Beneva Fruitville COURTESY PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOLLER
Drag queen bingo has been around for years but still can't be found nearby much if you live in Manatee or South County. That could be changing soon, though, as Beneva Fruitville continues to take her Drag Queen Bingo shows beyond downtown Sarasota.
Beneva’s Drag Queen Bingo Brunch returns to Ace’s Live on Sunday and if four and 12-letter swear words don’t offend, I highly recommend attending. My wife Kristin and I were at Ace’s for the sold-out Bradenton debut of Drag Queen Bingo Brunch last month and the hour-long audience-participation performance flew by in a blur of laughs and gasps fueled by bloody marys and mimosas.
We had no idea what to expect and left total converts.
Our Uber driver dropped us off shortly after the doors opened at 11 a.m. and we were shocked to see the parking lot completely full. Inside, the venue best known for booking live music had the largest crowd I had seen there since an appearance by an Allman Brother. Unlike that mostly male crowd, though, this one was almost exclusively women. Really, I can’t recall another time I've been in such a male minority. I had a good feeling about the whole thing as women filled the downstairs tables and the loft area, where they appeared to be hanging over the rail, ready to topple over with excitement. It’s fun being the only guy in the room. I felt like a spy.
Drag Queen Bingo Brunch debuted last month at Ace’s Live in Bradenton. STAFF PHOTO / WADE TATANGELO
We were seated at a downstairs table to the left of the stage with three other women all about our age who, like most people in the room, were fans of Beneva Fruitville and veterans of her Drag Queen Bingo shows. Kristin and I munched on the eggs benedict with ham and asparagus served with hash browns ($14) and a bowl filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar, tortilla, tomato pico and hash browns ($11). Chef Dave Shiplett, owner of Soma Creekside and Bird Rock Taco Shack, did a great job with both, especially considering the high volume of food going out in such a short amount of time. For beverages, we had Beneva Frutiville’s Mimosa ($6.75) and Tamiami Tails’ delightfully bacon-y Bloody Mary ($6.75).
Right before the show began the women at our table warned us about the naughty language. I figured they were exaggerating. Beneva then came on stage and carpeted the room with enough creatively used F-bombs to impress a drill sergeant. Seriously, after wrestling in high school and having spent large chunks of my adulthood in bars, I thought I’d heard it all until Beneva and her cohorts, Tamiami Trails and Felicity Liemont, let loose.
The room roared with laughter as the first of three bingo games began. Don’t worry, even if, as was the case for me, you haven’t played bingo maybe ever before in your entire life, the rules are simple and Beneva and her gals have a great way of explaining them. Adding to the fun, participants are required to raise their hands at certain times (and don’t forget or you will be shamed, from the stage, with a storm of profanities). The prizes are gift cards to local businesses and then the room is encouraged to tell the winner how we really feel about them getting “bingo” before us with a certain four-letter word.
From left, Felicity Liemont, Tamiami Trails and Beneva Fruitville during Drag Queen Bingo Brunch’s at Ace’s Live in Bradenton. STAFF PHOTO / WADE TATANGELO
In between games is when Drag Queen Bingo Brunch gets really wild as Tamiami Trails, Felicity Liemont and Beneva Fruitville each take a turn performing something akin to a dance routine that takes place mostly right out in the audience with dollar bills raining down just like I’m told they do at strip clubs. Beneva spotted me and took full advantage. She threw her high-heel up over my shoulder and held it on our table long enough for Kristin — laughing hysterically — to photograph the fun.
Yes, we had a great time at Drag Queen Bingo Brunch and will likely be there at Ace’s again this Sunday. Beneva will be back, of course, and so will the lovely, sassy and hilarious Tamiami Trails and Felicity Liemont. Expect more tasty food (see complete menu below) and full-liquor bar options. Most importantly, expect the kind of wonderfully ribald fun rarely found in Bradenton.
DRAG QUEEN BINGO BRUNCH
11 a.m. (doors), 12 p.m. (show) Sunday; Ace’s Live, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., Bradenton; $15 per person includes show and three games of bingo. Seating is first come, first seated, and is Vegas-style (shared tables). Adults (18+) only. Info: 941-795-3886; aceslivemusic.com
CHEF DAVE’S BRUNCH MENU
Greek quiche: tomato, spinach and feta ($8)
Meat lover quiche: bacon, ham and cheddar ($8)
Veggie quiche: spinach, mushroom, tomato, onion, asparagus and Swiss ($8)
Chicken salad croissant sandwich with side of fruit ($9)
Chicken salad fruit platter ($8)
English muffin breakfast sandwich with egg, ham & American cheese ($5); add side of fruit ($2)
Eggs benny with home fries ($10)
Breakfast wrap: scrambled egg, ham, onion, tomatoes and American cheese with side of fruit or home fries ($8)
WADE TATANGELO writes the weekly Bar Tab column and can be reached by email or call 941-361-4955.
Follow him onTwitter at @wtatangelo
