How far we have come. A decade ago the thought of a drag show at a large venue like Flames Central would have been scoffed at. Yet there we were, on a warm February night in the nearly sold out venue, crammed to the balcony to watch seven of RuPaul’s fiercest queens perform. It speaks to the progression of society; it speaks to the progression of Calgary that the show could fill a venue that frequently hosts major concerts. I have seen many, many shows at Flames Central and the Battle of the Seasons’ tour – February 13^th – held its own against them all.

The one-hour VIP Meet and Greet took place prior to the show. Those that snapped up the tickets, which sold out in minutes, were given the opportunity to mingle with the night’s performers to chat and take photos. I have to say that the girls were some of the most genuine and friendly entertainers I have ever met. Every fan was greeted with a hug, and the girls seemed just as excited to meet their fans as we were them. It’s obvious that they love the connection. Sharon Needles even told us that she was carried out of the meet and greet a few years ago at Cowboys because she had refused to leave. Each queen – Needles, Alaska Thunderfuck, Manila Luzon, Ivy winters, Raja, Phi Phi O’Hare, BenDeLaCreme and host Michelle Visage – left everyone with a huge smile on their face. That hour just wasn’t enough, and not everyone got a photo with everyone, but fans got lots of one on one time with the girls they met.

Michelle Visage landed in Calgary, from England, to take on her hosting duties after missing the first few dates of the tour due to Celebrity Big Brother. She was greeted with a huge cheer as she kicked off the show thanking the fans for their support. She may love dick (one of the many things she has in common with the gay community) but she is truly an ally and representative to be proud of. She truly does love the community. After an introduction the performances began... and wow! The queens were on fire!

Alaska started things off, doing a comedic rendition of I Have Nothing, and advising the audience to drink as it makes the queens more talented. Ivy then took the stage with a quick-change act that mirrored those of major illusionists. And it kept going – Manila prowling the stage in leather, like a rock star selling her merchandise, literally. The song is called Buy My T-Shirt and she sold them from the stage for $20. Phi Phi sang All About That Base, nailing the Nicki Minaj rap.

The music took a break as one of the show’s games came to life live on stage. For tonight’s mini challenge Raja, Ivy and Manila had to dress three audience members in trash. Raja’s partner was Mike, a handsome fellow who was put on the spot when Visage asked him if he knew how to bottom. "I’m a power top; I can always tell the power bottoms," she said, to the crowd’s delight. Raja and Mike ended up the winning team, despite Manila attempting to sabotage them by biting a hole in his inflated garbage bag shoulder pads.

One of the highlights of the evening was another Drag Race staple – ‘The Snatch Game’. Two of the more over the top Season 6 Drag Race contestants were brought to life: Gia Gunn, complete with messed up eyelash, by Phi Phi; and Laganja, by Alaska. Dela portrayed a RuPaul superfan and Sharon Needles portrayed Joan Rivers... current Joan Rivers.

Question: whenever I think of Justin Bieber I ______.
Needles: Get an endoscopy at an unregistered upper west side clinic.

The groans of shocked laughter continued when Needles said "All I know is I went in because I was coughin’, and then I woke up in one."

"Fuck you – it’s fucking comedy!" she declared to the laughing audience and, to be fair, Rivers probably would have loved it. The audience certainly loved Alaska’s bringing Laganja’s quirks to life; her obsession with pot, referencing Mama, clicking, and back fall.

In the interviews that GayCalgary conducted leading up to the show, the participants talked about BOTS being a variety show, which is absolutely what fans saw. While the lip-synching and live singing performances – such as Needle’s performing her new single "Dracula la la" – were amazing, BenDeLaCreme and Ivy arguably stole the show with their performances. Ben’s strip down burlesque routine and number about candy – that resulted in her dripping chocolate all over her face – brought the house down, while Winter’s stilt performance was jaw dropping. These two underrated talents, who came in seventh (Ivy) and fifth (Ben) on their respective seasons and were both voted Miss Congeniality, illustrated that they should have made it further in their competitions.

There truly was something for everyone: comedy, elegance, a bizarre Japanese anime style performance, and much more. Take the personality you saw on the show, magnify it, and put it on stage and that was the Battle of the Seasons show.

All too soon it was over. For two hours the top drag superstars enthralled Calgary with their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. It certainly seems as if the concept of a multi-star tour is one that will continue on, and I hope that Calgary is once again a stop for it. Fans proved they wanted Ru’s girls here and they delivered. It was a special night for everyone.