The Semi-Tropic

What to Wear to a Los Angeles Drag Show | Eater

"A small Echo Park cocktail bar and small-bites spot that doubles as a queer community hub, known for inventive drinks (notably the Daddy’s Ruin — mezcal, rye, vermouth, Bénédictine, chocolate, and grapefruit) and shareable plates like roasted beet hummus with jalapeños, garlic, and tahini and patatas bravas with chipotle garlic aioli. It hosts a thriving calendar of queer events, including the monthly “¡REVANCHA! a MAD drag king show” (run by Vik Floyd and Skirt Cocaine) and Dana’s Night, and even inspired Dana’s bar on The L Word: Generation Q. The bar’s programming foregrounds drag kings and nonbinary performers who often thrift or make their own looks, uses rotating themes (recently a Mother’s Day–themed “Mommie Dearest”), and produces exuberant, subversive, communal nights where patrons come decked out. In a moment when drag and brunch are under attack nationally, the venue stands out as an important, inclusive platform and social scene for LA’s queer performance community." - Virali Dave