Today we’d like to introduce you to Good Lucifer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hell Oh, My name is Good Lucifer, a local experimental artist. I perform live from drag to burlesque and work with video and photography. I have created a very inclusive space for people from all kinds of trades called TheleMagick.
TheleMagick was born during quarantine when all the venues closed. It took us all by surprised and as an artist, I didn’t know what we could do to continue working. I have a studio in my apartment so decided to give it a chance to go virtual. It was like that how the very first virtual drag show was born.
The show was first called Anti-Viral. Some of the best performers came to the studio I made in my apartment and performed live while we streamed it. It was amazing! Performers like Liz Dexia, Chique Fil-Atio, Papi Churro, Tatiana Cholula, Estee Slaughter, and Anastasia performed and we had a lot of support! Viewers from home were able to tip the performers through venmo and did very well.
It has always been a dream of mine to work in TV or film and this pushed me to elevate the production on the virtual show. Since covid was hitting hard, I decided to film and edit the performances one by one for the following shows than later streamed it all together.
There was a total of three Anti-Viral shows and decided to elevate the quality and production of them.
Anti-Viral was the beginning of something new in Austin. Like a domino effect, other local shows that were held at venues went virtual as well. The community really came together to support local art. Local performers came closer and closer to each other and created a new experience. I was able to work with the other virtual shows as well, we really helped each other out.
I also created a mini show called Pan-Demic. This show was dedicated to the deaf and hard of hearing LGBTQIA+ community. I think the queer American Sign Language community lacks visibility and wanted to create a space for them. I got with Pam Dulce, a local drag queen who knows ASL. Pam Dulce is an amazing multitalented local performer and together, we created Pan-Demic virtual show. The show was a success! We were able to donate proceedings to the school of the deaf here in Austin.
Seeing that the shows have been a success, and I was furloughed from my day job, I decided to take film and editing classes to improve the quality of the production of the shows. After a few months, I decided to create a new experience called TheleMagick, which not only would be involved in drag but would include comedy, music, burlesque and more.
The first TheleMagick was held a week before Halloween of 2020. I can’t express how amazing it went. I filmed and edited 90% of the show because some performers submitted their own videos, but I hosted, filmed, edited the majority of it and it was magical. Since it was a lot of work to put these shows together, Banshee Rose a local performer joined me in this journey helping produce cohost this show. Together we really “brought it” and made the experience flow smoothly and more entertaining. Little by little, my dream of becoming a producer/director was getting closer.
TheleMagick had in total of three virtual shows. We had one for Christmas and for St. Valentines after those venues started to open, and people were able to go to live shows with the precautions needed. Virtual shows continued but had a loss of viewers. I did not want TheleMagick to end and decided to look for a venue where I can grow the project even more.
Elysium has been one of my favorite venues in Austin and has provided a safe space for all kinds of alternative lifestyles. Really it is a haven where you can be whoever you want without any judgment. Seeing that we shared similar views and values, I decided to approach the venue and ask for availability to bring the show live.
I spoke to John, the owner of Elysium about my show and asked him for an opportunity to bring my show live. John is an amazing and kind human being. He understood my vision and provided me a chance to bring TheleMagick Live.
Just like the first TheleMagick that was born by Halloween time, I was able to have the first Live Show in Elysium! I was able to book Evah Destruction and Caleb de Casper as headliners, with performances of Rosalind Hussell, Kara Foxx Paris, Papi Churro, Liz Dexia, Brenda and had a Dj Set by Nymble Digitz. The show went great! The turnout was amazing! But not having experience producing something live before we had our challenges. It was a little messy, but the crowd loved it! It really was fun.
TheleMagick was now live. John gave us an opportunity to grow, and we were able to book more nights at the venue. Before I knew it, I am living the dream that I never thought I’d live. Thanks to the chances people gave me. I owe it to all the performers who gave me a chance to work with them, to Banshee Rose my cohost to helping me organize in putting the show together, to John and all the staff from Elysium. I can’t thank them enough for the chances they took on me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely has not been an easy road. There were multiple challenges along the way. I had absolutely no experience with anything that was I was doing. I had a vision but in all visions, we don’t see the obstacles on the roads.
We had a lot of technical issues. Not having a computer that was powerful enough to film and edit, streaming problems, quarantine restrictions, and more and more. When we started to stream, we started in Facebook live, but due to copyrights Facebook would take them off until we moved to Twitch.
Not having experience in doing anything that I was doing really was hard on me emotionally. There were moments of my life where I was frozen with the fear of what was going on. I self-doubted myself. This is my biggest dream to become a producer/director and did not want to mess it up.
Growing up, I didn’t have the support from my family in doing this type of things. I have no family that is as focused on art as myself. These types of things are of no interest to them. Till this day, my family knows I am doing something but has not been open to give it a chance. Because of this, I doubt myself quite a bit.
The biggest struggle is accepting myself and my visions. I second guess myself on absolutely everything. Thanks to the support of my community, I am able to come down to the ground and move on and continue with the projects I have in mind.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What sets TheleMagick apart from others is that its focus on alternative everything. Alternative Drag, Music, Comedy and experience from it all. It is a safe space of expression. All kinds of performances are welcomed, from experienced performers to given chances to brand new performers. It provides opportunities to grow to everyone.
I was given chances by many, and I love providing the same opportunity back to those who have a passion for their own personal art.
I am very proud of this project. It is in its baby stage, and I have a bigger vision on what is coming. It is in the process of expanding as well.
This project now has expanded to a sideshow being held at Pueblo Viejo Mezcaleria, a restaurant in the Riverside Area of Austin. The best taco restaurant and drinks in town. I am creating a new sideshow called “Tacón Tuesday” (Taco Tuesday) which is once a month also bringing you some of the best performers in Austin.
I have many visions for art and little by little are coming a reality. Stay connected for more!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Art is a very important part of the human experience. Art is personal. All these artists in Austin have a deep passion and separates Austin from everywhere else in the United States. It is very important to keep it alive by attending and supporting local events of any kind.
We don’t want art in Austin, Texas to die off. We don’t Austin to become another numb, big corp city where we’ll be limited on experiences.
Please support local art, local shops, local everything. Sharing information is free and helps with exposure. That is the only way that is going to keep us weird and fun!
Contact Info:
- Email: glfeature@gmail.com
- Website: TheleMagick.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheleMagick
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheleMagick.ATX
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GLFeature/videos
Image Credits
Pictures by Javi Gonzales of POVStudio.ATX
