The 16th Annual GLAM AWARDS: LGBTQ Community Shines in Fabulous Night

What is a straight man to do on a Tuesday night with a hot date but go to the 16th Annual GLAM AWARDS? Nothing if you want an entertaining night full of sass, style, and the best that the LGBTQ nightlife community has to offer.

To report this night in a usual style would be a disservice to this incredibly unusual night. And somehow I feel that usual is not something these ladies would enjoy. You could tell by the wonderful atmosphere inside BPM that this was a truly special night for everybody, yet everyone was as comfortable as they could possibly be. As we sat down at our table and tried to read the menu, we couldn’t help but smile. While the start was delayed, instead of annoyance, I felt excitement. This was all done by the energy of the crowd and the beauty of the stage.

When it finally started, we were treated to a lip synching drag tribute to the Wizard of Oz. Let’s say the bar was raised pretty early and by the time the hosts got onto the stage, people were ready for them. And what an incredible job the hosts did throughout the night. Bianca Del Rio (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and journalist/writer Michael Musto made sure to throw out the curses, scream out the insults, and create the laughs that throughout the show made us feel better in our chairs and the booze go down easier.

The awards were secondary to the performances, but you could tell how much love there was within this community for those performers. Bob The Drag Queen, Cazwell, and Bianca Del Rio were among the winners alongside bars like The Ritz, clubs like Monster, and events like Bushwig. Also, we need to talk about the Go Go Dancers giving out the awards. These two were as part of the show as anybody, and made each award a little bit more entertaining.

The performances ranked from amazing to passable. After Bob The Drag Queen and company rocked Wizard of Oz, we were treated to a sub-par performance by Pusse Couture and a slightly better one with Chelsea Piers. In between them, Marty Thomas did a performance worth remembering. The man has huge talent.  The rest of them were definitely memorable, but nothing like the performances that Mila Jam and Cazwell put on. Mila Jam used the whole stage to create a number worthy of bigger venues, it was definitely a pleasure to experience. Now about Cazwell… that this guy is not getting more attention outside of this community of people is a shame. His attitude, his showmanship and his music were all in tune with both the crowd, himself, and also the trends outside the circle. He provided the perfect performance before entertainer of the year was announced, and congratulations to Bianca Del Rio for winning. A class act all night (in this type of show at least), she hosted, won, and paid tribute to those before her. She acted like a leader for this community, and that’s something admirable to see.

If there’s anything that really threw me off, it was the performance by Kelly King. Hailed as better than Mariah Carey, what I saw was somebody with no control on stage. Her voice was powerful, but her performance seemed desperate to please. At the end she relied too hard on her vocal chords to mask the fact that she couldn’t keep up with the others. She may have had the best voice (and won best vocalist, which was not my favorite call) but that’s where her advantage ends.

Besides that, the night was everything I wanted and more. In the end, my date and I stood up from our seats satisfied with our fun evening, went home, and talked about the show. Only in New York City can you go and experience something as fabulous as this was our conclusion. We came out with acts we want to see, music we want to hear, and growing respect to those that live from performing every night. I recommend you go check out these acts and give them your support. And if them being men in drag is a problem to you; I hope you open your mind so you don’t miss out on the great shows being put on around the city.

The 16th Annual GLAM AWARDS were presented by Cherry Jubilee, at BPM in Hell’s Kitchen. Thank you Cherry Jubilee for giving these performers recognition and a night where they can all celebrate each other. Also, thank you for letting us in.

Twisted Talk: Have you been to any drag performances before? Who is your favorite entertainer? Discuss below!