Mr. Lower East Side Pageant Celebrates 20 Years of Sweaty Debauchery
Mr. Lower East Side Pageant at Cake Shop, Jan. 2014
Reverend Jen, the Troll Museum curator and self-proclaimed “Bob Barker of the Lower East Side,” is back home this month for the twentieth installation of the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant. It had spent the last couple years in exile.
Nevertheless, the always raunchy event promises to be a sweaty, beer-soaked, shitshow.
“It’s that time of year again…when the first flowers of spring begin to bloom, the slugs slide out of the mud and dudes who haven’t seen the inside of a gym in over a decade suddenly want to look buff for the laydees,” Jen noted in her mailer.
Contestants need not live in the namesake neighborhood, otherwise participation would scrape bottom. Indeed, as Rev Jen notes, “no one can afford [to live here] anymore.” Each competes in three categories – the one-minute talent competition, swimwear, and evening wear (with Q&A component). Prizes are also awarded for “Best Male Tits,” “Best Nutsack” and congeniality.
The Mr. Lower East Side Pageant returns March 23 (8:00pm) at Bedlam on Avenue C.
Mr. Lower East Side Pageant at Cake Shop, Jan. 2014
Recent Stories
Avril Lavigne Marks 20th Album Anniversary on Canal Street
Avril Lavigne returned to SoHo this week to mark the twentieth anniversary of her pop-punk debut, Let Go. The “Sk8er Boi” artist took to TikTok in celebratory gush, posting a quick hit of her standing in the intersection of Broadway and Canal Street. An ode to the album cover, twenty years older and not blurry, […]
Long-Stalled Grand Street Lot Reactivates
Despite ongoing troubles with his East Broadway project, local owner-developer Daniel Wise is now proceeding with a new development planned for Grand Street. No longer an overgrown jungle of weeds, the zombie parcel spanning 330-332 Grand is, as of a couple weeks ago, fully reanimated. The Department of Buildings issued permits for foundation work last […]
From the Rooftops: The Hell Square Aural Assault
Articles about ear-shattering noise levels, from parties to cruising cars, as well as the general lack of regard for the residents of Hell Square, are rote at this point. Almost a cliche. But to residents living in the bullseye, the aural assault remains a weekly nightmare. And this past Saturday night, by several accounts, upped […]
Pitt Pool Opens for Summer Season
New York City public pools officially opened yesterday. For the Lower East Side, that means the Pitt Pool (aka Hamilton Fish) is ready to go. The launch happened with great fanfare. Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, Senator Brian Kavanagh, Council Member Carlina Rivera, and local kids […]
At Belse, the New Vegan Brewery on the Bowery
Belse, the Texas-based vegan brewery and restaurant, is now in business on the Bowery. The Lone Star State transplant – officially, Belse Plant Cuisine – takes 11,000 square-feet at 265-267 Bowery, in what was previously the fleeting home of the Paulaner Brauhaus brewery. The renovated space features three sections – a restaurant, bar, and Garden […]
