Courtesy Images
What a Drag
Gurlz Gone Wild drag show concludes this year’s Pride
Following a full month of Pride festivities, iconic local drag artist and events coordinator extraordinaire Brandi presents Gurlz Gone Wild at the Jean Cocteau Cinema on Sunday, June 30.
Gurlz will feature four drag queens from the area: Caelie Twilight Bouvier, Felicia Roxx Starr Faraday, Lady Hawk and Coco Caliente. According to Brandi, the event should be “a wildly unpredictable fetish-for-the-eyes.”
“Be prepared for anything and everything,” Brandi adds. “Lock your men up, baby—this ride is going to get rough.”
For those uninitiated when it comes to the world of drag, Gurlz Gone Wild should prove a classic affair with singing, humor, over-the-top fashion and a healthy dose of dancing. And if the name Brandi sounds familiar, that’s almost certainly because she’s lived in Santa Fe for 27 years and promoted events for nearly as long. Take the annual Oscars Party, for example, or any number of soirees, fundraisers and gatherings. In short, Brandi says, “it’s about the community.”
Gurlz also hearkens back to the glory days of local drag companies, like the sadly defunct Jewel Box Cabaret, while keeping an eye on the future of the art. The scene was already in flux before the pandemic, Brandi notes, adding that despite a brief resurgence in 2022, regular drag events have been on the decline in recent times.
“We [were] doing it too often for the people to really appreciate,” Brandi says. When the shows are less frequent, “there’s bigger hype.”
In most cases, such shows are family-friendly, too, and often interactive; audience participation is practically a must. And while Brandi encourages the drag-faithful to attend the upcoming show, she and the other performers also hope to attract newcomers.
“It is a mixed crowd—there are families and people who come from all around,” Brandi says, “but we also want to get drag virgins so we can have some fun with them.”
Don’t overthink it, though. Drag is meant to be accessible and borderline silly, even as the queens and kings take their roles seriously. Nevertheless, Brandi says, “it’s just us coming together and having a good old show.” (Lauren Lifke)
Gurlz Gone Wild: Noon-2 p.m., Sunday, June 30. $20-$50. Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501, 505-466-5528
Courtesy themysticsantafe.com
All That Glitters
Granted, the queer dance scene in Santa Fe isn’t what it once was—y’know, back when numerous nightclubs operated downtown within spitting distance from one another—but the return of promotions outfit Butchhope Productions after five dormant years heralds the return of the legendary Glitter Women’s Dance Party. Previously, Glitter was a Santa Fe mainstay and popped off across town; for its return as part of Santa Fe Pride 2024, it takes over The Mystic with DJ Oona rocking the decks like only she can. “There’s an energy around just doing more,” Oona tells SFR. “We don’t have a standard gay nightclub anymore, but a lot of avenues have been opening up—we’re just trying to do more.” The event is trans-inclusive, of course, and features appearances from Zircus Erotique Burlesque, a full bar and so much dance. (Alex De Vore)
Glitter: Queer Women’s Dance Party: 8 pm-12 am Friday, June 28. $20. The Mystic, 2810 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-1066
Courtesy Loren Aragon
…But Make it Fashion
Following the massive success of the Southwest Association for Indian Arts’ Native Fashion Week earlier this year—the first of its kind in the US—Indigenous designers are finally getting a higher level of recognition within the industry, and an upcoming talk at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture between designers Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo), Penny Singer (Diné) and Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) aims to delve into the future of the field. “There’s some traction going on in films just now, red carpet appearances; more awareness for the talented designers who’ve been buried in the Southwest,” Aragon of the brand Stone Tower tells SFR. “Culturally, for me, that resonates. I’m embedded in expressing my culture through my fashion and, in doing so, creating that awareness that we’re still very much alive, thriving, in touch with the modern world.” (ADV)
What’s Next In Native Fashion: 1-3 pm Saturday, June 29. $7-$12. Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, 710 Camino Lejo, (505) 476-1269
Courtesy redfang.net
Fangs for the Memories
Look, we all know Santa Fe’s love affair with metal dates back to time immemorial, and that we have a scene robust enough to support regular Metal Monday events; that bands like Street Tombs are making waves on tour; that metal-focused studio The Decibel Foundry keeps it real all the time. We just can’t get enough of the stuff, so when a band like Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang comes to town, people get to stepping (into an online queue for tickets). This one’s for the stoners and the fans of acts like Sleep, Goblin Cock, Karp and The Sword. Throw on that denim vest, bruh, and get ready to chug, rip and tear along with one of the most enduring acts of our time. Garage rock/punk act Spoon Benders opens. (ADV)
Red Fang: 7 pm Monday, July 1. $15-$27.50. Meow Wolf, 1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369
