Queen of the Week - Sweetie

Name: SWEETIE

Age: Stevie Nicks put it best in Gold Dust Woman....."Rock on Ancient Queen".......

Location: New York City

Single or taken? I wish I could answer that with a definitive answer. It's complicated.....

What is your drag style like? I fluctuate. I'm somewhere between Earth Mother and Red Hot Momma.

How long does it take you to get ready in drag? For a show or appearance 2 hours. Thats from getting into the shower to walking out the door.

Do you have a favorite number you perform? As old school as it sounds, I love Bette Midlers medley of The Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want" into Dylan's "I Shall Be Released". It's kind of my signature.

Where can we see you perform? I am thrilled to announce that I am part of a brand new drag theater company called Shim Mamsir Productions. It's with Bianca DelRio, Mimi Imfurst, Bianca Leigh, Lavinia Co-Op and Dallas Dubois. We will be doing monthly productions beginning in February. Really wild, wacky, imaginative stuff. I am not in the clubs as much as I used to be. I do a ton of special events and have been doing some travelling with a documentary film I am the subject of called Charmed Life.



How did you first get into drag? It was completely organic. I was probably just old enough to walk and I got into my mothers heels. Add a bath towel for long Cher hair and whatever make up was in the vanity cabinet and Sweetie was born.

Who have been your biggest inspirations? I get inspiration from so many people and things. I really couldn't give you a biggest. I am inspired by integrity, creativity, courage......and a killer look will always leave me inspired.

What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen? When you fist begin performing, choose a song that you LOVED when you were growing up. It's already in your soul. Just let it out for the audience to love as much as you do. I would also have to say being humble gets you alot further than being a bitch. Last but not least, ALWAYS wear perfume. It makes the drag experience more 3Dimensional.

If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Wow, Great question. Probably Radio City Music Hall in the middle of that enormous stage all by myself. I have always LOVED that space. So lush.



What is something that might surprise us all about you? I have never taken a shit in drag. Honest to God.

What makeup items could you not live without? MAC pure pigments in Melon and Rose Gold. A fresh pair of lashes every time I get in drag is kind of a fetish of mine. Tom Ford's Black Orchid perfume. My biggest love is MAC Lady Danger lipstick. It's amazing.

Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? I have a say in everything I put on my back. I work with great designers who can transpose with their hands what I have in my head. I also have very strong feelings about my hair and work with my hair dresser about concepts.



What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? Drag has afforded a truly amazing life. I don't have a greatest moment. I have had the chance to taste, touch and feels things all over the world that I could have never dreamed of.....all because of drag.

What else should we know about you? I have no gag reflex and can breathe thru my ears.

Queen of the Week - Anna Conda

Name: Anna Conda

Age: 42

Location: San Francisco Ca

Single or taken? Partnered to Brett Helms for 4 and a half years. He's a staff scientist at the Berkley Lawrence National Labs Energy Department. He heads a lab that deals with nano technologies used both in cancer and solar capacities.

What is your drag style like? I was taught drag in the 90's in NY. I guess my style is Hollywood meets 70's punk, however I have moved into my Cougar 70's swinger style and am loving it lately. I used to get mad that Boy Bar made me be the tween star because I was so pretty and petite. I always wanted to do Curve and Siouxsie and angry stuff. Learning the "Turkey Lurkey" song and dance steps almost killed me! But I still use that number in Thanksgiving shows today so the pain was worth it.

How long does it take you to get ready in drag? Half an hour 45 minutes. If it takes longer I know I'm heading for disaster because i over thought the make up.

Do you have a favorite number you perform? Stray- by Fetchin Bones. This number never fails but I eat Milk Bones in the number so my gums are always shredded for a few days.

Where can we see you perform? Anywhere that asks me I will pretty much go to perform except bachelorette parties.... I am a freak but not in a side show for others. I'm a sucker for friends requests to perform so I always try and make it. I was Miss Trannyshack 2004 and had a punk club for 5 years called Charlie Horse. I like Travel so I go out of town every chance I get. Like Blow Pony in Portland and even Charlie Horse Fresno. For a moment to see how others live and what their lives and nightlife is like I find really enlightening. Taking oneself out of a comfort zone and into the world always brings useful lessons.

How did you first get into drag? I went to Wigstock in like 1993. I was in drag for my first time, pink chiffon and flat white shoulder length hair. Oh yeah a tab of acid as well. That day I said " I wanna do that!" So my drag mother Winona Juggs and I set out to get gigs. I got one at Boy Bar but just barely. They told me cute boys don't make good drag queens. I was so insecure I just didn't think I was a cute boy. Now I look back and wonder what I was thinking because everyones cute in their 20's. I think I'm better looking now but it's mostly because I have confidence in myself. I think I'm a prettier queen as well.



Who have been your biggest inspirations? Katherine Hepburn is my ideal beauty and the far out crazy queens always make me jealous I just seem to be too glamour prone too let myself go and be the ultimate freak. Any punk or anarchist woman usually hold fascination for me and I also love Barbara Stanwyck. People like the Kardashian's or almost anyone who would be on a reality show or in US magazine are so bland that I don't want anything in me to reflect that mainstream America. I just find it really boring and uninspired.

What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen? Drag personalities are born and grow so don't be afraid of mistakes! Mistakes are the best learning experiences. I showed up to work at Boy Bar once in Red bobbed hair, red dress, red make up. They asked if I was wind burn. I learned a lot that day! LOL. Also if you have a heavy beard like me put red where the blue of the beard shows under your derma blend. It keeps the beard covered for longer, it's the best trick I ever learned.

If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Anywhere in the world? Hell I'd go any where as I said before. Travel is awesome.

What is something that might surprise us all about you? I wanted to be a minister when I was growing up. I felt a real calling to help people. Now I'm running for District 6 Supervisor in Sf with my drag persona in tact. Drag is where I learned to use my voice and found a family so I would never just ditch it to achieve a goal. What goal is worth that? I also consider myself two spirited. I think if at 15 I had the chance to become a woman I would have but I am really pleased to have Anna represent that side of me today.

What makeup items could you not live without? Derma Blend base is great and lashes. I know its a good night if I like my makeup before lashes.

Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? I bought a sewing machine so I have made some clothes but pattern making is hard for me so I just keep working on something till it fits better. Keep adding triangles to the shirt till the lumps are gone kinda sewing. I do all my wigs. I went to beauty school here in SF. I lived in an SRO on California street and put myself through school. My room was haunted and had no where to cook but the toilet kept the beer cold so it wasn't all a loss. Plus I was only a few blocks from the Cinch, (where Charlie Horse was), so I had a place to go while being dirt poor. I've been in SF for 14 years and have really come a long way and I'm proud that I didn't let myself down when it could have been an easy excuse to do nothing to help myself.



What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? My first performance ever at Boy Bar I was recognized by the crowd, Debbie Harry, DJ Johnny Dynell and Patrica Fields bought me a drink. That was quite a big coming out I have to say. However since I was fresh from Pittsburgh I didn't know anything about club royalty so meeting Patricia Fields was kinda lost on me at that time. She later sponsored me in the gay games as a swimmer. Two other great moments were Wigstock when I performed "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips with Sweetie and Faux Pas and we stole the show, and winning Miss Trannyshack as the dark horse. They were such highs I will never forget those moments on stage. However I think I felt like I might win Trannyshack. It's weird I feel that way about the Supervisor race as well. Being a dark hors really suites me. I get a thrill from coming from behind and proving I can go the distance. I think it's my best quality... other than my eyes. Getting Sainted by the Sister in 2009 to become Saint Annaconditional Love and Rockets, protector of the Polk and purveyor of the apunkalypse was really awesome. It was a surprise at Charlie Horse one night before Easter on Water Sports night. Brett help arrange it with Sister Mary Ralph. I cried, but only after I got home.

What else should we know about you? I'm not so controlling but I never hold back my opinion. Life happens and I'm not afraid to challenge myself so I always try the hardest path first. I think people need to realize that easy and convenience are NOT healthy things. Its good to work hard to achieve something and it usually comes with less excess. I hate excess unless at a party. I really like messy people because they break all the rules. Yes its kinda sad but its also kinda great. Morals are over rated. Lastly I am an All American swimmer.

To find out more about Anna Conda check out her facebook page HERE!

Under the Knife

This past weeks "Queen of the Week", Candi Shell sent me this hilarious video from her band She-Dick. Check it out!

My Anniversary!

Thursday was my 3 year anniversary with my wonderful man! It's hard to believe that it's already been 3 years. Time flies by so fast!

We went out to an incredible meal at Paley's Place here in Portland. If you are looking for fine dining in this city you should definitely give them a try! I have eaten at restaurants of some of the best chefs in the world, Thomas Keller, David Boulay, Todd English, Traci Des Jardins, just to name a few. But the meal I had at Paley's Place seriously rivaled the best I've ever had! I had heard wonderful things about the Portland food scene, but I had no idea there were places that good! Chef Vitaly Paley is dedicated to serving the most fresh, local, sustainable foods he can procure and the ever changing menu reflects that. He definitely has a love and an incredible understanding of food and it comes through on your plate!

After dinner, my honey whisked me off to a rooftop garden spa suite at the Hotel Vintage Plaza! Once again Portland exceeded my expectations! Who knew there were gems like this here? We had a fabulous terrace overlooking downtown Portland complete with hot tub and the room was gorgeous! And my man had taken the time to make sure everything was perfect as well! Rose petals on the bed, champagne chilled and waiting with strawberries. And he managed to pull all this off without me having a clue he was setting it up.

It was the most fabulous anniversary of my life and I really realized how blessed I am to have someone as wonderful as my man! I truly am one of the luckiest people in the world!

Queen of the Week - Candi Shell

Name: Candi Shell

Age: 32

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Single or taken? Still looking for my Prince Charming.

What is your drag style like? Sort of like Dolly Parton meets Jem and the Holograms. I write my own songs, along with my band SHE-DICK (myspace.com/shedickband). SHE-DICK is composed of another drag queen (Carrie Cash) and an actual biological female (Teresa Nasty)! Sometimes we do parodies of other people's songs, but, for the most part, it's all original material. We're a gender-bending, glam-pop girl group, and honey we are taking over the air waves!

How long does it take you to get ready in drag? Apart from the shaving process (cause ooh! I shave everything), about an hour.

Do you have a favorite number you perform? Performing with the group, I really love the song "SheDickulous". As a solo number, I adore singing "Under the Knife". It's all about plastic surgery and set to the tune of "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. I often start the number in bandages and a hospital gown, and Carrie and Teresa play my surgeons.

Where can we see you perform? SHE-DICK is being featured in the BAM Showcase, happening this year on February 6 at Sputnik in Brooklyn.

How did you first get into drag? I've been trying to get my butt into a dress since I was very young, but it wasn't until college that the bug really bit me. My roommate Jessie (a girl) and I were asked to perform in this charity drag show. We wrote these funny songs and called ourselves Portia and Jolene (I was Jolene), and we won!

Who have been your biggest inspirations? My Mama and my Granny. Mariah Carey and Madonna. And of course RuPaul! Who could forget her??

What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen? Be yourself. With drag queendom changing constantly, the one thing you can rely on is the originality of your own personality. Also, if you've never seen it done before, try it! You never know what people are going to respond to. Lastly, be nice. Bitchy queens are so 10 years ago. We are the modern geishas, and we should behave as such, oozing grace and the feminine wiles of times gone by.

If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Ooh.. That's tough. Madison Square Gardens? Tokyo? So many of my dreams have already come true with SHE-DICK. Last week we opened for Joan Rivers at the Gramercy Theater, and that was positively surreal. I'm just taking it one day at a time and doing my best to stay true to myself in the process. The process being becoming a big star!

What is something that might surprise us all about you? As a boy, I released a self-titled solo pop album. It's available now on iTunes. Just go to http://itunes.com/danpaul to find out more!

What makeup items could you not live without? My MAC liquid foundation and powder fix. Liquid liner and a good lip pencil. Oh--and glitter.

Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? Having monthly themed parties keeps the Ladies of SHE-DICK on our toes. We're constantly traveling to the dollar store, fabric outlets and costume warehouses to come up with new creations. Fortunately, Teresa knows how to sew. Also I love sticking two wigs together to create a GIANT wig, and I'm a big fan of spraying all my hair pink. ;)

What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? It was really exciting when SHE-DICK played the Peaches' after party, and Peaches gave me a signed copy of her new single. She is a huge inspiration for us, with her non-traditional take on pop music and her crazycool style.

What else should we know about you? As well as being a singing/dancing tranny, I am also an illustrator! I've drawn caricatures at parties, just had my first New York art show, AND I'm putting the finishing touches on a 40 page, full-color SHE-DICK comic book entitled Galactic Tranny (Available on Lulu.com August 2009).

Happy New Year!

Ok, ok, I know I'm a few days late posting my happy new year blog. But literally the very first thing my ever so graceful self did at about 10am new years morning was to spill a glass of water all over my computer keyboard. That left me with the inability to type o, p, l, space, delete, return, and almost all punctuation. I spent about 10 minutes attempting to get something somewhat legible typed up by cutting and pasting letters and punctuation from other documents, but finally gave up when I only had a sentence done and it looked like something from a 6th grade typing class. Needless to say, all liquid is now banned from my office! So if anyone knows where to get about a 4 foot long straw that will stretch from my computer chair to right outside my office door that would be fabulous! A girl needs her martini to accompany late night blogging sometimes. And I am shameless enough to drink one through a straw!

Other than starting off the year as a total klutz it has been a truly fabulous new year so far! I did the unthinkable this year and stayed in for a mellow new years eve at home with a few friends. We even watched the ball drop (which is sooo lame when you live on the west coast and it's not even live). But it was actually very nice to just hang out with the people I love for the evening and reflect on the past 10 years and what I hope to achieve in the next 10.

I am incredibly excited about what this year is going to bring! I spent most of 2009 really adjusting myself to living in Oregon again, figuring out how to survive in the suburbs, learning to drive, and attempting to immerse myself in the ever so strange world of Portland's marathon drag shows (although I still think 3 and 4 hour shows are RIDICULOUS!). But now I'm settled and I'm ready to rock this city in 2010!

I am starting the venue hunt for my own weekly show and am hoping to have something going by the beginning of March. I will of course still be hosting Blow Pony every month, which has become the biggest joy of my drag career! And then you will see me doing guest spots for all the fabulous queens I have grown to love like Bolivia, Honey, and Ginger @ The Superstar Divas Show, Adrienne Alexander and Poison Waters @ The Red Cap, and of course Vegas Platinum @ Embers.

My biggest goal this year however is to focus on bringing as much entertainment as I can to all of you online! There will obviously be all my usual blogging, covering Rupaul's Drag Race as it airs, and the reinstitution of my "Queen of the Week" series. But I also am going to be bringing you funny, entertaining, and sometimes downright ridiculous videos of performances, interviews, sketch comedy and so much more! There are going to be sides of me you never knew existed, so watch out!

All in all I am incredibly excited about everything to come in 2010! But I never forget that without all of you, my readers, fans, and friends, none of this would be possible! So thank you for all the support and love you continue to send my way! It truly means the world to me and it is for all of you that I continue! So please keep sending me emails, posting comments, and letting me know what you like (and dislike), what you want to see more of, and anything else I can do to keep you all entertained and coming back for more!

Happy new year everyone! It's going to be a fabulous one!

Sherry Vine's Bad Romance Parody

I always loved Sherry Vine while I was living in NYC! She's a hilarious drag queen, talented musician, and an all around sweet person. But her new video parody of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" is the best thing I have ever seen her do!

Rupaul's Drag Race Season 2

That's right everyone! The time is almost here for season 2 of Rupaul's Drag Race! The contestants were finally announced in November and it is set to premier on Feb. 1st! Many of you know I've been dying to talk about who got on ever since I found out 3 months ago, but out of respect for the show I've kept my mouth shut. Well now it's time to DISH!
I'm very excited to see that the show has been given a bigger budget this time around! The set looks more professional, the challenges look more interesting, and best of all we get 12 queens battling it out this time instead of 9. Hopefully that means we get 3 more weeks of shows (although you never know with reality programming). Check out the promo video below for a quick look into the season!

Watch Gay Video & Lesbian Movies

Now on to the contestants! I am incredibly impressed with the group of queens they put together for this season! Granted there are no fabulous redheads (hint hint producers...you really do need me next season!), all in all it looks like a fabulous group of ladies!

Jessica Wild - 28 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Jessica was the winner from the Rupaul's Drag Race casting website and deservedly so with the army of people promoting and voting for her. While of course I wanted to win, she was a very worthy opponent and I'm very happy for her! Jessica is a fabulous dancing diva and hopes to one day be a drag singer like Rupaul. I have heard numerous people say that they think her language skills are going to be a problem for her on the show. To all those people I have one thing to say...Nina Flowers. Just because someone is not a master of the english language does not mean they can't be a drag superstar! And if being a gorgeous queen is not enough, she is HOT as a boy!

Jujubee - 25 - Boston, MA

I don't know a lot about Jujubee. But she is absolutely stunning to look at! Her bio on the RDR cast page says that she is "everyone's best friend...but will read you to filth if you cross her." Let's hope she gets to read someone at least once on the show for a little dramatic entertainment!

Morgan McMichaels - 28 - Mira Loma, CA

This season there are a lot more queens that I've heard of before and Morgan McMichaels is one of those. She is definitely a professional and is a member of "The Dream Girls Review", the longest running drag show in Southern California. She is drop dead gorgeous and incredibly diverse in the looks and characters she brings to the stage. My personal favorite is her Pink impersonation which is the best I have ever seen any queen do! Morgan is definitely one of the queens I am very eager to learn more about on the show!

Mystique Summers Madison - 25 - Bedford, TX

I love big queens! This is probably due to the huge influence Sweetie in NYC had on the beginning of my drag career. But I just can't get enough of a fabulous full-figured queen serving it on stage! So Mystique...don't let me down! Show the world that the big girls are just as diva as all us little skinny bitches! I want to see some body shaking, titty bouncing, earth shaking EXTRAVAGANCE!

Nicole Paige Brooks - 36 - Atlanta, GA

I thought for sure Nicole was going to be on the first season of RDR. But for whatever reason she wasn't chosen until this time around. She is an incredibly experienced performer and a definite professional in the world of drag. Some viewers may not be drawn to her mouthy personality, but I absolutely love it and can't wait to watch as she says exactly what she thinks every step of the way! And god damn! Look at that body!

Pandora Boxx - 37 - Rochester, NY

I am SO excited that Pandora is on this season of the show! Aside from myself, she was the person I wanted to see on the show more than anyone else. I became friends with Pandora while we were both competing on the casting site for season 1 of RDR. I was instantly impressed with her hilarious personality and the array of comedic characters she brings to the stage! I promise to be fair in my critique of everyone once the show has started. If the queens who are my friends end up bombing on the show, I'll be honest about it. But at this point, based on my current knowledge of all the contestants, Pandora is definitely my choice to take home the crown!

Raven - 30 - Riverside, CA

Raven is another queen I don't know a lot about. She looks like a supermodel, so should do quite well in the image department. But other than that I can't say much about her. Her bio on the RDR site says she is "Striking, edgy and foul-mouthed." So I will probably love her! God knows I love a queen who's not afraid to swear like a sailor!

Sahara Davenport - 29 - New York, NY

Sahara is the second friend I have on the show this season! She and I used to compete against eachother about 6 years ago at Starsearch @ Barracuda. And she beat me more times than I would like to admit. I am so happy to see her on the show though and you all better believe this girl is DIVA! She is trained in ballet, jazz, and modern dance and can tear up a stage like no other! But she brings more than just glamour and dance moves. She is also one of the sweetest people I knew in NYC and has a radiant personality that you can't help falling in love with!

Shangela Laquifa Wadley - 28 - Studio City, CA

Shangela has only been doing drag for about 4 months the RDR bio page says. But she must have been practicing a long time in her bedroom, because I've never seen a 4 month old queen looking and acting as well as she does! I'll be very eager to see how she does up against the more experienced performers.

Sonique - 26 - Atlanta, GA

Sonique is another queen I have heard wonderful things about! She is a former gymnast which means she probably has all the fabulous flexible moves that I get so jealous over! And she is another stunner in the looks department! My only fear is that Morgan McMichaels and Sonique look a LOT alike from what I've seen. That is often a detriment on reality shows (take Kathryn and Noelle on So You Think You Can Dance as an example). But hopefully once on the show they will both be unique enough to make us never forget who is who.

Tatianna - 21 - Falls Church, VA

I have thought Tatianna was adorable ever since I saw her on the RDR season 2 casting site. She has a very approachable image which should be a benefit for her with the viewing audience. But she is young and has less experience than most the other contestants. But experience isn't everything on a show like this, so I'll be very curious to see how she does!

Tyra Sanchez - 21 - Orlando, FL

Tyra Sanchez looks like a supermodel and from the sounds of it knows how to act like one on the runway too! I was very impressed with some of her pictures on the RDR season 2 casting site and am very eager to see more of her interesting and avant-garde looks!

So there you have it...12 dazzling divas, ready to win over the hearts of the viewing public and hopefully take home the crown! I believe that this season is going to blow season 1 out of the water! And of course I will be along every step of the way, keeping you up to date on everything, talking about the show, and hopefully getting some input from the contestants with their thoughts as they leave the show! So make sure you tune into Logo, Feb 1st 9:00pm for the premier of Rupaul's Drag Race season 2!

New Look!

As I am  competing to get on Rupaul's Drag Race it has been inspiring me to experiment with a variety of new looks.  This past Saturday I did a FABULOUS photo shoot with Brian Patrick Photography featuring one of these looks.  Here is one of the images that we got!

There will be much more coming in the next couple months as I continue experimenting with new looks and ideas! 

Xavier Toscano's "Mighty Real" on Logo!

Hey Darlings!

My dear friend Xavier Toscano just had his video for "Might Real" debut on Logo's Click List at number 10! Now he needs our votes to push him up to the top! So if you wouldn't mind, take a moment and stop by THIS LINK to vote for him!