Ames gay bar

Sydney Novak November 3, Behind the black, glittery curtain and the wafting scent of hairspray lingering on the stage of Big Wigs conceals a dedicated staff of people with one common goal: making their guests feel welcome, appreciated and glamorous. Big Wigs opened its gay on Oct. Rusty Brammer owns and operates the bar but is far more than a business owner.

He might even be more well known as Vanessa Taylor, who has been performing drag for the past 25 years. These days, he keeps busy with managing Big Wigs, where he performs as Vanessa Taylor for two shows every Friday and Saturday. Brammer recalls going to The Garden, a gay bar in Des Moines, when he turned 21 and seeing drag for the first time.

Years later, inBrammer would become a partner owner of The Garden. For two years, he worked his day job as well as remodeled and operated The Garden. With the money he made flipping the house, he knew he wanted to open a drag bar, and he had a feeling that he needed to open one in Ames. Brammer ames had insight thanks to his history in the Ames and Des Moines drag community.

In his twenties, Brammer hosted shows at local bars around Ames to make money.

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He recruited other queens to perform and never had any trouble crowding a bar with an audience, even on a Tuesday night. He knew what it took to make guests ames welcomed and to keep people coming back. Ultimately, Brammer knew exactly what he wanted from his new bar. Down to the people who worked there, he had a gay vision of what it would be like to have a drink, what it would taste like and who would serve it to you.

Marnell has years of experience behind the bar, but like Brammer, she does a lot more. She also owns Big Girl Nails. She does custom nail sets for the drag community and even for drag queen Dominique Cass, a show cast queen at Big Wigs. There is no shortage of gaudy chandeliers, zebra print accents or the color pink throughout the space.

The entire venue is a large, open space and Brammer has plans to use all of it. In the future he hopes bar host other events like drag brunch on Sundays and drag bingo, have custom cakes for order and, of course, continue with hosting drag shows Friday and Saturday nights. Dominique Cass met Brammer through the drag community in Ames.

Despite needing to commute from Cedar Rapids where she works and saying goodbye to her weekend availability, this was something she wanted to do. After performing drag for 16 years, Cass is to the point where she can get her drag look on in about a half an hour. Classic, glamorous drag is what Brammer and his cast do best.

Feathers, sequins, glitter and rhinestones are staples in every show, as well as fully styled wigs and drag make up. No one gets on stage with any stubble or shadow. Bodies are shaped and molded to get everything in the right places.