The final Nellie’s Drag Brunch diva of the day is, of course, Chanel Devereaux!
Chanel is the longtime host and HBIC of Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch. She is a powerful performer, popular costume designer, viral TikTok star, and a much-loved icon of the D.C. drag community.
Chanel’s impact extends far beyond Nellie’s — her brunch is a platform that helps support many local LGBTQ artists who go on to inspire and support others. Chanel’s investment in her community has a positive rippling effect that cannot be measured in ticket sales or a day’s tips (although those are plentiful!) Chanel’s work is one of the reasons why D.C. remains a top city for drag performers in the U.S.
Chanel Devereaux at a drag brunch wedding.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch.
A church fan at Chanel Devereaux’s drag brunch.
Chanel Devereaux performing on U Street in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch
The unsung producer
The secret behind the success of Nellie’s Drag Brunch is Chanel Devereaux’s skill as a producer.
A great drag brunch doesn’t just magically happen, particularly in cities without dedicated drag venues like a Hamburger Mary’s or a South Beach Palace. To make it in DC, a drag brunch host often has to perform several jobs: advertising, casting, ticketing, accounting, therapist, security, head of HR, and handling complaints about dry potatoes while still being compared to drag queens who haven’t been working since 6 am.
Chanel and her team perform all of these jobs with grace so the audience can have memorable brunch experience. Watching everything come together is one of the reasons why I keep coming back — it is rare to find a drag brunch run this well.
Chanel Devereaux hosting Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch host Chanel Devereaux performing in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
A team effort
Another underappreciated skill of being a top drag brunch host is maintaining relationships between the venue owners, staff, and performers. The special thing about Chanel’s brunch is that the performers are truly part of a team (from the kitchen to the DJ booth) and everyone is invested in the success of the each event. That is the difference between a long-running brunch and a brunch that fizzles after a couple of months.
I know Chanel will continue to prosper, and I hope that everyone has the opportunity to visit her brunch once the pandemic is over. You can keep up with Chanel on Instagram and Facebook, plus the Channellie’s brunch pages on Instagram and Facebook.
Here are photos from brunch!
The cast and staff at Nellies Drag Brunch hosted by Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch star and host Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Chanel Devereaux hosting Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch host Chanel Devereaux performing in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux performing on U Street in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch host Chanel Devereaux performing in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch star and host Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Nellie’s Sports Bar drag brunch star and host Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Chanel Devereaux performing at Nellie’s drag brunch show in Washington DC.
Nellie’s Drag Brunch star Chanel Devereaux.
Chanel Devereaux at Nellie’s Drag Brunch
In case you missed them, there are photo galleries of other frequent Nellie’s Drag Brunch performers:
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