While Saskatoon, Saskatchewan may not strike many as a "party town", the small prairie city was where the recently relocated Mixed Media Motion first came into existence. When founder Robbie Picard recently moved to Calgary, he saw new opportunities to bring unique events to our city.
"I originally worked for the bar DIVAS in Saskatoon and then joined a group called Plastic Puppet Motive (PPM) [which] would throw raves. You couldn’t throw a circuit party because the gay scene wasn’t big enough, so we would throw these raves. We won awards for the events we put on and had the top headliners in the world come and play for us. The main people involved in PPM left and I started Mixed Media Motion, and started doing various events at clubs in Saskatoon."
After leaving the promotion business and managing a straight bar in the city, Picard moved to Calgary a few months ago and immediately jumped back into promoting.
"I’ve started MMM up again with a focus on gay circuit events. I have been very fortunate to be involved with the people at Metro Boyztown and we have started a student’s night in association with GLASS, which is doing very well. That has started taking care of itself so now I am focusing on a circuit event called ’Babylon,’ which will run May 7th at Metro Boyztown. We are bringing in DJ Dekoze who is Canada’s top gay circuit pride DJ, he headlined pride in Toronto and was one of the founders of PPM. We are going to encompass various elements to make it a party like Calgary has never seen."
To many people, the rave scene is believed to be filled with drugs and violence. This is something that Picard feels is in the past, and he also highlighted the differences between a rave and a circuit party.
"A circuit event is better than a rave because you have older gay men. Gay men aren’t violent and are more responsible than many kids that attend raves. Raves were phenomenal, you would have different types and classes of people, and it was the only place other than a gay bar that I have seen so many different aspects of society. I think drug dealers saw that and took advantage of the young people. It was too good to be true because you could be free without consequences and that killed the scene. I liked raves but I like circuit parties more. I am excited to be in a city that will support what I want to do."
Metro Boyztown has also made a number of changes recently, including its "Fever" events and will soon be offering memberships to women. He feels that Calgary’s gay scene is lacking something and hopes to help light a spark.
"We have changed a lot of the policies at Metro Boyztown. I am for gays and lesbians and diversity, whatever happened in the past I have no control over so I am going to do the best I can. When I first came to Calgary I was really disappointed with what I found here, there wasn’t an energy level. The scene in Saskatoon, if we had more of a population would be better. There is more energy, less politics, and the community was closer. In Toronto, it is so big that you can do anything you want and have a crowd. Calgary is in between those two cities; people are still trying to find their niche. My goal is to take everybody from every scene, old or young, and provide a great party for them to enjoy and experience. It is less about ‘I’m a leather’ or ‘I’m a twink’ and instead about just bringing people together."
Picard is focusing on the upcoming "Babylon" event and promises that it will be something new and exciting.
"Babylon is going to be a party the likes of which Calgary has never seen before. Stay tuned, because it will blow you away."
Mixed Media Motion is looking for performers, artists, and go-go dancers. For more information on MMM events call 697-1067.
Related Articles
Contributor
Jason Clevett |
Locale
Calgary |
Topic
Community |
