For this Women's Issue I wanted to take this space to touch on femininity in a fluid form for artists that aren't always accepted in that constraint — or to put it another way, to touch on what it means to be a woman, or to feel like a woman, shouldn't be constructed by gender. Bend's queer community is becoming a vital point of our community's culture. Through music and performance art, drag is a creative and safe platform for those boundaries to be broken in hopes to entertain, connect and express love for all beings. The Cult of Tuck returns to the stage after a five-month hiatus Saturday, March 4 at Silver Moon Brewing. Its next show is titled "RECOVERY: Our Tuck Will Go On," a show scheduled after grieving and losing the founder and leader of the cult, Alex Simpson (aka Deb Auchery).
Simpson was performing burlesque with Bend Burlesque Company when she decided to start her own local drag troupe — something she noticed was missing from the area's performing arts and queer scenes. With the support of Bend Burlesque, Alex birthed the Cult of Tuck in August of 2018, shortly before her 26th birthday. The Cult's membership evolved over time as Simpson established a welcoming atmosphere. Several members of the OG Cult lineup still remain. The March 4 show will be hosted by queens Sascha Travesty and Dick von Moreno and featuring Foxy LaHound, Sera Fine, Katrina Georgina, Caressa Banana, Chaotica, Amber Tingle, Mystique Hunt, and special guest Sage Engage. There will be live music, drag performances, and a whole lotta' catharsis and celebration.
Todd Leiser (Foxy LaHound), long time COT member, told the Source Weekly, "Drag is really a performance of gender. It recognizes how our culture has coded things to be labeled as masculine and feminine. There are no rules when performing drag. Nothing is cut. It allows a space where anyone can inhabit a form of gender that they find exciting, comfortable or fun no matter their sexuality. It's a chance to let your freak flag fly." Leiser continued, "Bend needs drag because it provides a space for everyone to know that it's OK to be weird."
Cult of Tuck shows include some of the most excited and enthusiastic crowds I've (personally) ever experienced in Bend. And I hope that you Bendites, whether you're new or a long time local, will create time to experience this energy, no matter where you stand on the matter. Parental discretion is always advised, as most shows (except for those clearly labeled as such) contain adult themes and language. Historically, Cult shows have always been open to community members under age 21.
Cult member Syd (Mystique Hunt) stated, "We are pro love. We are very pro queer love and all that these things entail. Platonic and romantic. As an AFAB (assigned female at birth) nonbinary person who performs as a drag queen, drag allows me to explore and heal my experiences of, and relationship to, femininity. Mystique is unashamedly hyper-feminine and full of feminist rage. She allows me to feel empowered and to reclaim difficult parts of my identity and my experiences as a female-bodied person via exaggeration and artistic expression/catharsis. Drag has allowed me to accept, express, and ultimately love myself in ways I have struggled to do in the past. We [Cult of Tuck] are pro allowing yourself to love yourself and allowing others to so the same. Can y'all dig it?"
Cult shows have regularly sold out in the past, so if you haven't already gotten your tickets, run, don't walk!
