Drag shows have been taking place here since long before it was Pearl Hour. Now, they are a monthly event.

Drag shows at Pearl Hour in Monterey are slated for every second Saturday of the month, April 2023 being the exception that confirms the rule – the upcoming edition of The Roulette Hour, a drag, burlesque and variety show, will take place on April 15.

It’s called “roulette” for a reason, says Zak Keith, aka The Rouge Roulette, the queen who hosts the event. “You never know what to expect,” Keith says, promising safety, clear house rules, new performers, new acts and never “the same thing twice.”

“It started when we had an after-party for Monterey Peninsula Pride last July [2022],” says Pearl Hour owner Katie Blandin. A drag show was part of that evening, and that is when Blandin met Keith. “It’s a great community event and everybody had such a great time,” she explains, of the decision to make a drag show at Pearl Hour a monthly thing.

But there’s much more to the story. Before the space became Pearl Hour, it used to be a gay bar called After Dark (1977-1999) run by two men – Kevin Hartley and Weldon Webb (Webb would do drag). The legendary bar survived 25 years and was famous for its drag shows.

“After Dark made a big impact in the community,” Blandin says, adding that people still show up at Pearl Hour and talk about how much the place meant to them. “That was part of my inspiration.”

Keith and partner Maxwell Sellers (stage name Khloe Quarterpounder) moved from Virginia to Santa Cruz for Keith to pursue a PhD in psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They live in Santa Cruz, but “Santa Cruz has a beautiful and rich drag scene,” while queer expression is much needed in Monterey.

“I’m still pretty new to this,” Keith says, crediting Sellers for introducing them to the performance of drag. “I had all the skills. I did makeup for years.” In addition to that, Keith has become more involved as a queer activist, including volunteering with Monterey Peninsula Pride. “I found a great community here,” Keith says.

The April show will be the seventh edition of The Roulette Hour. You can expect everything from burlesque to hip-hop, and each show has a theme; in April, it’s neon night.

THE ROULETTE HOUR 10pm every second Saturday of the month (with the exception of April, when the show takes place on Saturday, April 15). Pearl Hour, 214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. $15. 657-9447, pearlhour.com.