Six dynamic performers lit up the stage on Oct. 19 and 20 at Cranbrook's first-ever Big Drag Weekend.
Cranbrook-born drag queen Dust Cwaine and friends performed for a full house at Encore Brewing Company Oct. 19 and Fire Hall Kitchen & Tap on Oct. 20.
Dust Cwaine has been active in Vancouver's drag scene for many years, known for directing Marvel-inspired musicals and working with queens from RuPaul's Drag Race. They were joined by a few other performers including Anne Xiety, Nora Vision, LBee, Jax, and Glitter Beast "The Kootenay Cryptid."
The crew performed a lip-synced drag show at Encore on Saturday night to a series of electric poppy hits like Cher's "Turn Back Time," Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend," and Robyn's "Dancing On My Own." Later, Dust Cwaine's self-titled band took the stage to perform a repertoire of indie-pop ballads, like "90s Darling", an ode to their upbringing in Cranbrook.
Anne Xiety, nearly seven foot tall in heels, waltzed gracefully on to the stage at the start of the evening. She was the MC for the night and set the mood for the show with a series of sassy and self-deprecating jokes.
Each of the queens had a unique routine. Glitter Beast, from Canal Flats, performed as a moth, who was drawn towards the light emanating from a lamp at the centre of the stage area and "electrocuted".
LBee, a performer who lives south of Nelson, ripped their frilly neon suit off halfway through the performance to reveal a sparkly pink leotard underneath, which drew wild applause from the crowd.
The next morning, the group reconvened at the Fire Hall for a drag brunch with a sold-out crowd.
Nora Vision and Jax wandered through the audience interacting with seated guests. Nora whipped her long locks back and forth as she danced in a frenzied and chaotic manner , while Jax, a drag king, sauntered and swaggered through the venue, slyly collecting dollar bills tossed by the audience.
Dust said Cranbrook is becoming a more welcoming safe place for LGBTQ+ people, thanks to the youth and their acceptance of diverse gender identities. Part of the reason why they returned to the area was to help grow queer performance art.
"When I was growing up, this wasn't necessarily something that would have ever happened," they said. "I was a little bit nervous, but it actually turned out to be one of the warmest, most welcoming audiences I've ever had the pleasure of performing for."
"To see what the community is in Cranbrook now, is one of the most inspiring and eye-opening experiences," they added.
Dust hinted that they're interested in returning to Cranbrook in future to perform again, but did not provide any information on a venue or date.
