Boogaloo Bag enthusiasts are certainly aware that DJ Pete Pop swings the Funky Broadway Brunch at Mama Roux in beautiful downtown Newburgh every Sunday. What the reader may not know is that on the last Sunday of the month, the brunch is taken over by drag queens who present two colorful shows at each Funky Drag Brunch. On Sunday, June 26, Mr. Pop had some personal affairs to tend to and needed a substitute DJ for the day. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was called.

Mr. Pop was able to have things all set up for the event. He showed The Boog how to cue the music for the drag queen show—which uses modern technology. This is important because none of the songs the drag queens utilize during their performances are on 45 RPM records—the usual format for the Funky Broadway Brunch. Once everything was ready to go, Mr. Pop departed for his other situation.

The drag queen show consists of men dressed as women lip syncing to popular songs—usually by a female singer—as the performer walks up and down the aisle of the restaurant, primping, vogueing, strutting and dancing, with an occasional somersault, back-flip or, in one case, a cartwheel (which nearly took out one of Mama Roux’s chandeliers!). All the while, spectators hand dollar bills to the performers. It is great fun. Did I mention that both shows were sold out? Yes, for the Funky Drag Brunch there is a cover charge; there is no admission for non-drag Funky Brunches (which makes it even less of a drag!!).

Here are a few photos of the dragsters that will give the Boogaloo Bag reader an idea of what goes on during a Funky Drag Brunch at Mama Roux…

Oh, and let’s not forget the fine food at Mama Roux. The Boogaloo Bag writers—and photographer Miss Nancy—partook in some most excellent cuisine: gumbo ya-ya and burrata shakshuka. The gumbo is the best this side of the Mason-Dixon Line, that’s for sure. The food was so good that photos weren’t taken until it was gone!

For the music part of the event, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus presented much of the music usually played during a regular Funky Broadway Brunch, but with more hit records than he would normally play thrown in. This seemed to work, as tippage for the DJ was very generous! Here’s a list of everything played:

• The Packers–Hole in the Wall (Pure Soul Music)
• Lyn Taitt–Stepping Up (Randys)
• Cayito; Sonora de Andy Esteban–Tepito Boogaloo (Peerless)
• Carlos Malcolm and the Fireburners–Busting Out of the Ghetto (AJP)
• Los Melodicos; canta: Veronica Rey–Cumbia Del Caribe (Discomodia; Colombia)
• Gil Fuller featuring James Moody – alto sax–Sweets for My Sweet (Pacific Jazz)
• El Chicano–Sugar Sugar (Kapp)
• Lou Rawls–A Woman Who’s a Woman (Capitol)
• Harvey Clark and the Dawn Monet Singers–Do Your Own Thing (Kapp)
• Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band–Can You Feel It (Sussex)
• The Parliaments–(I Wanna) Testify (Revilot)
• Dramatics–Get Up and Get Down (Volt)
• Wild Tchoupitoulas–Big Chief Got Golden Crown (Island)
• The Hawketts–Mardi Gras Mambo (Sapphire)
• Tito Puente’s Orchestra–TP’s Shing-A-Ling (Tico)
• The Young Holt Trio–Wack Wack (Brunswick)
• Sly and the Family Stone–Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin (Epic)
• Stevie Wonder–Superstition (Tamla)
• Rufus–Tell Me Something Good (ABC)
• James Brown–Hot Pants Pt 1 (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants) (People)
• AWB–Cut the Cake (Atlantic)
• Ohio Players–Love Rollercoaster (Mercury)
• The Meters–Fire on the Bayou (Reprise; UK)
• Lunar Funk–Mr. Penguin Part II (Bell)
• Anna King–Mama’s Got a Bag of Her Own (End)
• The Chips–Mixed-Up Shook-Up Girl (Philips)
• Maxine Nightingale–Right Back Where We Started From (United Artists)
• Four Tops–I’m in a Different World (Motown)
• O’Jays–Love Train (Philadelphia International)
• Eddie Kendricks–Keep on Truckin’ (Part1) (Tamla)
• Funkadelic–Standing on the Verge of Getting It On (Westbound)
• B.T. Express–Express (Roadshow)
• The Soul Blenders–Funky Night Club (Ramco)
• The Pazant Brothers–Skunk Juice (RCA Victor)
• J. Gardner–Mustard Greens (Blue Rock)
• The Stokes–One Mint Julep (Alon)
• The Wild Magnolias–Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right) (Polydor)
• The Souljers–Chinese Checkers (Rampart)
• Eddie Cano & His Quintet–El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back to Georgia) (Dunhill)
• Roland Al and the Soul Brothers–Phoenix City (Island; UK)
• The Ramrods–Soultrain Part I (A-I)
• Andre Williams (Mr. Rhythm) and his New Group–Bacon Fat (Epic)
• Carole Breval–Funky Broadway (Panorama; Canada)
• Sly & the Family Stone–Hot Fun in the Summertime (Epic)
• The Impressions–Keep on Pushing (ABC-Paramount)
• Patti & the Emblems–One Man Woman (Kapp)
• Four Tops–Are You Man Enough (Dunhill)
• Curtis Mayfield–Superfly (Curtom)
• The Nite-Liters–Tanga Boo Gonk (RCA Victor)
• Bobby Wright & the Burners–Hookaboo Pt 2 (Toy)
• Mad Dog & the Pups–Hip Squeeze Part I (Magic City)
• General Crook–Do It for Me (Down to Earth)
• The Dixie Cups–Iko Iko (Red Bird)
• Roger & the Gypsies–Pass the Hatchet Part 1 (Seven B)
• The Fame Gang–Grits and Gravy (Fame)
• The Beginning of the End–Funky Nassau – Part I (Alston)
• McFadden & Whitehead–Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now (Philadelphia International)
• Gwen McCrae–Rockin’ Chair (Cat)
• Pete Rodriguez–I Like It Like That (Alegre)
• The Joe Cuba Sextet–Bang Bang (Roulette)
• Los Fulanos–Soul Drummer (Vampi Soul; Spain)
• Mongo Santamaria–Lady Marmalade (Vaya)
• The Aces–Reggae Motion (The Loco-Motion) (Sire)
• Tito Puente and His Orchestra–A La Salud (God Bless You) (RCA Victor)
• Archie Bell & the Drells–Tighten Up (Atlantic)
• Marvin Gaye–Got to Give It Up Pt. I (Tamla)
• Della Reese–Compared to What (AVCO Embassy)
• Pigmeat Markham–Here Comes the Judge (Chess)
• Shirley Scott–It’s Your Thing (Atlantic)
• Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band–Scorpio (Sussex)
• The Chakachas–Jungle Fever (Polydor)
• [no artist listed]–Super Fly (Hoctor)
• The Different Strokes–Sing a Simple Song (OKeh)
• James Brown–Get Up I Feel Like Being Like a Sex Machine (Part 1) (King)
• Kool and the Gang–Jungle Boogie (De-Lite)
• Maxine Brown–Treat Me Like A Lady (Avco)
• Gladys Knight & the Pips–Friendship Train (Soul)
• Gil Scott-Heron–Shut ‘Em Down (Arista)

None of these records are for sale.