Remember back in those halcyon summer days, when kids with spike-swoop haircuts would sulk over to your house on their skateboards, kick-flipping the whole way, bangs covering everyone’s pot-reddened eyes, just to bask in your glory as Thrasher’s newly claimed “heir to the Hosoi throne”? Man, those were the days. The chicks, the sponsorships, the Jimmy Z woody, all the righteous goodness. Remember that?

No?

Of course not. That's probably because like the rest of us, you sucked massive balls on a board and have scars on your face to prove it. Speaking of proving things (and brilliant transitions!), it’s high time you broke out your gnawed-up Natas and showed today’s newschoolers how the Bones Brigade really found Animal Chin: embarrassed by your sick-shit ramp skills.

Thursday night (tomorrow) at Beauty Bar, you’ll get the opportunity to bust out your old moves, and reclaim a piece of treasured nostalgia or whatever it is that working folks try to reclaim when they get back out on a chipped board and wreck the universe. Or crack their pelvis.

Local skate suppliers NO COMPLY (owned by local skate pros Elias and Simon Bingham, and Jake Nunn) are teaming up with Adidas, Krew Clothing, Steaz, and musicians to bring you Team No Comply riding ramps, music for your ears, kickassness, more ramps, and then some ramps for you to bust your sweet ass on (if you are willing to sign a safety waiver, because you know what’ll happen). So there’ll be professionals skating, then some dudes from around the way skating, then perhaps YOU doing some skating, all in an environment of free-flowing music and booze. And Adidas.

Psychotropic DJs will be spinning between live music sets by Julian Decided and The Tunnels. Local photog legend Courtney Chavanell will be taking portraits so you’ll remember your moment of glory forever.

Yabble-mutherfuckin’-dabble.

NO COMPLY
Thursday, September 27th
Beauty Bar, 617 E 7th [ map ]
21+
10pm - 2am
$3 cover

Let’s be honest—on your average trip to an adult store, you're likely to experience omnipresent feelings of shame, paranoia, and pressure from the moment you cross the threshold. Sure, you may feel a little uncomfortable and out of place if you don’t often find yourself surrounded by an array of dildos and sex slings, but the employees in most adult establishments make no effort to alleviate the tension or create an open, welcoming environment.

It’s the kind of trip that comes with a “just-get-it-and-get-out” mindset. You try to maneuver your way through a maze of shelves and sleaze that trap you in cluttered corners of the room. You do your best to brush off the furtive glances or deliberate stares from employees and other customers, who are looking to see what section of the store you’re headed for, and if you’re up to no good. These factors are almost guaranteed to be augmented by total, searing silence.

Apparently, the sex gods forbid you to have a question about a product.

Given this unfortunate norm, we found ourselves curious when we heard nothing but positive things about the female-owned and operated Sinsations Adult Boutique as buzz began to circulate about their second annual Erotic Carnival—a fundraising powerhouse of an event that benefits AIDS Services of Austin.

At the Erotic Carnival, Sinsations spices up your average carnival activities in tantalizing, naughty ways. Who needs a Ferris wheel when there’s a spanking booth? (Spankings are courtesy of The Trouble Squad – you’ve seen them in action before if you happened to witness Eli Roth get punished at the Drafthouse for objectifying women in his Hostel series.) Dunk tanks were always a little suggestive, but Sinsations promises to take it further. There are also a variety of live performances that include burlesque, suspensions, and bondage. All of this and more takes place on Saturday, October 20th at Red 7, which should afford you sufficient time to find the courage to don a little leather. You can pick up advance tickets for $15 at Sinsations starting October 1st, or get them for $18 at the door.

But what of the attitude, dirty vibes, and exclusivity we spoke of before? Is Sinsations really different, and, if so, can they transfer those positives to a large-scale event? The ladies of Sinsations claim to “strive to create an open and inviting atmosphere” where “no question is taboo.” Other all-inclusive statements and promising adjectives such as “sex-positive” fill their website.

Well, we couldn’t just leave our readers (and ourselves) without some "research" and final answers; we had to test the theory of Sinsations’ open vibe, impeccable manners, and party-throwing capabilities. Who better to chat up than the owner and organizer herself, Morgan Satterfield? Follow the jump for more rousing details on the Erotic Carnival, what makes Sinsations and the women behind the scenes so great, and the glorious benefits of silicon-based lube.

Continue reading "Sinsations' Erotic Carnival: Get Spanked for AIDS Services of Austin"