In the back of the former home of the Rat City Rollergirls, the bar was quiet at 6:30 p.m. Its rafters were lined with the covers of rock and punk records, and its fridge had stickers of a similar kind: Rat City Recon, Tenacious D, Soundgarden, WHORES, and the like.

A sign for White Center Pride was going up on the wall in the back, and a few patrons were waiting in the chairs in front of a small stage, which was more of a slightly raised corner of the room, usually used for karaoke or comedy. MTV played on mute, with captions, above the bar.

By 7:30 or so, the place was packed, and the noise was enough to feel it in one's chest.

The back bar of Southgate Roller Rink was hosting its first night of "Leather and Lace," a free drag cabaret featuring local drag queens Old Witch (@old_witch_queen) and Tinashea Monét (@tinasheamonet), as well as guest queens.

To the queens, the boundaries of the stage were a suggestion; they walked the aisles and worked the crowd, gathering tips as they went, even venturing behind (and on top of) the bar — all, of course, in unique, glamorous, layered outfits. They lip-synched and moved to pop tunes for most of the show, and toward the end, Old Witch brought some audience members on stage to crack a few jokes and challenge them to a balloon-popping contest.

A few patrons reported being there for the first time, specifically for the drag show. Given the generous tips, and the smiles on most faces, it's likely they'll be back for the next "Leather and Lace" at the beginning of April. Others, the regulars, rolled into the bar from the rink on flashy custom skates to grab a drink and see the show.

There was no beer on tap, but there were a variety of cans and bottles to choose from, including a few local to White Center, such as the "Nazi Punks Fuck Off Pilsner" from Future Primitive Brewing. Cocktails, wine, and shots were also available. The bartender was busy nonstop well into the night.

Maybe next time, with everyone more accustomed to going about unmasked (as most were that night), the energy of the place won't quite be the same. But the Southgate Roller Rink, and perhaps White Center as a whole, has a lot to offer the Queer community in the future. Many of the bands playing in the center of the rink on Friday nights are Queer-oriented. Plus, White Center Pride has plans to return in June, and in the meantime there are monthly happy hours at the rink.

The Southgate Roller Rink is at 9646 17th Ave. SW, and online at http://www.southgaterollerrink.com/.