In January 2025, it snowed ten inches in New Orleans. Having been born and raised in MInnesota, you’d think it wouldn’t be a big deal to me, but it really was. We don’t have shovels down here, much less plows or salt. I ended up using a broom and a rake.
The snow drifts were so high, I couldn’t open the front door after all the snow finished falling. Alicia and I hunkered down and just waited for it to all melt, which took about 48 hours.
On the plus side, New Orleans took it really well. Most people stayed off the roads, meaning it was the quietest two days I’ve ever seen in New Orleans. There were pop-up snowball fights and snow men being built all over the city. I was a lovely little break.
Let me tell you about some of my most memorable drag performances!
Second round of Lush’s amateur night, 2019.
In 2019, I had been performing for awhile but hadn’t gotten much traction. At the beginning of a drag career, a performer usually goes to amateur nights. These are judged by audience applause and can be pretty tough. As much fun as it is performing, it is tough to lose night after night.
I asked a fellow performer backstage about how to handle the stress of not being successful. They said you really just need to practice one routine a lot, not try a ton of numbers. But also, you’ve really gotta look like you’re having fun.
The above photo was me the night I first made it to the second round shortly after. I performed Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend”, which was brand new. I had spent the week watching choreographers on Youtube and stole the best bits. It was a hit! Maybe because the song was new, maybe because I practiced my routine more than ever, but also maybe because I was hot. Who knows?
Either way, afterwards, I started having a lot more fun.
Performing at Lush on my birthday in 2019
This second photo was also at Lush a few months later on my birthday. I performed “If I Was Your Woman” by Gladys Knight & the Pips. This photo was just seconds after I threw all those ones in the air above me. Sure, I had some friends in the audience, but I also made the most in tips I had ever made (up to that point). I love that lighting, I love that dress, and I had such a blast.
The Bloodbath Ball of 2019
This orange and purple furry dress was a dress I made from scratch. On the back is a train of stuffed animals sewn together. You might spot some eyeballs on the front, and you certainly can’t miss a recently decapitated Kermit the Frog.
This look was for the Bloodbath Ball, a halloween themed pageant. The challenge was to make a look from scratch out of non-traditional materials. My concept was “Muppet Hunter.” The judges didn’t love it, but I still do!
Lastly, this photo of me during the 2019 Minneapolis Pride Parade. A photographer for a local LGBTQ+ magazine snapped this one, and it’s just one of my favorites.
