Every year, the Askew Student Life Center (ASLC) holds two drag shows in the Student Life Cinema (SLC) in collaboration with the Pride Student Union: one in the fall and one in the spring. This year, however, we got a bit of a switch-up! The most recent performance was the Western Drag Show, which featured amateur student performers. The show was also accompanied by a midnight screening of Brokeback Mountain.
I’d never been to a drag show before attending FSU, and my first one was the ASLC and Pride Student Union Drag Show, which took place at the end of August. The vibes at that show were immaculate, and the crowd hyped up every performer and made the experience a fun and welcoming place for queer individuals.
The Western Drag Show was no different; the Wild West theme made for some excellent themed performances, with most of the performers dressed up in cowboy and cowgirl-inspired gear. The show was also hosted by one of the performers from the show in August, Justina Hole.
Justina kicked it off with a fierce performance to “The Champion” by Carrie Underwood ft. Ludacris. This was a solid start to fully hype the crowd up for the rest of the show. She ended it with a summersault across the stage floor, then took a few moments to talk with the crowd before moving on to the next performer.
The next performer was Bella Deball. Bella performed “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac and donned a loose white shirt tied in the front alongside cargo jeans and a belt, accessorized with a cowboy hat and white heeled boots. During the song, she untied her shirt and kicked off her jeans to reveal a white skirt with a red, flowered pattern on it, running around the cinema to a guitar solo.
The third performer of the night, wearing a masquerade mask and cowboy hat, was our first cowboy of the evening: Porter Robb. He lip-synced and danced to “C’mon Baby, Cry” by Orville Peck. Porter Robb took over the stage, flaunting their manly beard to the crowd. This performance was the epitome of cowboys and country.
The next performer was none other than Mr. Glen Power, who, of course, performed the iconic song “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs from Twisters. The cowboy donned a red shirt and jeans, sunglasses, and a white cowboy hat to replicate the look from the movie. He carried around an umbrella, opening it to fight against the wind and rain, and clung to the stage at the end of the show to avoid being swept away by the wind of a tornado.
Next up, Cundt Dragula performed “Joyride” by Kesha and was dressed in all black and cowboy boots. When the intro to “Joyride” played, the crowd went insane, myself included. Cundt Dragula whipped off their top shirt on stage, going down into the audience to kiss one of the audience members right on the lips during their performance. The energy for this song was unmatched.
After Cundt Dragula’s performance, the audience got a brief intermission to a lip-sync competition with audience members. The songs featured in the battle were “Timber” by Pitbull and Kesha, “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, and “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. The final two were composed of a person dressed up like a cowgirl and another individual in a horse onesie. It was the ultimate showdown between a cowgirl and a horse.
After intermission, Darcy Gretchka performed “Tyrant” by Beyonce and Dolly Parton. Darcy wore a sheer red robe, which she stripped off to reveal a patriotic top and bikini thong paired with red-heeled boots. The queen also wore a red corset, bedazzled with blue sparkles, bouncing her plastic boobs and getting low on stage.
Back with another country hit was Bella Deball, performing “Raise Hell” by Brandi Carlile. She ran off stage, took off her dress, and ran back on with a bedazzled jumpsuit and a red whip to wave around on stage.
Up next was Porter Robb, performing another hit by Orville Peck, “Daytona Sand.” Porter Robb returned to the stage, once again the epitome of the perfect country cowboy. Their shirt was tied to show their manly abs, and they had their manly beard and cowboy hat.
Afterward, we had another cowboy: Cowboy Cox, who performed on stage to Hozier’s “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene.” Cowboy Cox was a new performer for the night, dressed up in a pair of western-style chaps and a red cowboy hat. Hozier is another amazing piece of music, so this one was an especially fun performance to watch.
If I thought “Joyride” was the song that made the crowd go insane, I was wrong! Cundt Dragula performed “Americano” by Lady Gaga, hyping up all the Gaga fans in the audience.
Now, this next performance was one of the night’s highlights, specifically because of the iconic sound. Darcy Gretchka came back on stage, plastic boobs up, performing “Good Girl” by Carrie Underwood. What made the audio so special were ad-libs in the song; it featured the iconic “Denial is a river in Egypt! Your husband is gay.” This clip caused the loudest cheer and laugh out of the entire night. Darcy mimed it as it played throughout the song, making the crowd get louder and louder each time.
Justina Hole ended the show strong with a fierce performance of “Church Bells” by Carrie Underwood. Justina came on stage with an outfit change, this time in a blue dress and her iconic white boots. We got an outfit reveal in which she ripped off her skirt, revealing a leotard with fringe underneath. She even went over the railing of the first-row audience, hyping up the crowd with an iconic performance to end the show.
Overall, I had so much fun at the show. The drag shows the ASLC and Pride Student Union put on are such fun, welcoming spaces for queer individuals to express themselves. If you haven’t gone to one of these performances yet, I highly recommend going to the next one in the spring!
Until then, the SLC will be hosting a showing of Frankenhooker on Oct. 18, accompanied by a drag performance by Doomitra Sinistera.
To stay up-to-date on the happenings at the ASLC, make sure you’re following their Instagram. You can also stay posted by checking the Student Union’s website. All these events are free with an FSUID, so take advantage of them while attending FSU! These shows only happen if students want them and will support them, so show up and make your voice heard!
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