Anyone who celebrated Pride Month at SoMad’s 3rd annual “Mad Pride” evening last Friday in the Flatiron District was in for a hot night, and not just because the air conditioning was malfunctioning.
SoMad is, according to their site, “a femme and queer led, independent art space and artist residency program that fosters creative experimentation.” The event was curated by Rachel Rampleman, one of the artists in residence, in collaboration with SoMad’s Artistic Director Chris Rodriguez.
The show featured an A-list roster of drag performers, many of whom pushed the envelope with their creative endeavors and all of whom were never less than totally entertaining.
Onstage were Julie J (who emceed as well as performed), Voxigma Lo, Paris Alexander, Patti Spliff, Amygdala, King Molasses, Divina GranSparkle, Sweaty Eddie and Miss Ma’am She. Upstairs patrons shopped at the pop-up Rosemart, a volunteer-run queer marketplace hosted by Lena Horne that featured up-cycled hats by Astroboi, “kink-friendly toys” from Haus of Toys, Le Sylphide Tattoos and Alegria’s whimsical line of handmade clothing and accessories which included a giant handbag that looked exactly like – wait for it – a giant hand.
There was also an info table for the Chosen Family Law Center, a non-profit organization that “offers pro bono legal assistance to low-income residents of our LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and chosen family communities in New York.” Executive Director Diana Adams was on hand to explain what they were all about.
Between acts, the DJ duo The Rage (Dinahfire and Brik Olson) provided the tunes while patrons chatted and enjoyed the sampling of Rampleman’s video portraits of drag artists that lined one wall and the additional visuals projected around the room (also by Rampleman). Chosen from a collection that now numbers over 370 and is ongoing, the portraits are part of a series titled “Life is Drag.”
Rampleman mentions that “working with SoMad has been a dream” and that “this was one of the most proud and joyful nights of my life.”
Some of the highlights of the evening were Miss Ma’am She’s portrayal of Cole Escola’s “Mom Commercial,” Paris Alexander’s use of a handheld flashlight as their spotlight, and Sweaty Eddie’s mix of X-ray imagery and a healthy dose of their delightful creepiness.
The very enthusiastic audience included Krista Knight, who called the show “badass” and mentioned that she was “just getting turned onto weird drag” while adding that it was “so nice to not hate myself for a while.”
Paul Simon (not that Paul Simon) called the acts “experimental, colorful, and immersive” while singling out Alexander’s flashlight bit as his favorite. The whole thing, he said, “showed the real underbelly of the New York drag scene.”
Further info for SoMad can be found at somad.nyc. Rachel Rampleman’s main site is rachelrampleman.com, and the Life is Drag work can be viewed at lifeisdrag.com .
