This kiki was marvelous. Last Tuesday I had the honor of being a guest judge for Thorgy Thor and Azraea’s monthly Hell’s Kitchen drag pageant. Alongside me on the judge’s panel were Chip Cirrhosis, Adam VanBuren and Donna D Maytrix. Here is how the night went down.
Round one: Question and Answer
In this round the girls showed us a bit of who they are by answering four questions. My favorite question was, “If you could have three plastic surgeries, what would they be?” While all the girls did a sickening job of displaying who they were in this round, Alotta McGriddles said she would have a financial transplant. Gurl, let me tell you, I wanna be the Amanda Lepore of financial transplants. Please someone invent the surgery now!
Between rounds Leopolitian, LeeLee Heavenly and Viki Villianess delivered us an epic k-pop (Korean pop) number (“I Am the Best” by 2ne1), which set the stage for the amazing performances of round two.
Round two: Performance
The girls really brought it in there own ways; it was really awesome to see all the different varieties of drag. The two standouts in this category for me were Pattaya Hart’s Little Mermaid mix, and the once again extraordinary Alotta McGriddles performing as “Raped Annie Warbucks” featuring Krystal Something Something. Between rounds, Azraea asked if any queen in the room would like to do a number. The crowd went crazy screaming Honey Davenport, so I turned out a vogue mix by Davide Laffe of my hit song “Indestructible,” which was produced by Tyler Stone for my forthcoming album with my band Electrohoney.
Round Three: Signature Look
The look that really turned the party for me was Miss Pattaya Hart’s Black Swan ensemble, which she sashayed down the runway Sahara Davenport style in point shoes. It was that look that had her bourrée right into the winner’s circle and snatch the crown, followed by Monet Exchange and Miz Jade as her runner-ups.
What really makes Saliva special is its commitment to allowing queens to express themselves fully. It is not your run of the mill drag night. Their model is all drag is art and all art is beautiful. The party runs weekly at the Ritz and draws an eclectic crowd of queen and club kids looking to have a good time. It’s a standout from other parties because sometimes in the glitz and glamour of New York City drag we forget it’s all about having fun. There is no other party at the moment that celebrates every denomination of drag. If all drag is truly art, Saliva at the Ritz is the Mona Lisa of Tuesday nights.
