Although I tend to avoid Times Square like the plague, there is the rare exception that I will make as something has to happen in order for me to drag my ass there. “Drag” is exactly the reason for heading to 43rd and Broadway yesterday, where the iconic Hard Rock Cafe introduced their incredible Drag Brunch on the lower level of the location. Presented by Voss Events, the event was hosted by the amazing Shequida and for 90 minutes became an eleganza extravaganza in so many different ways.
This event is clearly for 21 and up, as it got raunchy throughout and became quite the wake up call on an rainy Sunday afternoon. I took my friend Brendan to experience all the drag madness, and we were quite delighted with the end result. The Brunch had two different showings, one at 12:30 and one at 2:30, and we opted for the earlier one. A packed crowd it was, the show started with some fantastic choreography by some of the queens performing that night, including show host Shequida.
Shequida, as far as I’m concerned, needs to be on a higher level than she is right now. I know who she is, being from New York, but her comic timing is so incredible and she is such a fantastic blend of Bob The Drag Queen and Bianca Del Rio that craves for a larger audience. She entertained throughout, with several sparkly costume changes that I loved. She played with the crowd accordingly, reading them to filth but in a goodhearted manner, and was really the standout amongst all the other girls.
The other queens who performed, however, did a great job individually and as a group. Jada Balenciaga was the only one who sang live for her number, which she did amazingly at, and the others lip synced the hell out of hits from Grace Jones and Celine Dion, brought to you by Ebonee Excell and Aquaria, respectively.
The raunch was brought ten fold when Shequida brought all the people to the stage who celebrated birthdays, and had them demonstrate their best orgasm ever. Hilarity ensued as some really didn’t put any effort and some put too much effort, but it was hysterical nonetheless. She also brought two straight guys on stage to get a lap dance by two of the queens, which was hysterical in its own right, especially by Sugga Pie Kokko, who flashed a boob every once in a while and really gave the straight guy the ride of his life.
Shangela, who is known from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 2 & 3, was the last queen to perform. She did a standout medley of Beyonce’s greatest hits, and interacted with the entire audience which I really appreciated. The only thing I wish that she did was talk more when she was on stage, she barely spoke. She is hilarious and we were expecting a dash of comedy with the performance, but it was fantastic overall.
For the brunch portion, you get three cocktails of your choosing, all named after the queens performing, as well as some tasty flatbreads and breakfast options to dine on before or during the show. Overall, it was a great time and it is something you should put on your weekend checklist the next time you are in town.
For more information, check out their official site.