Madi Mullins can’t wait for the next drag show at Athens Uncorked because she is curious about the local talent.
“Local performers are just getting started,” Mullins, a sophomore studying graphic design, said. “They have an opportunity to put their name out there.”
Athens Uncorked will host its second monthly drag show Friday at 8 p.m. with host Jasmyn LaBasha and new drag queens. Admission is $5 for people 21 and over and $6 for people under 21.
Drag shows aren’t just for young, gay men anymore because the queens empower everyone, Nate Hayes, co-owner of Athens Uncorked, said.
He said the bar’s first drag event was during Pride Month. After the acts were over, customers told workers and performers they wanted to see more.
“The desire was always there,” he said, as no other venues near Athens host monthly drag shows.
LaBasha, a transgender drag queen, hosts the series of performances. She described her character as a “trash-talking tranny.” LaBasha has been in the business for 22 years, performing in 43 states. She lives in Mansfield but wants to bring more diversity to entertainment in certain Ohio areas. Athens needs more LGBTQ events similar to ones found in major cities, she said.
The local talent LaBasha chose for September will put on a show: lip syncing, dancing, telling jokes and flaunting extravagant gowns.
During drag shows, the small venue “completely transforms” from a relaxed environment to one filled with dance music and loud personas, Hayes said.
Everyone is welcome to the drag shows, Hayes said. He still wants LGBTQ people to feel safe at his bar. Many audience members who came to previous shows were either straight or female and told him they loved the performances.
“It’s about bringing everyone together,” he said.
Mullins said drag queens helped her feel more comfortable with her body and gender identity. She even wants to start performing soon.
“As I got older, I discovered that I wasn’t 100 percent a woman,” Mullins said. “I, being a nonbinary person, liked the idea of playing with gender and exploring my own gender.”
Athens Uncorked will showcase different drag queens every month, and male entertainers will be part of most drag nights except for Friday. The bar can’t fit anymore acts in until December.
“We want the community to keep this going and let it grow,” LaBasha said.
