Under the dimmed lights and disco balls, Chant‚ Foxx, Tiffany North, Joey Josephs, Alexis Courtier and Tina Montgomery strut in their sequined gowns and bat their long-lashed eyes. At Bob & Barbara's Lounge every Thursday night starting at around 11 p.m., the drag queens emerge from their tiny curtained-off dressing room to work the audience of both regular and curious patrons, artists and hipsters, gay and straight.
Famous for being eclectic and attracting a come-as-you-are crowd, the venue's reasonable drink prices and relaxed, safe atmosphere often induce audience members to join the performers in dancing and stripping.
Last Thursday was no exception. Around 50 people, most in their 20s and 30s and of various races, entered the club -- where nobody cares which bathroom you use -- located at 1509 South St. Inside the relatively nondescript exterior, the scene erupted.
The visitors were treated to a show by five of Philadelphia's finest.
The men perform individually, dancing and lip-synching on a small elevated stage for two hours, stopping only for a costume change.
"I like the crowd," Tina says. "I like to see that the audience is pleased. I love to entertain. I love the clothes. I love the hair. I love drag."
For Joey, who has been involved in drag culture for 17 years, the experience is liberating.
"When I'm onstage, I feel free," he explains. "I'm a shy person in everyday life, and drag is a way of expressing myself."
Putting on their makeup and donning their costumes transforms these men into their female personas.
"Sometimes it's hard to stay in character, to capture the audience, because if you don't capture the audience, you don't have a show," Tiffany says. "I enjoy being onstage, making people laugh. It's fun. It's just a good feeling."
But according to Joey, it is an anomaly that a show at Bob & Barbara's be anything but impressive.
"Sometimes it's hard to keep the audience's attention if they're not really in the mood for a show, but it's rare that they're not."
-- Julia Barmeier
