Heyo fellow Deviants!!!
Welcome to Deviant Dispatch, your guide to culture that defies the norm. Hopefully if you’re a loyal reader you were one of the 100 people who tuned into Bath Salts: Isolation Makes the Fart Grow Stronger. The show was as chaotic and brilliant as it was before going on hiatus in 2015. Viewing the whole cast via the panelist setup on Zoom proved tricky. Several of the videos and tracks from performers had trouble working. But, as the cohort of misfits fondly recalled, the original show’s location was a bar where the internet and even the lights would spontaneously cut out. Multiple queens were hit by a project that would fall off the wall. In this way, the spirit of the original party was kept intact when the other queens asking Macy if their sound was working.
The numbers, when they worked correctly, combined artsy concepts, low brow thrills, and even traditional glamour. Baby Love recreated Amanda Lepore’s iconic Mac commercial (watch here). Amber Alert did a sexy striptease in bed with one ball popping out. Macy Rodman performed an updated version of her classic song “Lazy Girl” with jerky nu-rock riffs and snarled vocals layered over orignal’s wonky beats. Juku performed Hillary Duff’s song “Coming Clean” while lounging in a tub covered with bubbles. Such a straightforward display of glamour is not the Bath Salts way, and lo and beyond by the end of the song Juku had stood up and douched on camera.
All in all I haven’t cackled so often and so vigorously since Quarantine started. Hopefully they’ll come back for another show, but until then keep your eye on Deviant Dispatch to catch more quality content from the underground.
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Club Quarantine
When: Every night, 9-12:00 EST
Where: Zoom, check @clubquarantine on Instagram at 9pm EST for the code
What: Club Quarantine is a queer-centric dance party. The whole appeal is dancing in front of everyone on Zoom, where you can click through the users dancing, sipping, and strutting. Last week the party had the eurobeat/bubblegum pop singer Namaseneda on (v rare public appearance!) and the producer Mood Killer. Paper Magazine did another takeover and brought international pop star/ drag queen Pablo Vittar. Keep your eye on the party’s Instagram to keep up with their shenanigans. Even on an off night it’s a good thing to do after you’ve had a few glasses of wine.
How Much: Free
Booked By Grandma presents Pink Picnic
When: Wednesday 7-10pm EST
Where: Zoom, venmo Grandmashannon the access code
What: Another Booked By Grandma affair (my booking collective) but instead of a indie rock show it’s a costume party! We wanted to do something silly and frivolous in a time of so much darkness. The dress code is Pink Picnic, so wear your pastels, overalls, gingham prints, and florals. Be a snack, and bring a snack too. I will be DJing alongside Danny of the BFF party and Jess from the surfy-garage rock band High Waisted.
How Much: pay what you can ($1-15)
Oops (final virtual one) (really)
When: Wednesday at 10pm EST
Where: @iamwestdakota, on Instagram.
What: Ok so they did just play this prank on us for April Fools Day but this time it’s serious. The goofy Wednesday night in Brooklyn that expanded what digital drag could look like is taking a hiatus. Juku, West Dakota, and Magenta’s performances for these virtual shows will stay with me forever. The times they glued craft eyes on to their chins, flipped the cameras upside down, and lip-synced as muppets! The times where one queen’s mouth would lip-sync and the other queen would just emote with her eyes, the split screen making one copy/paste face. The time that West lip-synced “Hands” by Jewel while stretching her arms out of frame.
Last week’s party also featured founding Oops member Crystal Mesh. The drunk aunt of Brooklyn came on to perform her song “Sexy Party” and as I danced around my apt I felt something strange……happiness. The girls say they’re planning big projects that they wouldn’t be able to do normally, so hopefully we’ll see them soon. Until then, make sure you turn into the show this week, where Nightgowns showgirl Sasha Colby will be joining.
How Much: free but you’ll wanna venmo @oopsgirls
Princess TV
When: 10pm EST
Where: twitch.tv/princess4evr
What: The SF-based drag party is now going live regularly. Hosted by Florida Man and featuring performances by the incredible (and very crushable) Tito Soto, the party returns to Twitch This Thursday. The hilariously named Scam Likely will be performing, alongside the garbage pail kid of Brooklyn Mini Horrorwitz and others. Past numbers have included Biqtch Pudding living out a Princess Peach Mario Kart fantasy with the help of a green screen. While she won’t be returning, the shows are bound to gag all the same.
How Much: free but Venmo the performers
Hardware Haters present: Phantasy Island
When: Friday, 6pm EST
Where: www.twitch.tv/hrdwrhtrz or https://discord.gg/etq3ewg
What: A noisy concert via Mine Craft out by Hardware Haters. There’s a host of unfamiliar names on the flyer, but one caught my eye: Deli Girls. The duo (neither of whom are girls of course) are the center of NYC’s Mutant scene. They’ve been making waves across the country due to their combination of noise, rap, punk, and industrial sounds. Their songs deal with power, trauma, control, and rebellion. In other words, relevant content for the dystopic future we’ve found ourselves in! A lineup with them is always worth seeing if only for the breadcrumbs: frequently I walk away from their shows with new acts to follow.
How Much: free
Okay, that’s it for this dispatch! If you liked this email forward it to a pal! If you’re the pal and you liked what you saw, subscribe!!! <3 <3 <3