Not the Same Old Drag After nearly two years, Trannyshack's exlectic array of cross-dressing stars keeps the crowds coming back for more Written by Frappa Stout Photo by Kathy Illera The lights flicker and dance off the silver sequined dress as she switches her narrow hips and cuts a pathway through the crowded dance floor. Her tall fire-red hair stands out against the haze, thick with artificial fog. With bright-red lips smiling smugly, she tosses back the feather boa that encircles her long neck and knows the audience is looking at her strong fish-netted legs showing through the hip-high slit in her gown. As Johnny Rotten sings, "Make room for me," this 6-foot-tall beauty makes her place right in front of the stage and waits for the show to start. In the dim light of four rotating disco balls, the illusion is almost perfect, betrayed only by the prominent Adam's apple under her chin. This is the scene at Trannyshack, the Tuesday-night "drag extravaganza" held at The Stud, located at Ninth and Harrison streets in San Francisco's South of Market district. The hostess for the evening is Heklina, the stocky, long-legged and variably blonde, brunette or red-headed creator of this Tuesday-night event. She started the club with her friend Pippi in February 1996 after monthly karaoke benefits for Project Open Hand gained a large following. "They just caught on, and The Stud asked us if we wanted to do something weekly," she says. With the help of DJ Robeena Diet Biscuit and weekly guest hostesses, the club continues to draw a large crowd, thanks in part to changing themes each week. Some past themes have included gothic, ABBA, panty-raid, rap and cocktail-nation nights. The tall blonde door-girl, Chocolate, has never missed a week. "This is my favorite night -- I can't miss the Trannyshack," she says. Named for its clientele of transgender and transvestite city dwellers, the club attracts a diverse crowd: gay, straight, conservative, curious. But unlike long-running drag shows, like the famous Finocchio's in North Beach, Trannyshack does not make audience members sit and squirm for two hours, terrified of being singled out and humiliated by performers. For only a $3 cover charge, the Trannyshack crew and its many colorful performers put on a drag show unlike any the city has seen before. "This scene is not old-school, and we attract a more young, punky crowd," says Heklina. "At other drag shows, you would see lots of Whitney Houston acts." Tommy, a drag queen who performs Wednesday nights at Harvey's in the Castro, describes Trannyshack's scene as more campy than serious. "I once saw some guy squirt water out of his butt and water a plant," he says. "It is not for those who are really into drag." For more sophisticated tastes, there is Josie's Cabaret and Juice Joint, an entertainment bar that features drag acts a couple nights a week in the Castro. Kimo's on Polk offers a more old-school scene, with show tunes being the favorite. And the Motherlode, a transgender bar on Post and Polk streets, has shows on Friday and Saturday nights. But according to Mike, a local who loves drag queens almost as much as he loves women, Trannyshack is the place for the most interesting selection of future dates. Mike even admits his fondness for the club's clientele got him into trouble when his girlfriend of three years left him for having an affair with a transvestite. "Can anyone guess what the theme for tonight is?" asks the glamourously robust Heklina. "It's cocktail nation, and this is Heklina's favorite drinking song," she says as she belts out a throaty rendition of Dionne Warwick's "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again." The smoky room shakes to an industrial '80s beat. A slender man in topcoat and tails carefully passes two dancers rolling around on the floor, all green hair, tie-dye and black-stockinged legs. An eerie-looking man with a tight white corset and pantyhose over his face stands calmly by the bar while the crowd rushes toward the stage to the dance version of "We Will Rock You," by Queen. The tone of the evening becomes more serious as Reginald Lamar, looking like a possessed Grace Jones, takes the stage and mesmerizes the crowd with a screeching, convoluted version of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells." "Trannyshack is another entity, in and of itself," says Damion Bradley, or Dusty Hole, showing off her lorex leopard halter dress and platform stiletto heels. "It is untraditional drag, and transsexuals perform here, too. This is the only place I'll perform." Taking the stage with her buxom blond friend, she bats her huge eyes and perfectly lip-syncs to ABBA's "SOS." With arms flailing and claws out, they break into a cat fight that sends wigs flying and the crowd roaring with delight. Seeking refuge from the herd assembled to watch the show, two jet-lagged Chicago-based flight attendants, fresh in from Hong Kong, take a moment to reflect on their surroundings. "For God's sake, at least wax your back," laughs John Clarin, referring to a drag queen with a chartreuse-green bob and a low-back dress. But his friend Tony Retkowski finds the imperfection refreshing. "Drag is so serious in Chicago -- here it is just to have a good time," he says. "It's raw, she obviously doesn't give a shit." |ISSUE #2|FEATURES|A&E|INVESTIGATIVE| |GREEN WATCH|NAKED TRUTH|IN MOTION|HEALTH|INDEX|