Planning Ahead For NEXT Saturday’s Miss Bacon Strip Pageant

Sylvia warns last year’s winner, Jinkx Monsoon to NOT eat the bacon roses…Photo: D. Caruso

I know. We have this long Pride weekend to slog through with its non-stop drinking, dancing, fornicating and pridefullness…but, it’s not too early to think about NEXT weekend, and specifically Saturday, June 30th and the 2nd Annual Miss Bacon Strip Pageant, hosted by our effervescent hostess Sylvia O’Stayformore! Last year the beautiful and talented Miss Jinkx Monsoon snatched the first ever Miss Bacon Strip crown, and my goodness….look how far she’s climbed in a year…very, very, very far.

Will this year’s winner also climb the heights of Dragdom? It remains to be seen, but there are a few changes from last year’s mega-event at the usual haunts of the Bacon Strip crowd at Re-bar…it was packed to the gills last year, and in an effort to make more money, please more of her dedicated Bacon Strip fans, Miss Sylvia is packing off this year’s show to a new, larger venue, the Lo-Fi over on Eastlake Ave East. (It’s right across from I-5 and just a couple of blocks from REI.) It has a larger capacity, with a big front room and a huge back room and a lovely raised area for the judges which pleases me since once again, I am a judge!

I’m very proud to be asked back (I begged) and also returning as a judge will be the lovely Adé with the incomparable and also quite lovely in a funny as hell way, Peggy Platt joining us. (I don’t know what happened to Jackie Hell…I think she’s off doing a production of “Rent” in Idaho…)

The prizes will be FAR more lavish than last year; I think poor Jinkx ended up with a six month supply of bacon salt and tickets to see “Holiday on Ice” at the Tacoma Dome. We’re working on something BIG and JUICY to give the diva who captures the Bacon Crown and Sausage Scepter. And, as always, the contestants will be judged on the following:

1) Audience Response

2) Appearance, ie Costume/Hair/Make-Up – not that they are “pretty” but they pulled off the look they were going for.

3) Performance – is this a polished, well- executed performance with energy and charm or something whipped together at the last second…

4) Originality/Creativity – is this a unique and interesting performance and presentation, or something we’ve seen before done by a thousand other queens

5) Charisma – do they have stage presence and the ability to be a “star” on stage and perform under pressure

6)”Bacon-osity” – do they embody the spirit of “Bacon Strip”? Bonus points for actually including bacon in the act.

You can also expect lots of great performances, go go boys and “meat men” and plenty of sizzling dance tracks…oh, and yes, there will be bacon.

It was SRO for last year’s show so get your tickets NOW over at BrownPaper Tickets; it’s only $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Here’s the trailer from last year’s sodium filled night, filmed by Perry Wales: