CRISPY QUEEN

“A lifetime of listening to disco music is a high price to pay for one’s sexual preference,” English dandy Quentin Crisp once remarked. The raconteur and exhibitionist was known for his witty observations about the gay world, mostly brought to light in his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, which Crisp wrote at the tender age of 60. In his seventies, he moved to New York, where he became “an elegant icon for the freaky set,” says Linda Simpson, the drag hostess of The Naked Bon Vivant!, a celebration of Crisp’s 100th birthday. Crisp died in 1999, but he remains revered among downtown’s queer bohemians. At this literary and performance salon—produced by Joe Birdsong—Frank DeCaro, Lavinia Co-op, the Pixie Harlots, and Amber Martin are among the performers bestowing honor on the self-proclaimed “stately homo of England.” Attendees are encouraged to don their best fedoras.

Sat., March 7, 7 p.m., 2009