Boy Ginger Helps to Select Mr. BRB!

Tonight, Boy Ginger had a great time serving a a judge for the Mr./Ms./Miss BRB Contest. Really, it was only a contest for Mr., since Ms. and Miss ran unapposed! Anyho, Mr. BRB is Steven Bunch, a handsome and friendly man that Miss G has come to know and respect over the last couple of years. Ms. BRB is the inimitable Chris "Sushi" Valk, whom Miss G loves dearly. And Miss BRB is Kimberly Ann O'Neil, who recently stepped down from her reign as the Empress of ERSICSS. Sunday night is their appreciation show at the BRB, and Miss Ginger herself will be making an appearance, so be sure to take a nap on Sunday afternoon so you can come to the 8pm show and cheer her on!

Several 'snaps have asked "what is BRB?" so Miss G, ever the teacher, will take a moment to educate you on some Texas "lore" and history. (We love our "lore" here in Texas!)

The BRB is the "Brazos River Bottom", the oldest continuously operating gay country and western bar in the US. That's our claim and we're sticking to it! The BRB has been operating under the same name in the same location for 31 years, so that is pretty much an icon of the community! The Brazos River runs through the middle of Texas from the central plains to the Gulf of Mexico, about and crosses the state about midway between Houston and Austin. And the BRB sits on Brazos street, midway between the downtown Skyscraper District and Montrose, Houston's gayborhood. When Miss G first came to Houston in the mid-80's the BRB sat by itself in this kinda scary "urban forest" which was really the overgrown foundations of homes long torn down, and had become a campground for Houston's "urban campers", otherwise known as "the homeless."

Anyho, toward the end of the '90's, some smart developer deemed this area be called "Midtown" and began building apartment buildings, lofts, and nighlife at breakneck speed. Midtown remains Houston's trendy area, and the suburbanites flock into town on weekends to party, club, and "be scene" in Houston's "velvet rope" establishments. And here in the middle of all this sits the BRB, in all it's faded glory!

I'll tell more about it and try to get some pics after the show on Sunday!