Some of that is because there aren’t really any gay bars anymore, but it’s more than that,” Tracy said. “It’s soccer moms and young straight women. In turn, drag shows have also drawn a more mixed crowd. That’s meant that the gay, queer and trans communities have either moved online, or mixed in at bars and venues that weren’t traditionally geared toward an LGBTQ clientele. In past decades, drag shows were almost completely held at gay bars, of which the Bangor area has had a handful over the years, including Visions, the Spectrum and Therapy.īut since Therapy closed in 2012, Bangor has not had a specific gathering place for the LGBTQ community, and in Maine, only a small handful of gay bars are left. There are LGBTQ audience members at these events, of course, but just as many straight people. “We’ve always had a pretty good crowd, but not like this.” We had to turn people away at the door,” Tracy said. “Our Halloween show in Bangor last year was insane. Drag performer Heidi Tuckins does a lip sync with her sledgehammer during a drag show at Seasons in Bangor in April. Since they started doing live shows again last year after a pandemic pause, Tracy said he’s seen audiences grow tremendously - not just in larger Maine cities like Bangor and Portland, but even in farther-flung towns like Pittsfield and Prospect Harbor. The shows at Seasons are produced by Bangor-based Delicious Drag Divas, which was started about five years ago by Lloyd Tracy and his husband, Tony, a.k.a. Drag is for everyone.”īut there are plenty of traditional late-night drag shows, like the ones held recently at Ivy, the nightclub upstairs from Kanu in Old Town, the Common Loon Pub in Orono, and the Downunder Lounge at Seasons in Bangor, all of which feature the fabulous looks and fierce lip syncs one would expect from a drag queen.
I want young queer kids to be able to see drag, and see people like them. “I think one of the amazing things about drag having much higher visibility these days is that it’s open to anyone, regardless of your age and background. “It’s really important to me that drag be accessible to all types of people - not just a late night bar crowd,” Varney said.
Credit: Courtesy of Dominick VarneyĬurrently, he hosts weekly drag bingo and drag brunches at Happy Endings Martini Bar in Bangor, and Sunday drag trivia at Kick Axe Pub & Club at the Bangor Mall - both of which are earlier in the day and open to those under 21. Bangor actor and director Dominick Varney - seen here during a Pride event at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono last year.