V.I.P.'s

SO. MUCH. FUN!

I thought it was a really great night. Everyone had a good time and I don't think any of us had ever been to such a place.

When we arrived, we got a drink and headed down to the basement where the stage was located. We were at a disadvantage since I was the tallest in our group, topping out at about 5'6" in my heels. The first queen performed and I don't think the Munchkinlanders (you can just see their heads at the bottom left of the picture above) could see a thing. Luckily, there was a windowed balcony and we hustled upstairs to get a good view. Pretty soon, Nina came out and did her thing to one song. It looked like quite the workout and she lost her crazy headpiece doing a cartwheel! After that, she emceed a dance contest by an eclectic group of "dancers". She was very funny in between songs, asking for drinks and finishing them. At one point, someone (I think an employee) gave her a bottle of water. She did sip it, but went straight back to drinking what everyone else had.

They announced a 10 minute break (which was really about a half an hour). In that time, our little country belle didn't stop dancing. I don't know if it was the drink, or maybe the synthetic fibers of her wig, but she was having a good time.



After the break, another queen came out to perform then Nina was back on. This time she did two songs, the second was her song "Loca". Once that was done, we had the V.I.P. meet and greet, which was basically a cattle call in which we had 5 seconds to get our picture with her.

Askew wigs and barking dogs aside, it was a great night.

Disco Laundromat

To pre-game for the Nina Flowers show, I invited my best girls over to my place. It was the perfect staging ground, being only a few blocks from "Spin" the nightclub.

Kathryn went shopping at what she called the "Drag Queen Store"and surprised us by wearing a pair of fake purple eyelashes. Cis brought her wigs and we tried them on. I was breathtaking as a redhead and when I put on my glasses, I was serving Sarah Palin realness.

Kathryn was enamored of herself in a blond wig giving us Brigitte Bardot with a splash of Dolly. It wasn't surprising considering the girl hasn't had hair more than an inch long in about 10 years!

We watched "Paris is Burning", brushed up on our drag ball vocabulary, and enjoyed Absolut Berry Acai drinks before heading out. Be very jealous.

Amazing

Here is a girl (who apparently does lots of makeup tutorials) doing a Nina inspired look.

It is no wonder Nina was always talking about how her makeup took 2 hours! I couldn't do this if I had 2 days. Also, that must be outrageously expensive. If I were a drag queen, I would want to win "Drag Race" if only for the lifetime of free cosmetics!

Ai, Loca!

Got my V.I.P. tickets today for Nina's show. I was positively giddy with excitement after I hung up the phone. This has caused me to christen this "Nina Flowers" week at Stada Baba. Each day will bring new clips, photos, and other delightful items either directly or tangentialy related to Nina. This was the best Youtube video I could find. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to make my own!

Living for Drag Queens

My mom asked me today what brought about my interest in Drag Queens. I had to tell her it was all her fault. She was the one who rented To Wong Foo and brought it home for me to watch. From the first "Little latin boy in drag, why are you crying?" I was done for.

The appeal, for me, stems from the amazing transformations these men can make. It is also the idea that men, traditionally the more powerful of the sexes, can bring confidence, strength and great humor to their female personas.

When RuPaul's Drag Race began, I was again riveted. The show was great, but it was "Under the Hood" that endeared the cast to me. In the behind-the-scenes footage, the Queens would sit around awaiting the judges decisions. There were insecurities, frustrations, and anger, but there was also sisterhood. It was basically like watching a support group for Drag Queens.

Watch Gay Video & Lesbian Movies

I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the show. I have been extremely fortunate in my friendships and in a world where female friendship is so often portrayed as catty and back-stabbing, these non biological women were more "real" than anyone else on reality television. Certainly more real than those vapid pseudo celebrities on shows like "The Hills". Girls who would sell their so-called friends to the highest bidder if it meant getting the job or the guy. So maybe it isn't so strange that I love Drag Queens, from where I sit, these are the girls I would want to be friends with.

Best News EVAR!

Miss Nina "Loca" Flowers is coming to Chicago and will be performing just a few blocks from where I live! I must buy tickets and find something suitable to wear. On top of that, I will definitely be re-watching all of Season one of "Ru Paul's Drag Race" and brushing up on my "To Wong Foo". I can not wait!