As Dracmorda Boulet is fond of saying on Dragula, drag is art and art is subjective. No matter what gender is being portrayed, lampooned, or otherwise performed, there is an inherent message in every exhibition, even if that message is “laugh, damn you!” To that end, nu metal has been a much-skewered genre of music, from the angsty to the angry and everything in between.
The folks behind Wee Wah Productions and Ypsilanti’s Regal Beagle seem to have an understanding of all of this, as for the second year in a row, they are hosting a “Nu Year” drag show. Stacked with local drag talent of all backgrounds, the show encourages fans to “dust off their baggy jeans and break out the chain wallets” for this send-off to 2024. Given this year’s rousing successes for legacy nu metal acts like Linkin Park and System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, as well as newer acts like Poppy and Chat Pile, there is plenty to celebrate, new and old.
The event’s showrunner Jessi Hex, who themself is drummer for queer punk band Morbid Cunt, had this to say about the “Nu Year”:
“I'd say the appeal isn't necessarily to Nu Metal specifically or even to the drag community as a whole. It's more of an opportunity for underrepresented alternative performers to have a platform, to be as expressive and creative as possible. In this case, that representation took the form of picking a drag show theme that no other promoter in Michigan would ever dream of doing.
This is the second Nu Metal Nu Years Eve we've done. The first event was a surprise success, and it has become our most requested theme now. To me, that's got to be proof that we're doing something right.
Also, it’d be a shame if I didn't give credit to my amazing team, Baha Blast, Lady Justice and the whole Haus of Justice and also Regal Beagle Bar and Wee-Wah Productions. Without these people behind me, crazy ideas like a Nu Metal drag show would never be possible."
The Regal Beagle is located at 817 E. Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti, MI. Entry is $10 or pay what you can, though the bar is cash only. Check out the full flyer below:
