2011 RHONDA RECAP
Damn, 2011 was a major year for me. I did my first Coachella party, went on my first American tour, released my first record, and grew so much I had to move venues. Not to mention all the insane drinking, dancing and general debauchery along the way. It’s hard to pinpoint (let alone remember) exact moments throughout this insane year so I turned to my team and my fans to hear what their favorite 2011 moments at Rhonda were, and to go along with this short collection of memories I’ve also picked a few of my favorite photos. So settle in with a cup of whatever it is you’re drinking at this hour and take a stroll down memory lane with me.
“I think one of my fave moments was when this redheaded chick got on stage and stripped down to nothing. Everyone let it go on for quite a few minutes until El Cid management told us to get her dressed.. Russ then tried to tell her to get some clothes on but she wouldn’t comply because she was HAMMERED and was eventually tackled and kicked out. She then ran onto Sunset Blvd. still completely naked.” -Natalie Martins
“Going to Rhonda for the first time with Lee Foss to check out Runaway was eye opening, [I] didn’t know there was a full on disco rave going on right down the street. We both had some dude hitting on us and buying us drinks while my fiancee laughed her ass off, overall pretty rad.” -Bas Elgharib
“I really enjoyed the August 2011 Rhonda with Omar S and Theo Parrish.. The music was just magical.. I think I took mushrooms.. I THINK. At one point there was a bag of glitter that had exploded in the green room and everyone was covered in sparkles.. It looked pretty magical.” -Natalie Martins
“Blacking out. Thanks for the memories Rhonda” – Maggie Baron
“I can’t remember shit” – David McCauley
“Losing my virginity” -Joseph Torres
“The African Zulu Prince Realness the B.C. boys always served” – Randell Baltazar
“Getting chased, and our beers thrown out of our hands only to be smashed on the floor by the owner of el cid with Gregory after we broke into the beer locker.” -Kyle Sweet
“The Coachella Rhonda party… OMFG.. It was uhmazing.. I remember dancing in the stage area to Azari & III and the singer Cedric grabbed me and dipped me.. I felt like a party princess. It was just special and the comradery of the crowd was there in full effect. EPIC.” -Natalie Martins
“I could talk about the countless ‘Too Wong Foo, Thanks for everything…’ moments that I’ve had with the lanterns coming down those stairs similar to the scene where Patrick Swayze’s wig gets ripped off in a moment of pure determination (ya it happened, many times) but that’s another story.” -Phyllis Navidad
“AJ English’s teal panties and his gong moments.” – Randell Baltazar
“The indian girl dancing topless off stage at her first time at rhonda, while her drunk cousins looked at her with disapproval. At some point this year, ‘No shirts on stage’ became a standard policy.” -Randell Baltazar
“Seeing Tiger & Woods for my first time at Rhonda was simply amazing…changed my world for the better. Thank you!” -Torin Rea
“Thinking Gregory Alexander’s outfit for the night included a patent leather jock cup, only to find out upon hand-examination that it was just his dick.” – Stacy Baca
2011 saw the birth of the Rhonda tattoo…on multiple people.
“I was downstairs with Sara, starting to complain about bunyans or something, when we hear a loud ‘THUMP.’ I noticed a break in the upper terrace vinyl awning, as if something had dropped on it quite suddenly. The turbulence above was such that the three of us looked up at the exact same time. Before we could look up to ask, a bob haired little blond’s corpse dropped right at our feet. She turned over, and started furiously; laughing. Just rolling, literally in the biggest humor one could ever imagine. We quickly realized the young lady had tipped the medicine man well and sipped a few before leaving the apartment. Why did she fall, or how, you ask? The adventurous lil thing had wanted to bypass the line and climb into the club as if it were a cloud which would magically cushion her fall. She climbed over the top awnings, slipped, no doubt in her heels and tumbled all the way down to the front of the line. She dusted herself off after a roar and a hoot, paid the cover and came in to dance it off. That was when I once again realized, this damn party is so good… there are white girls falling from the sky to get in.” – Phyllis Navidad
“That battle royale outside of El Cid that one night, with nary a fist punch thrown but heels snapped aplenty.” -Trevor Tarcynzki
“When Cedric (of Azari & III) and I unknowingly did shrooms right before the party in Palm Springs. We both had an intense trip and I barely came out of a bad portion of it just in time to see him perform. He was on the same debilitating high I was on, so I don’t know how he was singing and dancing around. When I asked him about his performance later that evening he said ‘Thank god for that escalator honey,’ to which I informed him that there are no escalators at the Ace [hotel].” – Gregory Alexander
“Once when I was trying to get out of the club at around 3am I saw 2 people having full on sex on the rooftop of El Cid. I couldn’t tell their gender but pants were definitely down.” – Michael Mendoza
“Isaac shedding all his clothes and dancing on stage completely naked except for maybe a wig?” – Gregory Alexander
“Being on that stage at the Balasco for Rhondavous in my Rhonda military outfit ‘heiling’ the crowd from atop a dance box.” -Gregory Alexander
“[I] Hooked up with a girl I later realized wasn’t a girl.” -Fin Brant
Looking back through these memories and photo albums brought a tear to my eye for all the fun we’ve had together this year. I am so grateful to all of you that come and help us build this party palace. Here’s to taking it even further in 2012. Buckle your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, next year is gonna be quite a ride.
XOXO
-RHONDA