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By Bruce Yelk
PGN Contributor
© 2007 Bruce Yelk

Labor Day in the City of Brotherly Love

I have to admit — it was a nice change of pace to trade in biweekly event listings for a great interview with Bill Wood two weeks ago. But this week, it’s back to what I know best — previewing some events that are sure to turn out hot guys and luscious ladies.

With today being the kick-off for Labor Day weekend, the next few days are the last hurrah for many of the city’s beachgoers. Whether you’re heading north to Fire Island, northeast to Asbury Park or south to Rehoboth Beach, I wish everyone a happy weekend. Each destination has special events and parties to celebrate the end of beach season.

And don’t forget the small stuff that you’ll want to remember come fall and winter — your last cup of coffee at the local diner, your final summer sunset and your last afternoon tea dance. For all the travelers, drive safely and we’ll see you when you get back.

For everyone else (myself included) who isn’t heading to a shore spot, don’t sit home all weekend hating on the beach bunnies. Instead, come on down to Triumph Brewing Company, 117-121 Chestnut St., this Sunday night and join me for Triumphant Return at 9 p.m. This GLBT event is the second of its kind at Old City’s expansive brewery and restaurant, following this summer’s party during gay pride weekend. There’s no cover charge and local DJ Zathan is supplying the music.

Not only does Labor Day weekend bring shore time and parties, but it also ushers in the 2007 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (and the Fringe Festival). Running today through Sept. 15, Philadelphia’s theaters and stages will be awash in a sea of eclectic and electric performances by many of the world’s most respected independent artists.

This year’s festival boasts an international lineup with artists from seven different countries, and it’s expected to draw nearly 50,000 spectators across all performances. With world premieres in dance, multi-media and music, the festival is partly responsible for building Philadelphia’s reputation as an artistic hotbed. Visit www.livearts-fringe.org for all the information.

Though substantially more mainstream than the Live Arts Festival, the American Idols Live Tour will be no less entertaining. This annual summer tour features top performers from last season’s “American Idol.” That means you can see vocally challenged Sanjaya share the stage with Idol-winner Jordin Sparks. That’ll be good for some laughs, but watching cute Chris Richardson pretend to be Justin Timberlake is worth the price of admission. Catch the Idol kids at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad St. Visit www.comcastTIX.com for pricing and tickets.

Lastly, the ageless (kudos to Botox) Barry Manilow is out of Las Vegas performing a few shows, and he’s hitting Philadelphia at 8 p.m. Sept. 8 at Wachovia Center. I haven’t seen his stage show, but word on the street is it’s equal parts southern Baptist tent revival and New York City gay pride parade. To witness the spectacle yourself, check for tickets on the Comcast Web site.

Well, enjoy your Labor Day weekend. I’ll be back in two weeks with my back-to-school column. In the meantime, get offline and see what your community has to offer.

If you have comments or information on upcoming events, e-mail Bruce at Bruce@nightlifegay.com, reference Offline.