Today we’d like to introduce you to Lavender Thug.
Hi Lavender, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved from El Paso, Texas on New Years after visiting for a booking and deciding to stay. Through connections made online and in person, I began to seek places to perform in drag and clubs to DJ in. My home bar, Coconut Club took me in with open arms and given me a space to make my name in Austin and start performing in other venues like OCH and Rain. The drag scene in El Paso is divisive and competitive and in Austin, I feel it’s been so open and accepting of my art and how I perform and DJ. The drive to do art comes from a scare in 2018 when I was diagnosed with HIV. I realized life is so short and having a positive impact on people, thru education or even just a good night out, is so important. I do this all for queer people who need a home and a safe, fun place to express themselves, and this is inspired by Ballroom Culture. I am currently in the HOUSE OF LEPORE and have gained a monthly residency at Cuatro Gato.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Meeting new people and building trust was a struggle for sure, most people see a new name come into town at full speed and guard themselves. But once people get to really know me, they’ll know I just want to perform and cheer on everyone else doing this very emotionally and physically taxing art form. It’s much easier to be supportive than find reasons you don’t like someone.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m most known for my drag because I bring in an aspect of vouge, performance, and silliness into my numbers. I don’t take myself too seriously but I pride myself in my ability to entertain and get people energized. Or make them sad, or make them think. It really all depends. What sets me apart from others is I can do it all, I love djing and I thought I’m still learning. I’m different again because I really try to focus on playing lesser-known queer artists and queer music in general. I DJ for US and our crowd and if straight people don’t like it, they just don’t get it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/lavenderthug
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LavenderThug
- SoundCloud: www.SoundCloud.com/lavenderthug
Image Credits
Scam Likely @__scamlikely__
