Dragalicious Drag Ball turned 21 on Thursday, April 10, celebrating with the local community. Doors opened at 7:30 p.m. outside of HUB 302, with tables from organizers—the Queer Alliance of the University of California, Riverside (UCR), Drag Club of UCR, and the LGBT Resource Center—offering QR codes to their social media accounts and flyers for upcoming events, such as the Inland Empire’s LGBTQ+ center’s “Outspoken” poetry night fundraiser.
The check-in process ran smoothly, with students managing a table close to the inside entry. The event was free for everyone, so tabling only served to greet incoming guests and offer the opportunity to give a gratuity. Moving further along, a nearby table displayed two options to choose from, either acquiring an LED foam stick or mini hand clappers that would come to amplify the energy in the room—resembling fan engagement from K-pop concerts.
The stage setup was simple but effective, with seating flanked on both sides of the vertical runway and larger seating sections extended out to the left and right sections in the front. There was ample time for students to check in and find seats until the lights dimmed down at 8 p.m., indicating the start of the show.
If excitement wasn’t palpable before, the darkness prompted audiences to collectively sway their light sticks or mini clappers around to create a lively chorus of support. KUCR’s tent was located on the far left corner, close to the stage, matching the crowd’s energy with hits, “Von Dutch” and “Sexy B*tch” adding a rhythmic ambiance to the crowd’s movements.
Coming out from behind the curtains, a spotlight graced over returning drag queen, Mayhem Miller, best known for competing in various seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as being a local Riverside legend. The seasoned performer kicked-off the night by lip-synching to Club 69’s “Diva,” while dressed in full-coverage long-sleeved bodycon dress.
The orange-and-brown-toned shades covered Miller with mismatched tiger and leopard prints, accessorized with a matching hat and a gold-buckle belt. Making use of the stage, Miller strutted her way to all sides of the stage, demonstrating a confident presence in her mannerisms. At one point, the star walked through a confetti of cash thrown up in the air, making her way down the stairs to interact closely with fans and segway into Club 69’s “I Look Good.”
An introductory intermission followed with Miller praising the audience for having some good energy— from cheering, and swaying around the clappers and light sticks. Miller shared, “I feel like I’m at home because you know I’m a Riverside native. I grew up right down the street… I’m always here in town and it’s nice to see that our community is thriving and doing well in Riverside.”
Miller’s more witty and comedic tone heightened engagement with fans as she went around asking sections to “bring the energy” in a cheering challenge to only announce that everyone was a winner for being amazing. For “Drag virgins” in the venue, Miller charismatically briefed the audience about mindful ways of conduct before announcing performances.
Drag performer Reina Rey took the stage with an epic uproar of support when piccolo flutes and blaring brass began playing. Her timed entrance was unforgettable as she lip-synced and danced to raunchy lyrics, “His d*ck smaller than my toes / Yeah, yes, smaller than my toes” from CupcakKe’s track “Squidward Nose.” Her strong delivery of song choice was unexpected, but jaw-dropping in the best way.
Her performance surged with unrestrained expression; she didn’t take herself too seriously, and she flamboyantly had fun. Reina Rey’s choice of attire seemed purposefully flowy—a flared top and plaid skirt—to draw attention to her dance movements, along with the signature makeup look she’s best known for: a red lip, drawn-on eyeliner and an above-the-lip mustache and chin stubble. She later collaborated with Bearberinger, on a duet of “Burn for You,” a track from a concept album called The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.
The next drag performer, Luluminescence, let loose to BLACKPINK member Jennie’s electronic funk anthem, “like JENNIE.” Her look for the night was fairly identical to the album visualizers, as she wore a long, ruby red wig and fitted black jogger and top set. With the track’s rising popularity, it’s become an anthem for Jennie herself—and for Luluminescence to bring forth her own style of individuality, adding her own dance movements to the official choreography. Later on, she took the stage again for an equally strong performance of LE SSERAPHIM’s track “Hot,” evoking the same empowered ferocity with an orange toned wig and pink mini dress.
The following performance by Reneessance premised a shift to a more sentimental and light-hearted energy in the crowd. In character as Elphaba, Reneessance embodied her look wearing a black long-sleeved dress, matching conical hat, and in hand, a small broom prop and red hat. “Defying Gravity” demanded smaller movements but grandeur gestures and emotional lip-syncing, which she achieved.
After reaching Cynthia Erivo’s viral high note having stomped over the red hat and raising the broom victoriously, a beat drop from Sexxy Red’s “Get It Sexy” took over, prompting the lights to go red. The drop reinvigorated the crowd’s cheering, and Reneessance made her way into the crowd to show off more explosive moves in tune with the rhythm.
Jennifer Body’s performance retrograded to 1979’s “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summers. The infectious rock and disco influenced beat was a refreshing shift to classic hits anthems that can get anyone to groove to the rhythm. Jennifer Body dazzled with a purple slip dress, sparkly sheer fishnets and strutting an intimidating pair of high heels effortlessly. Her voluminous hair had its own hairography to accentuate the fluid swaying and hip-isolated movements. Her second performance raised everyone’s cheering energy when she stepped out in a beige trench coat during the beginning of “The Door” by Teddy Swims. She later revealed a bejeweled, mesh bodysuit to deliver a soulful performance.
In conversation with drag performer La Lupita Cruz, who gave a jaunty performance to “The Boss” by Diana Ross for its powerful lyricism, shared that her drag name honors the memory of her grandmother Lupita, a performer during the Vietnam war. She nods to her grandmother’s legacy, while crediting her influences:
“She would sing and dance for soldiers and would make her own costumes. The La and Cruz parts of my name are to honor the famous Latin American singers La Lupe and Celia Cruz.”
This was her first time performing to a disco song, in which she also chose to re-wear a black mini dress from her first drag event. Her makeup for the night channeled a classic 1970s look, with added glitter to resemble the shine of a disco ball. With some final words, she bared, “I am grateful and thrilled to be working with all the wonderful performers here at UCR Drag Club.”
Later, Ya Boi Pj also revealed more about his persona, taking a moment to explain, “My drag persona is very much a mockery of toxic masculinity and male privilege. By parodying a stereotypical cishet man, I can bring humor to the often uncomfortable experiences that women and LGBTQ+ people share when interacting with cishet men in social spaces.” In the past he’s embodied various male artists, including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Drake.
In choosing Bruno Mars this time around, Ya Boi Pj executed a vision that was successful, with many singing along to “Finesse” and “That’s What I Like.” The storytelling behind the performance aimed to “portray the carefree, flirty, and fun vibes that are ever present in his music videos. And of course, it was fun to recreate his iconic silk pajama look from the cover of his “24K Magic” album.” The last few seconds of “That’s What I Like” only reinforced his intentions, with the beat becoming distorted—akin to TikTok thirst trap trends and editing—as the lights turned an alluring magenta shade.
Soon after, Cera Bayar took the vibe over with the sonic “Whiplash” from Aespa’s fifth mini album. They were fashionably adorned in blue denim shorts, a white button-up shirt and a casual footwear choice of sandals and socks. The icy blonde wig elevated the edgy look, with the help of an actual whip for a prop. Their dance was kept minimalistic. Cera Bayar opted for contemporary, subtle movements, with the exception of a backbend to look over at the audience near the end.
The crowd’s enthusiasm never wavered, giving the same energy to drag performer Angelique, who brought intensity with Rihanna’s “S&M.” Her signature makeup look had a white base, emphasizing her eyes and lips. She wore black trousers and a long-sleeved button-up top, which she later slowly teased taking off to reveal a V-neck vest with leopard print undergarment peeking through. The lyricism and rhythm of the song demanded powerful, sensual movements, which she fully bodied. Her lip-synching confidence was entrancing and on the flirtier side than prior performances.
Finally, Melodrama sauntered in a couple seconds after a male voice narrated, “God made man and female, that is determined genetically, that is physiology, that is science, that is reality. This notion that you are something other than your biology…” is promptly disrupted with another voice cutting in to say, “Shut your b*tch *ss up.”
Melodrama hard-launched into “Amen” by Todrick Hall, pushing back against those initial ideals with lyrics praising, “Girls, grab your woman / Boys, grab your man / Love who the f*ck you want / Just ‘cause you can.” Melodrama transformed the stage with the act of wearing a black and white dress, disappearing behind the curtains briefly and reappearing in a priest’s robe. The outfit change aligned with the lyrics, “You don’t need to be altered (come as you are)” and the hook ending with a chorus of “Amen, Amen, Amen.”
The show ended with a laid-back final performance from Mayhem Miller—just right for wrapping up the night. She announced each persona in the order they performed, and finally introduced herself to take a final walk on stage and join in on the applause.
