2023 Queerly Festival (Part 1)
Founded in 2014, Queerly is FRIGID New York’s annual celebration of LGBTQA+ artists. Queerly strives for diversity on and off stage, seeking out queer teams and artists of all kinds as well as a wide range of shows and performances. In light of the barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country, they are prioritizing work by or featuring trans artists as well as work that speaks to queer resilience past, present, and future.
BECOMING AUSTIN NATION: From Crack to PhD – One Drag Queen’s Story
How did I become a drug addict? That question is posed at the start of this detailed autobiographical monologue. The answer is not a simple one. Austin Nation tells his story as a mature sixty year old who has been clean and sober for twenty years. That perspective provides historical context, clear-headed analysis and, ultimately, a refreshing spritz of self-positivity.
His youth includes a dysfunctional family dynamic amidst being the “only black family in a middle class neighborhood”. This was the era where bussing began and cruelty was always lurking around the bend. The experimentation with drugs was a reach for happiness. His early forays into mom’s alcohol stash are colorfully rendered.
Major Don West from the television show Lost in Space was an early crush. His sexuality was developing as the family moved around a few times. He finally arrives in West Hollywood and felt like he “died and went to heaven”. Then the AIDS epidemic sweeps into the community and, tragically, his immediate circle. Those with vague knowledge regarding the uncertainly, confusion and frightfulness of that era can experience an intimate glimpse of that very scary time here.
Austin Nation became a Nurse and much later gets a PhD. His thirties, however, were a “blur”. Like many kindred souls, he found himself helped by complete strangers. He realizes “chosen families are there when you need them the most” unlike biological relatives. The honesty is unflinching throughout the entire performance.
There’s a lovely In Memoriam section of this show followed by deserved accusations against those who were indifferent to the plight of all the men dying. The memoir then touches on the fun he has had developing his drag persona. A heartwarming lip synch sprinkles reaffirming energy into the atmosphere.
Prior to that ending, he highlights a superb Nina Simone quote. “I’m learning to get up from tables where love is no longer being served”. That is one hell of a piece of advice.
The Drag Album
The emcee of the evening, Sam Bam Thankyoumaam, announces that this cabaret show is a “celebration of doing drag and writing original music”. Six acts present their unique artistry in various forms. Some head scratching should be anticipated.
Senerio kicked things off with rap numbers and a kinetic energy which utilized the whole stage. He admits “I got a lot on my brain”. One nugget: “like America not taking care of Puerto Rico”. The repeated verse “give me that cliché rap” was memorable.
Daddy Dallon lipped synched original tunes with an old-timey sound. Make up and clothing changes also occurred. The high point for me was the effervescent lyric “you make the butterflies in my stomach lift me high in the clouds”.
The hilariously named Lena Horné created her show “out of a whim and some whimsy”. The Bodyguard movie medley challenged Ms. Horné to vocalize Whitney Houston. That’s a challenge few dare to take for good reason. A foray into a disco tune seemed an easier choice to execute.
Drag King and host Sam Bam sang “Caesar” and we hear “who’s taking Rome all the way to the top?” Then followed a deeply intense and very personal song about wanting top surgery at a young age. Again, perspective from the passage of time provides clarity and healing.
Samara Slaughter performed music with sound distortions and thunderstorms. I am not sure I can describe what I saw. I was like a dog whose head tilts sideways. A little confused but watching.
The last act was a band. The Space Station’s singer Aladdin Firm belted out “Dancing on My Grave,” a vampire pop ditty. Romance was hinted at with “the night we first kissed behind mausoleum doors”. More typical was “press the dagger into my skin” and “sink your teeth into my flesh”. A rap song followed about, amongst other things, our “racist bullshit nation”.
The Drag Album was a collection of free form expressionism. Festivals like this are supposed to enable risk-taking content. I found this show to be a mixed bag and, admittedly, geared toward a younger listener.
The 9th Annual Queerly Festival is running downtown at the Kraine Theater from June 15 though July 3, 2023. Many shows are also available for streaming. BECOMING AUSTIN NATION is being performed again on June 19th and July 3rd.