Calgary’s saucy drag king and queen variety show, the Fake Mustache brigade, made their first-ever appearance in Vancouver Pride week’s Dyke March, held over the August long weekend in Vancouver. The invitation came as a thrill to the group, who perform in Calgary every first Thursday at Soda lounge.
Saturday, July 31 saw the 7th annual march begin at noon in McSpadden Park, trod down Commercial Drive and arrive at a free festival filled with food and fake tattoos in Victoria Park. Vancouver street windows were dotted with rainbow flags, and topless lesbian couples strode around with confidence.
“It was wonderful,” says James Demers, aka James Dean in performance. “There were no protestors, issues or arguments. It was perfect.”
Calgary’s Fake Mustache drag group was one of several spicy acts to perform at the lively, colourful festival. Other performers included the Janis Mullan’s Melissa Ethridge Tribute, The Black Parade Kings, Daisy Blue Groff, and Neptune at Night.
The 14-member Fake Mustache troupe (featuring Rex Cherry, Max Gavin, LJ Nailz, Jeronimo Jones, Lance Moore, Cian McKinnon, Mackenzie Rae, Tony McShane, Alex Price, Eric Erikson, Vincent Von Dyke, Jack Paulson, Tommy Velveeta, and Nicholas Nottingham) held a fundraiser at Dickens Pub in Calgary on July 23rd, to raise money for their travel expenses.
The Dyke March Dance ‘Live’ followed at the Wise Hall with acts _Sugarbeach_ and _The Reincarnation of Marion_. A classic femme-fatale-passion-ballad playlist sound tracked the night, with numbers by Amanda Marshall, Indigo Girls, Tina Turner and Jann Arden blasting.
The Dyke March and Festival exists as a statement and celebration to increase the presence and visibility of diverse queer women, their families, and supporters during Pride Week in Vancouver. Every year the festival strives to grow – promoting participation, recognition, inclusion, accessibility and empowerment for all ages.
The festival is a free, fun, safe and celebratory gathering of queer females, performers, community artists, musicians and allies, from Vancouver, the greater BC area and, this year, a taste of Calgary.
You can catch the next Fake Mustache Drag King and Variety Show in Calgary at Soda on Thursday, September 2nd. The all-ages show begins at 7:30pm, with the 18+ version to follow at 9pm. Fake Mustache is presented by the Miscellaneous Youth N etwork, a non-profit that provides a supportive, safe environment for gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer youth in the Calgary area.