The 100 Mile Pride Society is teaming up with a Clinton musician to organize the first Pink Pony Cabaret this summer.
On Friday, June 13 at the Lone Butte Community Hall Saturn Zezza, the founder of the 100 Mile Pride Society, and Trixie of the Blue Wranglers will be hosting a country music concert featuring a lineup of queer and queer-friendly musicians. The two said they plan to create a fun and engaging event that could grow into a larger annual event.
"(The Pride Society) always plans yearly, celebratory events for Pride. In the past, we have always done a DJ dance and we really wanted to feature some of the amazing talented artists that are in British Columbia and the local area. This is our first live music event and Trixie has been helping me a lot," Zezza said. "The vibe of a live music show is just different from a DJ show."
The event will get underway at 6 p.m. with an outdoor glee market open to the public along with food truck vendors in the form of Molly's Fish and Chips and the Bannock Warriors. The concert will get underway at 7 p.m. and camping options are available for those looking to stay overnight.
Zezza said they first began considering running a concert a few years after moving to the community. Before they came to 100 Mile House, Zezza said they didn't have much experience with rodeos or Western culture and weren't sure if they would be welcomed, but decided on a limb to go down to the Clinton Rodeo. Zezza remarked it was a ton of fun and the first time they saw Trixie perform.
Later on Zezza and their partner Jayden went down to Clinton again to attend a Blue Wranglers show where the band was offering a discount to members of the Pride community. There Zezza met Trixie and the two struck up a friendship and began chatting about potentially doing a show together.
"There has been a bit of a gap, I think, in the industry for queer people who like country music and that's really what spiralled into this event happening," Zezza said. "We wanted to merge these two worlds and the response has been amazing."
For Trixie, organizing the Pink Pony Cabaret was exciting from a musical perspective but also a personal one. Over the last few years, Trixie said she has come to terms with her bisexuality and through her friendship with Zezza has realized a lot about herself.
"An event like this, for me, is very personal. I'm 40 years old right now and I'm bi. I've never really come out and said that. I called Saturn (in January) and I broke down because I realized I had to tell my parents," Trixie recalled. "I did that because of that concert and it was sort of crazy but Saturn walked me through this experience too."
Since coming out to her friends and family, Trixie said she feels liberated both personally and musically. Growing up in a more conservative environment, she never felt she could necessarily sing certain lyrics or songs, but now feels empowered to do so.
"I gravitate a lot towards a lot of male perspective songs, that's what I really like to sing. It's just a different energy and it's fun to explore it and it's been really fun to put that kind of show together," Trixie said.
Going off that energy Trixie said she and Zezza have worked together to invite a line-up of queer musicians from across B.C. to the show. This includes Victoria's Elise LeBlanc who specializes in the early golden age of country music similar to Patsy Klein, Chilliwack's Unbranded who brings a saucy outlaw style country music in the style of Waylon Jennings and Trixie herself. She noted she hasn't ruled out the possibility of a few surprise performers, as that is the style of show she enjoys putting on.
"It was really fun to filter in new acts like people who have only sung in their living rooms before to people who have toured all over the world with very famous musicians," Trixie remarked. "Twice in my life, I've done shows under my name and this is a big step for me to do something like that."
The name itself is a tribute to the song Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, a lesbian pop star, and her experience going to a gay bar for the first time in LA. Zezza said the lyrics of the song are about experiencing something for the first time which they hope to channel into the show.
In addition to the musical performances, Zezza said there will be square dancing and a drag performance by Sparkles the Clown, AKA Angel Wishnowski. Zezza said Wishnowski plans to do a performance inspired by rodeo clowns, which will tie into the whole theme of the night.
"I think it's going to be a big old yeehaw festival," Zezza remarked. "A no-bull bonanza. Y'all means all, this is an inclusive space for everybody."
Due to the size of the Lone Butte Community Hall, Zezza said tickets for this inaugural event are limited to only 100. Tickets are available online at giddyup.rsvp for $35 in advance and $40 at the door, though Zezza noted they can't guarantee tickets will be available at the door.
There is an also additional $10 fee for anyone who wants to camp at the community hall grounds overnight. They encourage anyone with questions to reach out to them or Trixie via the Pride Society's Facebook page.
"It is an event that is intimate and small and likely to sell out so don't sleep on it," Zezza said. "I'm excited to bring an event like this to the community."
