The show had a lot of both local Memphis talent, as well as imported talents. A big highlight of the show was definitely Florida queen Andromeda Strain, who didn't get a lot of attention due to not being from Memphis and not being a Drag Race girl (Yet, hopefully!). I did have to give her a hug, though, because she did amazing for both of her numbers.
Other very memorable performances were Anita Cocktail and her amazing Wonder Woman costume, and Memphis vet Beverly Hills. Also, my new friend I made at the venue actually thought Akasha, the stand out Memphis diva, was an actual woman. Now that is how you werk it.
First up for the headliners was Sahara. She came out looking super disco-fied, and sang both of her singles, "Pump With Me" (to which I was pissed that nobody knew the lyrics) and "Go Off!". That woman got CRAZY on the stage, just like I knew she would. High kicks and splits were abound, and the crowd ate - it - up. My favorite part was knowing that Sahara really is a great singer. She sang her two songs live, and sounded just as good as the recording.
Manila came out shortly after and got the crowd going with a sexy remix of her track "Hot Couture". With furry shoulderpads that look like they were stolen off the set of Designing Women, she strutted her stuff and sang along, and to my surprise, she was being quite modest about her vocal talents. The song we know and love obviously had some autotune on it (to which she fully admits) but her live vocals aren't bad at all. Towards the end of the song she pulled not one, but two "I Mwah Manila" shirts out of her shoulderpads (how she kept them up there and hidden, I have no idea) and tossed them to the crowd. I didn't try for one because, well, I already was wearing one.
After a break, the two of them came back on the stage to do a duet together. I say duet, but it was more like a battlefield. They would constantly try to outshine each other, in a playful manner, and keep it totally campy. I am a huge Sahara fan, but I have to say, when it comes to camp, nobody can outshine Manila. Those crazy faces had me rolling and begging for more.
I'm no club kid, but I have to say that Jack Magoo's was a great place to check out. The food looked good (my mind was set on drag and therefor too busy to eat), the staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was amazing. The beauty of the place is that it isn't just a gay bar. It has sports on the TV, plenty of people of all sexual preferences, and plenty of booze to keep everyone happy. I can already guarantee I will be back -- mostly because this is only the beginning of an entire Drag Race event series at Jack Magoo's. Check out these sweet dates for those of you who might want to give the Memphis gay scene a chance:
July 14 - Sharon Needles
August 11 - Latrice Royale
September 8 - Jujubee and Mariah
October 13 - Nina Flowers and Raven
And as a special treat, they have announced that for Memphis Pride, right on Beale Street, will be headlined by the one and only Chad Michaels! It looks like Memphis is moving up in the world, no? I will be attending as many of these shows as possible, and you better believe I have some tricks up my sleeves for them. Are you going to be there? Don't be shy, say hi. I won't bite unless you're into that kind of thing and I'm drunk.
[Sorry for the low quality of the recordings and the annoying fanboy screams from myself.]
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