Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party 2013 carried with it all the promise of one of the year’s best fêtes – and it more than lived up to the hype.
Thousands of men were on hand to cut loose and celebrate on the streets of Palm Springs, March 29 to April 1. The annual event raises funds as well as HIV/AIDS awareness, while offering gay men the chance to congregate in an open, accepting, and festive environment.
The event boasted an impressive lineup of entertainment that appealed to a number of tastes. Chart-topper Icona Pop took to the stage and rocked the crowd March 31. Fans packed into the areas surrounding the stage, as a sea of electronic devices recorded the duo’s rendering of their hit single, “I Love It”.
A number of attractions were erected in the staging area behind the Palm Springs Convention Center, included a ferris wheel and a giant looping Viking ship that swings back and forth. DJ Grind and others were on hand to spin the latest tracks while hyping up the crowd.
But as any attendee knows, the guests are what make a party legendary. There were twinks, bears, otters, cubs, leathers, silver foxes, and the fellows who love them, on hand to make the eye-candy factor a great one. Beautiful bodies shrouded the desert from mid-morning until the wee hours each following day.
Fashion was anything but vanilla at the all-white soiree. Pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen kept with the party’s theme and donned a sexy two-piece alabaster ensemble to perform her latest single, “Tonight I’m Getting Over You”, as well as “Call Me Maybe”, the hit single that put her on the map.
Newcomer Laura Michelle had an amazing debut, performing her quirky hit “Chuck Norris” to a crowd of onlookers at the Sunday Pool Party at the Renaissance hotel in Palm Springs. The singer-songwriter rocked a jeweled crystal bustier and white pants.
For Michelle, White Party 2013 held plenty of significance, both professionally and personally. In the days prior to the event, she was looking forward to debuting her message of positivity and acceptance at the event.
“All these stupid things that I kind of hated about myself – all my quirks – I wanted to put a more positive, silly spin on it,” Michelle said. “When I sing [my song] “Chuck Norris,” at the White Party, I hope it gives [attendees] a moment to be silly and feel better about everything that’s going on politically and take my same outlook on it.”
Michelle was also looking forward to the noticeable eye candy at White Party each year.
“Every time someone asks me if I’ve been to White Party, and I say no, their eyes widen and I always wonder what that means. I’m really excited, but at the same time, I don’t really know what to expect. They tell me, ‘You’re going to see 12-packs – not even 6-packs, but 12-packs. You’re going to love it,’” and who wouldn’t want to look at gorgeous men?” she said.
But perhaps the greatest aspect of White Party was the sense of fun and release it delivered. In light of the Supreme Court’s deliberations on same-sex marriage, many attendees – younger and older – enjoyed having the opportunity to bask in the sun and save their cares for another day.
