Our Intern, Sarah, Reports on the Original Plumbing Issue 9 Release Party
Original Plumbing Issue 9 Release Party, Saturday March 24th, 2012
Public Assembly, Brooklyn, New York
Photos and write-up by Sarah Nakano
Unfortunately, there is only a handful of magazines and periodicals out there that focus on transgender culture and/or are written by trans men and women. But GOOD NEWS: photographer Amos Mac and rapper Rocco Kayiatos (Rocco Katastrophe) come bearing “Original Plumbing,” their glossy, informative, and beautifully designed quarterly zine focused on trans male culture. Now on their ninth issue, each issue of Original Plumbing is centered around a different aspect of FTM culture: work, school, family, hair, fashion, health + sex, the bedroom, the environment, and the latest issue: entertainment.
On March 24th Original Plumbing hosted a release party for their newest issue at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. This gathering celebrated the release of the ninth and largest issue of Original Plumbing to date. The issue includes photos and features “filmmakers, musicians, comics and artists from the trans male community.” OP emphasizes the practice of viewing trans culture from many different perspectives and views through essays, articles, portraits, narratives, and interviews. Each person’s experience and connection to one’s body is different, and thus, OP seeks to present many different types of experience.
The release party was hosted by Amos and Rocco, with a special performance by Schmekel, a band consisting Lucian Kahn, Ricky Riot, Nogga Schwartz, and Simcha Halpter-Hanson. They describe themselves as a “100% Transgender, 100% Jewish, punk-klezmer comedy band from Brooklyn.” Sweet. I wasn’t aware that ‘Queer Jewcore’ was a musical genre but apparently it is, alright! My personal favorite of the songs they performed was “Genderqueer Love Song.” The night was also graced by the presence of DJ D’Hana, DJ Ozito Berlin, and go-go dancers Yve and William. Special shoutout to William because I’ve seen him at other events around the BK and he kills it EVERY TIME, this boy knows how to DANCE. William if you’re reading this please teach me and my buddy Mars (“super cute merch person” -amos) your ways, okay thank you.
Original Plumbing is a revolutionary and special publication because it seeks to inform, entertain, build community, and explore sexuality and identity through art and culture. You can check out Original Plumbing here, and you can see previews of each issue here. Issue #9 sells for $8, get yourself a copy!
-Photo L-R: Mars, members of the band, Schmekel
