Category Archives: Stuff I Made

Drag Performances

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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.

Sloth Machine

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Back in 2021, Mardi Gras was cancelled due to the pandemic. As a result, houses were being decorated and called “house floats.” Alicia and I were brand new in the house but still wanted to participate. We needed a clever theme, since most houses had a pun or reference.

Brainstorming over drinks, we narrowed it down to something sloth related. We were also still nervous about when we’d get vaccines for COVID-19. We decided it was a like a slot machine – you’d have to get lucky to get your vaccine first. Thus, the “Sloth Machine” – a sloth themed slot machine that gave out vaccines if you win.

I rented a truck and drove to Lowe’s and bought large sheets of thin plywood, as well as paint. Over the course of two weeks, I constructed it from scratch. I hand painted everything, using a cartoon sloth from the internet as inspiration.

I still can’t believe I had the energy to make this thing. In hindsight, I should have used foam or cardboard instead of plywood. I would have also hung it from the roof instead of making it rigid and lean against the way. The back-lighting worked on paper, but the street light in front of our house really prevented it from sticking out and glowing.

After Mardi Gras 2021 was over, I deconstructed it and hung the major pieces of art on the fence in the backyard. Eventually, hot New Orleans summers and heavy rain broke down the plywood and it shredded apart. Now, only memories (and a glittery 7) remain. It made great backyard art, though!