble, formed in Boston in 1999, is comprised of Brendon Wood on guitars, lap steel, and synthesizer; Jonah Rapino on electric violin, vibraphone, and synthesizer; and Tim Nylander on drums, percussion and synthesizer.


S.P.L.A.T. will be there!
The Southwestern Pennsylvania League of Apparition
Technologists is a professional team dedicated to aiding those
tormented by apparitions and the paranormal.


Finally, the folks who run the famed Pittsburgh Comic Con will be here showing off their goods for sale. Their store, Comics World, is actually located in downtown Windber, and will be staying open late to accommodate all vampiric DraculaCon guests!

DRACULA FEST is a scholastic, history-oriented day and night of entertainment. Some of the material being of the vampire mythos will be mature. This is a serious event, not appropriate for children younger than 17 years of age. Costumes are naturally welcomed for the day.

WINDBER, PA is located next to Johnstown, PA, about an hour and a half
East of Pittsburgh.

This event is growing. The times are apt to shift a tad as more ghouls and friendly fiends have begun to crawl from their crypts to join us as well... As J. Gordon Melton used to say, "We hope to blow your coffin lids off." Please check back in with this web site for further details.

Local Housing if needed:
Richland Inn
1540 Scalp Avenue, Johnstown, PA 814-269-3366
rates $51.00

Holiday Inn Express
1440 Scalp Avenue, Johnstown, PA 814-266-8789
rates $94.00

Hope to see you there!!!

Lastly, it has occurred to me in my personal grief over the loss of my friend Tom, I forgot that I was remiss in my last email by not mentioning that we as a city have been in mourning for 2 weeks now for the fallen men who swore to protect us. There is nothing I can say that has not already been said, we lost three good men who deserved better than to go out at the hands of a lunatic. I just hope we as a city can be deserving of people like that, I think it will be hard to
live up to how good they were but we owe it to them and their families to try and be the people who could deserve the protection of people like that. Rest in peace Officers Sciullo , Kelly, and Mayhle. You left us far too soon. Thank you for your sacrifice, may we be worthy of your untimely passing.

May the universe and all her mercy bless you and your families, we don't know how long we may or may not have, so tell the ones you love that you love them today and don't wait for tomorrow.

Yours til you can't stand it anymore,
Mandee

the Angel of Death didn't miss all of us...

So I hope you had a lovely Pesach or Easter or Beltane or whatever it is you personally celebrate, me, I do it all..... I like colored eggs with haroses with bitter herbs, but I don't think they eat much at Beltane, I think eating is not really not the primary focus of that particular celebration......it may not have even happened just yet, I think it might be just around the corner, I need to check my Pagan/ Judeo-Christian datebook..... that said I hope you all had a wonderful time. I know I did, I went to dinner and sacrilegiously enjoyed the ham and the eggs and I even made a new taste treat called "White Trash" which is comprised of chex mix , pretzels, peanuts and chow mein noodles mixed up with white chocolate morsels. I forgot the m and m's and the mini marshmallows, but it was still a gastronomical circus for all to share.

And as usual I digress.... I hope you are available this Saturday? I am singing at the Backstage Bar (at Katz Plaza and CLO Cabaret space, katy corner from the Benedum downtown, Pittsburgh) at 655 Penn Ave. The show is from 5 - 7:30 pm and it is FREE FREE FREE! Also playing downtown that night is Rent, so make a night of it and check us out before the show! Joining me will be Mike Murray on keys and Tony DePaolis on bass. Stop in for some music and have a cocktail....
For more info you can call the host desk: 412-325-6769

Earlier that day at about 3, I will be singing a few songs at the tree planting we are holding in honor of the memory of my dear and very missed friend, Jay Bernard. He was an incredible artist, and community activist. His store Jay Design still sells the best soap I have ever used. We will be celebrating his life with the planting of a tree at Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville at 2:45 pm. I will sing a couple songs before I need to run downtown, I loved Jay very much and the tree will be a living tribute to his wild and very flowery spirit.

While I don't like to dwell overly much on the passing of my friends, when you lose one it just hurts, especially when they leave before any of us were ready to say good bye. Jay Bernard was one such man, and another was Tom Kennedy, who left us this past Sunday. While I was sitting down to a lovely ham and ravioli dinner in Bethel Park with Tommy Amoeba's wonderful family, my friend Tom Kennedy was taken from us on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, a rip tide pulled him under and when his friend Mike pulled him to shore, was unable to be revived. I
don't want to think so much about how he left us as who he was and the art he made. I would like you to check out his art and say a little something to whomever you pray to , he was a good man and I will miss him so very much.

Here is a picture I took while riding his Green Dream Machine, we are looking at his roommate Dana Albany's sculpture, The Bone Tree.



His blog

A tribute on Laughingsquid


His project for Dino Demolition Derby

Pictures by my cousin Jon Alloway

Really I am a skinny republican...

April Fools!

Ok, now that's over, I should state that I consider today a holy day, one spent best in meditation and plans for the future. The art of the fool is sacred and if no one gives you reason to question reality than what's the point? But tomorrow we were made to party.....

Allow me to remind you I am singing at Pegasus Lounge tomorrow Thursday April 2, 2009 at 10 pm, joining me will be dancer Maria Hamer of Boheme Dance Studios & Zafira Dance Co. Also, I am so pleased to announce the debut performance of one of Pittsburgh's young queens my
friend Gabriella! Do come out and celebrate with us!

Pegasus Lounge
818 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh , downtown, 18+ with ID , $3
http://www.pittpegasus.com/

And for your viewing pleasure, my attempt to sing in Turkish last Sunday night with Nick Ragheb's band , Kirik Hava. We opened up for Eastern Blok, it was a pretty cool show. I promise to memorize all the words the next time I do this, in fact, I should just learn Turkish (I had a Turkish man tattooed on my arm years ago...) Speaking of which, have you checked out the new Istanbul Grill location? Coshkun's got a lunch counter downtown right next to Dominion Towers on Liberty. Super tasty dude, and the food's good too of course (ba da ching! APRIL
FOOLS!!! - slap knee here) seriously, the food is really yummy ..... I think Kirik Hava is playing his Shadyside/East Liberty location across from Giant Eagle Market District on April 10, mayhap I shall see you there?

Til then check it on the youtube n'at!

And here is a lovely photo of me that my friend Cindi Steuber's boyfriend Mario Schirripa took of me at the Boheme Center for Dance student recital last week!

Last minute gig 2nite & singing @ Pegasus next Thursday!

Hey beautiful people! This weekend I thought I was visiting my father in Ohio, however with the Amoeba down with a cold and nephew Oliver feeling under the weather as well, we decided to postpone the trip just now.... So what do you do when things don't go as planned??? Sing for belly dancers ... *obviously*......
My good friend Maria (Zafira Dance Co.) is having a student show, featuring students from the Boheme Center for Dance, as well as students of Zafira, and their concert, "Habibah!" Also joining the reindeer games will be Nick Ragheb, master drummer of Kirik Hava and our friend August Hoerr of Mezmer Society (North Carolina).
The show is TONIGHT (sorry for late notice, I thought I was in Ohio, today!!!) , doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm, $5, all ages, 12 and under are free, BYOB. Your Inner Vagabond is located at 42nd and Butler St in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. More info can be found at http://www.zafiradance.com








And in trade for my emceeing for Maria, she is dancing for me at Pegasus next Thursday April 2!!!
Pegasus Lounge is located at 818 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Doors 10 pm, showtime 10:30 pm, 18 + with ID, $3
Celebrate Spring with Phat Man Dee in Pittsburgh’s favorite nightclub, Pegasus Lounge! Special guest Maria Hamer Douglas of Zafira Dance Co.





Until then enjoy my friend Southside Vinni's and his brother Jay's video blog of the Ides of March March!

Dreams of Hope and 14th Annual Ides of March March

Hey friends,
Just a quick blog to remind you about this weekend, tonight I am stopping by the New Hazlett theater to sing at Dave Bjornson's open stage, he is hosting an evening, and the benefit to the performers is a dvd of their set... I can always use new video, I am working out some new tunes, so if I don't see you tonight, I will post links after I get it up on the net, I always like feedback about the new music.

And tomorrow I singing for "Banding together for Dreams of Hope"

Dreams of Hope is an organization focused on providing support for the creative initiatives of GLBT youth and their allies.

Saturday, March 14th at 7:30 PM at the The Edgewood Club One Pennwood Avenue, Pittsburgh PA , Doors @ 7:00 PM

Performances by: Dreams of Hope, Etta Cox, Lisa Ferraro, Mark Lucas,Patrick Arena and Phat Mandee with Mike Murray.

Featuring: Auctions, Complimentary Wine and Beer, Desserts and Appetizers

Tickets available February 1st at Square Café, Regent Square and A Pleasant Present, Squirrel Hill for $35, Cash Only

For more information: Visit www.dreamsofhope.org

And then Sunday the 14th Annual Ides of March March!!
March 15, on South Side, @ Birmingham Square 12th and Carson, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203
The cost is free but for the price of your soul.....ladies and gentlemen, the time has come, it is now upon us...... The 14th Annual Ides of March March!!!!
Meet us at 12th and Carson, we meet at 6:30 pm, but we leave at 7:30
sharp, so don't come crying to me if you get left behind.....

Love and honey, see you there, and see you aware,
Mandee

PS I just joined Twitter, my handle is @phatmandee for those of you
who tweet.... and for those of you who don't all I can say is the best
way I have heard it explained is "It's like the whole world is having
a conversation with itself and we are the medium" I kind of like the
idea of the internet as more than just a place for porn and pancakes
(though, for the record, I do appreciate both) I like the idea of the
internet as a place where we can contribute to the world's and our own
growing sentience. This morning I tweeted about something that is
appalling to me, apparently the energy companies are blasting off
mountain tops in W VA looking for coal. Great. Awesome. More pollution
and destruction in the name of profit and 19th century style good old
fashioned toxic coal heat!! Of course, 16 hours before that I tweeted
a video of me and Tommy dancing around like bears to Tim Minchin's new
song "Bears Don't Dig on Dancing" so it's a grab bag, but I am
curious to see what is in it...
Example of my tweets:
phatmandee
They are blasting mountaintops in W VA
http://tinyurl.com/cgfovg
http://tinyurl.com/be3kp9

Video of me and Tommy dancing as bears
http://tinyurl.com/b2f8c2

It's just a new thing, not sure what I think of it yet, any tweeters
out there?

They are blasting off the mountain tops in West VA.....

Just got this email from my friend Vince Eirene..... I have to say it is upsetting to say the least.

Friends,

folk from far and wide are invited to "climate ground zero citizens action camp"
to oppose mountain top removal in southern West Virginia, 4 hours south of Morgantown, near Beckley.

the contact person i have so far is guin / 304-854-7372 / guinstigator@yahoo.com,
http://climategroundzero.org/

more info as i get it / get ready for a road trip soon to meet these folk and figure how we best assist the resistance to this destruction.

vincent scotti eirene / cell 412-537-8716
http://notowar.com

articles about it all:

West Virginia: Direct Action star hosts Summer campaign to oppose Mt. Top Removal

Roselle's Goal: End Mountaintop Mining

Marching forth with PMD and friends!

So it's 13 degrees outside? What better time to dust off the parade
gear and make preparations for the 14th annual Ides of March March?
Let the dog heads hang high as you press and steam your cumbersome
bumbleshoot in wild and frenzied preparations for music and mayhem in
the streets.... but between now and then, come to a show, I have been
getting complaints that I only ever play in California, and that's
just not true, I just make more $$ in California and we burn alot more
stuff out there than we do here..... though I think these things are
changing.... I digress, come to a show, I would love to see your
shining face! Singing the classics and new, with fresh mixes by Omar
Abdul and live musicians when I can afford them and drrrty punk rawk
pain proof klowns when I can't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Thursday! March 5, 2009 @ Pegasus Lounge
818 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224
Cost: $3
When Phat Man Dee sings, young drunks listen, and you should too! This
Thursday March 5 at Pegasus Lounge! PMD has special guest Andrew the
Impaled, Pittsburgh's premiere pain proof clown as he wows us all with
his brave feats of fortune and pain! Beautiful music curated by Brian
Staley at the DJ booth and original tunes by Phat Man Dee herself.
Ages 18 and over with ID welcome!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Saturday! March 7 @ The Rex Theater,
Bellydance Show for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
1602 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203
Door at 7 pm, show time 8 pm done by 10 pm so be on time!!!!
21+ show; under 21 is allowed as long as they are accompanied by a
real parent or guardian!

Join us for this great cause!! Help bring awareness of Cystic
Fibrosis. Check out http://cff.org for more info about the disease.
Performing this evening are: Zafira, Sadiqa, Lizzie and Hailey of
BelliBeautiez, Phat Man Dee, and more! Tickets are $10. And who would
miss the Bellydancer Bake Sale??
*All proceeds go to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Saturday on March 14 @ Dreams of Hope Charity @ Edgewood Club
One Pennwood Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
$35 cash only, live entertainment, wine , beer, deserts, appetizers,
auction and raffle
Tickets available at Square Cafe in Regent Square and A Pleasant
Present in Squirrel Hill.

Dreams of Hope develops lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied
youth leaders who promote social change by educating audiences. With
Patrick Arena, Mark Lucas, Etta Cox and Lisa Ferraro! One Pennwood
Ave, Pgh, PA!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And last but certainly not least, on March 15, on South Side, @
Birmingham Square
12th and Carson, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203
The cost is free but for the price of your soul.....ladies and
gentlemen, the time has come, it is now upon us,
The 14th Annual Ides of March March!!!!
Meet us at 12th and Carson, we meet at 6:30 pm, but we leave at 7:30
sharp, so don't come crying to me if you get left behind..... be sure
to wear your dogs heads high and let your bannerjees fly! Fling your
wherewithal to the tattersall and join us in our annual pilgrimage up
and down South Side’s E Carson for no apparent treason but to warn the
good neighbors and passerby to BEWARE! BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH
MARCH!! All ages, legal for the most part and there will be cake.
Always with the cake, like these hips need more cake......BEWARE!

As a last note, I put a new video up online:


It's about a girl I adored, she passed on this past year, she was a
circus sideshow entertainer who travelled the country with her Wild
West show.... The video work is done by Isaac•Rullo Studio's , they
helped me make it in trade for my being in their "Zircus des Zelbst"
production, which I believe is to be screened in full on March 21, at
Chatham University.

Be well, stay safe and I hope you see you out and about anytime this
month.
Love and kisses and warm wet raspberries to you all,
I remain affectionately yours,
Phat Man Dee