DragCon NYC: Day One: The Arrival

Dan is a planner. I am not.  Dan had been planning the trip to New York for months,  to make sure that everything went perfect. So, Thursday night, I went to bed early, to make sure that I would be up by 3am at the minimum, so we could leave by 4am.

When Dan woke me up at 4am, I instantly started to freak out,  because, well,  that meant that I had slept through my alarm, which was set for 2:45am...(just to make sure I didn't over sleep...)

By 4:30, we had picked up Larry and we were on our way. The GPS told us that the trip would take us 6 hours. She was mostly right.  However, she, like I am, is a last minute planner. While I was trying to read directions to Dan,  I wasn't getting the information when he wanted it. Some yelling ensued. And then, we finally arrived at our motel. The Hudson Motel is a small motel hidden just off the highway, that we had to make a u-turn to get to

.

Once we were all checked in,  we unloaded the car, and took quick showers, so that we would be on time to pick up our VIP bags at the Javits Center. While Dan showered,  I called to check on a price for a taxi from Bayonne, NJ to the Javits Center. When they quoted me $20, I was like, "Hell yes."

Obviously, this is where my small town boy status shows... I fell for it hook,  line and sinker. I booked the taxi, and we were on our way. The cabbie was friendly enough. He commented on my pokeball earrings,  and struck up a conversation about Pokémon in general. We got to the Lincoln Tunnel and he asked if I had the $15 for the toll. Thinking he was joking,  I asked. (He was serious.) Once we got into the city, and the Javits Center itself,  he dropped the bomb.  The cab ride cost $80, not $20. Feeling angry, I paid,  then got an earful about how I should act in the city like I know what's going on, instead of like a tourist. (I had had enough of being yelled and was ready to give the weekend up as a total loss.)

Stumpy, aka Tim, The Pigeon

We got to the Javits Center early, and had to wait as they set up the pick ups for VIP passes. We were hungry and grumpy, so we grabbed some food from a convenience store inside the center,  and then grabbed food from the food cart just outside. It wasn't great, but it was food.

A security guard told a guy sitting near us that he had to leave, as the seating was only for attendees of DragCon, and then pointed at us. The guy,  apparently was looking for a seat while he waited for the bus.

I met Stumpy the Pigeon, who I made sure to get pictures of each day. Someone else on Instagram also had the same instinct and called him Tim.

While we waited, I started my usual people watching, and saw Chad Sell go by, then later Raja and Manila Luzon. All the while, people were coming get and going from the main room.

They finally opened up the line for VIP Badges, and we were pretty close to the first ones to get them. Surprisingly, there was no line for them. Because there was very little information about anything going on on Friday afternoon, we left the Javits Center, and started a trek around the city.

The first goal was to get to the Empire State Building. It was easy enough to find... Just look up,  and you could basically follow it to where it was. The path to it brought us up 34th street, through what appeared to be a homeless camp. On the way, we came across a wig shop. So,  obviously Shaunna Rai and Leanna Love needed to check it out. (Although neither was in drag at all during the weekend.)

Further past the wig shop,  we're some street sales of dresses. Really cheap prices... Between $1.99 and $20. And then, came the fabric shops.

I have never seen anyone get excited about a fabric shop. Well,  I take that back.  My mom, when she was quilting all the time when I was a kid got excited about fabric shops.  But, this was a different kind of excited. Spandex World was like the fabric store for drag queens. Why?  Because spandex. Just about every fabric in the store was spandex... From cool lightning designs to the reversible sequin fabric, to sheers with amazing sequin designs. We literally could have spent the entire three days in there alone.

But,  we still had to find the Empire State Building,  and had a show later on in the evening. So,  without buying anything, we left and continued the search for the Empire State Building. At this point, I pulled out my phone,  and fired up Google Maps,  because they have walking directions, as well as bus and driving directions.

I had gotten us as far as Broadway pretty much without help. As we got to the corner,  I realized that this was where Macy's was. Not like the Macy's at the Maine Mall,  but THE Macy's. The one where the Thanksgiving parade happens. We went in,  looked around the makeup counters for a minute, then continued on the way, because there was too much to look at and Dan said,  "I could spend the rest of the day and my money right here."

We were back on the move and finally made it to the Empire State Building. When we were told that tickets were required for the Observatory Deck, plans changed.  Instead of going in and going up, we went in, took a couple pictures of the plaque inside, before continuing on our way.  

Times Square

At one point, during the afternoon, Dan had made mention of the fact that he wouldn't mind seeing Times Square, up close and personal.  So, our next destination was Times Square.  It was just like it is on tv.  Bright, and busy.  With it being the weekend of the anniversary of 9/11, there was an increased security presence, which included what looked like SWAT team members with automatic rifles.  (I chose not to take pictures of them, because, well, guns aren't really my thing.  They scare the hell out of me.)  

Unfortunately, at this point, my phone battery started to die.  And, we still weren't exactly sure where we were going for the show.  Lucky me, I packed two extra phone batteries, along with my 6 extra camera batteries.  Unfortunately, while I packed the camera batteries in my camera bag, I didn't pack my phone batteries there like I'd thought.  I left them in my duffle bag back at the hotel...where they did me no good.  Starbucks, I thought, would have a charging station, because a lot of the ones in Boston do.  (It was a good thought, because they do have the stations...just not the wireless charger things to charge with.)  So, then it was a mad dash to find a charger and a cord that would fit my Galaxy S5.  Walgreens didn't have it, but, luckily, we were practically across the street from Best Buy...who had one.  Literally, ONE in the whole store.  I guess it was my lucky day, and that my luck was changing, because there wasn't any more yelling after I got my phone charged back up as much as possible.

We watched a Break Dancing group

Dinner was at a diner, very close to The Town Hall, where the show was to be.  I had a burger on gluten free bread.  The fries were really good, and I wish that I'd ordered a double order of fries.  And, it was nice to sit down for a while, since by this time, we'd walked about 5 to 6 miles.  

In order to kill some time, before the show, we went back out wandering.  We came across a group of guys who, we were pretty sure were going to do some dancing, so we stopped and watched.  It was a group of break dancers, and they were awesome to watch.  The one picture to the right, doesn't do justice for the show that they put on.

Hermes on the top of Grand Central Station

From there, we went on a search to find the Chrysler Building.  Again, we fired up Google Maps, and it got us there, eventually, although, we stopped at Grand Central Station first, because it was kind of in our way.  So we went in, looked around, and then went back out and walked around it.  (I'm the one with anxiety around people, and here I was suggesting that we just walk through the building and out the other side, and everyone else said no...go figure.)  

One of the Chrysler Building Eagles

When we finally reached the Chrysler Building, it was a little anti-climactic for me.  Yeah, I got some neat pictures of it, but, there were only just so many pictures I could take before they all started to get boring.  So, once I got a few, and convinced myself that I was only dizzy because I was looking up, taking pictures, and watching clouds move, and that it wasn't some kind of vertigo, we headed back for Town Hall.  

During the walk, we talked a little bit about the city, and how cool it was being there with all the history, and architecture, and people.  And, it hit me.  I missed it.  When I was in art school in Philadelphia, I used to hop on the train to go to NYC, with my friend Lynne, just to hang out.  (Although, usually hanging out meant waiting in line to get tickets to The Scarlet Pimpernel.)  The feelings of missing living in a big city were present, as a reminder that this was something that I could do.  But, it would all depend on if it was something I wanted to do.  And, it came up for discussion, about if I would ever move back to a big city.  And, the answer was, that I don't know. I don't know, because it terrifies me, even though, it was so amazing...because I'm not sure that I've progressed much with my naivete since I was 18.  (See above with the taxi ride.)

When we got to The Town Hall, it was about 6:30.  We had walked just about 7 miles (if not more).  And we were tired.  And, the doors didn't open until 8.  Because we were there so early, people thought that we knew what was going on...that we would know which doors they would be opening, and which way the lines would flow.  (We didn't.)  I was already trying to compose the first night's blog post in my head...so, it was a quiet hour and a half.  The girls who were next to us, were getting drunk with whiskey in Ginger Ale bottles.  They were chatty, but, left me alone, which was fine by me.  We met up with Wendy and Chris while we were in line, and talked to them, until they opened the doors.

Jaymes Mansfield

Finally, the doors were opened.  I'm used to just being able to go into a location.  I figured with my camera bag, that they would need to look inside...what I hadn't planned on though, was having them wave the metal detector wand around.  I had keys in one pocket, change in another, and not enough hands to take everything out of my pockets without losing stuff.  And, apparently, my hands weren't big enough to get everything out of my pockets all at once.  Needless to say, I was mortified, by the time the lady finally waved me through, saying that I was cleared to go in. Pretty much, I wanted to find a seat, and melt into it, never to be seen again.

Wendy and Chris had VIP tickets, so we separated, and took our seats.  I'd forgotten that Bob the Drag Queen was hosting the show 9 From Nine.  So, when they started the Purse First music, I snapped out of my embarrassment, and jumped back into photographer mode.

Kimora Blac

First up, was one of my early favorites, who I was really sad to see go early in the show, was Jaymes Mansfield.  Knowing that she is a comedy queen, I expected something funny. She did her intro with a puppet, so I was expecting puppets or something.  I wasn't expecting her to come out on stage as a "little person."  I just about died laughing.

Next was Kimora Blac.  She was one of Dan's favorites.  I wasn't really a fan during the season.  She actually walked by us before the show, saying that she wasn't sure where she was supposed to go, even though she was in full drag.  I've changed my tune about her after her performance though.  She's good.  And, she ended with one of my favorite songs that Shaunna Rai performs, "Hush, Hush", by the Pussycat Dolls.  So, why wouldn't I love it?

Cynthia Lee Fontaine

Cynthia Lee Fontaine, from Seasons 8 and 9 had one of the most profound acts that I saw during the whole weekend.  I actually teared up.  I believe that she was singing live.  She was dressed as an angel, while in the background, activists from Stonewall to Harvey Milk, and a tribute to the tragedy at Pulse Orlando, flashed by. If any performance stood out to me, during the entire weekend, it was this one.

Aja

Aja was up next. Her look is very similar to Maine's own Cherry Lemonade, and her act could have been one of Cherry's.  It was not without it's technical issues.  But, this is what live theater is about...expecting the unexpected.  She performed a burlesque number, and it was all going well, until there was a wardrobe malfunction, and the nipple tassle fell off.  But, she kept going, and even tried putting it back on.  The act made me smile, and after having tears in my eyes for the previous number, this was a great thing.

Tammie Brown

Tammie Brown from Season one was up next.  I've only seen Season One once...because, it's rarely ever played, due to copyright issues.  So, I don't really remember much about Tammie, other than her "Walking Children in Nature."  She performed "Lipsync Suicide", about her time on the show, and how she was trying to up her game with her lip syncing for her life.

Acid Betty

Nina Bonina Brown was supposed to be the next one in the show, but, she wasn't actually at the show.  (I was kinda bummed, because she was one of the few that I was interested in seeing what she was like on stage, because I just wasn't sure about her.)  Instead, I was treated to one of my favorite New York queens from another season.  Acid Betty.  She came out in her Madonna look, from the episode she was sent home on, and performed "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," as a drunk pregnant girl with an attitude.  Since I wasn't expecting her, this was a super added bonus for me.

Alexis Michelle

Alexis Michelle, who was another of my favorites to win, from the beginning of the season, was up next.  Performing "Man of La Mancha."  We had also seen her outside, before the show started, although, completely out of drag...well, wearing a mumu and combat boots.  She didn't disappoint me, because she was the "Broadway Queen" I expected and wanted her to be.

Farrah Moan as Christina Aguilera

Next up was Christina Aguilera.  Oh, wait, no I mean, Farrah Moan.  She was performing Christina, and looked like Christina, so it's only right that I got the two confused.  She was smaller than I expected her to be...even though, I expected her to be small.  But, she commanded the stage, so it all evened out in the end.  

The final two numbers of the night, came down to Shea Coulee and Sasha Velour, who had one of the best RuPaul's Best Friend Race relationships since Raven and Jujubee.

Shea Coulee

Shea performed her own original song. I hated her jacket that she wore at the start of the number, because...well, it looked like she'd killed a muppet.  But, having been around drag queens for as long as I have been, I should've known that the jacket would eventually come off... And, it did.  She was great, and I think I might be in love with one of her backup dancers...

Sasha Velour making over her team

And, the night finished out with the Season Nine winner, Sasha Velour.  While I was hoping for a replay of the finale, where she would pull off the wig, while performing Whitney's "So Emotional", I was treated to something else entirely.  I actually don't remember the song.  But, it was cool, because she was "making over" her whole backup dancer team, giving them a wig that matched her own in color.  Granted, she would give them the wig, then, keep it to move on to the next person.  But, it was fun to watch.  As a photographer, the fact that there was a ring light on the stage, it made for great photos.

When the show was over, we went outside, and started to look for an Uber to take back to the Motel.  Surprisingly, in a city of, I don't know how many millions, we were in our Uber and on our way out of town in less than 10 minutes.  It was a very quiet ride home.  And, I was so engrossed in reviewing my pictures, that I didn't even remember going through the Lincoln Tunnel, which we would do at least four more times during the remainder of the weekend, much to my chagrin.

We got back to the motel, and I went to grab a couple of snacks and drinks.  While I was at the vending machine, some other guests came in, asking the manager for their money back, as they were going to be leaving, and had only been there for like an hour.  I tried not to listen, but, when you're in the midst of it, it's hard not to.  The manager wouldn't agree to it, as he could only charge for a minimum of 3 hours, and would need to get housekeeping in to redo the room.  Needless to say, the other guests were not happy.  And, I can only guess the reason that they would need a room for less than 3 hours...

When I got back to the room, I started to transfer pictures to my phone, until I ran out of energy...both with my camera battery, and with myself.  At that point, it was time for bed.  And, I was totally ready for it.  Unlike my normal life, I let sleep take me, instead of trying to fight it.