Support your local drag queens at "Drag Queens Are Coming"

Featuring fresh, fun, fierce and local drag queens, the second season of the “Drag Queens Are Coming!” show at Cat’s Cradle is on Friday, March 22 at 10 p.m.

After a hiatus, hostess Naomi Dix is back, and she said she plans for this show to be a cohesive and polished artistic experience.

“We are here to create a continuous safe space for everyone and anyone within Carrboro and Chapel Hill,” Dix said.

With the rise in popularity of the TV show “RuPaul's Drag Race,” Dix said that now drag has never been more culturally dynamic. Drag as an art form and a cultural experience has made its way into the consciousness of mainstream media.

Dix said it’s important to remember talented drag queens are in your area, and drag is not an unattainable art form that only exists in major metropolitan cities.

“Drag also exists within your own neighborhood. And a lot of people don’t know,” Dix said. 

Dix, who organizes all the performances, said she tries to incorporate something special at each show. This show's special halftime performance features Vivica C. Coxx, creator of the House of Coxx and also Dix’s "drag mother." 

The show will feature performances from Dustin Reams and Stormie Daie, as well as a special out-of-state queen named Tifa Wine.

Daie is also the drag daughter of Coxx, and she said this show will be perfect for the Spring Equinox.

“Spring is here,” Daie said. “We are going to be awake, we are going to be alive, we are going to be warm and having fun.”

Daie said her drag is inspired by classic hip hop divas, but also that her drag wouldn't be where it was without support from the community. Between collaborations with local textile makers, musicians and artists, Daie's drag is a compilation of many people’s creativity.

“I think we don’t think of art and performance and creativity in the same way that we think of buying local food and produce or hiring local businesses,” Daie said.  “We think it’s just fluff. And it’s not.”

Daie said local creative collaboration makes the community stronger.

Sammy Truong, also known as DJ Yammy, is the featured DJ for the event and he is just one factor of the creative community collaboration. 

Truong has been working as a DJ for 15 years and was introduced to the Durham drag scene by working with Coxx, which is where he met Dix. He said he loves to work with the queens and see their creativity and individuality.

“These are people of our community who are getting up on this stage doing this thing and it’s just so impressive to see people living their life looking beautiful, super sexy, hot,” Truong said. 

Truong has worked with queens on community campaigns that include teaching sex positivity and consent.

Dix said that drag is all about acceptance and love, and that this show is an extension of that.

“‘Drag Queens Are Coming’ is my baby, and the people that are at the show, whether they've been following me for five years, two years, one year, six months, a month, they are all my friends,” Dix said. “Anybody that comes to the show, I consider you to be a friend.”

arts@dailytarheel.com