Los Globos nightclub was packed with wall to wall drag queens and the ones who support them for a Dragstrip 66 30-Year Anniversary Reunion on Saturday, April 23, 2023. The monthly event ran for 20 years, from 1993 to 2013, which ended on their 20th anniversary. There is also a documentary currently in the works.
Men donned their frocks and headed to Silverlake to relive some memories, and create new ones. “So many of our still loyal patrons have been begging us to bring it back in any manner,” said producer Paul V. Vitagliano. “Especially with all this hate-filled, right-wing MAGA bullshit targeting drag queens now. When we started, our political activism had to focus on HIV and AIDS after 12 years of Reagan and Bush. And now here we are AGAIN, 30 years later, still having to fight that poison as if nothing has changed.”
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMESPaul V decided to do a special “30th Anniversary Reunion” and the response was a sold out night. He said patrons who date back to the days when the event was hosted at Rudolpho’s, traveled to LA from SF, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, NYC and even Hawaii. “It’s truly, insane when you think about it,” he said. “But that’s how special Dragstrip was to everyone.”
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Dragstrip 66 30-Year Reunion – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
The night was filled with performers that ranged from Kay Sedia, Jackie Beat, Sherry Vine, Alaska Thunderfuck, and Kelly Mantle, and more. There were also video messages throughout the night from the queens who couldn’t make it like Willam and Varla Jean Merman to name of few.
Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES
Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMESPaul V says part of Dragstrip 66’s history is how a lot of the Los Angeles girls eventually ended up on RuPaul’s Drag Race, all got their start performing at or attended on this special night dedicated to drag queens, such as Willam, Detox, Alaska, Raja, Tammie Brown, Kelly Mantle, and Delta Work. Back in those days they had voices so no lip synching. They sang live to song parodies, or to their own tracks.
“Dear anyone and everyone who joined us last night” wrote Paul V on his Facebook page the morning after. “Like Mz. Allana said in the greetings video, ‘Each and every one of you are the fierce magic of DRAGSTRIP 66, and we LOVE you!’ …THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! And stay tuned, cuz Dragstrip 66 WILL be back!”
Unfortunately, you can never recapture the magic that Drag strip 66 provided back in the day in Silverlake. It was a magical and wonderful time to be alive and gay in Los Angeles. Those are untouchable moments.
Hey Joseph, Paul V. here. And of course I know what you mean, and agree with you to a certain degree: it’s not the 90’s and we’re not in our 20’s and 30’s anymore. What happened with Dragstrip back then was “lightning in a bottle” and won’t ever be bested. And it doesn’t need to be. However, it CAN be reignited and reinvented. And from what we’ve seen and witnessed in April and on July 23rd, our patrons are feeling the magic again. Not the exact same old magic, but a new magic. And in all honesty: people are just… Read more »
Real women are beautiful. I get that some people are amused and entertained by this type of parody and demeaning of women.
Yes, “real” women are beautiful. And your point is? You have no idea what you’re even talking about. NO ONE is demeaning women. What gets parodied is the absurdity of pop culture in all its forms. But I’m sure you’ve never actually even seen a drag performance before.