July 18, 2011
Girl with 1,000 Voices Celebrates 10 Years on Fire Island
Kevin Mark Kline READ TIME: 2 MIN.
The girl with a thousand voices celebrated her 10th anniversary on Fire Island with a star-studded show (of sorts) at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove on Saturday, June 18.
Porsche took to the stage wearing a black sequined cocktail dress, clear pumps and a Texas-sized coif that mimicked Stevie Nicks' hair after it "got caught in the dryer." Her opening number was the Go Go's "Vacation." Her long-time sidekick, DJ Chuck, also played the "Dallas" theme song in tribute of the queen's Lone Star State's roots.
"Up here has been amazing, amazing," said Porsche to a raucous applause.
Porsche's first Fire Island performance was at the now-shuttered Sunsets in 2001. Boy Dave invited her to perform for one show, and Porsche became an instant hit. "The rest is history," she told The News in a raspy voice between drags on her cigarette while sitting on the Ice Palace's deck on the afternoon after her 10th anniversary extravaganza. "I'm now a point of interest."
Porsche performed at Sunsets and Cherry's for four years before she moved to her current home. Comedian Wanda Sykes invited Porsche to become her cross-dressing bartender/sidekick on her short-lived talk show after she saw her perform at the Ice Palace in 2009. "That was one of those game changers," said Porsche, who is known for her Janis Joplin numbers and her love of Southern Comfort. "It was nice to represent Fire Island on a national scale and our communities-all of them."
Neil Sedaka also joined Porsche on stage at the Ice Palace last summer. Porsche also performs in Fire Island Pines, New York City, Fort Lauderdale and Key West, but she and her galpals are known for their elaborately coordinated Invasion costumes-the years they dressed as the Brady Bunch and Titanic passengers remain her favorites. They also have been seen in Ocean Beach at Island Mermaid.
In previous interviews with The News, Porsche has unapologetically pointed out she is a member of the Magee Hickey Fan Club that pays homage to the red-headed WCBS reporter. It remains unclear whether Hickey herself has ever acknowledged her diehard Fire Island viewers. The News also could not confirm whether any of the water taxi captains on whom Porsche has had repeated crushes over the years attended her June 18 show. She did, however, buy this reporter his first Fire Island cocktail-a rum and diet coke-on a rainy early May afternoon in 2005.
Homecoming Queen YaNeeda Dunes and Beach De Bree, Island Breeze manager Kenny Braun, Robin Kradles, Charity, Logan Hardcore, Gusty Winds, the M&Ms, Bianca del Rio and at least two known Pines residents were among those who paid tribute to Porsche at her show. "I love Miss Porsche," said Renee Flaming. "Congratulations... for surviving."
Sable Scities wore a pair of earrings that Porsche gave her when she performed Erykah Badu's "Tyrone."
"She is one of the nicest people you ever want to meet: No shade, no mask of any kind," said Sities.
For her part, Porsche said she doesn't know where her career will take her. She hopes it will allow her to remain on Fire Island.
"I can't imagine my life without Fire Island," she said. "Thank goodness people still like me out here."