As Varla Jean, Jeffery Roberson has filled cabarets and concert halls across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the New York Public Theater, London’s Soho Theatre and LA’s Renberg Theatre. Jeffery wrote and starred in the short Improve Your History with Varla Jean: Stonewall, for the launch of the MTV’s television network Logo and was also seen in their One Night Standup: Dragtastic special. Jeffery has starred as Varla in numerous TV and stage roles as well, with highlights that include Project Runway, Ugly Betty, and the film Girls Will be Girls.
Varla Jean Merman’s new show – Wonder Merman – pays tribute to the inspiring women who have inspired her to think about becoming inspirational. Don’t miss this special one night only opportunity to see Varla in Hudson this year!
“…hysterically funny” – The New York Times
“…a delirious synthesis of Divine, Karen Finley, and Montserrat Caballé and even those who think drag has had its day swear that this big, beautiful creature is kind of demented genius.” – Time Out New York
At Little Deb’s last night, the last Thursday of the month, Doug, the emcee, said to the crowd,
“My friend and I got together and said, ‘ There needs to be more DRAG in Hudson!'”
And I thought to myself…..will there EVER be enough??
Hudson, less than 7,000 people, has an openly gay mayor, a HUGE Pride parade and two openly gay alderman – one of which is known for running around in drag! (The other is no stranger to a wig and a muumuu as well!)
But, they are right. It’s not enough DRAG! Hudson needs more. And thank goddess for the staff of Lil Deb’s for giving it to us!
It gets even more queer!
If you missed Lil Deb’s, you MUST see Joseph Keckler tomorrow night at Helsinki!
Dark, funny, and extremely talented, Keckler returns to Hudson with his operatic voice and goth style.
Trixie, where have you been? What about this blog? What are you DOING??
Yeah, I know.
Well, it’s been a little busy, campaigning….and it looks like on January 1, I’ll be sworn in as one of Hudson’s Alderman and represent the Fourth Ward on the Hudson City Council.
And you’re thinking, Trixie, that’s great! A drag queen as an elected official! How wonderful!
Yes, however, I’m not the first, nor even the second. Don’t forget Rudy Guiliani (pictured above).
He uses more makeup than I do.
Plus, Hudson will soon have an openly gay mayor, a lesbian county supervisor, and there’s another openly gay Alderman who has been known to don a muumuu and Mrs. Roper wig. (Pictures of which I am holding onto for possible future forms of “encouragement”).
There’s at least THREE Gay-ish/Queer things to do in December PLUS Winter Walk! Two of gay things are BRUNCHES!
GO FIGURE!
SATURDAY in Hudson is Winter Walk, 5-8pm. Go to that. You’ll find it. It’s all of Warren Street.
This weekend is the LINK PROJECT BRUCH. Sunday 12-3pm at Kit’s Nest, 108 South Front St. Click on the image to bring you to the Facebook event page.
Then, DECEMBER 9th, OutHudson is hosting a Queer Family Brunch at Solaris, 360 Warren. Click on the image to bring you to the Facebook page.
On December 17th is the Lettuce Rejoice show and you can find information about that on this blog – just scroll down.
This is an especially queer weekend, here in the little City of Hudson – lesbians, bears, and drag queens – oh my!
Friday night, April 7th, Sarah Kilborne is doing her musical show, “The Lavender Blues” at Club Helsinki at 8pm. Tickets are available here. This Friday celebrates the release of the show’s first CD: The Lavender Blues: Live at the Linda.
I was able to do a little Q&A with Sarah about her show.
Hope to see you there! Don’t miss it!
Love,
Trix
Q: How would you describe your show, “The Lavender Blues”?
A: The Lavender Blues is showcase of queer music before World War II. But even more than that, it tells the story of this music and the pioneering artists behind it.
Q: What inspired you to put this show together?
A: People commonly believe that the LGBT movement began with the Stonewall riots in 1969, but a hundred years ago queer men and women were claiming their identities in the public sphere – and singing about it too. This musical history has been forgotten and it has a lot to tell us, not just about queer history but women’s history and cultural history.
Q: How long have you been doing it? Where? Any special moments?
A: I first workshopped the idea two years ago, at the LGBT Center in New York City, and received both written and verbal feedback that was really inspiring. The show has grown and developed a great deal since then. Regarding special moments, when the show first received a standing ovation, that pretty much blew me away.
Q: What has been the reaction from the audience/individuals?
A: The response has been enormously positive. People thank me for creating the show, for sharing this history and bringing it alive. They want to know more about it and I love that. Knowing our history is important; we are part of a continuum. Learning where we came from helps inform where we are today and how we got to be here.
Q: Was this before a time when the ‘personal was political’? Before there was a political identity for LGBTQ people? How do you feel our political identity now influences our LGBTQ culture?
A: Yes, this was largely before the personal became political. In America, there wasn’t a political identity for the LGBT community in the 1920s or earlier because there wasn’t a political agenda against the community. That doesn’t truly begin until the mid-to-late 1930s. Today, it’s nearly impossible to separate the personal from the political. The moment someone identifies as L, G, B, T, or Q, they are affirming a part of themselves and a desire for equality that other people wish to deny. The political will necessarily be part of LGBT culture until the narrative that targets us loses its efficacy.
Q: What parts of queer life pre-WWII do you feel were BETTER than LGBTQ life today?
A: Every era has its pros and cons. I often wonder what it would have been like, though, to live during a time when there was no stigma attached to loving a person of the same sex because there wasn’t even the vocabulary to describe such a relationship. Pre-1900, some same-sex couples felt they’d found the purest form of love and felt superior to those entangled in male-female relationships. What would it be like to be gay before there was the concept of being gay? I wonder about that.
Q: In today’s political climate, what is your advice for anyone who creates LGBTQ culture/art?
A: Your work is more important than ever. If you have a vision, share it. If you have a story, tell it. If you have a voice, use it. We live in an uncertain time but this is constant: art makes a difference. Art connects and unites people, sparks important dialogue and communication, challenges the status quo and inspires the heart. Give the world what you alone can create. Help shift the vibration.
It’s Wednesday – and in case you didn’t know – Wednesday is Sundae here on GayHudson.com!
Much like my voice coach, Tom Carvel, every now and then, you can make a Wednesday extra special.
Here’s an old Carvel ice cream commercial with our Irish friend, Cookie O’Puss! Top of the morning to you!
There are SO many gay-ish things to do here in the Hudson Valley, that it’s really hard for me to keep up.
For instance, I’m doing Match Game on Sunday down at the Gunk Haus in, I don’t really know where, but, it’s in my GPS, on the other side of the river – somewhere.
I get these Sunday brunch gigs mostly because I’m one of the few drag queens that are not at church service.
No, it’s really because I’m one of the few queens SOBER Sunday mornings…
I’ve based most of my drag career on just showing up.
Which reminds me, TONIGHT – Wednesday – at Club Helsinki is “Struttin’ with the Stars”. It’s a benefit put together by the gals at the Second Show – for the Columbia-Greene Hospital Foundation. Show up to this one. Plus, it’s Helsinki during the week, which means you can order off the BAR MENU and get the FABULOUS mac & cheese. Plus, the burgers, meat or veggie, are really out of this world – burgers, dresses, and a good cause!
Then, on Sunday, I’m doing Match Game.
It’s SOLD OUT, I guess I’m telling you about it too late…sorry. I don’t often SELL OUT anything. Cookies…but, that’s it.
“Why even promote it then, Trix, if it’s Sold Out?”
Good question. I don’t know. Future reference?
Why does a drag queen promote an event that’s sold out? What’s the point? That question is a little too existential, even for me…
If you happen to be in NYC, this Thursday, and you’re up for the 30th ACT UP reunion demonstration, I’ll see you there. I’ll be videotaping.
I’m going to dive into my ACT UP videotape archive and see what I can transfer to digital. I plan on putting some of the video together and look for an OutHudson Queer Activist event in April at the fabulous Hudson Area Library!
Also, speaking of OutHudson – maybe you came to our Queer Family Brunch? It was very well-attended! About 40-50 people and lots of families! Over a dozen little ones toddling around – all with different forms of parent(s).
The first year, 2010, we didn’t know what we were doing. None of us had planned a parade before. Catskill did a parade the year before, 2009, and I thought that Hudson should do one, too. A few words of advice from Ellen Thurston, and we were planning a parade!
Anyway, we sent out an invite, and told as many LGBT/whatever groups we could. The first year, it was our first time, we didn’t know. We didn’t really think about the Hudson Fire Department. It was the first time there was going to be a gay parade in town, so, we didn’t really think that they’d go…we just didn’t think of it.
However, the Register-Star asked the Fire Department if they were going to be in the parade. From what the Reg-Star told me, the Fire Department, responded, “Sure, we’d be in it, but no one has asked us yet…”
So, here I was, thinking, oh, they won’t come, MEANWHILE, they were WAITING TO BE ASKED!!!
Goes to show you, that some things, the anticipation of people’s negative reactions, are just in your head…
On another note, this guy is REALLY good. Joseph Keckler. I saw him at the Ancram Opera House in the fall, and this Sunday, he’s at Helsinki.
I know what you’re thinking….you don’t really know if you’d go, you haven’t heard of him, blah, blah, blah.
I think he’s great – I bought not only ONE, but FOUR tickets to go see him! I’m bringing friends along. Benefit for AnimalKind!
If you need a good sample of his show, there’s this video. He’s a fair, gay goth guy with a deep baritone opera-singing voice. He’s amazing.
Here he is, singing in Italian, about doing a mushroom trip in 2007!
At the Farmer’s Market last weekend, someone came up to me at my pink cookie table and said,
“Trixie, I’m at a loss. You see, I’m really used to not taking control of my life, and just letting things happen – and then complaining about it later – but, now, with this whole Trump thing, I’m thinking that maybe I should actually DO something. Maybe. I still might procrastinate and do nothing, and lament my own fate and live my life in a perpetual state of perceived ‘victim-hood’, but, if I WAS to actually DO something, what do you think I should do?”
“Buy a bag of cookies. Five bucks.”
Really, stop whining and call your Representatives..
Do it TODAY! Today is the House vote on Trumpcare. You see, these representatives have an algorithm, and they know that if X number of people call or write, then, really Y number of people within their district think that way.
It’s important to call, and call often. Even, if you AGREE with them, call. Let them know that they are doing a good job. The algorithm works both ways.
Do that Friday am. Fine. Boom. Done.
Friday evening, 6-9pm go to the Shaker’s video Happy Hour, because what else are you doing?
And, it is THE place for Columbia County’s homosexuals of a certain age…
Then, on Saturday, come to the Hudson Farmer’s Market, Union and 6th, 10am-1pm, where I will have fresh-baked cookies, and lots of opinions, to give you. Cookies are $5/bag, the opinions I give out for free!
Saturday afternoon, if you have NOT gone yet, you really have to get thee to the Andre Serrano exhibit at the former Martin Van Buren High School in Kinderhook. It is by far, one of the queerest exhibits you’re going to see in Columbia County.
This Sunday, March 26th, OutHudson, the newly-formed LGBTQ organization, (the organization in charge of Hudson’s annual Pride Parade and Weekend) is having a Queer Family Brunch at Solaris, 360 Warren. 10am-Noon. Go to that. Bring a dish. I’m baking cookies, and this time, I am giving those away, as well as opinions.
(Next Monday, April 3rd, 6pm, if you’re interested in helping out with the Parade, mark your calendar, and look for my FB invite.)
Sunday evening, what is there to do in Hudson?
Not a lot, really…not in March, anyway. But, think about going to see FEUD on the big screen at the Shaker bar, that evening. Like at 10, I think.
It’s good that FEUD is now on TV, because, as with most people, I’m getting bored with “Walking Dead”.
“Feud”, the story of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, IS the new ZOMBIE show on TV to watch…
My FAVORITE character is Mammasita, or Joan’s maid, played by the hilarious, Jackie Hoffman! Jackie performed in Poughkeepsie last year, and if you have not seen her in “Xanadu”, “Hairspray” or at Joe’s Pub, you have to make the time!
(A getup like that, and Jackie did NOT get cast in Fiddler! True. She tells it herself.)
“I’m just not getting the constant attention and feedback that the lovely gay hook-up apps provide, and my six different forms of social media leave me feeling despondent. Whatever shall I do?”
Well, have you ever considered maybe just going out of the house and meeting people in person?
There’s a concept. Go figure, right?
You see, back in the olden days of yore, that’s what we had to do – prior to the interwebs.
Believe it or not, without hand-held smartphones giving you the coordinates of the people in the room where you are standing, people still were able to meet each other, hook-up, and have sex. Some even fell in love.
There used to be gay bars that people went to….often. It was the main means of meeting other queers (there were many other ways, but this was a less salacious and more socially-acceptable way.)
Anyway, as I slowly find the raison d’être for this blog, (a blog started in 2007, pre-facebook) I’m thinking of posting what I consider to be the events that local queers should attend, with my own colorful commentary and video interviews. Check out my recently updated EVENT CALENDAR on the right hand-bar or scroll down below! Just click on a date!
(FYI – The word queer is a term ANYONE can use! Maybe you are 84% heterosexual. Fine! Queer, it is! Maybe you just knew a lot of guys in Fire Island Pines back in the 70s – you are gay-adjacent! Queer, if you want to be.)
There may only be fifteen to twenty or so people in Columbia County who REMEMBER Uncle Charlie’s in the West Village, so, let me explain. It was a gay bar, where we used to go to watch episodes of “Golden Girls” – THE FIRST TIME THEY AIRED!
“Golden Girls” was the QUEEREST show of its time – back before regular gay characters on TV. Plus, no one knew how to set their VCRs, if you had one, so, you showed up at the bar and watched the “Golden Girls” on a Saturday night!
Today, you can go to the Shaker in Hudson on a Friday evening – during their Happy Hour – and relive those days.
Kinda.
People don’t wear as much pastel now.
At least now you have something to do on a Friday evening in Hudson.
Saturday, this is the schedule:
10am – 1pm – Get up out of bed and go to the Farmer’s Market. Just go. The building itself is worth the trip. Union and 6th in Hudson. Trixie, this is not a gay event! Like hell, it isn’t! Not going to the Farmer’s Market is like not attending brunch with Miranda and Carrie! If you’re not at the Farmer’s Market, then WHERE do you get your local gossip – and kale?
(um, real gossip is SPOKEN, in person – and undocumented!)
2pm – Stand Up for Planned Parenthood – because nowadays, you have to commit yourself to at least an hour or two a week of political activism, if we are going to continue to live on this planet and survive as a species.
Saturday evening, in Awlbanyland, not too far from Hudson, try the Bear Albany Party, where Men in Skirts, I’m sorry – KILTS – is always a good time!
