A packed crowd had already began to gather around the ranch-style beams framing the dance floor of Charlie’s Nightclub, eagerly awaiting the weekly drag show on Sunday. Some of the crowd had just started filling in, while others were on their third or fourth round of drinks. It was barely 9 p.m., and some of the patrons were already yelling with drunk happiness.
It’s time for Kai Lee’s KiKi, a weekly drag show featuring one of Denver’s most eccentric, most outspoken drag queens — Kai Lee Mykels.
If you ask Kai Lee Mykels to describe herself in five words, her response might surprise you.
“I’m a good Christian woman.”
Kai Lee grew up in a very conservative, Southern Baptist home in Texas. But his love for entertaining took root long before she donned wigs and high heels. As a young boy, Joshua Brown — the man behind Kai Lee — always loved to entertain. He starred in plays in middle and high school and has always loved the thrill of being on stage.
When he turned 18, Joshua skipped out of his hometown of Mabank, Texas, travelled 60 miles, and found himself at a gay bar in Dallas, witnessing drag for the first time. As he watched Krystal Summers and Cassie Nova perform, his mind started racing. Kyle fell in love with drag.
“I remember thinking, ‘I wanna do that one day,’” she said. “It’s always kind of in the back of my mind. But really, it was RuPual’s Drag Race Season 2 that really inspired me to pursue it.”
During college in San Marcos, Texas, Joshua didn’t jump into performing, as his college town only had one gay bar and very few drag outlets. But this didn’t stop him from throwing on some makeup, women’s clothing, and a wig to attend parties or hit the bars. It was his introduction to drag, without the pressure of performing.
In 2010, once he moved to Austin, Joshua decided to finally pursue drag in a professional sense. He messaged a few local queens and asked for advice before taking the stage for the first time as Kai Lee.
“I worked for free for a year and a half to two years before I ever started getting paid anything besides tips,” she said. “I feel like new queens just have to do that to pave your way, if you will.”
For three years, Kai Lee performed in Austin, diving deep into the local scene and competing in drag pageants — drag pageants are huge in Texas. But a church job pulled her out of the Lonestar State and into colorful Colorado. It didn’t take long for her to start making a name for herself in the Denver drag community, becoming a staple in Denver Divas at Charlie’s.
When the host left the show in August of 2015, it left a gap that would soon be filled with Kai Lee Mykels and her weekly KiKi.
Brendan Sullivan, Charlie’s General Manager, saw the potential in the southern bell’s abilities and together they created a fabulous kiki.
“We wanted to produce a show without limits,” Sullivan said. “It’s through collaboration with my team and Kai that makes this such a great show.”
Almost instantly her show was a success, as people poured in the door to see a more intimate, sassy, entertaining show than they were used to in Denver. It was often packed to capacity with returning fans of Denver Divas finding a new show to love alongside new people eager to experience the kiki.
“I think the environment is created not only by me, but by the bar and the audience,” she said. “It’s a fun drag show. I can actually say 100 percent you won’t go to another drag show in Denver and have a kiki experience.”
For those that don’t know, a kiki is “a party including good music and good friends, held for the express purpose of calming nerves, reducing anxiety and stress, and generally fighting ennui.”
“I couldn’t have such a good kiki every week without the help from everyone at Charlie’s,” Kai Lee said. “They have been incredible from day one. It’s really a phenomenal partnership.”
Along with performing, Kai Lee is also a very strong advocate for social justice. She frequently participates in local protests. Being a good christian, she believes that one person may not be capable of changing of the world, but it only takes one person to start a movement.
“Now, with this new administration, we need a sense of community,” Kai Lee said. “Although my shows can be as vulgar as they are fun, they are still a place for people to come laugh, dance, and feel welcome.
“I invite you all to my kikis!”
Ryan Howe contributed to this article.
