PERMANENT LIPSTICK by Ginger Knoxx
Virgos are unique people. And being one myself, I have learned from years of excess when to switch to water, when not to care that someone saw you puking, and when to make your exit. A year older, I say party hard when you're young. The older you are the more your bounce back ability simply turns into ouch.

THURSDAY, Sept. 7
Dipping into Stadium Thriftway for red meat to grill, I knew it was a full moon. The place was packed. People queued up with cases of beer clutched under their arms and harried looks in their eyes. It's Thursday. This is usually the picture on Friday, but boy, the moon tide wreaks havoc. Hollywood grabbed brews and headed for Rosati town. Ebony looked chic with her raven hair flowing around her. Rosewood Barry just looked ready to unwind. After a sumptuous meal at The Palace, The Italian and I must have been feeling the moon madness and ventured out for some excitement.

You've heard me go on and on about James Whiton and the crazy cool way he handles an upright bass, so I won't repeat myself, but I will brag on The Downtown Apostles' trumpet player John Fricke. First, his name sounds like freaky. Cool. Second, his playing gives me the chills - mesmerizing. Then there's this rad thing they do as a band: looping. Ah, an amazing technique that allows you to play along with yourself. Double rad. Hearing these guys in Jazzbones' funky Bourbon Street jazz bar atmosphere is always a plus. The Hustler Girls came by, which would have livened it up if they'd stayed longer. But no.

SATURDAY, Sept. 9
We had a nice little Virgo bash at a friend's house with favorites The Downtown Apostles playing in the yard. The Italian, Big Man, Hogbot Jim, Burly, Bender and Hume held the keg down. Film Club John brought me a fabulous Malbec red. High school friend Burly brought the Jäger. We slugged it back together. Miss Lapping crafted adorable ceramic creatures for each Virgo, and we took turns snapping glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets on each other. Ebony brought her sweet friend Chey, and Lovely Lisa showed up after dark with Daniel Blue and his entourage just in time for me to lose the remaining composure I'd been clutching. I was borderline sober until my parents left. Then it was on like "Donkey Kong."

Tipping the jumbo bottle of sake straight up to my lips, I said buh-bye to coherency, after which I politely forced said sake on everyone not bold enough to say no. Shoot, that sake was made by the first female sake master in the United States. It was good and cool and mellow. Solo puke party in the street followed. Lovely, I know, but this tipsy chick did manage to avoid sleeping in the bushes by creeping to a quiet room and flopping down like a rolled rug with a dead body in it. Attempts at rousing me did not register. I hear I looked serene in my Jäger/sake induced slumber. By the feel of the earthmover lumbering around my brain come morning, I testify that the aforementioned combo of alcoholic substances should never, I repeat, NEVER be ingested simultaneously. Thank gawd I passed out before the cops showed up, or I might have treated them to a big friendly lip smack like I did to poor Teddy (sorry man). Our Bloody Mary breakfast at 9 a.m. was something else. Twelve of us rolled into Burs stinking like last night and talking too loud about topics we should have left outside. Katie B thinks we actually drove some people off. Our fiftyish waitress was rockin' sparkly tan nylons to which Houston quipped, "I'll bet she gets pacemakers going with those." Yee, that's creepy, but Viagra's easier had than cigarettes. He's probably right.

Idlemine
They've been on Funky Monkey's "Raizin Radio" show. Their song "In Life" was the 420 hit of the day. What's their sound? Intense Rage Against The Machine style rap rock. If you want to throw a core in there somewhere for band Idlemine, go ahead. I'm sick to death of the term core. Give me a break. If you want to listen to some hot, testosterone fueled, drum heavy mayhem, go catch Idlemine as part of Maggie O'Toole's Battle of the Bands show before they cram in a van and head off on a West Coast tour.  Maggie's Battle of the Bands will feature Filthy, Black Top Demon plus cash prizes. Tuesday, Sept. 19, 9 p.m., no cover, Maggie O'Toole's, 6006 100th St. S.W., Lakewood.

Give me a wink and a kiss here. Knoxx knows.