Hello, darlings! Emma here, your favourite Derbyshire-born drag queen and Time Travelling Tutu Warrior, ready to whisk you all back in time! Buckle up, my loves, it's time for #DragQueenHistory, and for this monthâs jaunt, weâre jetting off to⌠drumroll please⌠New York City, darlings, September 9th, 1992.
**(I am, as always, writing this post from the comfort of my little flat in Derbyshire. Time travel requires some pretty serious energy, you know? I've got to recharge with a proper cuppa and some Jaffa Cakes, or I'd be knackered. I am quite frankly knackered from all that drag energy... I mean, think of it! Time travel! We must be mad!))
Anyway! The 9th of September 1992 was a time, and a pivotal time for the fabulous folk in drag. To see what was going down, I decided to go and see a show â in New York City, naturally. (What's a gal to do?!). You wouldnât catch me missing this trip, it would be a true faux pas - my love of drag, well, it's no secret. It's what fuels my tutu!
*(Who knew that an average gal from Derbyshire, who could barely make the rent at 21, would one day find herself owning a magic time-traveling tutu and getting whisked around the world in a fashion frenzy! But, honey, I tell you⌠anything is possible in the land of drag. If we can believe in ourselves, then we can do anything! Now let's not get carried away. As I always say, âTime travel in moderationâ. That's why we don't go *every month... just to a super special show. )
"Let's Have Some Drag!"Let's rewind back to the beginning, darling. It all started like this... my magic, time-traveling tutu. (It's not quite so glamorous as the name implies - honestly, it just needs a good wash). It's that dusty, yet it holds within it, my darling, the power of time travel, and it allows you to choose exactly where to go - all you have to do is close your eyes, and⌠think it. (Oh, and remember to grab the credit card before you step out that portal, love. There's a LOT of fabulosity in NYC that requires payment, let me tell you!)
Anyway, New York, the place of glitter and dreams, what more can you ask for?! My aim in life: to get all my darlings wearing a pink tutu, in all our different styles! (Although, as always, black is the new black, isn't it? The queen of all colours - always timeless. )
September 1992. Iâm sure I'd heard the word 'drag' as a wee lass back home, but I really began to become a drag enthusiast when RuPaul - that icon! - started becoming so popular, back in â91, It was truly the birth of the âNew Queenâ. So naturally, with my newfound tutu, my magical â92 journey took me right there - straight to the 'heart' of the actionâŚin New York. (This wasn't my first trip using the tutu; It was our journey to see Divine at the Chelsea Theater in 1982, but thatâs a story for another day!).
This was the time to discover drag - as I knew it in the late 90s/early 2000s- a world that seemed like pure fantasy. And where could it be, my darling? Of course, weâre talking about that legendary spot ⌠'The Pyramid Club' on 10th Avenue in Manhattan - legendary! Itâs iconic and still remembered to this day, although I have a hunch itâs still standing somewhere, waiting for a comeback! (They've stopped holding drag shows now, which is quite frankly a *shame. It's meant to be so good).
**(Imagine if they found out about my little time-travelling spree in New York City, theyâd say "that drag queen is a crazy woman!" ) But, darlings, sometimes you have to be a little crazy. We must, for the love of fashion, drag, and the future. Itâs time to look ahead...and, to learn from the past!) *
This night in â92 had so much in store. I remember watching the stage and thinking âYou know what, these girls are doing an amazing job!â The New York club scene was already full of energy⌠the excitement in the air⌠a total whirlwind, even for a gal like me who travels through time to see what's happening. *(My time travelling is all a bit sporadic, really! The magic seems to happen just before or during big historical drag events). *
I love discovering that we have so much to be grateful for. Just remember, the drag we see today, with the whole internet and Instagram phenomenon - well, letâs just say it wouldnât have been possible without the work of queens in the past, pioneers, who were unafraid of a good old-fashioned âmakeoverâ. The legacy of all of these Queens and what they achieved...well, itâs fabulous, darlings, and itâs everything. And here we are, time travelling into a night of incredible magic, with this beautiful legacy all around us, and on the stage - ready to go and make some *history.
'Drag Queen History is About Seeing The StarsâŚ'So⌠on to the âbigâ event â a trip to New York, seeing the âDragâ show with a real live drag superstar. Now⌠Who is âTheâ name from September 1992? It was, without question⌠Joey Arias! I had to travel to a time when his talents really got his career off the ground, as I recall the year he released 'Arias with a Vengeance'! And let me tell you, The Pyramid on the 9th of September â92 had a lot to live up toâŚ
Now, â92 was a time of really getting involved with drag â I could not resist this showâŚit had everything - you know The Pyramid Club, it has the magic touch, Joey Arias, - who we love. And as I knew then, Joey would really bring some energy and spice to a performance... (It would truly make it a night to remember).
It was more than just drag, howeverâŚit was theater! And it was that time in history that brought Joey some major recognition for what he does - an artistic soulâŚand to watch him on stage, as a little Derbyshire drag queen at the heart of a vibrant, lively club scene, it was magic. Joey Arias⌠a star.
He was performing on stage ⌠(and in 1992 you could still have a drag performance on stage! It really was a different era.) The energy from him⌠I can remember it all â the show started off in a way I couldnât have imagined! The audience, you could see was really ready to celebrate drag â the stage lights - you can just picture that whole show... oh my gosh, itâs like a trip down memory lane in a beautiful tutu-y way! *(Sometimes, all I want is to take off in the tutu, just as I'm on the way to the bakery!) *
The performance that we remember
Now... the magic didn't end there! For September â92 I remember getting involved with some of the performances. As Joey put on the ultimate display â his personality, the whole look, the style. The energy was phenomenal! So many people came out to celebrate what was happening - I know this was an iconic show⌠the night really had it all. I can even remember all the dancing! This was theater, a whole show for an audience â not just a few random people scattered here and there (it had mass appeal) and Joey truly did make an impression. You know what, the performance - it's almost like that little bit of excitement inspired everyoneâŚ
It was a night that truly was magic - and as a result, all my fabulous time-traveling instincts went crazy and boom! I could even say it had some amazing drag influence on my fashion style! (Just one little bit of fashion inspiration⌠or possibly a lotâŚ) â but thatâs the great thing about time travel, isnât it? You learn to mix up your styles, so that you create something unique, your look â so I guess it's no wonder that my pink tutu is something else! *(The people really go wild for the tutu! Don't be afraid to embrace a little extra pink! Life is too short!)
The magic of drag, as a whole.
When you are in an iconic club like âThe Pyramidâ or if you ever experience a time where a legend such as Joey Arias is going for it - you get this sense, this feeling, of energyâŚit is about passion, about living for drag. If I can use that as inspiration for my journey â I really feel as if that energy keeps us moving and we make that beautiful âDrag Queen Historyâ âŚwe don't give up! That is the reason I'm trying to travel to every one of these special âtime points.â I mean, I think it's amazing! And if that doesnât make it amazing, â92â really brought back drag as it had always been and we had a lot of magic moments and nights just like this, but this night had all of my favourite elements â and this was before RuPaul really became famous.
I really just had to let all my fabulous friends and followers out there know what went on that night in â92 at The Pyramid.. This whole thing â time travel, this fabulous experience, I just want to share that amazing history and culture with everyone,
I am not really âEmmaâ on the streets â the rest of the time - when not traveling. (I'm more shy, or you might even say⌠quiet - it is funny what happens when you travel through time! But⌠I am a performer, and my mission, itâs more about showing all you lovely people just how wonderful it all is!) * *
(It is that simple, really, my darling! I find the tutu â the energy and itâs time to travel back. Iâll take my little notebook and go see what I can see! It truly is all part of the journey).
## 'And It Was Fun'
Now, this wasnât my last journey with my tutu. After seeing Joey Arias at the Pyramid - Iâm so glad I could see the show â because you know⌠it was just the beginning of it all â Itâs an exciting time, now we all love drag!
(Donât get me wrong. It still feels âweirdâ sometimes to me, the drag stuff⌠Itâs really fun to try. So if you can believe youâre a drag queen⌠you can, because you can, it really all boils down to that. If you think you are a drag queen, you are! Weâre all part of a wider âcommunityâ. (And really, with the pink tutu, you get used to it quite quickly â everyone starts feeling a little fabulous!
And of course⌠all the things that came out after â92, well⌠Thatâs all for another monthâs #DragQueenHistory blog - it is just wonderful what our history in âDrag Queen Time Travelâ is showing us and I hope itâs as much of a fun read for you as it is for me, my darling!)
And in the meantime, we can only hope that those pink tutus are looking as pretty as ever. As Iâm always saying itâs not about whatâs fashionable, or even being a drag queen, - it is more about a beautiful feeling that we share.
If you have any time travel adventures - why donât you write and tell us all about it. I will be looking to do the same next month! And please visit my other drag website â www.pink-tutu.com !
Remember darlings, âPink is Always In Fashionâ, and have a wonderful, glorious and * fabulous * time!
Yours with glittery best wishes.
Emma,
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Post Number - 873
www.pink-tutu.com
