Hello Deviants!
Welcome to the Deviant Dispatch, your guide to culture that goes beyond the norm. Normally on Tuesdays I send y’all a curated list of live stream events (since we don’t have IRL ones) but I would be amiss not to mention the public exhaustion with such platforms. Live streams aren’t hitting like they used to. Stereogum posted a article saying that livestream concerts suck. National Geographic tried to medicalize our distain and discomfort.
I get it! We all know that we wouldn’t be doing any of this if life was proceeding as normal. Going to a “Zoom Party” or peering at another Instagram Live just makes us miss the real thing. These clever simulations are not so clever after all.
I’m still going to list some cute upcoming events (better than nothing), but before I do here two amazingly captured live sets that remind us of the magic of a bunch of people in a darkened room.
Charli XCX at Pitchfork
Even pre-quarantine, this hour-ish Charli XCX performance was my go-to serotonin boost. This was the summer before Charli’s tour behind her upcoming self-titled album, that hadn’t come out. As such it’s not a straightforward tracklist of her new material. It’s more of a sampling of what makes Charli XCX still exciting rn, 5 years after “Fancy” and “Boom Clap.”
Charli’s onstage charisma, equal parts brash and vulnerable, is a big factor. She sells her songs and their many hooks to the crowd’s euphoric reception. When she plays “Vroom Vroom” it looks like Warped Tour out there. Here are a couple of my fave moments.
The moment when the fan screams “let’s go!” right before she does the first verse of “Unlock It”
The moment right after when she get’s so surprised at how loudly the crowd is singing along she lets them sing the first line!
The moment during a morose dramatic breakdown when she quips “this part’s for the photographers get it” and continues to pose before laughing at herself!
Watching Charli and the crowd sing lines back and forth undercore what’s missing from so many of these oft-decried Live Streams: the excitement of human connection. With a new Charli XCX album out May 15th, I hope fans don’t have to wait till summer 2021 to experience it live.
100 Gecs at The Moroccan, LA
If you don’t know (even though I feel like i’ve brought them up here before) 100 Gecs are a dou who make genre-smashing experimental pop. This is the final show of the tour behind their surprise success album 1000 Gecs.
There’s lots of emo and hip-hop influences in their songs and you can see that energy in their stage show. There’s big, sing-a-long melodies and punishing beats. Dylan Brady and Laura Les, both producers, don’t spend any time twiddling nobs. Instead they’re hyping up the crowd for the length of the set.
Look how Laura Les is WAILING. You can her the autotune catch her when her voice devolves from singing into screaming. As it creaks to handle her careening voice (with her face mask on, pre covid) she brings to mind a Cyber-punk Courtney Love liberated from guitar and free to thrash.
Look how the crowd is LIVING the whole time. From the opening notes of “Stupid Horse” they’re pogoing around ,and they remain as rambunctious the whole time. (regrettably it does seem rather a bro-ish crowd , despite Laura Les being a burgeoning queer icon). Watching this set it’s clear that 100 Gecs are more than just a hyped music press band: they’re tapping into something exciting.
AND NOW THIS WEEK’S PARADE OF LIVE-STREAMED EVENTs
Club Quarantine
When: Every night, 9-12:00 EST
Where: Zoom, check @clubquarantine on Instagram at 9pm EST for the code
What: One night, when I was feeling especially in the dumps (having a couple cocktails didn’t really help) I logged onto Club Quarantine and found a vogue DJ spinning late into the night. I nodded my head, then got up to dance, and by the time the night ended I had changed into a full glam outfit and knocked over a chair in my exuberance. Even though the idea of a Zoom-party is getting increasingly tired, this club still has the sauce. I’ve been thinking about twitter-based pop critic Goth Jafar’s set all week. Producer Yaeji is taking the club over on Friday, but check back any other night, it’s sure to be a good time.
How Much: Free
Booked By Grandma Presents: a Post-Punk Dance Party
When: Wednesday, 8pm EST
Where: Zoom, venmo @grandmashannon for the code
What: self-promo alert! This is my shindig. We thought since we’re living in a dystopic future we might as well have the soundtrack to match. Post-punk is the moody, angular, artsy music that came out after punk’s initial boom in the 70s. Think Joy Division, Gang of Four, ESG. The look is very proto-goth: black winged eyeliner, white powder, day-glow contour. Think Boy George, Betsy Johnson before her glow-up, or the iconic Nina Hagen.
Our DJs La Neve (who makes her own music) and DJ Day Glow (who DJs post-punk, Goth, and Electro around Boston) are sure to keep you grooving.
How Much: $1-10
The Cake Night Show
When: Wednesday, 10pm EST
Where: Twitch.tv/the_cakeboys
What: The drag explosion sponsored by Rupaul’s Drag Race has (predictably) left out drag kings. While there’s a couple twinks with some trendy stuff from Rainbow holding court in every gay bar, drag kings have not been getting booked at the same speed. The Brooklyn collective The Cake Boys is hoping to change that by showcasing how exciting Drag Kings can be as performers. Their first live show has an all star cast. Some of the guest stars (Junior Mint, Linda Felcher, Shanita Bump’s drag king persona Dat Lite Skin) you’ve read about already here . The collective’s core members of Muscles Monty, Sweaty Eddie, Richard, and Uncle Freak are all exciting enough performers that you should tune in without the added hooplah of guests.
How Much: free but tip/venmo the performers
Princess TV
When: Thursday 10pm EST
Where: twitch.tv/princess4ever
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. 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: donation based but TIP THE PERFORMERS.
Pom Pom Squad, Gobbinjr, Deer Scour, Mallrat
When: Friday, 8pm
Where: Zoom, Venmo @grandmashannon for the code
What: another Booked By Grandma show! This is a bill of dreams. We’ve got the rising stars of BK Pom Pom Squad. We’ve got the stoner indie-pop auteur Gobbinjr. We’ve got the emo-angel Melo of Mallrat. We also have the lovely-voiced Deer Scout who will be singing as well as doing a brief power-point! Very zoom, very cool. Come with a box of tissues handy, this is a bill has a big weeping energy.
How Much: $1-10 suggested donation
Digital Drag Cyber 8
When: Friday 10pm EST
Where:twitch.tv/biqtchpuddin
What: The best place to go if you’ve never seen a modern drag show but you’ve always wanted to take a peak. Biqtch Puddin has made her one-off Twitch show a weekly affair. The Dragula winner is seamlessly mixing big names with well-deserving up and comers.
How Much: $10 Suggested Donation
Sunday’s Best: a drag Sermon
When: Sunday 4pm EST
Where:@juniormintt on Instagram
What: Junior Mint is one of my favorite new drag performers right now. She’s got defined aesthetic, rocking braids with balloons attached. Her performances are similarly unique. Junior Mint’s numbers combine classic balladry with humorous monologues about trans rights, capitalism, and whiteness. She describes her new Sunday show as a place where “We’ll laugh, we’ll feel positive, but most importantly, you’ll learn something.” Sign me up!
How Much: Free but TiP
That’s it for today’s 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