Rock Show

Honey, it's been a wild hot summer with GenderPop Cabaret. I'm still recovering from the rock show we threw at FuZion NightClub last Saturday.

It was a raucous night that started with a wicked live set from The Trampskirts. They're a lesbian punk band from Nashville that knows how to entertain!

After they got the crowd all warmed up, GenderPop Cabaret hit the stage and blew away the audience with one rockin' number after another. I participated in three brand new numbers. There's videotape, so I'm hoping to get some footage posted soon.

By the way, since this is a holiday weekend, don't be surprised if you catch me and Ida out at Woody's Tavern for karaoke on Sunday. You just can't keep us out of the spotlight.

Smooches,

Daph

A Jenkins Salute To America

(Melody, Ida, Daphne and Mee-Maw salute the troops at Woody's Tavern.)

Nothing says patriotism like a couple of drunk drag queens stumbling through a slew of rousing musical numbers. So Ida and I headed out to Woody's Tavern to celebrate America day with our hunky pals, Mee-Maw and Melody. We sang all of our crowd pleasing hits like "Rehab" and "Landslide". We also unveiled a couple of new songs that I'll be posting here shortly.

In the meantime, here's a grand production number that Mee-Maw and Melody joined me on:

This patriotic anthem for the ages is called "The House We Live In" and comes from my favorite Broadway musical, Grey Gardens. In case you missed this grand spectacle during it's run, it featured Christine Ebersole in her Tony-winning role as Little Edie. The musical is based on the cult classic documentary of the same name. The doc is available on DVD and is must viewing for it's unflinching look at the redemptive power of fashion amidst the squalor of decay.

I hope you all have an inspiring America day. To tied you over until the rest of the videos to be posted, check out the photo gallery from our celebration over at Down with Daphne.

Smooches,

Daphne

We Lost The Beat

(Holly, Ida and Daphne prepare for their next singing engagement at Woody's Tavern.)

It's become a Jenkins tradition to treat our fans to a rousing group number at each karaoke party that we throw. Easter was no exception as we tackled The Go-Go's "We Got The Beat". Of course, the name of the song may have been somewhat wishful thinking. After we each had performed multiple songs and had imbibed countless cocktails, we all seemed to find the beat somewhat elusive:

Well, we gave it our all and the crowd certainly showed their appreciation. We were called back to the spotlight repeatedly throughout the evening. We provided some exotic back-up dancing for Eric during David Bowie's "China Girl". Dave and I turned Hole's "Celebrity Skin" into a rockin' duet while Ida and Holly demonstrated some fierce head-banging. Heck, we even participated in a spiritually uplifting chorus of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Truly, there was something for everyone.

Due to popular demand, we've booked a Kentucky Derby-themed return engagement at Woody's karaoke night this coming Sunday. It's sure to be another wild night to remember.

Smooches,
Daph

I Said, "No! No! No!"

(Has anyone seen my bunny, Hasenpfeffer?)

Any of my friends will tell you, if there are two things in life that I can't live without, they are Amy Winehouse and vodka. Therefore, it's really no surprise that I would choose to sing, "Rehab"as my big number for karaoke night at Woody's Tavern. It's practically the Jenkins family theme song!

Bill has a great selection for karaoke, but this was not in his song book. However, he was sweet enough to to take an entire list of requests and download them all for us that night. Apparently, we Jenkins have excellent taste, though, as someone else tried to sing my song. Luckily, Alexis stepped in and informed me of their scheming ways. I put my stilleto heel down and made it clear that if anyone was going to debut "Rehab" at Woody's it was going to be me. Check out the raucous results for yourself:



The documentary style footage is inspired by Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. If you've never seen this film by avant-garde auteur Todd Haynes, you should really check it out. I never thought I'd be so moved by a film starring barbie dolls. Maybe there's hope for Paris Hilton's career after all.

Stop back soon for the calamitous group number. You'll never think of 80's girl group pop the same way again.

Smooches,
Daph

Tequila Makes Holly's Clothes Fall Off

(Holly Cost Jenkins sharing an Easter memory with the friendly staff of Woody's Tavern.)

Hey pumpkins! Sorry that it's taken me so long to get this next post up about our Easter escapades. The day after our party, I suffered from a severe hangover...I mean allergy attack. Then I had to get ready for my monthly gig at FuZion Night Club's goth night. It's just been a whirlwind of March madness around here. However, the good news is that I have lots of material to post about; so keep tuned.

Here we have Holly cost Jenkins singing Joe Nichols' "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off":



I had stumbed across the video that my idol, Varla Jean Merman had shot for this country classic. As soon as I heard it, I realized that this is destined to become Holly's theme song. I really think she does it justice.

Next up we have my indelible take of the Jenkins athem: Amy Winehouse's "Rehab". In the meantime, it appears that my ipod has died a sudden and horrifying death. If anyone has any tips on resurrection techniques, let me know stat!

Smooches,
Daph

Superstar: The Ida Claire Story

(Clockwise from top left: Holly Cost, Bill, Ida Claire, Daphne Ruth and Alexis)

As fate would have it, this year's unusually early Easter brought cold temperatures and snow on the day that we normally celebrate rebirth, spring and cholocate creme filled eggs. Of course, that wasn't about to stop the Jenkins clan from celebrating. We'd been preparing for our Easter Karaoke party for weeks, so we weren't about to let a little wintry precipitation keep us from showing off our new fashions.

Holly Cost, Ida Claire and I jumped in the Pussy Wagon and manuevered between the snowflakes on our way over to Woody's Tavern. Bill and Alexis already had the stage and equipment set up by the time we got there, so we got that party started right away.

For my first number I sang, "There's Gotta Be Something More" by Sugarland. Back when I lived in Hotlanta, we'd see the lead singer, Jennifer Nettles perform all the time: first in Soul Miner's Daughter and then as a solo act. When she joined up with other local musicians to form Sugarland, we all knew they were destined for stardom. It's still a little strange, though, to see such a familiar face on the cover of national magazines and performing at The Grammy's.

Ida Claire's first number was "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters. It's clear that her soul wrenching performance is inspired by the Todd Haynes cult classic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. It's so heartwarming to see Ida out there raising awareness of women's issues:

Be sure to stop back soon for more tales of our escapes from that evening as well as additional pulse-pounding performance footage.

Smooches,

Daphne

Easter Karaoke

It's a long-standing tradition with the Jenkins clan to go all out for Easter. The girls always represent at the annual Easter Drag Races in Hotlanta. Heavens knows, you can't keep that Marsha from inspecting every strange basket she comes across. And if Pinkie's eaten one chocolate bunny, she's devoured the whole darn colony.

Since moving to Looseville, I've been a little disappointed at the lack of hoopla surrounding Bunny Day. Well, since Holly Cost, Ida Claire and I had so much fun at the last holiday weekend karaoke extravaganza over at Woody's Tavern, we decided to throw a big old party there this Easter Sunday. The music gets going around 9pm and won't end until we've butchered every genre we can wrap our velvety vocal chords around.

All three of us have frantically been preparing our Easter outfits. We've even rehearsed our numbers this time around. So after you've spent some time at church and with the family, head on over to Woody's and show off your most elegant Easter bonnet.


Who: Holly Cost, Ida Claire and Daphne Ruth Jenkins
What: Easter Drag Karaoke
When: Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Where: Woody's Tavern, 208 E Burnett Ave, Louisville, KY 40208

As a special preview, here's a clip of songbird Holly Cost Jenkins singing Aaron Tippin's "There Ain't Nothin Wrong with the Radio.":



That should whet your appetite for the auditory delights we have in store for you this weekend.

Smooches,
Daphne

Pussycat Dolls

(Chicken sporting some seriously sassy attitude in the Electric Blue Kitty Wig.)

Here's a little something for all you pussy lovers out there. No longer does tabby have to go around with boring old grey or calico colored fur. Like a true Jenkins, your little feline diva can have some fabulous unnaturally colored hair.

The fine foks at Kitty Wigs have assembled a plethora of feline fashion wigs to accomodate your tempermental kitty's every mood. Whether they're a cool cat in the jazzy Electric Blue number shown at the top or a Pink Passion temptress like the photos on the right, you'll find what you need at this revolutionary website.

And that's not all: each wig comes carefully package in it's own stylish hat box. Each package comes complete with a toy mouse to distract your kitty from the blinding flashes of the paparrazi that are sure to ensue when she makes a devastating debut in her sensational new look.

When placing your order, be sure to tell them that Daphne sent you. I'm hoping with enough referrals, I might get a discount for my own little model, Orchid. Special thanks to the amorous Amber for sending this link along.

In the meantime, here's a little Pussy-themed clip that Ida took a few weeks back of my dear friend, Trista Ray, the Broadway Baby:

Trista has since gone one to seize the title for Kentucky Newcomer 2008. To think, I knew her when.

Smooches,
Daph

After Hours

(Daphne Ruth trying to keep it all together during the wee hours of the morning.)

As promised, here are the final desperate moments from the evening I performed at the zombie-themed party for FuZion Night Club. Naturally, we hung out at the bar for a few cocktails after the show to meet and greet with the audience. After a while, though, I needed a more low-key scene away from the blinding flashes of the paparazzi. So, off to Woody's we stumbled.

The following video was taken there after much alcohol had been guzzled by all parties. Quite fitting on an evening when I performed a little Amy Winehouse, no? In the clip, we take a few loving jabs at our dear sister, Linda Hand Jenkins. I'm sure, she realizes that we only tease here because we love her. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery:



If you're curious and brave enough to want to see the un-edited version of these escapades, you'll have to do a little search on XTube. I take no responsibility for hardship or injury resulting from hysterical blindness.

Smooches,

Daphne

Daphne's Creme Pie Videos

(Daphne looking like something that got dredged out of the Ohio River at Zombie Night.)

As most of you already know, FuZion Night Club recently had a zombie-themed goth night. Lord knows, it's not really a challenge for me to look like death warmed over. I gave it my best attempt, though and threw together my signature drowned drag queen look.

Here's a video the ever-helpful Ida Claire took of me getting ready for the show backstage:



For my first number, I resurrected my "Worst Pies In London" routine. Ida and I had just seen the Broadway touring production of Sweeney Todd over at the Kentucky Center. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to force-feed my delectable creme pies to more unsuspecting audience members. Here's the premiere of the full-length video of the performance. Helena Bonham Carter can eat her heart out:



Be sure to stop back soon to see the brand new number that I unveiled that night. It's a big hot mess that I know you'll all enjoy.

Smooches,
Daphne

We Are Family - Jenkins Style

(Holly Cost, Daphne Ruth and Ida Claire prepare to release their greatest hits on an unsuspecting population.)

As promised, here is the calamitous conclusion of the President's Day Weekend series of videos from Woody's karaoke night. This time up, we have all three ladies upholding the Jenkins tradition of butchering...I mean interpreting..."We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. I'm sure you'll be just shocked to hear that absolutely no rehearsal occured before this truly astonishing performance:



As is typical for rockstars like us, the night did not end there. The next stop was that culinary capital itself, Juanita's. The lovely Lacey was hunkering for a snack, so the Jenkins girls were kind enough to escort her over. While there, they simply could not resist the opportunity for a photo shoot. Why notta? Be sure to check out my website, Down With Daphne, for a complete photo gallery from the night. That Ida, she's not too big a star to help out in the kitchen!

The Jenkins are known for their refined palates (as well as their over-worked livers). Therefore, we decided to settle on something a little more upscale for our dining pleasure. Yes darlings, it was off to White Castle for us. Naturally, the crowd at Whitey's was somewhat unprepared to be in the presence of performers of our caliber. We caused quite a stir. But in the end, I think the rest of the diners realized we were regular folk just like them....except with style and talent.

Be sure to check back in shortly for the next series of videos recorded during Zombie night at FuZion Night Club. It's going to be a scream!

Smooches,
Daphne

Purgatory Party 3 - The Descent

(Daphne Ruth acts up as Ida looks on in disapproval.)

Things got ugly the night of the Purgatory Party as the night crawled on. Holly Cost learned a lesson that Linda had to be taught many times in the past: don't drag on an empty stomache. Yes gurl, she got so wrapped up in the preparations for the evening that she failed to fill that delicate belly before hitting the town. It only took a couple of adult beverages to send Holly reeling on those formidable heels. Honey, Holly went down faster than Linda in a men's locker room.

Here's the raucous third installment of our tale:

Note how helpful Ida tries to be during this emergency. If posing and showing off one's cleavage were a virtue, Ida Claire would be the Mother Therese of the Jenkins clan.

Be sure to pop back in soon for the earth-shattering conclusion of this odyssey. I promise you, things go from bad to worse!

Smooches,

Daphne

Purgatory Party 2 - The Madness Continues

(Daphne Ruth Jenkins sending you a little Valentine's Day attitude from Central Station.)


Well, it's no big surprise that the Jenkins clan had an absolute blast at the Leather and Lace-themed Purgatory Party. As always, it was the perfect place to people watch as all the hot little guys and gals were decked out in their wildest fetish attire.


Naturally, we were welcomed with open arms and adoration at the festivities. We gladly endured a constant barrage of requests for pictures and congenial chit chat. One of my favorite exchanges involved a hot boy named Tristan who looked like he had stepped out of Mad Max. This little stud muffin asked if he could touch my crimson mohawk. Honey, he could have touched whatever he wanted!


As much fun as we were having at the party, we simply couldn't justify denying the rest of Charlotte a gander at our glamor. So, with due haste, we headed out to Chaser's. You can see from the pic at the right that Linda is all about supporting our brothers and sisters in the performing arts.



After that visceral excitement, we scooted over to Central Station for a more low-key environment. After all, Linda Hand is the former Miss Central Station and Anna Stezia is the reigning queen. We surely would not have been forgiven had we failed to make an appearance.


And that's where the next installment of our epic tale pics up:

That Anna Stezia nostril cam is something else, isn't it! Have no fear, there are several more adventures before this tumultous tale wraps up. Stop back in a few days and see where fate leads the Jenkins clan on this fateful night.

Smooches,

Daphne