Can you believe it? After columns of bitching about the completely unnecessary audience participation that happens at nearly every gig at Grappa’s Cellar I’ve been to last year, the people who went to see Andrew Bird last Wednesday actually behaved!!!! Ooooh. Em. Eff. Gee. Good job, guys! Here are some more exclamation marks for y’all!!!!!!!!! Please keep up the silence at the next show as well, ladies and gentlemen. See? Wasn’t too hard to STFU, eh?

Yes, it was oh soooo quiet during the incredible performance of the top-shelf indie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Chicago. Too quiet, actually, that our vivacious Editorial Assistant felt that the vibe was somewhat uncomfortable, with everyone standing up, rather ill at ease, instead of everyone just sitting down with a glass of red and relaxed, because, it was like, the Attack of the Tall Gweilos. Well, Andrew Bird himself is freakishly tall, but the average height of the audience was three inches higher than normal. Our former stellar Deputy Features Editor/official office gentle giant stands six feet two, and hence has always been a blocker at live shows, yet that night at Grappas, he was a blockee.

Anyhoo, Andrew Bird’s chamber-music experimentalism and signature whistling mesmerized everyone, keeping eyes glazed and mouths shut. He was an octopus on stage, handling his guitar, percussion, violin, and vocal chords seamlessly, all in one song. Ever so effortlessly that you didn’t even notice that he was playing ALL the instruments and singing the impressionist lyrics of his songs emotively at the same time. Most impressive to say the least.

Saturday, I dropped by at Kolours for Dim Sum Magazine’s Seventh Anniversary Party just as Fabiola Asustadiza dropped her wig during the opening drag show. Drama! Pins, dahling, pins.

The most outrageously dressed was to win an autographed Adam Lambert album, plus $1,000 in cash and $1,000 in drink coupons from Kolours, so a lot of trannies, glam rock stars and mock stars showed up. Always fun to see people dressing up for a night out. What? You think standing outside Tonic, Tivo and Privé makes for great people-watching?

Mr. Gay HK Rick Twombley sat by the poster of himself on the latest DS Mag cover. Attention whore. The cover shot was just glue and paint on his flesh. The viscosity of the glue looked awesome on Rick’s naked body. When I first saw it, I praised DS editor Joe Lam’s art direction and styling. NO borrowing of clothes involved. I was like, DAMN why didn’t I ever think of that. No ridiculous panicking when you send the interns back to return clothes to Lane Craw. Although, it took six hours, with five 20-minute showers in between shots. Applause.

Rick’s off to Oslo to represent HK in the Mr. Gay World finale next week. “Will your company send you over to cover me?” he inquired.

“I WISH. Although, I’ll definitely First Person you when you come back.” I replied.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if I came back as Mr. Gay World? ” he conjectured before we both burst out in hysterics over the irony of it all.

Email me at jpong@asia-city.com.hk