Venue: The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
Presented by: Flavourset Productions

So you're picturing the Wild West and you're probably envisioning things like free-spirited cowboys, the open frontier, and the roots of today's country/western music we can't do without. Or pehaps you're seeing ding dongs, whips, and nipples. No, you say? Well, that's what I saw at the Wicked West Ball and to this day, I still find myself questioning whether the open display of those peculiar items was intentional. What was expected to be a fun-filled night where the wild west meets the charm of the south turned out to be the fateful evening where Garth Brooks meets Little Debbie...

When we first arrived in the main tabernacle room, there were only a few people standing around in cowboy get-up, making the room look like a barren field. The party-goers were sporting a variety of cowboy hats and boots to complement their tight black sequined pants with matching belt buckles. I also saw many tight animal prints and Wranglers. The crowd definitely gets spirit sprinkles for their efforts in dressing "western." Since there were people scattered along the edges and only a few brave souls on the dance floor, I felt like I was back at a middle school square dance rehearsal where the girls and boys had to be coerced by the P.E. teachers to "do si do" with their partners. As I was glancing through the crowd and listening to the music, I didn't think that the two meshed very well. The appearance and attitude of the crowd just made me long to be at a Garth concert.

But one of the coolest things about the Tabby is its variety of rooms to explore, and Flavourset did an awesome job of giving each room a different feel. We discovered why no one was downstairs — the bar upstairs was bumpin! The music was different, and there were tons of people milling around, drinking and socializing. This was a good place to check out the crowd and to just hang out for a while.

Now let's talk about the food, shall we? My friends and I were the only people in the room serving food, and with very good reason. We sampled some flavorless chips and salsa, a few crab balls that we thought were hushpuppies, and some salmon dip (over which we debated its smell and freshness). Then suddenly, we were taken aback as we laid our eyes on what we discovered to be...Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Yes that's right, I said Twinkies and Ding Dongs. I didn't realize that Little Debbie played such an integral role in the fine dining of the wild west, but apparently she does. And with that thought, I will now end discussion on the food.

We then made haste to the main tabernacle stage, where the hyped-up fashion show was about to take place. It was definitely entertaining to watch, as the models looked like they were having a good time and the clothes were very interesting. However, I couldn't help but be distracted by the side show spectacles. There were several girls dancing around with their tops about to fall off, exposing the nipple area several times. Then someone busted out a whip which made its way onto the stage and the dancing girls just started whippin' it good. Was this supposed to be part of the fashion show? Your guess is as good as mine.

All in all, I was entertained and had a good time with my friends. The Tabernacle is a great party venue, with its many rooms and bars. I did, however, feel like I left the party with a bad taste in my mouth. Or maybe it was just the leftover salmon dip...