A name haunted and stayed with me: Matty Lavender.
I knew about the drugs he had taken, the barrels of alcohol he consumed, and the unprotected s*x that he shared with unnamable men. I knew about his rock band called The Thicks. His drummer, Will Manchester. His bass, True Tycoon. His keyboarder, Scott Nettington. They all hung out at The Oyster in downtown Erie, for business and pleasure.
The Oyster was a rowdy gay bar frequented by queer daddies and bikers. White collar queers didn’t visit the place, but twinks did, just so they could experience some hardcore and rough s*x with an older, butch man. Beneath the bar sat a dungeon of sorts. Whips and chains against the wall. Three cages. A wall where young men could be handcuffed and spun on a wheel that offered s****l pleasure. A place w
