Bring It!

"So, I volunteered you for taking pictures, for three weeks of shows."  Every so often, this happens to me. This time, it's important though. I'm the official photographer for three RuPaul's Drag Race girls, for the Midsummer Night Queens shows at Seacoast Rep Theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

As such, I get into the shows for free, and get to meet the girls.  And to put the icing on the cake, some of my pictures are going to be published in the newspaper.

The day of the show, I'm in a rush to get out of work, on time, which given that I do social work, is nearly impossible. I manage to get out only 10 minutes late. But, I'm still behind schedule.

I have to get Shaunna Rai packed into the trunk, pick up E,on and pick up Vanila. In the meantime, there's a bank trip, and I manage to get us onto the highway...headed the wrong direction. So, the night is off to a great start.

We get everyone, and start the trek to Portsmouth. Everything is good. I'm stressed out, because I have this ginormous responsibility for A) taking good pictures, B) making sure I don't kill my camera battery before the end of the show, and C) finding a spot to take the best possible pictures from.

I'm pretty sure (at this point) I have an inflated sense of my responsibility. Let's face it, at the end of the day, I'm really just a chauffeur with a camera, who occasionally takes an amazing picture or two.

I always enjoy the pre-show process, and even more, when the queens involved aren't queens I see on a regular basis, if only for the fact that the makeup is so much different. So, I watch the makeup go on, and then it becomes a waiting game for Manila Luzon to arrive. She's been at the hotel, waiting for her luggage to get there.

Suddenly, she's there. Apparently, this is one of the first times that she has had an airline lose her bags. And, unfortunately, it's not like a queen can just go to Wal-Mart, to get her makeup. I get to meet Manila before the show. I'm intoduced as both the show photographer and Shaunna's partner. And, I'm struck by how kind Manila is.

After a quick run through of the opening of the show, I'm in the audience, waiting for it to start. (And for the rest of the audience to arrive.)

A couple to my right, one row back is trying to recall who Manila is, and having gone over all the info about the girls who will be performing for the next three weeks, I get to pretend like I know what I'm talking about. I let them know that Manila was runner up in Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

The lights go down, the theater quiets, and the introduction starts. I start snapping pictures, for low light, no flash, and pretty much, pray that they're going to come out. Unfortunately, all the intro pictures came out unusable.

As I'm snapping away, the girls all start mugging for me. Which is perfect. With the no flash thing, the less they move, the better the pictures come out.

When the audience begins to really tip, Shaunna does a number, then finds me and throws her tips in my lap.

Suddenly, it's intermission. The lady sitting on my immediate right, (who I am now Facebook friends with) starts chatting with me about the show.  She at one point, says that I must be something special, because a) everyone was posing for me, and b) Shaunna threw her money at me...So I had to either be "her boyfriend, or her pimp." We had a little laugh about that. Then I was off to grab Shaunna a drink before the intermission was over.

The show starts back up. Bunny introduced Shaunna Rai as her "fairy drag mother." I didn't know Bunny when she and Shaunna used to hang out, because I wasn't in the Portland area then.  (And, this is the best part of everything,  as far as I'm concerned. I love hearing about the old days...even if those days are only a few years ago. )

Then, the show is over. And, it's time to head to the Gas Light Co. for the After Party.  This of course, is the part that I was dreading.  After parties mean socializing.  And socializing means people.

We get shown outside to the patio, where we get put in a back corner, where Manila was supposed to be signing things. Instead, she opted for mingling with the fans and taking pictures.

I'm struck again by how nice she is. I think a lot of this comes from the disbelief that I have with reality tv that says that nobody on a t.v. show can possibly be nice on purpose. (Although, Joslyn Fox, Raven and Jujubee had all already proven otherwise.)

While waiting around for it to be over, Shaunna and I started talking to a couple, who ended up buying us drinks.  The wife is a fan of drag, and the husband came because she wanted to. The wife is also the head of a support group for people who do cross dressing and/or drag. They were super sweet, and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, and not just what the drag side of things is like.

I fell behind with taking pictures at the party, so didn't get much...although, I did get my picture with Manila...which was my ultimate goal for the night.

Manila left, because she had an early flight to Florida the next morning. And the remaining girls, Shaunna, Vanila and E,on had a drink, then started talking to a table full of nurses...I did my usual stay in the background thing, and then it was time to head back home.

Moosestock 2014

I have a bad habit of forgetting things.  If I don't have a list when I go shopping, I forget stuff.  Dan asked me to take the time off from work, because it was the annual Zumba weekend at Point Sebago.  This is a private event, that Shaunna Rai started performing at, quite by accident.  The story goes, the first year that Shaunna and Vanila did it, that the event was planned, and then, the entertainment cancelled.  At the last minute, Dan received a call from a frantic lady, who heard about Shaunna from a friend who had gone to Dragapalooza, about this amazing drag queen.

From there, the rest is history.  Shaunna has attended every year since, with Vanila in tow.  I tagged along last year, for my first time, and Benni went along this year, for E'on's first time.  However, somewhere along the way, I forgot to put in for time off.  So, guess who had to work?  Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled about it.  This was, in fact, going to be the first time in more than a year and a half, that I have actually missed a show.

We got to Point Sebago on Friday night.  We got unpacked, in the big island house, same as last year.  And, then, we headed down to the main building.  Friday night was just dancing. And, for Zumba ladies, dancing means doing Zumba.  Dan, Ryan, Benni and I spent the evening in the back of the room, just observing.  People randomly coming up to us, and asking if we were the entertainment.  Some of them recognized us from last year. Some of them, only knew of the girls from reputation.  It was funny for me, because I was being counted as one of the "girls."

Saturday night was the real "show," and of course, it was the piece of the weekend that I missed. The girls did their show, and then comedian George Ham did his thing.  Apparently, from what I heard, he didn't go over very well, with the Zumba ladies.  I hear that he said that "Maybe I would've gone over better if I'd come out in a dress..."

When I finally got out of work, and back to Point Sebago, the night was in full swing.  The ladies were drinking and dancing...this was the part of the night, that I don't remember about last year's event, because one of the Zumba instructors took quite a liking to me and Shaunna, and I think I may have blacked out.  This year, was different.  Namely, because I didn't drink a lot, mostly because I had to work the next morning.  It's nice being able to remember what happened.

Upon arrival back at Point Sebago, Shaunna introduced me to Ann, who is, honest to goodness, what Shaunna would be, if Shaunna was an actual woman.  I had a couple of drinks, to loosen up, since I was feeling horrible about having missed everything.

Next thing I knew, I was dancing with Dinah, the head of Moosestock, and we "had a moment."

Then, the girls did a couple of impromptu numbers on the stage.  Then, there was mingling.  I'm pretty sure I got another drink.  I got introduced to a table full of Zumba ladies, as Shaunna's boyfriend, and they asked if I ever did drag.  After an emphatic "No," they asked if I ever got curious and tried on Shaunna's heels.  The answer again, was a no, because, frankly, my feet are too big.  But, the Zumba ladies, decided that that wasn't a problem, and I was feeling pretty good.  So, off came my sneakers, on went Shaunna's 6 inch heels, and I started dancing with a Zumba lady.  Totally not the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn, since they were probably about 3 sizes too small for my feet, but, I was pretty proud of the fact that I didn't fall, the entire time I wore them.  And I was quite happy to put my sneakers back on. I can honestly say, now, that I understand how Cinderella's step-sisters felt when they put on that glass slipper...

A little bit later, and we were back at the island house. And I was trying my best to fade into the background, so that nobody would miss me when I went to sleep. Only, it didn't work out that way. I still had to work Sunday morning, but, I let Dan talk me out of being my usual anti-social self. Not, however, before I grabbed myself some water, a cheese stick, chicken taquitos and my gluten-free crackers and block of cheese. When trying to head off a hangover,it's best to gift it with food...much like meeting new people.

Per the usual,the ladies were all about the hair and makeup, and couldn't begin to believe that Dan and Shaunna Rai could possibly be the same person. And, so I did a little bit of a zone out and tuned out any conversation that didn't specifically pertain to me. I chose to stuff my face with taquitos instead. That is, until I heard for the second or third time, the reason that the ladies love the drag queens.

"You're gorgeous," that's how it starts. "But,you're not a typical woman. I mean, you're not a woman at all. But,my point is that the three of you walked out on that stage,and you made took for us to be who we are, because it's ok for you to be her and do what you do." I'm paraphrasing,and probably not nearly as eloquent as the lady who actually made this speech. Diana's response was equally powerful. "I do this because I enjoy it. I like the attention that it gets,but I like making people feel comfortable in their own skin. Be whoever you are, and be that person to the fullest. (It was funny hearing this in this context,because,previously, I heard Cherry Lemonade thanking Shaunna for that same piece of advice.) I think shortly after that, I put in a couple of plugs for the blog, and realized that I really should get some business cards made for these kinds of events.

Then ladies started dropping off to bed, quickly, and so did we. And, offering taquitos to the hangover gods was a good plan. I was a little groggy, but no hangover for work.

I'm sure that I still have missed people,like the girls that shared the downstairs floor with us, and the Ripped trainer,who looked a little like Hoda Kotb, if Hoda were a body builder. But, the point is,that I meet all these amazing people,and have a great time. Sometimes, I wish that we did far more of these kind of events, and other times, usually just after them,I'm glad that they don't happen all the time...because, if they did, I think I would give up a day job, and pick up a job as Shaunna's manager,or something,just so I wouldn't have to miss out on events due to my forgetfulness.

Big Doings....

I often feel like there is either a ton of stuff going on, or nothing going on.  Just like last year, the spring is the kick-off for drag season.  (I really hadn't thought about it, but the beginning of Drag Race, is more or less the unofficial beginning of Shaunna Rai's drag season.)

Last week, was the official start of Shaunna Rai's Happy Hours at Blackstones.  It was also the start of two new jobs for me.  Well, one new job, and being hired at a second.  So, Friday night, we decided to go out to celebrate.  

I had a few drinks. Chad and his man came, and hung out for a while.  Then, they left.  And, then, apparently, all hell broke loose.  Dan asked me if I wanted another drink, and I accepted.  I took a couple of sips of the new drink.  And, then, everything else I know, until I got home, I'm relying on hearing from other people.  Apparently, at some point, after the second sip of my drink, I lost consciousness.  I fell off my stool, and ended up on the floor.  My eyes rolled up in my head, and I was babbling incoherently.  I got up and back on a stool, and then, within minutes, I was back on the floor again, unconscious.  JR, the bartender gave me a glass of water (which I do remember) that I took a sip of, and then, BAM!  Back on the floor, unconscious.  The next thing I remember, was coming home, Dan asking me if I was okay. And, my going to sleep.  The next morning, the only thing I could think of was that I now knew what it felt like to be an abused person.  When I fell, I apparently, fell on some steps.  With my face.  And my arm.  I'm still sore in both spots, and it's been almost a week.

Tonight, is the first of a few events for Pride Fundraisers.  The next one, will be on Friday, at Blackstones.  Tonight, though, is at Styxx.  I was grateful, that today, after my training, I didn't have shadowing at the second job.  I got to come home and take a little bit of a nap, before the girls started getting ready.  Shaunna and Vanila will be serving up shots at Styxx, while some of the heads of the Pride Committee will be guest bartending, and Cherry Lemonade will be DJing.  And, it will all conclude with a show, around 11pm tonight.  

For me, tonight, is both a good thing, and a curse.  It's great, because it's something that I feel strongly about. We need Pride.  I've lived too many years, just being the gay guy, who didn't acknowledge that there was anything even a tiny bit good about being gay.  Last year was my first Portland Pride. And, given that I'm a Portland-er, I feel that given everything that is going on with the old committee and creating a whole new committee to chair Pride this year, I need to do what I can.  So, I'm already promoting any kind of fundraiser that I can.  And, I'm going to be as much of a part of it as I can be.  Whether that means that I'm posting facebook posts, or blogging about it, or attending events.  Even if I have to be at work at 8:30am, and ready to learn CPR/First Aid (again) tomorrow.

I guess, what it comes down to, is that I've never really been able to advocate for anything, or anyone, other than clients that I've worked with, doing the social work thing.  And, I've always wanted, and believed that I was meant to advocate for more.  I should be able to stand up for gay rights, or Pride, or AIDS research, or whatever the hell I want to.  Now, I have both the outlets and the abilities to do so.  So, I need to really take advantage of it.  

So, if you have time, and money, to do so, consider coming out to Styxx in Portland tonight, or Blackstones Portland, on Friday.  Or just donate what you can to Pride Portland, at: http://www.gofundme.com/prideportland

Let's Have a Kiki

Shaunna's Friday look

Some of you will know what that means.  Others, will think that I'm making up words.

According to Urban Dictonary, a Kiki is:

A party including good music and good friends, held for the express purpose of calming nerves, reducing anxiety and stress and generally fighting ennui. May involve locked doors, tea and salacious gossip

In the drag world, this is a term that refers to two or more queens getting ready together.  

Dana and I with the girls

One would think, that after a year and a half, that I would be used to the conversations that drag queens have.  But, deep down, I'm still the small town boy, who blushes when someone says I'm hot, much less when they're talking about anything dirty.  And, drag queens thrive on double entendres and skewing conversation so that it sounds dirty, even if it really isn't.  An example, "You've always got to clean the tip afterward." Maybe it was the Cape Cod and a half that I'd had, but when this came up in conversation, regarding eyelash glue, I couldn't help but think that it was meant to sound like something else... I'll leave it up to your imagination to figure out what that could possibly mean.

Sheneeda Diet

Anyway, this was a weekend of drag. Shaunna Rai and Vanila Honey-Bush got their kiki on, although, they were headed to two different locations, only to end up back at the same location...Blackstones.

Shaunna Rai

 Shaunna Rai and I went out to Mainestreet Ogunquit, for the Mardi Gras party, for a little bit.  We met some friends there. I might have made fun of a guy who sounded a little bit like Willie Nelson while he was karaoke-ing. And, then we went back to Portland, for Blackstones.  The night took a turn for the better once we got back to Portland.  I was more relaxed. I met a fan of my blog. (I keep finding out people are reading it, and it still surprises me that anyone's interested in what I have to say.)  

Miss E'on

The night, like the first night that I met Dan, ended up at Denny's.  Shaunna, Chad, Chad's man, and Lee. We were greeted at the door, by a couple ladies, who proclaimed to be the welcome wagon.  On the way in, they were like, "That lady is really tall." And, of course, Shaunna Rai, being Shaunna Rai, said, "And, he has a big dick." Stories were told, and fun was had.  At the end of the night, Shaunna got Dan a potential new client, by handing out a business card.  This woman loved Shaunna's "extensions." So, they got talking, and Shaunna was like, "I'm a man." And, the woman freaked out a little, but not before telling her friend, "I told you so!"  And, then, it was time to go home and get some sleep, because the drag was going to be happening all over again on Saturday.

Leanna Love

The morning started off badly. The landlords at our apartment, pay a bare minimum, apparently, for care for the parking lot behind the building.  Thus, it's a sheet of ice, that probably won't be gone until mid May... And, we got stuck on it.  After calling them, knocking on their door, and sending them a text, to see if anything could be done, I still got no response.  Although, they did get a car that was blocking us in, to move, so that we could get out.  Fishy much?  From there, things started looking up.  Dan and I have found a place that sells Gluten Free Donuts, so, I can stop feeling deprived of donuts.  The Holy Donut, is one of my new favorite places in town.  I recommend the pomegranate glazed and the chai glazed donuts.

Vanila's signature split

Once I had a happy tummy, Dan started packing Shaunna's bags, and getting ready to go.  And, I got to go shopping... For shoes... For Shaunna. I've been lucky, for the most part.  Dan never makes me do anything that I'm totally uncomfortable with.  And he's made it clear that if I'm not up for doing it, that I need to speak up and tell him.  That being said, I had reservations about going out, specifically to buy pumps. "You know what ones I'm talking about, right?"  "Yes, they're the ones that are half neon yellow vinyl looking, and half black velvet, with wings. And, I'm buying a matress pad for your AIDS walk outfit, and the nude color shoes from Deb's..." And, yep, that's what I did.   And, I just about died, when I bought the yellow and black shoes, and the cashier looks at me and says, "Wow, you're the second guy to come in and buy these shoes today."  Um...ok...wow...

Miss E'on

Sheneeda Diet

So, yeah.  The car got loaded up for the trip to Lewiston. And, we were off, like a herd of turtles (because apparently, I drive like an old lady, who ISN'T from Pasedena.  We got there, and got settled down, and then came the call for alcohol.  The ladies like to pregame while they're getting ready for a show.  Only, nobody thought to get alcohol, before we got to Lewiston.  So, it became my responsibility to go out and get some, while they started getting ready.  I managed. With a GPS, and a little luck.  Because I have no idea where I am, most of the time.  I'm one of those totally, undeniably stupid people with directions.  "You go, right, then right, then right, in my head, means that I'm going around in a circle.  Not that there's still one more right to make it a full trip around the block... But, I survived, and managed to get back, with alcohol.  So, all was good.

Shaunna Rai,
Mannequin Realness

The kiki leading up to the show...well, it was like it always is.  A lot of talking. A bit of calling people out. Some joking about things. And, a lot of vague references to the male anatomy, veiled by the conversation itself.  While the kiki is the weirdest part for me, because it's when the guys turn into the girls...and it doesn't always happen when the makeup is on.  Sometimes it's before.  Or, midway.  At some point, the conversations change just ever so slightly, so that you know that it's no longer Dan talking, but Shaunna Rai.  For all intensive purposes, it's jarring, even after so long.  Upcoming shows were being planned.  And, then, suddenly, everyone was ready.

Joey Starr

Having never been to the Acme club before, I had no idea what to expect from the venue.  Apparently, it's a private club, and so smoking in the building is actually allowed, if you have a membership.  (This was both good and bad for me, because as I'm no longer smoking but sometimes like to smell it, I had that opportunity.  However, it also put the craving in my mind, and I'm still trying to stifle it, two days later.)  The main area was larger than most of the venues that Shaunna has performed at, because it wasn't confined to a stage.  The "dancefloor" area was a runway of sorts.  Which would've been great, if the patrons hadn't been so into it, and crowded the floor to get close enough to take pictures of the girls...which made it awful for me to get pictures without pushing my way through the crowd.

Leanna Love

It was a good crowd, and interestingly enough, an overwhelming support of family was there.  My parents came out to see the show, and support Shaunna.  Benni (Miss E'on)'s dad and his wife came to support, and Larry (Leanna Love)'s mom and sister came out to support.  Along with friends of ours from Portland, and even a couple of people that Dan knew as far back as 7th grade.  

Sheneeda Diet

I got to help pick out the music that Shaunna would be performing to, which is always fun. Except for when I get nervous that I've read the crowd right that a song is going to work well with the crowd, and it flops. Then, not so much. But, it worked out okay.  I also got to help Vanila get her music. She didn't have anything picked out, prior to arrival, and so, it ended up being a last minute download, and send the email to DJ Craig.  And, for whatever reason, my email decided that it was going to crap out on me.  It took about 17 tries to get everything to work, before the email actually got to the DJ.

Shaunna Rai

Given that it was Mardi Gras Madness, people were dressed up with masks, and whatever.  And the main goal of the night was to get yourself some beads.  Like the real New Orleans Mardi Gras, people were willing to do whatever, in hopes of getting beads.  Except my mom.  While we were waiting for the show to start, someone came out with beads.  And a rowdy table to the right of us, started chanting, "Beads, beads, beads." And, then, like a bolt of lightning, out of nowhere came these pale white globes! One of the women had flashed her chest for beads.

Vanila 

"I can tell you right now, I won't be doing THAT for beads," my mom said.  And, I had a bit of a buzz, and looked at her and said, "that's okay, I'll do it."  And, then did a bit of a nip slip, and showed off the nipple ring I got for my birthday, that neither of my parents had seen before...Come to think of it, it wasn't really worth it.  I didn't get any beads for showing it off...

Miss E'on

The show itself was great, although, the sound system was way off.  From where I'd gotten my seat, I could hear about two words out of every 5, between feedback from the mic and I assume, the bass.  And, it didn't really matter who was talking.  The only time that I could actually tell what was being said, was when it was a name.  And, at the end of the show, when Sheneeda Diet announced that the buffet was open.

Sheneeda Diet

To be honest, the only reason that I understood that the buffet was open, was because aside from the donuts in the morning, all I'd eaten all day was a couple of Rice Krispy treats from the gas station.  And, I'd heard that Michael (Sheneeda) had made meatballs for the buffet, and during the entire show, that was all I could smell...well that, and the cigarette smoke from downstairs.  I was starving.  And, the meatballs were amazing.  I may or may not have brought home a large ziploc bag of them...

Shaunna's outfit was
stoned by me and Dan.

At the end of a show, I tend to avoid going backstage, until I'm summoned. Only because I know what goes into tucking, and I know what's going to come out of the untucking process. And, I like to imagine that magically, they just turn back into boys.  You know, like in Cinderella, when at midnight, her dress turns back to a rag dress.  Only, with boy clothes.  So, when I go backstage, I never know what exactly to expect.  And, at the end of the night, when Shaunna's suitcase died, well, it wasn't quite the perfect ending to a good night...

Prodigy Diamond

  

Give to Me Your Leather, Take From Me, My Lace

Shaunna's Cousin from Deliverance...

 Even a little snow can't keep a show from going on...Thank Goodness.  And, you always know, when Shaunna Rai's "cousin" shows up, that you're in for a VERY interesting night.

After a drink, I was asked to call a cab, since I had to stake my claim on a free parking spot, due to the parking ban, knowing that the lot would be full by the time the show was over.  So, I did.  More than an hour and a half before we needed the cab to be here.  I thought nothing of it, as there was no reason for me to.  I received the confirmation that someone would be here by 8:30pm to pick us up, and no calls saying that that was inaccurate.

So, the girls got ready, and we did the usual photo shoot, before we leave the house.  Shaunna had a couple of shots done, because she's modeling nails for a company called X-Tar Cosmetics.  And, because I'm going to be bored for the next week, due to a severe shortage of hours that I'll be working, I wanted something that I could play with, for a poster to promote Shaunna Rai's Happy Hours, at Blackstones.  And, Vanila got a couple of shots done as well, just because, well, that's what we do. That's how we roll here...

So, finally, it's time for us to go wait for the cab.  Our neighbors arrived home, and we got to listen in to a phone conversation (because they were on the stoop, and yelling into the phone.)  8:30 came and went, and the cab wasn't here.  Vanila called the cab company, who proceeded to tell her, that "It's not our problem that when you called to order the cab, the dispatcher was new, and didn't know that we didn't have any cabs available."

Seriously, Unacceptable.

Abbey Road Taxi quoted us a 10 minute wait, and they were here sooner than that.  And, the show was back on the slippery, snowy road.  And, I started breathing again.  Because, in my crazy head, somehow, I had screwed up the taxi thing.

Upon arrival, I ordered drinks for Shaunna and I.  Shaunna was not performing in the show, so it was a different kind of night than the usual show night.  And, I was pretty excited.  My Facebook page will say otherwise, but I have few enough friends...but I had friends, who Dan/Shaunna Rai didn't know, coming in from Chicago, to see us and the show.

Shows normally start relatively early, like around 9 or 9:30pm.  This one, was scheduled for a 10pm start.  Around 9:15, I started to think that the snow was keeping the boys away.  And, I was a bit disappointed.  And, then, Brian and Patrick walked in.  And, they brought Liz, one of my favorite people from when I worked for the bank.  Big hugs all around, and I got a couple of slaps for leaving the bank...which, as much as I hate to say it, was one of the best choices that I've made for myself.

Introductions were made, and things went well.  And, I found out that I'm being stalked from Chicago.  Well, the boys have been watching the progressions in my life since I originally became single, up through now.  And, for the second time in a week, I heard, "You've gained so much confidence, and you seem so much happier. I'm proud of you."  The boys were actually in town to look for wedding venues, for their upcoming wedding.

I spent the weeks prior to the show, convinced that someone was going to be singing the Stevie Nicks/Don Henley song, "Leather and Lace", because I kept hearing the name of the show was Leather and Lace...it was really Leather and Love.  I need to pay better attention to promotion materials, and keep my head out of things.

The show started, and I was in a spot different from my usual perch by the front of the stage.  I spent the entire show, standing, trying to stay out of people's way, but, keep them out of my way, as well.  It was a delicate balance to not knock people in the head for getting too close to me.

It would be great, if I could actually remember after the show is over, what songs were performed.  But, I spend so much time, focused on taking the pictures, that I tend to forget to pay attention to the music.

What I did focus on though, was the performers.  Danielle was trying a new look, with her mesh (fishnet?) outfit, and managed to pull it off well.  I remember when I first heard about the show, that this particular outfit was the topic of a lot of speculation.  Cherry Lemonade, who had put a tax return into a chestplate, was looking bustier than I've ever seen her.  She was on it with both her lip sync number, and with her live number.  I have to say, when you've got the voice, you need to play it up.  And, Cherry has the voice.  Madame Sheena always puts on a good lip sync.   Vanila, who is usually pretty energetic in her performances wasn't quite there for this show.  This would probably be because she spent the entire week before the show, hacking up lungs, and dealing with a bum tooth.  The performance was good, just, I could tell she wasn't feeling it.

Shaunna Rai, after the show, did her mingling thing.  Because it was a Valentine's day show, she handed out some Cherry Blow Pops, that we'd bought earlier.  To each recipient, she made a request.  "Tell me how long it takes you to get to my center."  (I don't think anyone actually did mention how long it took...)  She managed to find the two girls who had never been to Blackstones before, much less a drag show...and welcomed them with her Blow Pops.

While she did her thing, I checked in with Vanila, to see kind of where we were at, as far as needing to get another cab.  Vanila went downhill quickly after the show.  And, so the cab was called pretty close to when I asked.  "It'll be about 10 minutes," was the cab company response.  And, like before, since it was the same company, they were there much sooner than the 10 minutes.  Vanila booked it for the cab, while I found Shaunna to tell her that the cab was here.  She said she'd be right out.  And then got caught up with taking pictures with fans.  So, when she finally got to the cab, I wasn't sure that she was going to get a fan out of the cabbie.



I just have to remember, that miss Shaunna Rai, is quite resourceful, and makes it hard to NOT like her.  She climbed in, after Vanila bribed the driver to not leave without her.  As she got in, she mentioned something about being good and covering up her "hoo-hah."  And, the conversation went something like this:

Cabbie: I don't know what a hoo-hah is.
Shaunna: If I have to explain it, I'll have to charge you.  Here, have my cherry.
Cabbie: What is it?
Shaunna: It's a Blow Pop.  It's my cherry.  Tell me how long it takes to get to my center.

Outwardly, I was laughing, because the driver was an older gentleman.  Friendly as all get out.  And he didn't seem at all thrown by the fact that he had two drag queens in his cab.  But, inwardly, I was cringing, because, this is a person that none of us knows.  And, he could very well take offense at anything that Shaunna said, and it could all blow up.  Fortunately, nothing like that actually happened.  The guy laughed along with us.  And, he told us a bit about the company, and was happy to hear that Vanila was now going to be a repeat customer.

Then, just like that, the night was over.  We were home.  The drag came off, the TV came on. And, I ended up being the last one awake.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.  Good friends, good show at a great bar.

Meet: Vanila Honey-Bush

So, as most of you know, Vanila Honey-Bush is my roommate. When I first met Ryan (Vanila) he was with Dan, at a Khris Francis show.  And, if I'd realized at that time, that they were not a couple, I could have saved myself some poor decisions made during singlehood...I can't remember if I met Vanila before or after Ryan moved to Connecticut.  I want to say it was before, and I know I'll be corrected later, if I'm wrong about it. 

Anyway, Vanila was the second person to respond to my plea for research help.  And, it's always good to find out more about people you live with anyway, right? Especially, those with multiple personalities...

If you read the Meet: Bunny Wonderland post, you'll recognize the questions, as it's a set set of questions, that I put out there.

How did you get your start in drag?

I started drag when I was 19. My mother had a fascination with wigs and make-up. When she died, I entered a drag competition in Yboy City Florida wearing her hair and clothes.  I started really to pay homage to her but then discovered I loved it!

How did you get your drag name? (I should've, and probably will later, asked who named Delani?)

My original drag name was Delani Stevens. Didn't really have any meaning to it. I changed my drag name in 2012 to Vanila Honey-Bush at the request of my roommates at the time. I was drinking a tea and the name of the tea was Vanilla Honeybush and they said that it was me!

What is your favorite part of doing drag? 

My favorite part of doing drag is the social reactions. I love being the center of attention no matter where I go. Lets face it, queens certainly get noticed.

That's for sure.  Queens definitely get noticed, for a myriad of reasons.  

Queens tend to get categorized (ie. Comedy, Club Kid, Pageant Queen) What category do you consider yourself to be?

 I would probably get thrown into pageant queen strictly for my more "fishy" look, but I like to think I can be a healthy combo of many categories.

Have you ever experienced stage fright while performing? How did you overcome it?

 I have always been ok with the stage and spotlight. Don't ever really have to overcome that.

Have you ever won any titles/awards?

 I have won one title and currently still hold the title of Miss Blackstones 2013

Tell me about some of your (good or bad) backstage experiences with other queens.

Backstage with queens is not pretty. Think about it, most of the time back stage is spent changing and re-applying so tucks are popping and wigs are off.

Is it sad that I was almost disappointed by this answer. I was hoping to hear more horror stories, like the boots freakout. But, I get it. This is a good way to stay on everyone's good side.  Besides, if I grill her more, I'm sure I can get some dirt on some bad backstage experiences...something worse than seeing someone pop a tuck...

Do you do your own hair, makeup, costuming? Or do you have help with some or all of the above?

 I do my own make-up and buy my own clothes. Haven't really been a huge costume kind of girl. When it comes to hair, I buy. I could style my own if I wanted, however I have an awesome friend... Shaunna Rai who helps with that.

Tell me about a memorable adventure that you've had that you would not have had if not for drag. 

Most memorable drag adventure.... hmmmm thats a hard one.  I may have to come back to you on that as most of the times are quite memorable.

She's right with this. In just the year plus, that I've known her, there have been some very memorable times.  I think the one that stands out the most (for me), was when she and Shaunna Rai faced off as Kelly Clarkson and Pink, respectively, in Boston, within days of the Boston Marathon bombing...

When you're out of drag, what do you do? (ie. Work, fun,etc.)

 I tend to be in drag a lot.. I enjoy it. My boss the other day, said to me... I am a 9-5 boy, so I can be an 8-1 girl. I work in International Travel and will be out and about almost every night. Im extremely social.

Tell me anything else that you think might be important for me to know to get inside the head of a drag queen. 

When it comes to a queen don't ever assume you know the reasoning behind why they dress. I find it best just to let it ride.

Happy Birthday, Dear Gay Guy

You would think that the nights of a drag show are the most fun for me.  While I enjoy them, this is mostly false.  The drag nights that are the most fun, are the impromptu, "I just wanna be pretty" nights. Friday night, was one such night.

The reason I enjoy these nights, more than drag shows, is because there's a lot less stress involved.  Every show night, there's the "Which outfits/wigs/accessories do I need to bring? Does my makeup look amazing? Am I drop dead gorgeous?" The stress leads to snappiness, and a general time where I avoid saying/doing anything, and making myself scarce.  If there's one thing that I've learned, in the past year, it's that you on't argue with a queen.  It's not in your best interest.

On, "I just wanna be pretty nights," all of that stress is gone.  The hardest decisions are still, what outfit and hair am I going to wear? But, there's not the same sense of urgency, to painting, and getting dressed up to go out.

Anyway, partway through the day, we decided that we were going to go out. And, then we were contacted by Andy, our new friend, who I talked about last time. It was his partner's birthday on Friday. So, the night on the town, was going to turn into a birthday party! What fun.

I'd deposited my check earlier in the day, so I figured that it was going to be all set.  When the girls started painting, I'd go out, and pick up a cake, and get a little extra money for drinks, and, everything would be all set.  I picked up the cake, and a couple of other things, and headed to the checkout.  The lines were full of people with carts full of crap.  And, here I am, with 3 things.  And, I hate lines. I hate shopping, in general, unless I can get in and out in less than 10 minutes. Finally, the lady in front of me gets up to the conveyor belt, and then says, "You go ahead of me." Shocked? Yes. People don't do that anymore.  I thanked her profusely, and then went to pay for my purchases.  I ran my card, and asked for cash back. And, it declined.  And, I started to freak out a little.  I ran it again, without the cash back, and it went through.  Weird, but okay.  At least I could leave now.  I thanked the lady again, and wished her a good evening.

I finally, decide, before I go home, I'm going to check the ATM, and see what's going on with my deposit?  And, it's not there.  I can't find anywhere that I actually deposited money into my account, despite the fact that I have a receipt from the teller saying that I did.  And, so I start panicking.  What the hell happened to the money?

I got home, and at this point, I'm freaking out.  And, I kinda exploded.  I was ready to murder the teller, for stealing my money, and the person who tried cutting me off on the way home. And, I just can't think at this point. Dan tells me, call the bank.  Nothing's going to get taken care of if you're just yelling about it.  Half an hour later, I'm actually talking to someone from the bank, who says, "Yes, the money was deposited into your account, the system just hasn't updated yet. It'll be there at midnight."  And, I'm just all like, I don't even get it, because I've never had NONE of my check available use immediately.

Anyway, Shaunna Rai finally was ready, with her new hair, that she had literally only had for hours, before wearing it.  And, we were on our way to Blackstones to meet Andy and Tommy.  Before they arrived, I talked to JR, about hiding the cake, and getting utensils, and paper plates...because it never crossed my mind to pick them up while I was out...not that I would have been able to afford them anyway.  The boys showed up, and we chatted for a while, and then it was time to bring out the cake.

I went and got the cake, and brought it out with candles lit, and people started singing.  I remembered from my birthday, when I walked in, and everyone sang to me.  And, as I'm walking, I hear the people who know them, say, "Happy Birthday, dear Tommy," and this one guy, on the other side of me, singing, "Happy Birthday, Dear Gay Guy." And, at that point, I realized that I'd had enough to drink to actually relax...which is something difficult enough for me to do.  I just let loose after that.  I felt bad, because I bought a cake that I knew I wouldn't be able to eat, because of my gluten thing...but I knew that it would be bad if I had cake, period.

The night seemed to fly by.  The girls were doing their usual mingling.  And, I was chatting with people.  I was hit with "So, you really thought that we were ax murderers?" Because of my last blog.  Truth is, I think everyone's an ax murderer, until they prove to me otherwise.  But, that's neither here nor there.  I learned about the heirarchy of Bitch, and the way to use it...  "You aren't a bitch just because you can be.  You're a bitch, because they deserve it. And, you don't try to out-bitch those who have paved the way for you to dress in drag, because you will be taken down."  (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the picture.)

At some point, I had had a bit more to drink than I should have, and became a nuisance.  Our local "Tina Turner" Thomas, went into his dance, when Proud Mary came on.  And, I had had just enough to drink, to think that he just wanted to dance.  And, I just wanted to dance.  And, yeah... it wasn't pretty.  Or so, I hear.

At the end of the night, we went to Denny's with the birthday boy, and his other half.  I don't remember much from that point.  I remember eating, and drinking my coke.  At some point, the girls took pictures with someone at Denny's.  I think they said the winner of the 80's night at Bubba's.  And, some girl said later to Shaunna Rai, that she liked her hair, and asked if she could touch it, and Shaunna Rai ripped the wig off, and held it out to her.  Most of this, I heard about yesterday, because I didn't remember it.

I knew that I'd had too much of a good time, when I woke up yesterday though. The first words out of my mouth, were, "I have a head...and it hurts." But, it was totally worth it.  The boys had fun. The girls had fun, and most of all, I had fun.  

I Don't Know How to Thank You...

Danielle Renee Phillips

So, last night, was the benefit show, at Blackstones, to raise money for the victims of last Sunday's fire on Irving Street.  With less than a week's notice, I wasn't sure what to expect for a crowd.  Shaunna, Vanila, Dan, Ryan and I were promoting via Facebook, as was Blackstones.

Vanila Honey-Bush

We got there early, as the show itself was early in the night.  There was a good sized crowd.  And, as it got closer to show time, the crowd grew a bit.

The girls mingle with the crowd, on show nights, before shows.  It's an awesome way to build a fan base, and let people get to know who you are.  And, to show that you're a real person under all the masking of drag.  So, while the ladies were mingling, I was finding my usual seat, to get the best pictures during the show.  This is normally the time, when I get all anti-social, and only talk to people I know, and avoid contact with everyone that I don't know, in hopes that they'll leave me alone. (I say that half joking, because I know subconsciously that's exactly what I do.)

Shaunna Rai

For whatever reason, though, last night was a different night for me.  A guy I didn't know, started chatting with me.  He kinda buttered me up, and made me talk to him, by telling me that I was the best looking thing in the bar. (It was nice to hear...) I got nervous, so I immediately brought up the fact that I am not a single man. He continued the conversation, and it was a nice change. A good way to experiment with breaking out of my comfort zone.  He eventually moved on, to order a drink, and continue making his way through the bar.

Cherry Lemonade

It turns out, that the lady who was sitting next to me, was there in support of her brother...one of the victims of the fire.  She and I spent a bit of time talking.  She was impressed that the community would pull together something like this.  And, said that her brother couldn't believe that the queens would put on a show, to help raise money to help him out.  The final count, I believe that I heard from Dan, was $500 was raised to help out the fire victims, both from raffles, and tips that the queens received.

Danielle Renee Phillips

During, and after the show, I spent some time getting to know a couple who has recently moved to Maine, who had friended Shaunna Rai on Facebook.  Andy and Tommy were really good company, after the show, while Shaunna Rai was off mingling again.  They were friendly, and nice.  You know, all the qualities that I look for in people who I'm hoping aren't going to turn out to be ax murderers.  (Just kidding.  My list of qualities that I look for in an ax murderer is much, much, much longer than that.)

Cherry Lemonade

 I personally want to thank everyone who came out to support the show, because this is the kind of thing that helps us to remind people that we're good guys too.  Aside from our witty sarcasm, and anal sex, the gay community, is known for their contributions to charitable causes.  And, given that we as a community raised $500 in one night, we were on our game.

Shaunna Rai

 And, I want to thank Ralph, the owner of Blackstones.  Every time he sees me without my camera, when I'm out with Shaunna and Vanila, he asks me where it is.  This time, I actually got vouchers for free drinks.  It was a very sweet gesture, given that while I do promote shows, I don't do nearly as much promotion for the bar as Shaunna and Dan do.

Vanila Honey-Bush

 Contrary to what usually happens, it was an early night.  I had to work at 5am, so bed was calling my name.  As was a gluten free half pizza, that I hadn't eaten at lunch.