Professional drag queen Asio Aviance, aka. Corey Northern, was more than pleased in the dressing room before performing at Spiral Video Dance Bar, 1247 Center St. in Lansing on Wednesday night.
"I would like to thank McDonald's for sponsoring (me)," Northern said.
Starting last Wednesday, Spiral changed the policy for its weekly Cabaret Nights to only allow professional drag queens to perform. Spiral manager and Lansing resident Colin Taylor attributed the choice to exclude amateurs from Wednesdays based on the speculation that professional drag queens will make more money if amateurs perform on another night.
"I want the professional drag queens to make as much money as they can, and by moving the amateurs to Sunday night, I believe they will make more," Taylor said.
The amateurs will no longer have to compete with professionals for tips.
Spiral also advertises half-off martinis on its Web site - "Lansing's most popular Martini Party. With 30 different types of martinis from around the world." The event takes place on Sunday nights and are sure to bring in large crowds for amateurs.
Professional drag queens are paid only in tips, Taylor said and are now able to perform more times per night and for longer periods of time without the participation of amateurs. All six of the professional drag queens performed twice, with the exception of Delicious, aka Montrell Jackson, who hosted the second half of the drag queen show. Taylor hosted the first half of the show and sang "Love Potion #9" before the intermission.
When asked what it takes to become a professional drag queen, Delicious said that all it takes is a "lot of work," and the ability to "learn from watching other drag queens."
MSU fisheries and wildlife senior, Angel, aka Chris Chamberlain, agreed that being a drag queen takes a lot of work.
"Being a drag queen is more of a hobby and helps to pay for school," Angel said.
MSU fisheries and wildlife senior, Nora Wintermute, a first time visitor to Spiral said she had heard about the Cabaret Night from a friend.
"I just wanted to go out and do something different tonight," Wintermute said, adding that she was "looking forward to seeing big shoes and a lot of sassiness."
Performing twice on Wednesday, Sabin, aka Tyler Coupe, said he used to be a professional dancer for the likes of Madonna, Ricky Martin, Missy Elliott, Pink and Creed before hurting his knee. Sabin, who wore a black skin-tight vinyl outfit with black lace-up fetish boots for his first performance of the night, said before becoming a drag queen he was very shy.
"I use to go to bars and just stand in the corner," Sabin said.
But now Sabin said he has been much more outgoing and flamboyant since performing as a drag queen.
Unfortunately, Taylor said that the "crowd was horrible" for the first professional-only Cabaret Night but said he was counting on "crowds picking up when the school year starts again."
Taylor plans to keep the same six professional drag queens that performed Aug. 10, which he said are all Lansing residents.
"As long as they are able to keep it fresh and keep it different I will stay with the same drag queens with addition of two special guests each week," Taylor said.
