“Drugs are plentiful. Sin looks pretty, and debauchery is de rigueur.”
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“In the darkness where the shadow dwellers reside, a throbbing, bustling world thrives in secrecy. Drugs are plentiful. Sin looks pretty, and debauchery is de rigueur. Voyeurs from the outside world steeped in pretensions, illusions and hypocrisies venture here on occasion, but nocturnal creatures like Michael Solomon, Barbie Cocks, Ralph Bell, and Angie Callabrian have settled here even though it is the bane of their existence.”
“When I was growing up, I didn’t feel like other kids, and I wasn’t satisfied with life in a small town.”
The self-proclaimed club promoter/host(ess) is responsible for throwing parties at notable establishments like the Annex, 154 Orchard Street, and Corio, 337 West Broadway; acquiring Fridays and Saturdays is no easy feat, indeed, but Michael manages to pull it off. He’s made such a niche for himself in the club circuit that it’s hard to imagine that he moved from his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, only two years ago. He was 19.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t feel like other kids, and I wasn’t satisfied with life in a small town,” said Michael. “To stand out, I would spray paint my shoes, rip up my clothes, and wear makeup.” At 14 he realized he was gay. Though never ostracized by his family, he was labeled “weird” by relatives and “fag’ by the neighborhood community,. Eventually, in 2007, Michael headed to New York. “I couldn’t make it through another winter in that small town, commiserating with friends over how miserable they were,” he said.
He felt his destiny could be achieved in a metropolis like New York. “I always had delusions about New York City. I envisioned drag queens would be vogueing with delight in the streets, in the presence of RuPaul and Delight.” His illusions were a far cry from reality. His first stop in the Big Apple was Washington Heights where he and several friends crammed into a small dilapidated hole in the wall. “My bed was the sofa, and my clothing drawer was my suitcase.”
In Manhattan, Michael hit all the hot spots, like the Marquee, Cane, Mr. Black, The Cock, Lotus (cute for a minute), and Beige, just to name a few. Club promotion seemed like a natural progression for him. Savoring the night life, without intention, he became a club personality over night. “Ironically, I can tell you about all the happenings during the night, but I’m still not very familiar with New York during the day.”
He has a passion for music. “Ever since I bought Madonna’s album, You Can Dance, I knew music was going to be in my future.” He hasn’t performed any shows yet but he’s been diligently writing lyrics, and has connected with producers to help him develop as a recording artist. “I’ve been working with Seth Silverman. His breath of music knowledge is so unique. At once we really connected artistically.” Some of his influences are Sheep Pettibone, Prince, and Grace Jones. Silverman is a well known record producer in the Gay Community.
He also said, “Several weeks ago I went to an afterhours bar where I met two other men; we went to a bath house, and started licking coke off each other and then we all had sex.”
From The Trailer Park to Ricky’s New York City, Michael wanted to try on wigs. In an argument over paying $2 for a wig cap when he already had one on, Michael refused to spend the money and left in a huff.