Drag brunch has become a regular fixture across Dallas, but drag king Buck Wylde is giving it a new twist.
An electrifying performer who began performing drag in 2012, Wylde founded a trail-blazing brunch series called Buck Wylde’s Sausage Party that's a mix of a stunning drag king performance and game show. It's a monthly event that takes place at La Toxica Mariscos y Micheladas, the Mexican restaurant in Deep Ellum, with the next show coming up on October 20.
Everyone's heard of drag queens but drag kings traditionally refer to women performing as men (although in modern times, people of all genders also perform as drag king characters).
Wylde's goal is to provide a platform to drag kings as well as highlight a diverse, fluid drag scene.
And while most of the drag brunches and shows in Dallas-Fort Worth feature established drag performers, Sausage Party also showcases newer acts.
Wylde launched the Sausage Party series after receiving an award for Best Drag King at the inaugural Dallas Entertainment Awards in 2024.
“I was like, ‘Okay, well, I got to do something with this moment,’ recalls Wylde. “I’ve got to do something with it and give drag kings a place.”
Wylde's original claim to fame was as a roller derby skater, under the name Trigger Mortis. One of their fellow skaters was getting married, and Wylde was drafted to perform at the wedding.
"The announcer had a band he was putting together for their reception, and he asked me to sing in it,” Wylde says. “I was like, ‘Yeah, cool, I'll do it. I don't really sing that much.’ He said, ‘Okay, but I really want you to do this in drag.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘I want you to do this in drag.’"
From there, Wylde’s fascination with drag grew, channeling iconic characters by John Travolta in their performances, similar to the way drag queens channel personas such as Cher.
“John Travolta is like the quintessential drag king icon,” Wylde says, “because you got Danny Zuko from Grease, you've got Urban Cowboy, and you've got Saturday Night Fever.”
Once limited mostly to the Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs “gayborhood,” drag shows can now be found weekly at places like Virgin Dallas Hotel in the Design District and Electric Shuffle in Deep Ellum — but still featuring drag queens, which traditionally alludes to men performing as women (although these days, cisgender women, trans women, and non-binary people also perform as drag queen characters).
“I wanted to have a rotating cast and bring in kings from out of town to let people know that there's this thriving king scene,” says Wylde. “We usually have three or four established kings from Dallas who perform, and visiting kings from other cities."
Since its launch, Sausage Party has pulled in a big crowd. Wylde remembers arriving 15 minutes late — on “drag time,” as they call it — and seeing the room packed with “queer folks and straights” and people in age ranges “18 to 60.”
The next iteration of Sausage Party will take place at La Toxica on Sunday, October 20, and will comprise a goth theme. The show begins at 12 pm, and will feature performances by Wylde, as well as May May Graves, Psyril Cybin, Varrus Graves, Jackie O’Nasty Graves, Gothess Jasmine, and Owen Alimony. Tickets are $15 for the show only, food and drink are purchased separately. Parties of four get a free bottle of champagne. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in "your best daytime Goth attire."
Heather H
Buck Wylde (right) on stage.
