The Boulet Brothers’ ‘Dragula’ Season 5 Tour Recap: A Night of Dark Magic

The Boulet Brothers have worked their dark magic yet again and put on an amazing show for the LA stop of their Dragula season 5 tour. The fifth season finalists include Blackberri, Orkgotik, Throb Zombie and winner of the Super Monster title, Niohuru X. The wicked coven has been touring across the U.S. for the past month and has been joined by various special guests along the way. Here’s a recap of the night!

The event took place at The Belasco in Los Angeles. It was my first time at this venue and I loved the gothic décor and vibes. General admission was standing room only on the ground level, so luckily, I was able to squeeze my way through to the front. While guests were excitedly chatting away and laughing, the theater suddenly darkened. Projected on the huge screen was a video montage of the Boulets. This is when the crowd started to get wild. Everyone was pumped to see the Queens of Darkness.

When Dracmorda and Swanthula took to the stage, their entrance was quite  regal. They were sitting on a luxurious settee being pulled by their servants. One of these attendants was Israel who appears frequently on the show. They greeted and teased the audience with all the entertainment we were about to witness. Then, to use a phrase frequently proclaimed on Dragula, it was time to dim the lights and let the floor show begin!

During the first half of the show, we were treated to incredible performances. Drag king Throb Zombie kicked off the night with a sexy rendition of  what sounded like Michael Bublé’s version of the song “Feeling Good.” Throb’s striptease was on point. Blackberri followed and was quite a vision to behold dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein.

Next, the first special guest of the night made their appearance: Satanna. She was one of the contestants of Dragula season 5, and she’s just as spicy live as she was on the show. She danced her heart out to a mix of reggaeton tracks.

Orkgotik, who hails from Colombia, was hot on her heels and lip synced to a Spanish ballad. It was enchanting seeing him serenade the audience while dressed as a demonic angel. Orkgotik’s style encompasses the grotesque and he’s known for his monstrous-driven looks. Then, Niohuru X emerged onto the stage, performing a number inspired by her Chinese heritage. She was graceful, dainty and enigmatic.

Drac and Swan closed out the first half of the show with a spooktacular act that delivered all the Halloween feels. A classic Halloween cartoon played on the screen in the background while the two drag queens pulled different types of costume masks out of a chest. Each one they put on possessed them momentarily and brought out different personas.

After intermission, it was time for the second part of the evening to commence and it included high-octane performances. Throb Zombie did  an act inspired by the Scream franchise. They wielded an important accessory, a knife, and even pretended to stab an unfortunate victim on stage. It very much evoked the spirit of Ghostface.

Blackberri gave her all performing to “I’m Not Okay” by My Chemical Romance. She came on stage wearing a white trench coat, then threw it off to reveal a punk-inspired outfit. Her performance certainly captured the essence of emo.

I was so excited to discover that drag king Landon Cider was the other special guest of the night. Landon was the winner of season 3 and is one of my favorites from the show. The drag king embodied the character of the grim reaper who was presiding over a funeral, but his act was not at all morose. Instead, the energy was humorous and the songs he lip synced to were upbeat. Everyone howled insanely when AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” blared through the speakers.

Orkgotik followed with an electric performance, both sonically and visually. His entire appearance had a futuristic, alien vibe. Then, it was Niohuru X’s turn yet again. Her attire for this number was immaculate. She initially came onto the stage wearing a Hello Kitty headpiece and fetish-inspired ensemble. It was black and had silver spikes jutting out all over. The shock factor came when she removed pieces of the garment to reveal fake breasts and a pregnant belly. Before her performance ended, she was joined by an entourage of scantily clad friends.

The Boulet Brothers delivered the final performance of the night and it featured a human sacrifice. The pair looked like disciples of Jesus and were each wearing a crown of thorns. The human tribute was tied to the crucifix that was on the stage. They pranced around the victim’s nearly naked body and collected his “blood” in a cup. I can think of no better way for them to close out the show. The act was ritualistic and sacrilegious.

Before the cast bid the audience adieu, Drac and Swan crowned season 5 champion Niohuru X on stage, declaring her the new drag Super Monster. What a memorable evening! I also had the pleasure of meeting Ian DeVoglaer who essentially heads the Dragula production team and is a co-host on the Boulet Brothers’ Creatures of the Night podcast. I couldn’t leave without grabbing some merch. I love using fashion to show my support of the Boulets, so I purchased one of their tees.

By the time this blog post is published, the tour will have just ended with the last stop being Seattle. Don’t fret if you missed your chance to see Dragula live. Dracmorda and Swanthula announced they’ll be hosting events for Halloween and New Year’s Eve in LA.  From what I gather, they’re already working on the next season of Dragula, so that should air later this year. Plus, they usually do a tour annually after every season.

In the meantime, if you’re dying for a dose of the Boulet Brothers, you can stream all seasons of Dragula on Shudder and AMC+, and new episodes of their podcast are available for your listening pleasure.

Where to Stalk

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula official website