Daniels dances up a storm
Controversy follows Stormy Daniels to Pittsburgh
Joe and Paula Smith left their home near Mercer about 4 p.m. Wednesday, stopped to eat at a steel-themed restaurant in New Castle, and arrived in Downtown Pittsburgh shortly after the doors opened for the evening show at the Blush Gentlemen’s Club and Sports Bar.
The occasion: To lay eyes on Stormy Daniels, the porn star taking on the president.
“I think she’s making history,” said Ms. Smith, a 60-yearold seamstress. “I’m a fan of hers. I’m just concerned about the country.”
It was a subdued Wednesday evening outside the club that shares a block on Ninth Street with Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts school. As night joggers, teenagers and office workers passed by, a construction worker took a photo of the “Stormy Daniels May 2 & 3” marquee as he headed home for the night.
Just before 9:40 p.m., Daniels was whisked from a black Suburban into Blush, shielded by a bodyguard. Just ten minutes after news broke that Rudy Giuliani said President Donald Trump had reimbursed attorney Michael Cohen $130,000 for a controversial nondisclosure agreement with Daniels, she took the stage in the crowded club.
Dressed — at least for a little while — as a Spanish dancer, she began her performance by dancing to Ricky Martin’s “La Copa de la Vida.” The Latin-flavored 15-minute set contained just three other songs, hits by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Shakira.
Daniels started her day about 10 a.m., announcing via tweet that she was en route: “Pittsburgh bound! #teamstormy” she tweeted, with more than 100 heated comments to follow soon afterward.
“We welcome this patriot here no problem at all” tweeted one commenter while another said, “If it would be my choice I’d have you banned from my state of Pa forever!!”
Daniels performed two shows Wednesday night and was scheduled for two more Thursday night at Blush.
Her early Wednesday performance was followed by a meet and greet, to which fans brought posters and glossy 8x10s of her In Touch magazine cover headlined “My Affair With Donald.”
An ad put out by Blush for the show billed her as “The Most Famous Porn Star in History,” complete with an American flag. Blush owner Albert Bortz said earlier in the week that he was hoping for his biggest crowds of the year. Tickets ranged from $20 to $40, not counting advance service fees.
The Smiths, who paid $40 each for their “front and center” seats, weren’t representative of the much younger crowd inside. The night’s special cocktails were “Dark n’ Stormy” and “Love Trumps All Old Fashioned.”
The crowd included a healthy sprinkling of women. One group of three came wearing Hillary Clinton buttons and red and white patriotic short dresses. “If I can help raise $1 million to help disregard the no disclosure agreement I will,” said one, who didn’t want her name used for business reasons.
Daniels, an adult film actress and director whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, entered the political spotlight in January, when media reports revealed that days before the 2016 election, she’d signed an agreement to receive $130,000 in exchange for her public silence on a 2006 tryst with Mr. Trump. In the months since, she’s sued Mr. Trump twice and been interviewed on 60 Minutes — the show’s highest-rated program in almost a decade.
Her career as an exotic dancer, which has been going on for more than 15 years, has continued as well. While some dates on her tour were booked before she became a household name, others — like Pittsburgh — were added more recently.
Daniels has performed at Blush on two previous occasions, said Mr. Bortz. “She was a professional,” he said. “A nice girl.”
Daniels has set a frenetic pace for the tour, with 10 different cities in May alone. From Pittsburgh, she heads to Long Island and Philadelphia.
Anya Sostek: asostek@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1308.