Arts & Entertainment
Boulet Brothers crown drag king winner of ‘Dragula’ season 3
Landon Cider, the first drag king to ever compete in a televised drag competition series in the United States, last week set another precedent by winning the season of the show he was cast in.
Cider made history in August when the Boulet Brothers cast him in the third season of their competition reality series “Dragula.” At the time, he told The Advocate, “I am a proud cis woman, lesbian and drag king. AFAB [assigned female at birth] drag performers share the same length of history with queens, fill our communities with incredible artistry, and I am honored to be just one in an infinite sea of talent.”
He also acknowledged Hollow Eve, another contestant, saying, “Hollow and I are shattering glass ceilings. So grab a shard, AFABs, cause we’re all coming for blood!”
Eve was also assigned female at birth but describes themselves as a “post binary drag socialist.”
The Boulet Brothers “Dragula” was developed by the popular drag club promoters from their long-running club event of the same name. The showoperates as a reality competition series similar to “RuPaul’s Drag Race, but with a unique twist: the contestants compete to be crowned “the world’s next drag super monster,” taking part in horror-themed challenges to prove to the judges that they are the most evil, grotesque and talented queen of the season.
For the final challenge, the three remaining competitors (Cider, Dollya Black and Priscilla Chambers) were told to create and perform in three looks for a self-designed floor show that adhered to the three “principles” of “Dragula” – filth, horror and glamour.
Both Black and Chambers impressed the judges with their respective looks, but Cider dazzled with his three looks. For “glamour,” Cider appeared in a Met Gala-inspired suit, bedecked from head to toe in shimmering black jewels; for “filth,” Cider appeared shirtless in torn-up boxers, eating what looked like moldy food and making out with a sex doll; and for “horror,” Cider appeared as a nightmare version of the Tin Man from “Wizard of Oz,” mutilating a dead body with his axe and eating the corpse’s remains.
At the end of the challenge, the Boulet Brothers announced Cider as the winner, and asked him to spread their message of “drag, filth, horror and glamour.” As Cider walked the stage, a bucket of blood was dumped on his head, referencing the iconic scene from “Carrie” as he laughed maniacally into the camera.
All 10 episodes of “Dragula”season 3 are now available on Amazon Prime Video.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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PHOTOS: Equality Prince William Pride
Chilean lawmakers back report that calls for suspension of program for trans children
Ashley Biden to speak at Blade’s Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach
Pete Buttigieg, eyeing a presidential run, holds Iowa town hall
Calendar: May 16-22
Documentary about Blade reporter to premiere this month
