All Beef Patty performs on ‘America’s Got Talent’ (Photo: NBC)
This All Beef Patty comes with a side of special sass.
The flamboyant New York City drag queen — a/k/a singing waiter Jason Gerber – is already prepared, in case judge Howard Stern unleashes any of his “brutal honesty.”
“I should remind him that he came a background where people hated him and despised him and threw him out on the street because he was so different,” Gerber says. “And look where he got!”
Gerber, 38, is one of twelve acts scheduled to perform on tonight’s two hour performance episode.
We caught up with him in a teleconference on Monday…
Q: You performed at Carnegie Hall. Can you tell us about that?
Carnegie Hall I did a few years ago with the Gay Mens Chorus. It was incredibly fabulous and beautiful. Just an incredible space to perform at for anybody. I did a season with them. And we performed with Broadway star Kelly O’Hara.
Q: Tell us about your journey to becoming All Beef Patty. What were some of the struggles you had to overcome?
I have done this character for 12 or 15 years. Forgive me. It has been a long time. I was prompted by a friend who was a drag queen, who thought I would make a fabulous drag queen — which he was right about. And just got me going to clubs and different bars and hanging out and having a good time and meeting people and networking. One thing led to another and I do this now full time. I sing live, which is fairly unique. I do different gigs… I have done everything from bah mitzvah’s to communions to Quinceaneras.
Q: Was it challenging for you? Were their people who didn’t approve?
There are always people who try to put something on you that isn’t you. You want to be a woman or you are a cross dresser or you are a transvestite. I don’t see my drag any different from people who do theatre, that perform on a Broadway stage. It is a complete character that I put on. There are always people out there that want to be upset with you just to be upset with you. I am a big, fun, over the top character. I just have a great time doing it. Luckily, 99% of the time, it is a positive outcome. I am just very fortunate.
Q: What about your family. What did they think when you got in this business?
I have been very fortunate with my family. I came out to them when I was in my early teens. I think they see this as an extension of theatre of what I used to do in high school. And some community stuff. They are really supportive. I threw my mother’s 60th birthday at our restaurant. We had my grandmother there and my great aunts. My father has been there. My father is like a mama rose. Very much a stage father. He has been to my restaurant maybe 20 times with different people. He is great. I wish I had some sort of a sob story to tell you. BUt the case is I was very fortunate. They have a great time with it. My father, when people say “what does your son do for a living?” right away my father says “he is a drag queen.” And he brings out pictures. It is almost too obsessing.
Q: So you work at a pretty famous drag club in New York, right?
Yes, I work at the world famous Lips restaurant. Lips has been around for about 15 years now, with locations all over the country. It is a fabulous dining experience. It is a complete drag themed restaurant, so all of your waitresses are drag queens and we perform while you dine. We put on a full show. Some lip sync, some dance. It is very interactive with the customers. I have been there for 10 years.
Q: Do you have a plan for handling Howard Stern. He has been hard on some of the acts that he didn’t think were very serious.
He is tough on some of the people. I was really fortunate that in New York (at my audition) he really like me. I think I just want to be thankful and grateful for the opportunity, but I also think I should remind him that he came a background where people hated him and despised him and threw him out on the street because he was so different and look where he got. So it would be good to remind judges that the package may not be suitable for everyone, but there is a market for it.
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Check out the video below of A.B.P. performing Tina Turner’s hit “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” at Lips.
Are you a fan? Will you be voting for Patty to advance on ‘AGT’? Let us know in the comments below.
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