photo credit: Bloodhound Photography. Homo's Got Talent
2010. Left to Right: Deviant Housewives, Maude Squared Choir, Kaj-Anne PepperPress Releases
Pants-Off Press Release.pdf (click to download)
Pants-Off in the Press>High Voltage: October 2010. Just Out
>
Bubbling up from the
Underground: June 2010. Portland Mercury
High Voltage! Pants Off Productions capitalizes
on Homomentum
October 15, 2010 by Ryan Prado.
Just Out
photo credit: A Picard: www.bloodhoundphotography.comAs Max Voltage and Jodi Bon Jodi
headed back to Portland following the International Drag King
Extravaganza (IDKE) in October 2007, they visualized a circus-themed
night of gender bending—a stage for radical art in the Rose City’s queer
subculture. Little did they know that when their idea would materialize
in May 2008, they’d tap the pulse of an artistic undercurrent coursing
just below more mainstream queer entertainment. Freakshow-A-Go-Go, as it
was dubbed, transformed the idea of performance art, meshing drag,
burlesque, dance and performance art into a free-for-all cabaret of epic
proportions. So much so, in fact, that the concept outgrew Portland and
has now been staged in cities like Seattle and Austin, with an upcoming
event slated for Madison, Wis.
The explosion marked the birth of Pants Off Productions, the
brainchild of Voltage. She was surprised at the response, to say the
least. “We had no idea what it would become!” says Voltage. “It just sorta
took off!” Voltage says she loves the idea of sharing a national queer
performance wealth with a different city each year, to inspire and rally
various local cultures. Making things happen on stage has been a
constant all of her life.
Born in Corvallis and raised in Lake Oswego, Voltage, 28, is a
classically trained violinist since age 5 and has been coordinating
performances since about the same age, recruiting neighborhood kids
along with her brother to put on shows for parents and friends. When she
was in college, Voltage was the president of the queer alliance at a
Jesuit university and created the first drag show at a Catholic
university in the United States. “I had never even been to a drag show before, but I rallied my
theater friends, put together a boy band and made it happen,” recalls
Voltage.
She found herself completely addicted and went on to win the San
Francisco Drag King competition in 2003. Around the same time, Voltage
started a Portland-based troupe with her brother called Ubergay Cabaret,
which fueled the local drag movement along with DKPDX and Sissyboy. But
following the dissolution of those crews, the queer performance art
scene dwindled—until Freakshow (FAGG), and her concept of exposing
“radical queer art.”
“To me, radical queer art means creating space that is
anti-oppression,” explains Voltage. “I’ve always seen art as a powerful
tool of activism. I want to share the stage with others who are
dedicated to making the world a less racist, sexist, classist,
homophobic, sizeist place. Dykes, fags, femmes, drag stars, gender
queers, fat queers, queers of color, working-class queers all taking the
stage is itself a radical act because we don’t often get a voice. I
want to create space for those of us who don’t often get to have a stage
of our own.”
Voltage says that performance art that seeks to offend just for the
sake of offending misses the point, that the “anti-PC backlash” is
little more than spectacle. She’s not interested in being explicitly
political but rather maintaining radical politics as the foundation,
with glitter, choreography, spandex, watermelon fisting, dirty miming,
cake sitting and more being what you actually see. “The reality is, if you’re being ‘offensive,’ often you’re just
recreating the oppressive paradigms of mainstream culture,” she says. “I
have no interest in that type of ‘art.’ I think it’s lazy. You can’t be
empowering some people while tearing others down.” Voltage’s cornerstone of creating art that’s innovative, empowering
and fun to watch has taken on the form of some of Portland’s most
successful events, all courtesy of POP.
Following the popularity of FAGG, POP launched other events including
Homomentum, Kick/Ball/Change, Homo’s Got Talent and Untrained, I—each
marked by challenges for performers that encapsulate the freedom of
gender identity, sexual identity and artistic expression that Voltage
aims to empower. Take the uber-popular Homomentum, which returns on Friday, November 5
at the Fez Ballroom after a summer hiatus. The cabaret showcases queer
dance, burlesque and performance art within a revolving theme each
month, with Voltage emceeing and sometimes performing.
“The Homomentum themes help catalyze performances and ensure that
each show is unique,” says Voltage. “It’s so exciting to watch
performers bring their own particular interpretations, and sometimes the
acts have nothing to do with my theme. That’s okay too.” These interpretations—November’s theme is “Rebels and
Outlaws”—feature performances that incorporate the aforementioned
watermelon and cake play, along with radical cheerleading, cucumber
bobbing, vibrating dryer-riding, airport strip searching, snowman
accessorizing, Xena homoeroticizing and more. Voltage views these
experimental efforts as the doorway to the future of Portland’s queer
arts scene.
“I see Portland becoming one of the top destinations for queer
culture in the United States,” she says. “Queer folks are already moving
here from all over the country, and I see that growing more and more
over the next few years.
“Performers have been coming out of the woodwork, with quality and
invention, humor and brilliance beyond what I even imagined. There is so
much brilliance and art in our community; sometimes people just need a
little push, some inspiration and a space to show it off. Homomentum has
proven to me that our community craves to be challenged artistically,
and when challenged, will rise to the occasion.”
Homomentum hits the Fez Ballroom (316 SW 11th Ave.) on Fri., Nov.
5; doors are at 7 p.m., show at 8; $5-$10 sliding scale; 21+. The
gaymazing lineup includes The Cattitude Dance Ensemble, The Dolly Pops,
Felice Shays, All of the Above, Little Tommy Bang Bang and Slim Pickins,
Pidgeon Von Tramp, Shazaam and Swagger. For more information, visit
pantsoffpdx.com.
Bubbling up from the
Underground: Radical Queer Performers Infiltrate the Mainstream
You wouldn't expect one of Portland's wildest performance artists to
sing the praises of
reality television. But in the world of Kaj-anne Pepper, nothing is
predictable."I thought I was gonna hate RuPaul's Drag Race, but I
love
it," he says. "It makes drag queens look cool, because they're on TV.
It brings an awareness and a popularity to the craft and the hard work
that goes into it." After several years of genderfucking with Rose City
audiences,
Pepper, 25, is diversifying his repertoire by collaborating with local
choreographers Linda Austin and Tahni Holt. This fall he'll co-direct Ordo
Virtutum,
a 12th century morality play by German mystic Hildegard of Bingen. It's
all a far cry from his days with Sissyboy, Portland's infamous "shock
drag" troupe that performed in bars before he was even old enough to
legally drink booze. "I would just walk in," Pepper says. "People don't
question a 5' 4" drag queen with a giant pink mullet and a hand knife."
RuPaul isn't the only pop culture figure on his mind. Last month
Pepper was crowned "Miss Thing" at a competition where he presented an
homage to Lady Gaga—albeit with mixed feelings. "It's really important
for that kind of creativity to get injected
into the mainstream," Pepper says. "What bothers me is that it's
becoming commodified. It's the process in which culture steals from
queers and trannies and faggots, and then we have to take it right
back."
Drag kings Max Voltage, 28, and Jodi Bon Jodi, 32, are also doing
their part to provide a platform for outspoken performers. They formed
Pants-Off Productions (pantsoffpdx.com)
to present wildly diverse monthly talent contests. So far, the shows
have attracted Spandex-clad ribbon dancers, a dyke fisting a
watermelon, and a musician playing an accordion while singing, "Do you
take it in the ass?" Next up for Pants-Off is the second annual Homo's
Got Talent, a
campy dance-off competition featuring a panel of "celebrity judges," on
July 31 at the Jupiter Hotel. Once again, blame it on the phenomenon of
reality television. "So You Think You Can Dance is one of my
favorite shows," Voltage admits. "I'm really excited to see pop culture
psyched about dance."
Jenny Hoyston is trying a different approach to shaking up the
scene. After moving here from San Francisco a couple of years ago, the
visual artist/musician (of Erase Errata fame) was surprised at the
"one-dimensional" nature of most queer events. She soon joined forces
with fellow multi-hyphenate Sarah Faith Gottesdiener (the Gay
Deceivers) to curate gatherings where experimental musicians, visual
artists, and performance artists could commingle. "We would like to
normalize being queer in the art world and not be ghettoized," says
Hoyston, 37. Their next event, Menz Room, will feature CJ and the Dolls
and other
gender-bending performers on Friday, June 18, at Rotture. Although it's
been challenging, Hoyston hopes the parties continue to draw a diverse
crowd. "Portland has surprised me how segregated it is between queer and
straight and between gay men and lesbians," she says. "There's a huge
queer family here, and I don't think they want to hear 'We Are Family'
every night."
That's precisely where Airick Heater comes into the picture. He's the
mastermind behind Blow Pony (blowpony.com),
an
infamous monthly bacchanal created as an antidote to the "shallow
and boring and repetitive" music heard at most gay bars. At Blow Pony,
you're more likely to find a tattooed transguy dancing to Dolly Parton
than a buff gym rat posturing to Cher.
"I made it a point to make sure that this party would be open to
everybody," says Heater, 41. "It's not an agenda, but it's about more
than getting trashed. It's about liberating yourself and your
sexuality."
photo credit: Bloodhound photography. Homo's Got Talent
2010. Left to right: Kaj-Anne Pepper, Judges Mr Charming, Sea Man &
Sossity, FeyonceHomo's Got Talent>Pants-off Dance-off Presents: July 2010 in Willamette Week
Pants-Off Dance-Off Presents Homo's Got Talent
July 15th, 2010 by Caitlin Giddings. Willamette Week
After the flurry of gayness that composed last month’s Pride
festivities, the queer community is all rested up and ready to roll out
a roster of events for the rest of summer. On Saturday, July 31, Pants Off Productions brings you the second annual Homo’s Got Talent Dance-Off Competition at the Jupiter Hotel Courtyard.
There can be only one Top Homo Dancer, and registered acts from all over the city will compete for the title and prizes. America’s Got Talent may have already eliminated both its Portland contestants, but local homos are still duking it out on the dance floor while emcee Max Voltage and celebrity judges preside over it all.
Watch the Art School Drop-outs show how they captured last year’s
title, bring your most vigorous popping and locking for the audience
dance-off, or shake your ass at the after-party. Last year’s
competition featured “acro-balance superheroes, choreographed yo-yoing,
dinosaur tango, pony-prancing, whip-cream & twinkie debauchery,”
according to the press release, so clearly Pants Off Productions are
not taking this “talent” thing lightly.
Jupiter Hotel Courtyard, 800 E Burnside St. Saturday, July 31, 7 pm. $10 advance. $15 door, 21+. 
HOMOMENTUM Press>Review of Homomentum: October on QPDX.com
>Homomentum Press October on JustOut.com
Homomentum off to a raging start with Saturday's Freakeasy Speakeasy
October 12th, 2009. by Alley Hector. www.QPDX.com
Homomentum’s first performance in the aptly named E Room Tomb was a dark Halloween
success. Fall has seen a slowdown in the queer nightlife calendar, but
by shortly after 8pm the Tomb was filled with bright eyed audience
members. Clocking in at just an hour it left us wanting more, which,
luckily, we only have to wait a month for.
Jodi Bon Jodi opened the show with a mummy
striptease. All those wrappings are perfect for the tease, and who
doesn’t appreciate a little creepiness mixed in with sexuality. This
theme continued with with dark makeup sported by CJ in his accented rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”
My favorite piece, however, was dark and creepy only in it’s close relation to the truth. In a melancholy jig about breakups, Untrained, I’s
Max and Roz literally tugged on each other’s heartstrings, as they also
pulled on the audience’s. Something that easily could have been trite
was instead tender, even as the strings attached to their sweatshirts
were finally cut.
Cute, silly, creepy and hot, Freakeasy Speakeasy was low key
success. Fun and inspiring, it left plenty of time to go out afterword
properly inspired. At a mere $5-7 its the perfect Fall performance
trick and treat. November’s Time Warpt Talent Show and December’s
Snowpocalypse are already on my social calendar.
Homomentum: Freakeasy Speakeasy: (Left to Right) Untrained, I, CJ, Cattitude. photos by Kina Williams
Freakeasy Speakeasy: Homomentum Rocks The Body at the E-Room
October 2nd, 2009. by Nick Mattos. www.JustOut.com
Sometimes all a gay wants to do is to kick back, drink a cold beverage, and watch some performers freak out with variety theater. You’re in luck—riding the hot buzz of its recent events Kick/Ball/Change and Homo’s Got Talent, Portland’s own Pants-Off Productions is ready to explode some gay skulls with new endeavor Homomentum!
This queer cabaret promises to deliver the cutting-edge subversion and high drama that’s earned Pants-Off a dedicated following of glitter-encrusted queers. The inaugural performance—a Halloween-themed “Freakeasy Speakeasy” spectacular—will feature such crowd pleasers as Cattitude, Beefcake Burlesque, Untrained I, Under the Radar and other singing, dancing, tassel- shaking displays of queer ingenuity. And MC Max Voltage will keep the crowd begging for more. Future Homomentum showcases are likely to leave audiences in a fabulosity- induced coma. Planned themes include November’s “Time-Warp Talent Show” and December’s “Snow-pocalypse.”
And Pants-Off Productions always empowers its performers to put their own spin on themes, so expect nothing less than to be dazzled! Do you have happy feet—or happy nipples, for that matter? Pants-Off Productions has issued an open call for dancers, burlesque talents, and performance art freaks for future Homomentum events. To inquire about opportunities, contact queermcgay@gmail.com. Submissions are accepted first-come, first-served until all spots are filled.
The Homomentum gets moving October 10 at the E-Room (3701 SE Division). Future events are scheduled every second Saturday—that’s November 14 and December 12 for those without a calendar handy. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the performance art madness kicks in at 8. Admission runs on a $5-$7 sliding scale. Sorry, kids—this variety show’s for the 21-and-over set. Freak it easy!
Photos: Kick/Ball/Change: KO&Co, Cattitude Dance
Ensemble, Unseen Hip-Hop
Kick/Ball/Change Press>Review of May Show (QPDX)
>Promo Article (JustOut)
>Review of January Show (OregonLive.com)
Kick/Ball/Change: A Review
May 14th, 2009. by Perry Winkle www.QPDX.com Kick, Ball, Change. A PDX dance showcase. I had no idea what to expect (except dancing) but this being a
PantsOff production, I knew it had to be good. And I was not disappointed. Kick / Ball / Change is not a queer
event per se, but it’s anti-authoritarian, DIY, gender-blurring, pop
culture-referring, ruckus attitude has all the appeal of Portland’s
best queer events – it’s clear that organizers Jodi Bon Jodi and Max
Voltage’s many years of organizing and performing queer events are
indelible from both their passion and their art.
Untrained, I Dance Company
Kick / Ball / Change is not only a dance move – in this context it
is a solo piece, an ensembled cavalcade of glitter and glam, a chicken
vs. fox dance of seduction, a legitimization of cat based art, a
threesome, forceful, punchy hip hop moves, a group of friends, a
masquerade, classical training, DIY attitude, experience and
neophytism. Kick / Ball / Change features artists from a diverse range
of dance, each bringing their own style and vision to the stage. Our
journey was guided by Sossity Chiricuzio,
whose wit, honesty and accessibility gave real warmth to the show,
establishing a firm connection between both performers and audience.
Starting off this last KBC was Untrained, I, a company that
encourages untrained dancers to get involved in dance, thus making
dance accessible. Their changing performances were energetic,
innovative and varied, moving from a trio to radtastic hip hop to
jumpsuits to tutus on milk crates. They never did anything “expected”,
and thus set the bar for the entire show. Katrina O’Brien
from KO&CO. wowed us with a solo piece that involved big boots, big
gestures, big stares, and lots throwing herself around-and confronting
the audience at the edge of the stage by forcing them to look at her up
close. Unseen Hip Hop’s perfectly choreographed hip hop moves had me wowed, despite being the “straightest” performance on stage. Beefcake Burlesque served up a unique slice of boylesque, while Kaj-Anne Pepper abstracted, in a mass of exploding glitter, bowie-esque fever dreams, and pop music. Cattitude
stole the show, however, with their rompingly rollicking fun that
featured moments of “can you really believe we’re watching this?” and
sheer audience pleasing madness wrapped up in a big furball of glitter,
glam and gusto.
What a show. Kick / Ball / Change delivered perfectly, just as the
name says – a kick in the balls and a change in direction of what a
dance showcase should and could be. I know any dance performance I will
ever see has to live up to Kick / Ball / Change: For its uniqueness,
its power, its diversity, its unabashed pursuit of vision, and its
glory. The next (and final) Kick / Ball / Change will return to the Someday
Lounge on Sunday, August 9th. Tix $10 in advance (so cheap!) at Brownpapertickets (on sale soon!), $12 at the door. Still a steal. You would be well advised not to miss it.
Photos: Kick/Ball/Change: Untrained I, Unseen Hip-Hop, Cattitude Dance Ensemble
More than Jazz-Hands: Kick/Ball/Change returns with Post-Apocolyptic Aplomb
May 1st, 2009. by Alley Hector.
Just OutThe inaugural Kick/Ball/Change blew my mind. With a mix of drag, drama, dance and some truly inspired choreography, KBC’s performers made me clap until my palms hurt. I expect nothing less from the sophomore excursion,
happening with panache Sunday, May 10 at the Someday Lounge.
Organizers Jodi Bon Jodi and Max Voltage present the upcoming spectacle in post-apocalyptic ballet costumes that capture what it means to be DIY fabulous. Their goal, Voltage says, is to “create a space where all sorts of dance-forms can come together and share a stage.”
This installment features the theater-inspired art of Jessica Wallenfels and the creative movement of everyone’s favorite unicorn gender-bender, Kaj-Anne Pepper. Katrina O’Brien’s modern dance brings athleticism and an avant-garde sensibility to the otherwise largely self-taught crews. Campy boy-lesque by Beefcake Burlesque and the cheeky, catnip-
fueled prancing of Catitude round out the evening.
But the star performers here are one of Portland’s newest dance companies, Untrained, I. With glitter and grace, the troupe of mostly “untrained” dancers merges modern, hip-hop, ballet, and jazz dance. In pieces punctuated by elaborate costumes, electro-pop, multimedia and political statements, Untrained, I transforms
a performance genre that often takes itself very seriously into something silly yet surprisingly skilled and lovely.
Sossity Chiricuzio of Dirty Queer, Portland’s only erotic open mic night, guides audience members through this experience. Our Mistress of Ceremonies will add a sexual flare to a space already charged with energy.
It’s nights like these, in their magical
combination of performance and partying, that make Portland’s queer art scene unique. You’re sure to feel high as you accompany the performers through their heady trip – and likely to follow Kick/Ball/Change with dance steps of your own.
Photos: Untrained I, Cattitude Dance Ensemble, Untrained I
Kick/Ball/Change in review: Dance is back!
January 27th, 2009. by Alley Hector. OregonLive.com
I hadn't uttered the words kick/ball/change since grade school jazz
dance classes at the community center featuring neon leotards. But
Sunday night's Kick/Ball/Change performance brought it back to my
vocabulary. Going way beyond Sparkle Motion and jazz hands, the drag,
dance, performance-art stylings of Untrained, I, All of the Above,
KO&Co, Beefcake Burlesque and Cattitude entertained with
innovative, humorous and sexy moves that will not soon be forgotten.
Camp is almost always fun, but it is also almost always trite. KBC's emcee, the unmatchable
Noah Mickens,
from art and performance groups such as 2Gyrlz and 36 Invisibles,
rocked the stage with highly original camp while clothed in a blood red
zoot suit. His slicked back hair even matched.
Beefcake
brought a myriad of masculinitities to the stage, celebrating the
hotness and showmanship that Portland is so known for. Their occasional
irreverence, however, was no match for the outright comedy of
Catitude, whose curly wigs and enormous yellow cat eyes will haunt my dreams (in a good way) for weeks.
As for
All of the Above,
I would say they pretty much lived up to their name. However, with
plenty of moments of laughter AA mostly served to indulge the
audience's need for style, sass and the successful use of black light
to enhance the eye candy. The moves were kickin'.
KO&Co
brought a practiced and trained post-modern language to a largely
self-taught show. They used these skills in an outlandish and
complementary juxtaposition to the troupe with the most performances of
the night,
Untrained, I.
A group that prides itself on performance without traditional
schooling, UI brought just the right amount of wit, languid and
thoughtful choregraphy, and straight up energy.
It was just about the gayest thing I have ever seen. And that is most definitely a good thing.
Photos from FAGG Austin: Butch Tap, Untrained I, Cuntry Kings.
Freakshow-a-Go-Go Press>FAGG: Austin, Event-Highlight Article
>FAGG: PDX, Event-Highlight Article
>LINK:
FAGG: Austin Makes the A-list
Freakshow-a-Go-Go: Dislodging Normal
May 29th, 2009. by Cindy Widner. Austin ChronicleAustin Drag Collective in host mode. In retro parlance, drag is about divas. For the Austin Drag
Collective – which is hosting Austin's first Freakshow-a-Go-Go at Emo's
this Saturday – it isn't even necessarily about drag. Embracing the
non-diva-ish notion that collective action can produce damn fine
spectacle, the group has gathered from across the nation, yes, drag
performers – but also burlesque troupes, puppeteers, and cat dancers –
to upend expectations and, oh yeah, put on a gigantic show.
The first Freakshow, held last year in Portland, Ore., traced its
lineage to the roving International Drag King Extravaganza and
Washington, D.C.'s Great Big International Drag Show. Unlike those
festivals, Freakshow-a-Go-Go is a one-night performance event that
casts a wider net. "We wanted to bring different kinds of performance
artists into a space on a shared stage to highlight more than just
drag," says Eaton Johnson (a former Chronicle intern). "We
wanted to highlight performance in general and foster communication
between different members of performance troupes and styles, in Austin
and in the nation."
The result, he says, is "fun, kind of circusy, kind of out-there" –
a Felliniesque gamut that encompasses the "significant, meaningful
pieces" of Durham, N.C.'s Cuntry Kings; Oakland, Calif.'s Butch Tap
(performing both drag and full-on tap-dance pieces); Portland, Ore.'s
Cattitude dance ensemble (focusing on "cat positivity"); and New
Orleans' Crescent City Kings. The hometown represents as well, with the
Jigglewatts' burlesque, Baruzuland's shadow puppetry, gonzo dance
troupe Little Stolen Moments, and WinoVino's roving carnival of
musicians. Emceeing is PJ Chavez, the Bowie, Texas-spawned practitioner
of "hair arts" and hostess of Live! From PantsuitLand With PJ Chavez.
For the Drag Collective (all members of local drag king troupe Kings
N Things), the event's biggest challenges involved conveying the
inclusiveness, both to potential performers and publicity outlets, of a
show that encompasses so many categories. "I think the toughest thing
is those little [online] check-boxes that only make you define yourself
further; it's harder to do so when you're so broadly based," says
Johnson.
The show's eclecticism is "a way to perform ourselves and to reveal
new definitions of 'sexy' and 'performance,'" he continues, "dislodging
notions of normal and creating new narratives. I think that within drag
and performance you can hit those new narratives and stray away from
what 'normal' might be. We're reclaiming terminology – like 'queer' has
become reclaimed. It's a mixture of reclaiming terminology and doing
it."
It's time, in other words, to take back the freak
Photos: Freakshow-a-Go-Go PDX: Gender Offenders, Smarmy Chorus Girls, KO&Co, Gender Fluids (photo cred K. Williams)
May 2nd, 2008. by Stephen Marc Beaudoin. Just OutThe Portland drag scene is not dead. But it sure looks like it’s got one foot in the grave, at least according to 26-year-old drag king Max McGrath-Reicke, aka Max Voltage. Which is why the self-described “genderfuck artist”—who in conversation refuses to adopt a masculine or feminine pronoun—is stoked about Freakshow-a-Go-Go, a circuslike night of vaudevillian drag antics May 17 at the Hippodrome Center, 315 S.E. Third Ave. The heyday of Portland drag might be gone, Voltage says, but many of its VIP members—from now-defunct groups like Sissyboy, DK PDX and Übergay Cabaret—are still kicking around and itching for new performance ops. Enter Freakshow-a-Go-Go.
With almost a dozen solo and group acts from the Northwest and around the country in the lineup, the show could signal a new renaissance for drag in Portland, according to Voltage, a classically trained violinist and winner of the 2003 San Francisco Drag King Competition. And the performers will be flying their freak flags high and proud.
“The whole show is circus-themed and is about this whole idea of freaks and who identifies as a freak. I identify as queer, but I also strongly identify with the term ‘freak,’ ” a word Voltage says was hurled left and right in childhood. “Growing up as a kid not being ‘gender normative’ and being called a freak, that word had a lot of sting and power to it.” So Voltage wants to reclaim the word by infusing it with the artist’s own brand of arty power.
Voltage will have a host of help, from Portland’s newly minted Gender Fluids, which arose from the Sissyboy ashes and includes local drag luminaries like Splendora, Kaj-anne Pepper and Pony Boy, to out-of-town acts like Chicago’s Smarmy Chorus Girls and a queer black intermedia performance artist named Thisway/Thatway, offering “a meditation on the historical consumption and exploitation of black women.” Voltage will perform in a few numbers, including the opening, a newly choreographed quasi hip-hop routine to Portishead’s pounding “Glory Box.” Sossity Chiricuzio, host of In Other Words’ Dirty Queer open mike night, is the evening’s host/ess.
Tickets are $10-$15 from Brown Paper Tickets. Doors are at 7 p.m., with the show at 8 and a post-show DJ’d dance party following.
—