Silvertron Cafe gets ready for new year of drag brunch
On the last Saturday morning of every month, Silvertron in Forest Park spices up usual its weekend brunch plans.
Drag Brunch, which originally started downtown, made the move to Silvertron Cafe in December 2015.
“When I was asked if I was interested in hosting here, I said, ‘Why not?’ I’m already a supporter for the gay community anyways, so it was a fit,” said Marco Morosini, owner of Silvertron Café.
Morosini said it’s the kind of event that every table in the room is having a good time. Even though the event started out being popular in the gay community, he said over the years it has brought in more of the straight community to take part in the fun.
“It’s fun to see how [the drag queens] are able to bring the clientele together based on songs they know and the way they interact with the customers,” Morosini said.
The drag queens who regularly perform at the event includes Cierra Symone Campbell, Victoria Taylor, Audrina Taylor and Lotus Darmani.
Campbell, who first approached Morosini about doing Drag Brunch at Silvertron Café, said it gives people the opportunity to still see a drag show who might not want to stay out late on Friday and Saturday.
“The audience is different — they actually are coming specifically to see Drag Brunch,” Campbell said. “It’s more family-oriented than a night club.”
Morosini said that because there is no stage, the drag show is a much more intimate experience where they walk around the tables and interact with people.
“People don’t feel as intimidated because it’s at a restaurant,” Morosini said, and there is a sort of domino effect in bringing more and more new people in from the community who haven’t seen a drag show.
“The entire floor is our stage,” Campbell said, adding that it’s an open-minded and playful experience.
By now, Campbell said, the drag queens have a feel for the audience, and know what songs they usually enjoy the most. Each drag queen has their own particular style of songs, too. Personally, Campbell said he sings a lot of Whitney Houston and Beyoncé.
Campbell, who has been doing drag for 13 years, said that in the beginning it was all about self-expression and creating a character, but now it’s more about entertaining and putting a smile on someone’s face.
The free event does require a reservation in advance. Morosini said he typically closes admission at around 100 people so that the restaurant doesn’t get overcrowded.
Morosini said the show starts around 11 a.m. and lasts an hour and a half at most.
“You never know what to expect, so expect the unexpected,” Campbell said.
To reserve a spot, send an email to dragbrunchbham@gmail.com or go to the Drag Brunch at Silvertron Cafe Facebook page.