Greetings! We’re just knocking some of the dust off our different sites to gear up for Ignite Phoenix After Hours III this Summer.

One of those sites is our Ignite Phoenix After Hours Facebook page. If you’re on the FB, click over there and give us a Like. Say Hello. Sing us a song. We love that kinda stuff.

Stay tuned for dates and other events soon. In the meantime, there is still a day left to sign up to present at our main Ignite Phoenix event. Ignite Phoenix #12 is coming up May 4th!

Cheers!

Shawn Vermillion owns a white, fur top hat and matching ensemble? Yes.
Brie Copley once searched for “guineapigs.com” and found something unexpected? Yes.
Shana Ostrow can send me a crocheted fetus? You betcha.

We also learned that we may be outgrowing our venue. (We can’t help being popular.) We learned that we don’t really need microphones to make life easier. (They often make life more difficult, in fact.) We furthermore learned that talking to strangers is really easy when someone on stage is talking about strip clubs. (Well, that’s what I learned, at least.)

Another Ignite Phoenix After Hours has come and gone. Next time, there will be a #3 beyond the letters, “I-P-A-H.” By then, new Phoenicians will have heard about us. You will invite different people—friends, who after hearing about IPAH #2 will say, “What? People talk about that in public? I have to go!” It’ll be a year from now, so who knows? Maybe you will be different, too. Maybe you will be a presenter next time around …

We have some time to wait and work before the next Ignite Phoenix After Hours, and to you, dear reader, I issue a call to action. I’m serious. If you know anyone—anyone who is different, interesting, or possibly insane—I challenge you to ask them to submit for the next IPAH. We are the lucky many, who already know about Ignite Phoenix and its edgy pal, After Hours.

There are those in the Valley who have never heard of Ignite, let alone the R-rated version. They need to hear about it. They need to understand there is unquenchable passion in Phoenix. There’s no need to hide in the shadows with your own unconventional opinions; there’s a whole crowd of people who want to hear from YOU and applaud YOU. It’s time to reach out to new demographics, and over the course of the next year, we’d love to hear your suggestions at ignitephoenix@gmail.com.

But don’t forget: we also want you to spread the word to the people you admire, who should be part of the inspiring community known as “Ignite Phoenix.”

Will I make it a life goal to hit up Burning Man? Yes.
Will I check out some Harry-Draco slash fiction? Probably.
Will I shamelessly ask my gay friends for salon referrals? Damn straight.

I don’t know about you, but I feel lucky to be a part of the Ignite community. I challenge you to spread the love to others … especially if those “others” don’t mind throwing some f-bombs around and ESPECIALLY if those “others” are not easily offended. Thank you, Phoenix, for another wonderful event. See you next year!

PS: The next Ignite Phoenix is October 28, 2011. Check out the website for more info.
PSS: Pics are up from IPAH #2 on Flickr. Go see!

But it wasn’t just about sex last night, was it? Collectively, we learned something, and it wasn’t always easy to swallow. (Get it? Heh, heh …) It’s good to learn new things. It’s good to step outside our comfort zones. I think we all had moments of shock last night. We had moments of awkward discomfort. We also had moments of enlightenment, and that is what it’s all about.

The Ignite Phoenix After Hours crew would like to thank a handful of folks for a job well done and well appreciated.

FIRST: The presenters. We (literally) couldn’t do this show without you. We appreciate your amazing bravery for getting up on stage and putting yourself out there. We can’t thank you enough … and we hope to see you at IPAH #3!

SECOND: Thanks to our Ignite volunteers and crew. You don’t only move furniture; you give this event a name and a face. Your enthusiasm, patience, and passion keep Ignite going. We hope to continue inspiring our Valley of the Sun, but we could not do so without your support. Thank you. As always, you did a great job!

THIRD: The sponsors!!!
Evening Entertainment Group for hosting us at Radius Nightclub.
(And what wonderful hosts you were!)
Splinter Creative for the gorgeous programs.
(What would we do without your powers of design?)
Brand X for the t-shirts.
(You keep us lookin’ hot.)
Victor Moreno for the outstanding t-shirt design.
(We loved our t-shirts ahhhhhh!!)

IN CONCLUSION: Thank you, Valley of the Sun. Thank you for coming out and supporting Ignite Phoenix After Hours. We are here to inspire you. We hope we did our jobs last night. We also hope you will consider submitting presentations for an upcoming Ignite event. For more info about what’s next, check out http://ignitephoenix.com/.

Furthermore, if you have feedback on IPAH #2, we want to hear about it. Your preferences help us shape and mold future events, so if you do not speak, you will not be heard. Send comments to ignitephoenix@gmail.com. Please, let us know how we did … and we’ll see you at Ignite Phoenix 11.

Oh, and did I mention: THANK YOU, PHOENIX!!!!!

Are you excited? We sure are. You’ve seen the list of presenters and their presentations in an earlier post. This is bound to be a rather… inspiring evening (wink, wink). We’re less than a week away from the July 29th event, and we want to make sure you know what you’ve signed up for.

Night of Details for IPAH #2, Friday, July 29th.
Time and Location: 7 PM, Radius Night Club in Scottsdale.
(DOORS OPEN AT 6 PM. Not a moment before.)
Directions: HERE. (Radius will open to the public at 10 PM, but you’re welcome to stick around and party the night away!)

Event Parking.
There are three parking options near Radius:
1. The Galleria Garage: 4343 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ. Just south of Radius at the corner of Shoeman and Wells Fargo Ave.
2. The Stetson Lot: 7375 Stetson Dr. Scottsdale, AZ. Slightly farther south of Radius on Stetson between Civic Center Plaza and Wells Fargo Ave.
3. Street Parking: There is quite a bit of street parking available in the area.
(For additional info, visit http://www.scottsdaledowntown.com/GettingAround.aspx.)

Radius is a NIGHT CLUB.
Ignite Phoenix After Hours is for the 21 and older crowd, so if you’re hoping to bring a date under the age of 21, you’ll have to go solo or find another date. Radius Night Club is literally A CLUB. You must bring your ticket and an ID to get inside. Do not forget either, or you’ll be left standing outside, your ear to the door, hearing whispers of words like “breast,” “striptease,” and “threesome.” Do not let that happen to you.

The State of Undress.
Considering this is an R-rated event, if you want to wear leather pants and a corset, go for it. Have some kinky role-play wear or a furry costume you’re read to bust out? More power to you. Just know that seating is extremely limited, so wear your comfy thigh high boots … or your Converse.

Don’t Fear the Karaoke.
Karaoke from the last After Hours event was hilarious, and because we know how much everyone loves it, we’re holding it again at intermission. If you want to participate, find someone in an IPAH t-shirt prior to the show. He/she will point you to a signup sheet. If you don’t want to participate, you’re out of luck, because we’ll find you.

Unable to Attend?
Unable to attend Friday night? No worries. We’ll miss you, but let us know that you have an extra ticket because we have a waiting list of eager After Hours fans. Feel free to touch base on Twitter or Facebook.

Now that the official stuff is out of the way, let me post this reminder: you have less than a week to prepare your mind, body, and … ur … any other part you need to prepare for IPAH #2. It’s Ignite Phoenix After Hours time, people. Time to support your pals and fellow Phoenicians! See you Friday!