One hot summer night, almost seven years ago, a few guys were sitting together, dreaming up ideas for a novel way to help a Imperial Court fundraiser.... in the background, old disco songs were playing away and then during a break in the conversation the faint strains of the classic song "YMCA" could be heard... like a flash of lightening, it suddenly became clear... this was the answer !!

Jim McBride, who plays the part of the "Native" has been there since the very first show and has always been the only one brave enough to go on stage with only a feather headdress and loin cloth. Why did he choose this role? Well the answer to that one is very simple... he was the only one with a native headdress! And, he relished the thought of being able to show off his reasonably well kept body to the general public in a way that often had people guessing if he actually wore anything under the loin cloth. People asked... some found the answer.

And it wasn't only the guys that were asking... at a performance several years ago at West Edmonton Mall, the group was a guest appearance during a youth talent competition. The usual array of singers and dancers from 13 years to 20 years old had been taking their turn in the spotlight while their mothers and fathers watched eagerly, expecting their young prodigy to be the star of the show. The crowd around the Phase 3 food court stage was reasonable, after all most people had really come there to eat. While the judges were deliberating, Edmonton's Village People took the stage and suddenly the food court was transformed into a cheering mass of spectators. They came from everywhere. As we looked up above us, we could even see the huge number of people on the second floor leaning over the balcony, straining to see what all the excitement was about. This was the first show that we had done outside of a gay bar and we had no idea what to expect. Would they boo us or cheer us? The answer came as quickly as the music started. We were a hit !!!

Our little escapade into the real world was exciting and only fed our egos as people came up to us after the show to compliment the group on our show. It was here that I remember 3 elderly ladies approach, giggling amongst themselves. After the usual compliments, the looked at each other with questioning glances and then one lady, obviously the bolder of the three, blurted out "Is the Indian wearing anything under the loincloth?" I looked at each of them carefully, with a the beginnings of an evil glint in my eye, and very confidently responded... "Of course not...he never does." Not quite the truth but the little lie made these three ladies giggle even more as they blushed and quickly ran away.

Another member who has been with the group since the very first day is Bob Halldorsen. Bob currently plays the "Cop" in the show but has also played the "Construction Worker" and "Army/Navy Guy". Bob's best behind-the-scenes talent is that he actually remembers every routine we have ever choreographed. He can be counted on to re-create a number that we hadn't done in a while or a version of the more popular numbers that had been performed in the past.

After all with over 50 shows under our belts and only a play list of about 20 songs recorded by the real group, we often used re-mixes and compilations released by various disc spinners. And each mix was just a little different with more of this or less of that part in the renditions. I can't count the number of versions of "YMCA" we have done but each one was just a little unique from the rest.

Now, with computer technology, we even take some of those original recordings and edit them into our own unique shows. We speed up, slow down, enhance and edit in and out, sections of the originally recorded music. This has given us the ability to dictate how our shows are presented and how long our shows are. By combining several numbers into one long number and writing this to a single CD, we don't allow for interruptions of announcers or show hosts. We now have a catalogue of shows that range in size from seven minutes to our current show, which is 32 non-stop minutes of music. Our biggest problem has been that we just can't do the standard four minute number most shows ask for.

The other person who has played one role is myself. And again the answer to why I choose the "Cowboy" is very simple. I was the only one that had real leather western chaps, cowboy boots and hat. Now you might ask why I had these items in my wardrobe right next to the sequin gowns that I occasionally "dragged" out. That answer goes way back, to an earlier lifetime, when the real Village People first burst onto the playlists of discos across the continent.

The year was 1978 and at the time I worked part time at "Flashback". As a waiter at the time, in what was to become Edmonton's strangest and most exciting dance club, I had developed a personal thing about dressing up a little different each weekend, using hats as the main focus.

As club goers became familiar with the lyrics to a song that was gaining reputation because of the controversy it caused with its real-life namesake, they also became familiar with the group that performed the songs. The Village People were becoming icons in the gay community because the roles they portrayed, depicted the stereotypical roles that people had about the gay community. (Why they had no "Interior Decorator" though, I could never figure out!)

And so, one day I ventured out looking for a new hat to wear for the weekend and it was inside a western wear shop at Kingsway Mall that I came across the perfect hat, a Stetson. As I looked around, my eyes fell on the selection of cowboy boots and I thought... well, why not? And then, more out of humour than anything, I asked the helpful clerk if she had any chaps to fit my skinny body. She thought for a while and then dashed off to the stockroom. When she returned she was holding a pair of beige colored western chaps with fringe down the back. They had been custom made for a client and were too tight. Well they fitted me perfectly except for being a bit short in the leg. So I figured that if I get a pair of boots in the same color then it wouldn't be noticed too much. $500 dollars later, I walked out of that store with my new outfit for a few hours work at the local gay bar that weekend.

It was years before I was to wear that outfit again but when I did it more than paid for it. The original chaps still hang in the closet but have been replaced, along with everything else except the boots. After all, don't they say that a cowboy never takes his boots off?

The group has seen several renditions of the "Leather Man". Scott, Mark, Max and now Carl, each person has added their own flavor to this character. Carl Austin joined the group after crashing one of our shows as we performed at The Roost, during "Carl's Disco Birthday Bash". With what he was wearing during that show, my question as to "why there was no 'Interior Decorator'" was quickly answered!

Carl looks much better in leathers than he did in crushed velvet and flared pants. Carl was also the instigator behind our meeting with Felipe Rose, the "Native" from the real group. Always one to look for an opportunity to get someone.... anyone... famous into the club, he had contacted Telus Field, where the real group was scheduled to perform and left messages informing about our group and an invitation to come to the club after the show. We had already decided that we were going to crash the dance floor that night in the upstairs bar at The Roost. We nervously waited to go on, wondering whether anybody from the group would show up and scared that they actually would.

Suddenly, word came flying through the room, they were here, or at least one of them, maybe two. We quickly took to the stage and launched into a disco mix of their popular songs. Not one they had actually recorded but one that an enterprising DJ had created using their original tracks. As we moved through our routines a face suddenly burst through the crowd and there he was. A real Village Person! Before we knew it, there he was, dancing on stage amongst us attempting to pick up the beat on these familiar but not quite the same songs. What a blast... here we were performing with one of the REAL Village People.

After our show we had fun talking and having our pictures taken with Felipe, little realizing that this would by no means be our last encounter with the group. That year was July 1996 and most of us attended their next two concerts in Edmonton in July of 1998 and then most recently this summer at The Joint at West Edmonton Mall, where, as we stood in line to get in, we attracted the attention of everyone. Both times they spotted us in the crowd and acknowledged our presence. What a trip to be "famous" to the famous.

Several people have played the "Army/Navy" role over the years in a variety of ways. The real group actually use both portrayals of a service person in their show, though not at the same time. So our show has also had this character as the Navy Cadet, Naval Officer and Army Boy. Jazzy Geoff, a DJ at The Roost, most recently portrayed this character but has left the group to make room for Rob Browatzke to take over. Rob moved from his position as the "Construction Worker" and will make his debut in this role at "Electric Lava" on December 9th.

Rob, a regular contributor to "Times.10", is responsible for attempting to document our history from the fragmented memories we have from all the shows we've done. He then took what he could and created our own WebPages. If you have an opportunity, visit us for some additional pictures and info, as well as a complete list of all the members who have been parts of the show.

Also making his debut appearance in the group is Juan McHugh. He will take on the role of the "Construction Worker" which has traditionally been our training role or the one people least want to do. Juan is putting his own stamp to this role and will be an energetic addition to the group.

So, why do we do it? You would think that after almost seven years and probably close to 300 rehearsals, we would not only be tired but sick of anything to do with The Village People. And you would think that people would be sick of us. Well the answers to this are both simple and obvious and at the same time, complex and abstract.

First the obvious, we all have egos that get fed enormously when we perform. For many, which know the feeling of hearing the applause and the compliments after a performance, you can appreciate why this is important. In this respect we are no different than the multitude of "Drag Queens" that we see on club stages and shows. This is just another form of "drag" with our own spin on it. It is this ego that has determined the length of our numbers and the size of our shows. The more we can do, the more fabulous we feel! And we have been known to take this to limits, not normally explored by most performers. After all, which other performer you have seen has their own 24" x 36" framed photo hanging in two local businesses. (We're working on another location).

The second and perhaps the most important reasons of all, are how it has changed us as individuals and the strong friendships and great experiences that each of us have brought out of the group. Through our connection with the group we have learned how to be a part of a team that works together. And how to overcome the inevitable differences that arise among individuals that are close to each other. We have gained new confidence as we performed before large crowds in unlikely venues. We have learned new skills as we struggle through trying to bring a group of non-professionals to a level of performance that can at least be appreciated for its effort.

But above and beyond anything else that may present us as a reason why, the single most important is the friendship and camaraderie that is backbone, strength and the "why" we do this.

We each, selflessly give up our Wednesday nights for rehearsal, not because we need to rehearse but more because it has become part of our life along with each person in the group. It is an opportunity to get together, share some laughs, some yelling and sometimes a few cocktails.

It is about the ten days we recently spent on the road, traveling to Toronto to perform or the amazing experience we had with 3 talented drag queens on a very hot weekend touring Saskatchewan. And the weekend trips to Calgary, Vancouver, Lethbridge and Red Deer just because we needed to perform somewhere different. It is about experiencing life in a different perspective with a group of people that share your interests, your dreams and your challenges.

We are about spirit and friendship bound together by one common factor, performing in a group that seeks to be a pale imitation of the real thing. We are also about the contribution and personalities that each of the almost 25 people that have been part of our lives have left as an indelible part of our history.

And we are about dreams. Venture into our circle on a Wednesday night after rehearsal at The Roost and the audacity, the grandness, the boldness and the sheer impossibility of our visions could sweep you up. In attempts to outdo each other, we have even gone places that have surprised us by the incredulity. But that's what dreams are for and it pleases us to dream.