AZCentral.com – Megan Finnerty – The Arizona Republic
For the first time in the five year history of the Newcomer of the Year Contest, the Valley’s gay community elected a Drag King as its gender-bending impersonator of the year.
Yes, a drag king.
Representing the Phoenix bar La Roka, Brandon Packer beat five female impersonators with a medley of ’50s classics including faux piano playing on Great Balls of Fire and air-guitar work on Johnny B. Goode. Packer, aka, Glendale finance investigator Susan Martin, worked his hair in a short, greaser style, with a penciled in mustache and soul patch, and wore a tuxedo complete with a top hat and spats.
He won the title, $200, a chance to perform at Phoenix Pride and Rainbow festivals and paid shows at all seven the bars that participated in the contest this year.