In a sea of magenta, sequins, and cowboy hats, patrons bounced in their seats, awaiting the start of the Chappell Roan drag brunch Saturday afternoon. A stud clad in a loose white tee and jeans sauntered into the rear of Summer Shack. They introduced themselves as DJ Live and mentioned they often collaborate with Dani’s, a queer bar also located in Back Bay. DJ Live worked the room, elevating the energy from anxious excitement to guttural enthusiasm.
As the energy boomed through the restaurant, DJ Live introduced the host for the show, Gigi Glam. The drag queen emerged from a corridor next to the kitchen, wearing a two-toned pink dress and a voluminous platinum wig. She strutted down a makeshift runway and engaged with the crowd. She pointed to nearby tables. “You’re hot!” “You’re sexy!” “Ooo that’s my daddy!” She asked Chappell Roan fans to cheer at the top of their lungs. She graded the performance a C plus. “You can do better than that!” The crowd grew louder, craving drag and pageantry. “Alright, that’s what I’m talking about!”
Gigi Glam introduced the first drag queen of the afternoon: Chanel the Angel. The music started before Chanel appeared. A hand, a leg, a caramel bronde wig. Chanel the Angel sported a black bodice and gave a lap dance to an attendee as both of them lip synced the lyrics. The drag queen ran her hands up her inner thighs, over her crotch, and against her breasts. She shimmied through the restaurant, shaking her ass against tables, walls, and patrons. She dared fans to smack and caress her ass. Many willingly obliged. The Chappell Roan song blended into a Sabrina Carpenter bop. Chanel the Angel maintained the energy and finished the number with a death drop, a sudden drop to the floor ending in a full split.
Chanel the Angel exited through the corridor next to the kitchen and Gigi Glam reappeared. She spun and twirled and asked the crowd if they wanted more. The audience roared. Gigi Glam started a chant. “When I say YES, you saw QUEEN! YES!” The audience shouted back QUEEN. YES. QUEEN. Gigi Glam introduced the next drag queen: Sticki Honey. The second performer walked out in a black and white checkered bodice with a maroon wig. She utilized the elevated ledges and crawled and climbed over to fans. She backed her booty into the crowd and whipped her hair up and around. The song ended and faded into another pop song. With a playful smirk, she collected the dollar bills patrons waved in the air. Sticki Honey exited through the go-to corridor and Gigi Glam emerged once more to introduce the third drag queen: Alana Thicc.
Alana Thicc made a slow entrance in a black and red leather bodice, the chest cutout to reveal her large breasts. Her platinum wig was pulled back with bobby pins. Attendees basked in her height, her glow. She dipped and sashayed and squeezed men’s heads into her bosom. She teased the crowd, gave them a taste of her femininity before gliding away to another table. When Alana Thicc slid down the corridor and out of sight, DJ Live appeared at the other end of the restaurant. “Who wants the host to perform?” The volume rose so that patrons couldn’t hear their own thoughts. “We’re doing a raffle so come see me about song requests. The song with the most votes will be played at random for Gigi Glam!”
Excited murmurs ruffled the atmosphere. DJ Live retreated to their music booth and Gigi Glam returned to the main makeshift stage. Chanel the Angel, Sticki Honey, and Alana Thicc all performed another number. The crowd hollered for more.
“We’re reaching the end of our show,” Gigi Glam said into the microphone. The audience fell quiet. “But I’m going to perform and it’s a song of your choice!” Applause thundered through the restaurant, rattling the floor.
DJ Live played Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus. Gigi Glam took a beat to feel the pop and rhythm. She dazzled on the runway. Fans’ eyes were glued to her two-toned pink dress, her graceful movements, her magnetic energy. When the song ended, the audience basked in Gigi Glam’s glow. No one moved from their seats. Was the show really over?
Fans leaned out of their seats, awaiting an encore, but there was none. After a pause, DJ Live announced the end of the show and asked patrons to leave the restaurant. The crowd reveled in the queer joy of the moment.