THE WILD, WILD WORLD OF SHARON NEEDLES!
America’s Reigning Drag Superstar Celebrates Release of “PG-13”

On Sunday, January 27th, in a truly cutting-edge, gender-transcendent, reasons-why-I-love-New-York-City moment,  America’s Next Drag Superstar Sharon Needles introduced the masses to an increasingly popular piece of drag queen-meets-pop culture lexicon: “Let’s have a Kai Kai”!  Just what is a “kai kai”?  It’s when two drag queens have sex… and it’s also the name of one of the songs on Needles’ new album, “PG-13”.  Joining Ms. Needles on stage for that Scissor Sisters-influenced song were, appropriately enough, her drag star boyfriend Alaska Thunderfuck, and appropriately enough again, Anna Matronic of The Scissor Sisters.  Speaking about Ms. Matronic, Needles asked the audience, “Do you know why I was able to get people who are so much more famous than me to be here tonight?  It’s because EVERYONE loves drag queens!” After entering the wild, wild world of Sharon Needles, you’ll be inclined to take part in that mass drag queen love… as well as to throw all your old preconceptions of drag out the kitschy stained glass window for good!

The “abandoned” McKittrick Hotel is the venue where mindfuck of a theater piece “Sleep No More” is playing, and the now “newly restored” hotel’s combo of dark corners, ominous stairways, and  Grand Guignol-meets-film noir atmosphere was perfect for Needles’ deliriously demented persona.  This is, after all, a girl whose songs include “Dead Girls Never Say No”, “Call Me on the Ouija Board”, and “Dressed To Kill”.  That night, the hotel ballroom was wall-to-wall with a wide variety of Needles’ loyal minions (I don’t know if there’s a term yet for Sharon’s fans.  “Needleheads” just doesn’t cut it…).  They included the cast and crew from her new video and upcoming documentary; “RuPaul’s Drag Race” groupies (and there were MANY!); and a new generation of young New York City creatures of the night.  The audience got to see the video for “This Club Is a Haunted House” (filmed at the McKittrick Hotel, by the way…) as well as clips from the upcoming documentary “Sharon Needles: Parental Guidance”.  In full goth glam and with her famously unapologetic sense of humor on hand, the statuesque scream queen met with the press before it was time for the money shot: a live show.  As we learned in clips from Needles’ upcoming documentary, America’s new drag sweetheart feels very passionate about honoring the genderfucking celebrities who paved the way before her: including Divine, Candy Darling, and Jayne County.  Another is Amanda Lepore, the  transgendered socialite with the famous gravity-defying breasts who is an omnipresence at every red carpet event.  Indeed, Lepore is paid tribute to in one of Needles’ new songs, the unambiguously-named “I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore”.  She joined Needles on stage for that one.  Another song was the simmering, seething “Every Day is Halloween”, prompting one audience member to declare, “She’s the new Manson!”  The song, released on Halloween day last year, was dedicated to “everyone who ever got picked on, and survived, and turned into a fucking Supergirl!”

Needles spoke with Jed Ryan about New York City, her love for all her GLBTQI fans, and… the issue she’s most passionate about:

JR: I have to ask the “important” question: What cause or issue do you feel most passionate about?
SN: What issue?  Like, “social issue”?!  Here’s my new social issue: My boyfriend, Alaska Thunderfuck– who will be on Season Five of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”– has an obsession with rifles, ray guns, shotguns, and pistols… and there’s been a lot of talk in the media lately about what we’re going to do with all these guns.  That’s my new thing.  We have to get rid of assault rifles, and give them all to Alaska Thunderfuck so that she can play her sick little games in her morbid little mind… and then I think there will be less shootings.  Well, there may be a couple of ACCIDENTAL shootings with Alaska, because she does drink a bit…  But yes: Take all the assault rifles and give them to Alaska.  There, that’s it… oh, and CURE AIDS!
JR: Yeah!!!  Where’s you favorite hotspot in NYC to hang out?
SN: Well, they keep CLOSING, one by one!  New York is pissing me off.  If it ain’t broke, don’t change it!  My favorite bar used to be Mars Bar on the corner of Second Ave and First Street.  It was just a great punk dive bar.  You could go there at two in the afternoon, have a couple of drinks, do a show, and stop back there at three in the morning and see the same fucking people in there!  By that point they would be crying and hugging you.  My old favorite place was the old Lucky Cheng’s– because NOBODY WENT THERE!  I could go in there just being Astro Earl getting shitfaced at the bar and there would be a whole bunch of bridge and tunnel girls celebrating their bachelorette  party… and they NEVER charged you for anything there!  You would basically have to be paid to eat their food… but their drinks had enough alcohol for two genders in them.  I guess I’ve been going to The Cock a lot lately.  It’s filthy but friendly.  I don’t like big “boom boom” clubs and never have, which sucks because I am in one every night.  So,I guess The Cock is my new favorite hangout spot.  Wait, you mean I didn’t have to say a bar?!  If I ain’t drinkin’, I ain’t leaving the house!

JR: Ain’t it the truth!  Lastly, do you have anything to say to the Leather and Bear guys out there– the big, hairy guys? 
SN: No.  (Laughs)
JR: Oh come on, we love you too!
SN: I hook up with twinks!  No, no no… I love all my GLBTQI fans.  The Leather scene loves me a little bit more because they don’t flinch when I say “Hail Satan!”  And, they usually get why I am trying to be a badass– because it’s fun and it’s sexy and it’s rutarded to act like a badass when we’re all just a bunch of flaming faggots.
JR: But, even at a Leather or Bear bar, when “RuPaul’s Drag Race” comes on, all eyes become glued to the TV! 
SN: Exactly!  It’s like when your at a Leather bar and someone’s just like (lowers voice) “Hey, Daddy!” and they go right into their silver Jetta blaring a Celine Dion remix.  We’re all the same here.  Just, some wear leather!  And, just because I work for PETA: It means I don’t EAT animals.  But I wear the SHIT out of them!
JR: Gotcha!  Thanks!

Sharon Needles’ new CD, “PG-13” is now available!  Visit http://www.SharonNeedles.com for more!