Wild And Fun Times At XXL Pride First Avenue
The Twin Cities is notoriously busy during Pride Weekend, oodles to do and plenty to attend. When I heard that First Ave was having a larger than life drag show on Saturday night, knew I had to be there. With temps getting steamy politically even more than usual, it is VITAL we support our friends, family, and vibrant community we get to call home.
Every street sign was showing the rainbow Pride colors, my favorite was a cute sliver of a moon and stars filled w the tones. It alternated between the exposure to embody the twinkle. Scored a meter spot a few blocks away from the venue, made my way over slowly to admire all the fun on the streets. A group of pristine lowrider cars showing off their moves, kids giggling and skipping down the sidewalk, and oodles of folks taking it all in like myself. Having been to Pride in other cities, Minneapolis does it with earnest togetherness and genuine joviality. Endlessly proud I was born in a city so strong in its convictions.
Everyone should and has a space in the Twin Cities to be themselves, this past weekend was no exception.
The line was already past 7th Street Entry about 15 minutes before doors opened, folks were ready to dance the night away. Outfits were on point. Lots of sparkle, catch phrases emblazoned on mesh tops, classic rainbow attire. Good ol’ Pride-wear. Oh, and tons of fly footwear. Makes me wanna drag out my big chunky boots. Security moved fast and efficiently, typical of First Ave’s stellar staff, got in fast and snagged a tallboy IPA to watch the crowd slowly swell with happy people.
For the first few hours, DJ Larry Peace was spinning away. Tons of hot hits mixed with club and pop classics. Particularly enjoyed the Spice Girls making an appearance on the playlist, my fellow Millennials also seemed to relish the inclusion. It seemed like everywhere I looked, smiles were plastered on every face. Absolut was one of the sponsors for the night so had some sweet swag to play with in the audience. LED foam batons flailing and bopping along to the beat which made the ambience so colorful and alive throughout the entire evening (and early morning.) Snagged a rainbow headband for myself, as a person who wears all black almost every day, need some fun in my wardrobe occasionally. My favorite of the swag doled out was the rainbow New Orleans style bead necklaces. Ending the multitoned chain was a Minnesota sillouette medallion filled with the colors of the Pride flag. Bringing that to Nola next spring when I’m there for St Patrick’s day.
Plenty of the evening’s performers were mingling in the crowd, chatting with friends and fans alike. Though drag queens can be intimidating, got no weird vibes by anyone when wandering through the sea of people. Minnesotans are typically polite if they see a famous person, glad to say that was the response by the chatty crowd. On the right side of the venue before performances began, Joey Jay and Luscious Massacre were doing meet-and-greets for VIPs (my brother, who was there with a few buds got to meet Luscious and snag a photo!) and I def fangirled out a big. Of course a fan of everything drag, Luscious’ Dragvestigations on YouTube is amazing. I implore you to watch them and not immediately fall in love. For LM aficionados, yes, seeing the Jessica Simpson purse IRL was my most treasured moment of the night besides hearing and witnessing Luscious on the infamous First Ave stage.
Domita Diva Sanchez was a perfect host choice for the evening. Engaging, plenty of humor peppered in, timely. Keeping everyone on track with so many acts is daunting, Sanchez masterfully wrangled everything perfectly along with their own performance additions between entertainers. Once the show got started, it was a barrage of fun and lights for two hours solid. Everyone was fantastic. I just wish each performer got more than a single song, but that did keep me in a stasis of excitement and edge-of-my-seat attentiveness. Having been to drag shows before, knew it would be fast turnover between entertainer, but this was military exercise precision. Many of the performers had just enough time to scoop their tip dollars versus perform a routine, but that’s what happens when you have over ten entertainers. Huzzah to keeping everyone on track, First Ave and Flip Phone.
Everyone was wonderful, but there were definitely a few standouts. Southern beauty Chevelle Brooks being first on deck lit up the room with energy. Ru Paul Drag Race Season 13 star Joey Jay was stunning to see lit in classic Prince purple light, silky blonde hair flowing like golden water with every movement. Minneapolis’ own Starr Dust was painted for the Gods, biting dollars from lucky fans’ mouths and even taking a dip into the mayhem to crowd surf a touch. Hunky Dory brought the Drag King representation to the night, armed with broody sexy style alongside two backup dancers to swirl around them, even showing off some cheeks after a dramatic outfit reveal. Iconic queen Luscious Massacre enchanted every soul in the room with not only a stunning multifaceted lip sync but dressed to the nines complete with tiny battery operated fan, ICE OUT pin nestled in her wig, and THE Jessica Simpson purse. IYKYK.
Life is full of magical moments, Saturday night at First Ave was a colorful shining example.
