Shannel is Vegas' New Showgirl

Actually that's far from the truth. After more than 15 years in the business, RuPaul's Drag Race star and third runner-up Shannel is anything but new to the art of "female illusion." Honestly, it's little wonder she entered the search for the "World's Next Drag Superstar" thinking she had the competition in the bag.

As a matter of fact, Shannel has been a staple at such Sin City favorites as La Cage for years. There she honed her mastery of make-up, illusion, and -- as Shannel told us time and again on Season 1 of the hit LOGO reality television series -- 39 characters and impersonations. "I do everything from old Hollywood to Disney," she described when we met.

Of course, on the series Shannel came off about as shallow and cold as her piercing blue eyes. Upon meeting her recently before she performed at San Francisco's Thursday night, 18-and-over LGBT hotspot The Crib, she proved to be much more . . . three-dimensional . . . than her on-screen counterpart.

Witty, engaging and genuinely personable, she not only provided insight about her own experience on the show, she disses the only girl she "absolutely could not stand" on the show, explains why she says "Fuck RuPaul!" at every club gig, and offers insight which could prove invaluable for anyone considering throwing their wig in the ring for future editions of the series. [As 10th in the country of more than 800 hopefuls, vying for spots on Season 2 of the hit series, I'm certainly taking notes!!!]

Continue reading "Move Over Nomi Malone..." »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 11:45 PM • Comments (0)

"Shows in most cities usually feel like a first date, but I love San Francisco. It’s always like a good fuck!”
-- Lady GaGa

By Pollo Del Mar
Queen of San Francisco Media

You've got to love Lady GaGa for loving the gays. Time and time again she's has told anyone who will listen it was the LGBT community who supported her career long before debut single "Just Dance" recently spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. As she embarks on the "Fame Ball Tour," her first as a headlining act, it seems the New York-born diva is drawing further inspiration from gays or, more specifically, drag queens.

When GaGa played Mezzanine Saturday, March 14, she wisely borrowed a page from the drag queen playbook and incorporated shiny dancers’ tights under fishnets into her oh-so-fabulous, self-designed wardrobe. It's not a moment too soon either. During two of the first four Lady GaGa shows I attended, which included twice hosting her at venues around town (as seen above, taken at The Crib), the budding Pop Princess’ bikiniline was hidden by more bush than Dick Cheney!

Continue reading "Lady GaGa Joins the Obama-Nation: No More Bush!" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 06:47 AM • Comments (0)

By Pollo Del Mar
SFBG Celebrity Blogger

The first time I saw Elvira, I was maybe ten-years-old. Captivated by her beauty, bulging bosoms and campy responses to some of the worst movies we had ever seen, my sister and I would stay up every week to watch her midnight Movie Macabre, trying not to wake our parents as we giggled like naughty school girls late into the night at Elvira’s Valley girl-inspired commentary and bawdy sense of humor.

As a bona fide fan, I followed Elvira throughout my teen years. When she finally made her absolutely hysterical big-screen debut in Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, I rushed to see its 1988 theatrical debut. Later I owned the laugh-out-loud-funny feature on VHS (that was the video format that came before DVDs, for those too young to remember it first-hand). Throughout high school, I slept with the movie poster above my bed.

It's been 20 years since the release of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and I've since interviewed Cassandra Peterson, the pretty redhead behind the gothy make-up and black bouffant. Peterson and I even met once, when her film screened last summer at San Francisco's Bridge Theatre. My first meeting with Elvira, though, came just this past weekend when drag superstar Peaches Christ debuted her Midnight Mass film series to Los Angeles.

Here Elvira shares about her career, role as a gay icon and why discussing Vampira makes her uncomfortable. She also talks about her upcoming star turn in All About Evil, the feature-length debut by Christ. (Find out how you can get cast as an extra in the film, too!)

Continue reading "Elvira Was 'Raised By a Pack of Wild Drag Queens'!" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 11:49 PM • Comments (1)

By Pollo Del Mar
Guardian Celebrity Blogger

With a MySpace profile that has been viewed nearly 60 million times, the most popular merchandise line available through mall favorite Hot Topic and a summer spent on the Van's Warped Tour already under his jewel-encrusted belt, Jeffree Star has turned internet fame into international success. And to think, the multi-media mogul is barely drinking age!

Most recently, Star unveiled his hot new EP Cupcakes Taste Like Violence to retailers across the country. Days after its Dec. 2 release, the MySpace legend hit San Francisco 18-and-over hot spot The Crib as part of a major tour planned to promote the collection of electronic dance tracks. As the waifer-thin, tattooed (he has 75 and counting, if you must know) performer and his small entourage waited to take the stage by storm, we chatted casually backstage.

Though he doesn't consider himself a drag queen -- "I like to be a question mark," he told me -- we still connected girl to girl, glitter-to-glitter. From telling why he had to prove himself on the Warped Tour and explaining why he doesn't drink, Star shares about success, talks shit about Tila Tequila and explains why he thinks Paris Hilton is a role model for today's youth in this exclusive interview.

Continue reading "MySpace's Brightest Star Is Ready to Shine" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 02:40 AM • Comments (2)

After my first listen to Harlem 1 Stop, the new full-length release from international remix wizards Bimbo Jones, I called my friend Andy Reynolds, their publicist. I needed to know more about Katherine Ellis, the woman whose blazing vocals fill the 12-song set.

A week later, Ellis is on the phone, brewing a pot of coffee when she calls. Despite the fact it's midday in her native United Kingdom, the brand new voice of Bimbo Jones is struggling to stay awake. The night before she was out until the crack of dawn, performing for a wildly responsive crowd in Cologne, Germany. So goes the life of an international disco music sensation, I guess!

After nearly 20 years as a dance music favorite, Ellis joined fellow Bimbos Lee Dagger and Mark JB. The result is Harlem 1 Stop, available now through Tommy Boy Records. Between the three, they claim more than 30 chart-topping hits around the globe -- including the album's lead single and first Billboard #1 club smash "And I Try." Not only does the multi-talented Ellis glide seamlessly from belting house diva to jazz-inflected chanteuse on the 12 tracks, she cowrote the entire album.

No stranger to the LGBT community (Ellis not only employs a gaggle of gays to style, dress and design for her, she says her "long-suffering assistant" Stewie is out, loud and proud...well, not in those exact words!), the singer and I recently enjoyed a diva-to-diva chat. While sharing her philosophy about writing hit records, she also drops a few secret nuggets -- including one of her favorite hits to jam to on the dance floor and how a particularly delicious sandwich helped cement her place as the voice of Bimbo Jones.

Continue reading "Katherine Ellis Is One Smart Bimbo!" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 12:15 AM • Comments (0)

When I first met Mark Martinez – nee, performance artist extraordinaire Flava to the gay circuit party set – I couldn’t take my eyes off him. As a matter of fact, nobody could. Dressed as dearly-departed disco legend Sylvester, who he portrays in the upcoming MILK movie, all eyes were on him at the recent Castro Theatre “people’s premiere” of the Gus Van Sant film.

As we later partied into the night, my skillfully trained eyes could see through the glitter, lashes and silver sequin. It was obvious to me at least that beneath all the bedazzlement was one incredibly sexy, strapping young man . . . and now, sitting across the booth from me in a diner in downtown San Francisco, next to his mom nonetheless, there he was.

For as fierce as Martinez is as Flava, lip-syncing to high-energy remixes of dancefloor divas for circuit parties, gay cruises and Pride festivals around the world, he’s equally charming, friendly and captivating out of drag. Here we talk about his role in the biopic about slain San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, hitting local theatres this week, chat about the iconic Sylvester and gossip about James Franco’s butt and kissing Sean Penn!

Continue reading "Giving You a Fever for the Flava" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 10:45 PM • Comments (0)

OK, so I’m lying. Jack Mackenroth and I actually hit it off immediately, even before our paths randomly crossed one recent night in The Castro.

In town for Project Inform's Evening of Hope Condom Couture benefit and fashion show, in which he crafted a wedding dress from more than 2,500 condom wrappers, the muscular, HIV-positive designer sent home early by staph infection two seasons ago on Project Runway remembered our telephone interview months before. Hell, before the night was out we even swapped a little spit! Totally hot!

Hours later, he was off to Atlanta for the AIDS Walk and to promote his relationship with HIV/AIDS education program Living Positive by Design. With Season 4 cohort Kevin Christiana (the totally hot straight Italian), Jack is now shopping a new TV series which combines elements of popular redesign shows, Queer Eye's make-overs and even Project Runway.

Between traveling the country as an HIV/AIDS educational and inspirational speaker, dressing celebrities from The Young & The Restless star Heather Tom and transsexual Dirty Sexy Money star and close friend Candis Cayne and writing a sarcastic new autobiography, Jack the Mack called me for a long, long chat. In addition to giving the low-down on his Runway castmates, for nearly an hour we swapped drag horror stories. Be sure to stop by Cliff's Variety in The Castro to see Jackie's fabulous condom couture wedding gown, on display through Sun., Nov. 9, and read the best -- and bitchiest -- of our conversation.

Continue reading "Jack Mackenroth Is a Tranny-Hating Republican!" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 08:26 PM • Comments (2)

“Did you expect me?” Michelle Williams asks precociously to introduce her new Columbia Records release Unexpected. The answer, of course, is absolutely not. Content until now with Grammy-winning solo success in the gospel market, many wrote Williams off as little more than window dressing for Beyonce and Kelly Rowland in the world’s best-selling girl group, Destiny’s Child.

All that changed with chart-topping first single “We Break the Dawn,” a staple on San Francisco’s KNGY Energy 92.7 and dance radio around the world, and Williams’ new, shockingly good full-length collection of dance/pop tracks. Not only has the Chicago-born singer found her voice, she seems to poke fun at stepping from her famous bandmates’ massive shadows with the album’s title.

Now Williams is preparing a one-two punch of follow-up singles – ballad “The Greatest,” which has already landed on Billboard club charts in remix form, and instantly familiar up-beat confection “Hello Heartbreak.” Just before the multi-hyphenated (singer-actress-HIV-activist--Broadway star) performer returned to San Francisco for an Oct. 31 performance at the Adonis circuit party -- hosted by yours truly -- she called in for a delicious phone chat.

The first time we connected several months ago, the diva and I gabbed as if we were old girlfriends. The second time around, exhausted by a 4 a.m. wake up call and series of interviews promoting the stellar new collection of solo work, things got off to a slow start. Luckily, she was her playful, peppy, absolutely flawless self by Halloween night. Here we chat about the album's success, the gay men she has met throughout her career and the best part of performing in the club scene.

Continue reading "Michelle Williams Is Unexpected Treat for Dance Music Fans" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 12:26 PM • Comments (1)

By Pollo Del Mar

According to Jim Croce, there are a few things in this world you just don’t do. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape. Don’t spit into the wind. Don’t take the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger. And you definitely do not fuck with a drag queen’s wig. Actually, I added that last one myself, but one pathetic creature almost learned this fact of life the hard way last night at The Crib’s Pussycat Dolls CD release party!

Waiting to make my hostessing debut at the Gus Presents 18-and-over Thursday night club at 715 Harrison at 3rd Street, one minute I was looking gorgeous, dancing and enjoying the company of a couple very sweet lesbians. The next thing I know, I was bald, furious and on the verge of assault-and-battery, honey!

What made that wafer-thin, bleach blond bitch decide to snatch my wig off, I’ll never know, but I damn sure bet he’ll think twice before pulling that shit again! I pounced on that nasty Chris Crocker knock-off faster than you can say “super-tranny-beatdown.”

Continue reading "I Flipped My Wig at The Crib" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 04:29 PM • Comments (8)

By Pollo Del Mar

Several weeks ago, when asked to interview Carol Channing about a then-upcoming series of San Francisco charity performances, I agreed immediately. Who wouldn’t want to meet an entertainment industry legend? After all, how much longer Broadway’s original “Dolly Levi” might perform is anyone’s guess. Oh, who am I kidding? At Carol’s age, performing is the least of her concerns. She could drop dead at any second!

Still, even more exciting than possibly etching my mark in the history books as the last person to ever speak to Miss Hello Dolly! on the record, I wanted to ask Channing about her reported 2006 off-color and potentially inflammatory comments regarding the LGBT community. As an entertainment journalist with significant gay readership in the country’s LGBT mecca, I hoped to provide the mush-mouthed performer an opportunity to refute, explain, clarify or apologize for – whichever is most appropriate – an interview published by Gay People’s Chronicle alleging anti-gay comments by the one-time Oscar nominee.

Continue reading "Carol Channing Still Tap Dancing Around Anti-Gay Comments" »

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Posted by Pollo Del Mar at 12:18 PM • Comments (2)