Hi fellow ghouls,
This is The Deviant Dispatch. I’m Mo, your guide to the underground. I write about NYC-based events, gay shit, and cool kid gossip. There will be snark, typos, and lots of Charli XCX updates. If you like what you see, become a paying subscriber, share this with someone, or hit the heart button at the top of the post.
Halloween fast approaches. If June is gay pride, then October is Gay wrath month. I made a mix to celebrate it. I made this mix for all my queers to stomp down the street and strike fear in the hearts of traditional people everywhere. It’s messy, totally in your face, and a lil bit ScArYyyy 👻👻👻TW: sexual content, pumping beats, fagg0try, satanic imagery, disembodied screams, and loud guitars.
In other news, I reviewed Alice Longyu Gao’s EP for Pitchfork. You can read that review here, but here’s an excerpt:
“Kanpai,” which means cheers in Japanese, is her strongest song yet. Sugary to the point of being grating, it’s childlike chorus brings to mind SOPHIE’s “Bipp.” But “Kanpai” sets a benchmark the rest of the release can’t live up to. For the first time, Gao sounds like she is glomming onto trends: Chugging guitars lifted from the 2000s pop-punk bands like Sum 41? Straight from the 100 gecs playbook. Trap hi-hats and bass? Check. High BPMs borrowed from nightcore edits? Textbook.
In other news, my gossip about Dragula appears to be wrong. Neither Merrie Cherry or Astrud Aurelia went home the first episode. This is why you always take rumours with a grain of salt.
Now let’s get into the many many parties coming this Halloween season. I’m feeling generous and gave you a rundown for the next TWO weeks instead of just one. You’re welcome.
XOXO
Mo
Hole Pics
When: Wednesday, 9pm
Where: 3 Dollar Bill
What: MTHR TRSA has had a rocky year. As her theatrical drag show Hole Pics has grown in renown, she landed in the New York Times for critiquing the way the drag festival Bushwig treats it’s queens. Ahead of this next installment she revealed on Instagram that she just put her mother into hospice. It’s a testament to her talent as a producer and a performer that these antics never overshadow the work she does onstage. This Hole Pics is an especially beefy lineup with 10 local queens taking the stage. Even bigger is newly minted Tik Tok star Ocean Kelly flying up from Atlanta for the gig. If you don’t know her name perhaps you’ve heard her song about “vegan pussy” or her Wanda vision theme song remix. Expect group choreography, stunts, and shenanigans.
How much: $30
Cumgirl8 EP Release Show
When: Thursday,
Where: Knitting Factory
What: Despite the somewhat cheugy reputation The Knitting Factory has, this show is sure to bring out the downtown glitterati. Kembra Pfahler is a performance art star with old school New Yorker cred. Girl Dick is the newest buzziest band on my radar, packing basement shows full of Parsons student lookalikes without a demo out. Drag fans may recognize Bobbie Hondo’s name from her starring role on HBO’s documentary WIG. The headliners of the evening, Cum Girl 8, are a trio of models who are also designers and also make artfully tuneless post-punk in the style of The Raincoats.
How much: $12
Spooky Kunt
When: Thursday, 11pm
Where: Nowadays
What: Another fabulous rave by Club Carry and Discakes, this rave has the special honor of producer/vocalist @JOEY LABEIJA going B2B @__joselo__. Expect fast punishing BMPS and a crowd skewing towards the younger side.
How much: $15-25
Unforgivable Emotional Carnivore
When: Friday & Sunday 8pm
Where: The Cell Theatre 338 West 23rd street.
What: The drag theatre troupe of Pinwheel, God Complex, Ester, and Menthol return with DJ Ten Yards for 2 halloween showings. Their dadaist shows are often hilarious and at times veer into politics. To witness drag in it’s most freewheeling form, don’t miss this show.
How much: $18
Haunting on the L
When: Saturday, 8pm
Where: The L strain, starting at Broadway junction
What: A self-described “spooky drag show on the L train” this is the latest of such MTA drag takeovers staged by Filthy June and Sterling. When I asked the latter about the details of this event she shared the following tenants: 1) no visible alcohol 2) where a mask 3) respect the MTA employees and fellow passengers 4) bring dollar bills. Paper Magazine will be photographing the event. The group is leaving with thier fans from the Broadway Junction L train stop promptly at 8, so don’t miss your chance to experience the wildest train ride of the weekend.
How much: Free, $10 suggested donation
Fearmatica
When: Wednesday, Oct 27th, 8pm
Where: 3 Dollar Bill
What: This is, at face value, just another drag show with spooky drag queens but there’s more than meets the eye here. An inside source promises me this will be a side of these queens we haven’t seen before. Familiar yet foreign, like a drag version of the upside down perhaps? Def make sure you attend, but don’t get too close. There’s also vendors before the show.
How much: $10-25
Booked By Grandma Presents: Dead Disco
When: Saturday, Oct 30th, 8pm
Where: The Broadway
What: In the time-honored tradition of rock bands gathering on Halloween to pay tribute to their favorite artists, I and my fellow schemers at Booked By Grandma planned a zombie-themed party to end all parties. Indie pop band Sedona is paying tribute to Avril Lavigne, multi/non-disciplinary artist Cal Fish covering Cocteau Twins, new wave band New Myths covering The Gos Gos, and members of The Rizzos, Plaid Dracula, and QWAM covering My Chemical Romance. Qhrist Almighty is hosting the evening, and my new fave it-girl will be running post show Karaoke.
How much: $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Haunted Hop
When: Sunday, Oct 31, 7pm-4am
Where: Trans Pecos & TV Eye
What: Like the Booked By Grandma show without a drag queen and like 10 times the bands. This party is so big it spans two venues. Highlights include SPITE FUXX covering Hole, Razor Braids covering The Spice Girls, 95 Bulls as Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, FLASYD as The Beastie Boys, and a $100 dollar costume contest.
How much: $10 per venue
That’s it for this dispatch. If you liked it please consider hitting the heart button on this post or forwarding this email to a pal! If you’re the pal please subscribe. I write once a week about upcoming worthy events underground, news & gossip, and gay shit. You can send me tips about those things by emailing thedeviantdispatch@gmail.com. If you care about drag queens, illegal parties, independent music/art/film/fashion, Charli XCX, and rebellion, you need to support The Deviant Dispatch.