Men in collars are pulled through the crowd next to women wearing nothing but electrical tape and booty shorts. Half-naked bartenders serve drinks, and glitter-clad shot boys roam the dance floor.
And that's just the audience.
The real show was onstage. Men convincingly dressed as women in black leather whipped dancers dressed in little more than spiked collars. Props such as elaborate headdresses and cages adorned the stage, while blinding flashes of colored light struck the crowd and the vibrations from the bass pounded the walls.
This was the Black Party drag show, hosted by Marcella's Show Club & Lounge on Sunday.
So many people attend Black Party, which is much larger than their regular Wednesday and Sunday shows, that the club suggested getting there at least an hour before the performances started. Black Party has been running for 11 years and, along with the club's annual White Party, the two are some of the biggest drag shows in Buffalo.
This year, the show was a little different than previous years. Usually, the show has two sets with all the drag queens performing each set. In what seemed like a successful attempt to keep the guests entertained all night, the club decided to have three sets, with a couple of queens in each set.
The roaring of the crowd was the only way to tell that the set was about to begin. The five- to seven-minute performances were erotic dances to techno songs that the queens lip-synced. Each performance is dependent on the queen, according to Sabrina, a queen who's been working at Marcella's for seven years.
"It's the club's ideas and my ideas that combine to create the show," Sabrina said.
V, another one of the queens, says that she choreographs her own performances, using her friends and boyfriend as dancers.
The energy of the crowd was consuming as people pushed through to wave dollars in the air for the performers. Even after the sets were completed, the crowd continued to go wild. Men danced with men, men danced with women and women danced with women. Together, audience members put on their own personal shows and an overflow of sexual energy hit the dance floors and cleared stages.
Marcella's layout allows for well over 900 attendees. With two outdoor patios, two stages, two main dance floors, a wall of booths and a bar the length of the club, there is plenty of space. Even the help have fun while at work. James is a security guard who has worked at the club for two years.
"I'm straight but I work at a gay club because I love it," James said.
When it comes to the customers, the club is open to everyone whether they are gay or straight. And for participants and attendees alike, Black Party can be one of the best nights of the year to express oneself. In fact, the more elaborate your outfit, meaning fewer clothes and more sparkles, determines how quickly you can get into Marcella's.
Mike Goss, a UB student, said he believes Marcella's Club is important to the gay community.
"I live my everyday life, but it's nice to have someplace to come on Sunday nights to be with people like me and feel normal," Goss said.
The gay community is definitely at home in Marcella's, but the straight community isn't lacking in attendees either.
There will surely be dozens more drag shows at Marcella's and other clubs, as well as on campus, over the course of the year, but Black Party and White Party hold reign, dragging the competition in its wake.
Email: spectrumartsdesk@hotmail.com
