Bacon and Legs with a Side of Fabulously Fun Times!

Another raving Drag show has found its way onto Gather’s calendar, but this time it’s a bit different from the shows Gather is used to hosting! 

“I was going for a reinvention of the classics,” Gather’s Co-Owner and Chef, Jyll Everman, said. “With the arrival of Spring, I realized we have never done a Spring Brunch at Gather, which is a very popular event in the Drag community, and we just love being a part of that community! This is our seventh year of hosting Drag shows, and I try to make the next show more special than the last one every time. I never want to be stuck in a rut! I was more than ready to tackle a Drag Brunch within Gather, and to make it something very special.”

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An elevated experience

Chef Jyll Everman and the staff at Gather always create something special within the bright venue, and though this may be different from past Drag shows attendees have come to know and love, that doesn’t make it any less special. Jyll has blown everyone’s expectations out of the water, as usual, with a stellar menu lineup and amazing songs and performances by the Queens.

“When I decided on Brunch, I knew we needed to have a menu that people look at and can’t decide what they want because it all sounds so amazing," Jyll laughed. “This Drag show will be everything you would see at our night shows, but with more of a relaxed feel: have amazing food, get your Espresso Martini, and sit back with your friends while watching a fabulous show. It's a smidge of a different vibe from our past Drag Shows, but with the incredibly high standards I always have.”

Aside from the classic brunch cocktails making their way around the room during the entertaining afternoon, Jyll lined up three menu items for guests to choose between when purchasing tickets online: a sweet croissant style french toast topped with cherries and white chocolate and a sweet and spicy bacon side, black forest ham-cheese crepes topped with an herbed hollandaise and fresh fruit side salad with a lime poppyseed dressing, or a wild-mushroom medley avocado toast with garlicky pinenuts and a berry side salad.

“Food came out in five minutes of people sitting down and we received rave reviews,” she beamed. “As always, I knew that if we were going to do any kind of event with food, it needed to be exciting for people, it needed to be something different. It needed to be food they recognized in an elevated fashion. If you're going to eat at Gather, we want you to walk out excited about the food!”
“Tickets purchased also came with two drink tickets, and we had some amazing options at the bar, including varying types of juices for mimosas, a really beautiful cold brew coffee cocktail, and our homemade Bloody Mary mix. We wanted to give people an elevated experience when it came to this brunch menu.”

There were no VIP tickets for the Bacon and Legs Drag event, due to each ticket coming with a brunch item from the menu and two drink tickets. All tickets were valued at the same price for this show. 

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Trusting the process

Jyll ensured to keep both her own high standards for Gather, and the standards guests have come to expect, by letting show director and Wisconsin Drag Queen legend, Joey Black, handle most of the planning and organizing of the show itself.

“Having never done a Brunch Drag before, I had to rely on Joey Black, our show director, to help with the vibe,” Jyll laughed. “When we normally do an event with food at Gather, you eat the food, we clear everything, and then it's time for our entertainment -- Joey informed me that is not how Drag Brunches work. At a Drag Brunch, you get the food and eat while the show is happening! It's a brighter room, so people aren't compelled to stand up and party with their friends, with more of a relaxed atmosphere. Eat and have a great time with the Queens!”

Of course with the attempt at a new event Jyll and the Drag Queens had some anxiety over how the event might be perceived in comparison to the evening shows, but Jyll has always trusted and respected the opinions of each attendee, more than happy to hear about how Gather might improve the next show. 

“We never know how something might go unless we try,” Jyll shrugged. “It could be a humongous success or people might want us to revert to what we used to do, but we'll never know unless we try! I never want to continue to stay safe and do the same thing over and over, I want to continue to push boundaries and push limits.”

“We have a lot of trust in our guests, if we didn't, we wouldn't encourage feedback and we wouldn't have surveys,” said Jyll. “After every Taste event, we send home a survey asking what we can do better. We’ve gotten so much great feedback, people trust that we know what we're doing and that we're going to do everything we can to make their time with us special. If we don't fulfill what they want, we'll listen and adjust to their needs. I love that we have that trust with our guests.” 

The trust is mutual as the guests did indeed have a great time at Gather’s Brunch Drag show, but this comes as no surprise, as Gather has acclaimed a reputation for always providing a good time for all! Even Jyll and the staff behind the curtain have a fun time at these special events.

“I let the Queens know in our group chat that if someone didn't perform Beyonce's new country song, I'm never throwing another brunch again, so Victoria Lynn-Mirage did “Texas Hold 'Em” for me, I was so happy,” Jyll laughed, “I was dancing in the back so hard, it put me in the best mood.”

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The Reigning Queens

This Drag event was shorter in duration than others because it was a day show and people typically have busier days than they do evenings. There was no intermission for a decor flip or mid-show break for the Queens, instead, the Queens roamed the room while performing in a more lowkey atmosphere, with attendees enjoying the food, drinks, and dancing!

“It felt so good to be in that room,” Jyll said warmly. “I love to watch everyone having fun as I walk around the event and take in the view.  Everyone was laughing with their friends or cheering for their favorite Queen they got to meet during brunch – there’s an energy about the room during the Drag shows that feels very boisterous and joyful, it’s so accepting and loving.”

“It was so fun to see the show so well-lit during the day,” she grinned. “You could see a lot more of the details in what goes into the Queens’ costumes, the thousands of dollars they have spent on the jewelry and material, and the amount of work that goes into it is insane and jaw-dropping. During this day show, we could see everything in such a bright light and it was phenomenal.”

The Queens, as always, were more than thrilled to partake in another Gather Drag show, but to shake up the format in this location was something many of them were very excited about!

“The Queens do a lot of Drag Brunches in general, but I think they knew that if they were going to do a Brunch Drag show with Gather there would still be full production, with a fabulous emcee, and super delicious food. They're always excited to be part of something they know is special. There's a lot of thought and care put into the show, and they're always very thankful afterward.”

The reigning Queens of Gather’s Drag shows consist of show director Joey Black, Loretta Love Lee, Victoria Lynn-Mirage, Rane Cegelski (Katya Knutt), Mercedes Benzova, and Mangruem-kenworthy Gina (Gina D’licious).

If you want to catch one of Gather’s Drag Shows and any of these talented Queens performances, follow Gather’s social media and join our newsletter today!

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