Can’t Stop the Music

Tony Visconti, the producer of Prophets, Seers & Sages — The Angels of the Ages, then proceeded to lecture us on Bolan’s cemented place in the rock n’ roll lexicon. “Whenever people congregate to hear Marc’s songs, it’s almost as if Marc’s here,” Visconti told the audience.

Despite stern warnings from Joe’s Pub staffers, avid T. Rex devotee Stephanie leapt onstage during Visconti’s speech, but was quickly whisked away. However, the real treat was the glittery All-Star finale, including everyone from Justin Bond to Brooklyn garage-glammer Justin Tranter and audience member Moby (yes, the bald one) who joined the masses onstage for a free-flowing jam session.

And then, there leapt Stephanie again, that same glam queen who crashed Visconti’s speech and has attended nearly every T. Rex tribute in the country. She swiped the microphone away from an “official” performer, and just did her thing. If Marc Bolan really were there in the hollows of Central Park, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Manhattan-escort-cum-songwriter Daniel Cartier has retreated into Martha Stewart country. Pass the Crème Brulee.

The urban folk guitar slinger and Rentboy.com peddler Daniel Cartier now sells pink harlequin vases and terra cotta pots at his Dennis, Mass. country store “The Farm” on Main Street. After being signed to Elton John’s boutique label, Rocket Records, on the heels of his shockingly gritty Live from New York—The Subway Session, Cartier was plunged into the dizzying lows of the record industry after being scrapped in favor of the next young thang. 

“My reasons for music have certainly changed,” Cartier told AfterElton.com from his New England store. “When I was younger, I bought into the whole ‘Oh, I want to be a big famous pop star and have everybody love me’ sort of thing. When that didn't happen, I went though the proverbial sour grapes period where I played the misunderstood artist. But of course music pulled me gently back as it always does.”

Cartier is currently recording music on his own terms, free of the black tie lackeys breathing down his neck. He’s plucked Spring Awakening uber-producer Tony Award-winning Joe McGinnis out of his cocoon, enlisting him to be his own personal Tommy Mottola.

“He heard a song off of my album Avenue A and e-mailed me about possibly working together. I was intrigued, so I called him and we wound up talking on the phone for hours,” Cartier said. “I pretty much knew from our first phone conversation that he was going to be a very important person in my life. I had no idea it was going to lead to me falling in love with someone.” That someone being Mr. McGinnis, as the two are now a couple.

The yet to be titled record, currently slated for production in January 2008, explores the harrowing past of Cartier’s sex in the city. The most gut-wrenching track, “Right Arm” recalls Mr. Cartier’s post-escort psych ward experience in courageously vivid detail. “At that point, music seemed so f**king far away. All I wanted to do was sing, but my life and me, just kept getting in the way. I had some great sex and made a ton of cash. But at the end of the day the darker parts of that life really took over and wore me down.”

Soundbytes

• Despite being out of a major label contract, New York electroclash band Fischerspooner is chugging full steam ahead with their third album. “There’s elements that sound like the first record and there are elements that sound like the second record, but at the same time it doesn’t sound like either one,” out lead singer Casey Spooner coyly hinted to NME.” [The songs are] just a bit more poppy and a little bit more upbeat, but not as underground dance as the first record. They’re kind of like new pop,” he added.

According to representatives at Fischerspooner’s management company, Magus Entertainment, the new album should drop in early 2008. In the meantime, spoonerheads can catch Casey Spooner in the Wooster Group’s production of Hamlet at Joe’s Pub in New York.

• If we told you sometime last year that 2007 would resurrect the career of the Village People with the hyper-kitschy, hirsute BearForce1, you’d have probably registered us as certifiably insane. But there’s something to be said for aging teletubbies, vamping to post-disco covers while flopping around suggestively onstage.

BearForce1’s YouTube video has racked up nearly 1 million views since August. The novelty act debuted for the chest-hair plucked and well manicured Chelsea gay club Splash crowd in early October and blogger Joe.My.God was there to document the furry little wonders. “The [mostly] Dutch group got a nice reaction from an enthusiastic house, many of whom knew the three-part signature moves from the video (cross arms, salute, then point),” Joe.My.God reported.

• Britain tabbie The Sun reported this week on Boy George’s latest legal troubles. The Taboo star has been ordered to pay £31,000 after unceremoniously yanking himself out of a GAY USA gig. Boy George canceled the Halloween performance at nightclub promoter Kasia Saleh’s swank LA hotspot after being arrested over previous drug charges.

That’s it for this month. Check back in November for the next installment of Can’t Stop the Music!