John Sex — The True Story

Co-presented with Dirty Looks: On Location this screening included various film and video documents about performance artist John Sex (1956 - 1990). Sex was a wily and ribald staple of the East Village scene immortalized in books like Art After Midnight. With his sizzling singles like "Hustle With My Muscle" and "Bump and Grind It," Sex began his career developing signature looks and flyers for local bands before inventing his signature foot-high pompadour. With his busty backing dancers, The Bodacious Ta-Tas, Sex created a nightclub boylesque sensation equal parts Las Vegas and Club 57. Only having just released his first recordings, John Sex passed away from AIDS-related complications at 34.

The Pyramid Club opened in 1979 and quickly became a hub for the bustling East Village scene of the early 1980s. Home to rock bands and drag queens alike, the dance club was a haven for theatrical productions by artists like Lypsinka, Tabboo! and eventually the Funtone Atlanta crew, which included the "Lady" Bunny, Larry Tee and RuPaul. Sunday nights were extra special affairs, where host Hapi Phace's Whisper Lounge would cater to sensations of the era like John Kelly, Ethyl Eichelberger, Frieda the dancing disco doll, Jayne County and Vaginal Davis. Curator: Bradford Nordeen

Video and film of John Sex performance by various artists, 1983-1989, including the rockumentary, John Sex: The True Story directed by Tom Rubnitz.