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Local drag king Xavier Bottoms, made D.C. history last year by becoming the first drag king to win the title of Mr. Capital Pride.
The Blade’s loyal readers have not forgotten this milestone and have voted the handsome Mr. Bottoms (aka Angel McWilliams) their favorite of all local drag kings. Hailing from Fairfax and working by day as an engineer, he is also not shy about appearing in the mainstream as well as gay media.
Last year, he told the Washington Post all about himself as part of a Capital Pride feature and revealed qualities that would make any king fan just a little bit fluttery. Included in the list of things that make Bottoms noteworthy is a commitment to self esteem and self respect that separates many king shows from their queen counterparts, and a fondness for the Toby Keith songs “How Do You Like Me Now?”
That, combined with a truly impressive goatee/sideburns combo, makes for royalty. (ZR)
Xavier Bottoms (Blade photos by henry Lisner). |
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Blair Michaels (Blade photos by henry Lisner). |
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Blair Michaels (aka Andrew Abell) has been performing drag in Washington for 26 years, longer than many of her fans have been alive and/or out.
In participating in Town’s Friday and Saturday drag shows, she helps expose a new generation to her time-honored craft, but that is not all she has to offer the world of drag. In her ample years as a man in a dress, Michaels has participated in charity events that have helped net a combined $1.6 million for causes important to her. That combination of longevity and social consciousness makes her a rarity among contemporary drag performers.
Clearly not one to shy from commitment, Michaels resides in Alexandria with a husband of 18 years. Not only is Michaels taken, but she has “children”: two dogs named Bowswer and Liza. (ZR)
Town Danceboutique
20009 8th St. NW
202-234-8696
www.towndc.com
FIT Personal Training, now in its fifth year, offers flexibility above all else to its clients. There’s no contract required to get started and no matter how long it’s been since you donned sneakers, you can dip your toe back in with free abs classes on Sunday afternoons.
The staff can even train you in your home or at the office — they require only 50 square feet and no equipment. FIT’s trainers approach their work with skills from varied backgrounds, including kickboxing, gymnastics, dance and martial arts.
Owner Mike Everts is himself a former Junior Olympics Division 1 wrestling champ, and has been training and coaching for more than 18 years. Everts, who runs FIT alongside his husband, says he sees his business as representative of a new generation of community.
“Many of my clients are gay men and women,” he says, “but we are equally proud that anyone of any background can feel comfortable, safe and achieve real results with us.” FIT also actively supports such local organizations as SMYAL, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. (SM)
1633 Q St. NW
202-255-7814
www.fit-dc.com
DJ Wess (Blade photos by henry Lisner). |
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D.C.’s DJ Wess comes with a pedigree.
The former resident DJ at Velvet Nation’s Blue Room now helms the Saturday night party on the first floor of Town, a space that is certain to be packed with wall-to-wall fans of his craft. They aren’t alone either, as DJ Wess (aka Wess Marguerat) has also made merry in other cities’ gay bars, like Crobar in Miami and the Jungle in Atlanta. He also has a background with the recording and engineering side of music, another factor in his ability to make gay dance music enjoyable.
This is Wess’ third Blade “Best Of” award — he won this award in 2002 and was the editors’ pick for “Best DJ” in 2004.
A simple peek at the tunesmith’s MySpace page shows a diversity of interests rare in many house DJs, including a professed penchant for Pixar movies and London grime artist Dizzee Rascal. (ZR)
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