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  • [Club LaRay Talent Show (December 9, 1986)]

    [Club LaRay Talent Show (December 9, 1986)]

    A drag competition at Chicago music and performance venue Club LaRay, followed by a DJ set featuring early House music with footage of club patrons dancing.

  • [Club LaRay Presents: The Anita Baker Show (February 2, 1987)]

    [Club LaRay Presents: The Anita Baker Show (February 2, 1987)]

    Club LaRay presents a “Battle of the Stars” with host Anita Baker (impersonator) and co-host Tasha Thomas. This video documents the performances throughout the night by queen impersonators of popular soul and r&b singers and groups such as Gladys Knight, Grace Jones, and The [male] Emotions.
    Club LaRay was a Black, gay club in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The club was owned by Ray “LaRay” Hill. The club was housed in a former theatre consisting of two bars, a dancefloor, and a staircase that went from the floor to the ceiling, dubbed the “Stairs to Nowhere”.

  • St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball with the House of Avant Garde

    St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball with the House of Avant Garde

    This video contains footage from the runway of a voguing ball in the tradition of the Ballroom Scene, hosted by the House of Avant Garde, a Chicago-based space highlighting Black and queer performers.

  • [Wholesome Roc Gallery & Cafe, Poetry Tostada 9/19/87]

    [Wholesome Roc Gallery & Cafe, Poetry Tostada 9/19/87]

    Wholesome Roc Art Gallery and Cafe, an alternative art space opened in Chicago in 1987, provided a place for artists, particularly black queer artists, to display their art and engage with one another. This video features one of Wholesome Roc’s monthly “poetry tostadas,” an open mic dedicated to poetry, music, and other performances.

  • [Wholesome Roc Performance Art, 5/7/88 tape #1]

    [Wholesome Roc Performance Art, 5/7/88 tape #1]

    Wholesome Roc Art Gallery and Cafe, an alternative art space opened in Chicago in 1987, provided a place for artists, particularly black queer artists, to display their art and engage with one another. This video contains footage from the first half of the Wholesome Roc First Anniversary Show, celebrating Wholesome Roc Gallery and Cafe’s first year in operation and featuring various types of performance art.

  • Having a Ball! with the House of Avant Garde

    Having a Ball! with the House of Avant Garde

    The House of Avant Garde was a community of black LGBTQ+ individuals involved in Chicago’s ballroom scene. This video contains footage from two Balls hosted by the House: the Unity Ball in 1991 and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball in 1992, as well as commentary from members of the House of Avant Garde about the House itself and its importance in building community.

  • [Poetry Tostada with Pat Smith]

    [Poetry Tostada with Pat Smith]

    Wholesome Roc Art Gallery and Cafe, an alternative art space opened in Chicago in 1987, provided a place for artists, particularly black queer artists, to display their art and engage with one another. This video contains footage from two separate nights of Wholesome Roc Cafe’s “Poetry Tostada” events, both hosted by Pat Smith. The “Poetry Tostadas” include an open mic, one or more featured readers, and a “Pocket Rocket” limerick contest.

  • [Wholesome Roc Performance Art, 5/7/88 tape #2]

    [Wholesome Roc Performance Art, 5/7/88 tape #2]

    Wholesome Roc Art Gallery and Cafe, an alternative art space opened in Chicago in 1987, provided a place for artists, particularly black queer artists, to display their art and engage with one another. This video contains footage from the second half of the Wholesome Roc First Anniversary Show, celebrating Wholesome Roc Gallery and Cafe’s first year in operation and featuring various types of performance art.

 
 
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