Photo by Tom Driscoll
She’s the host of the new Drag Show in the Museum of Science Planetarium, Coleslaw’s Corner, She won All Star Monday 2017, and John Waters has signed her butt cheeks. Meet one of our favorite local queens: Coleslaw.
With her punk rock attitude and club kid flair, drag queen Coleslaw has become a crowd favorite in the Boston queer scene in the span of a few years. Her kooky performances and eccentric DIY looks are a refreshing change of pace from the perfection often expected from queens in a post-Drag-Race world. Allston Pudding caught up with her to talk about how she got her start in drag, her DJing career, and the challenges of performing in a 360 degree space.
You were working for years as a DJ in the Boston queer scene, but at what point did drag come into the picture?
I started DJing in 2011 when DADT (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell )began, and would always make sure to wear a funky outfit to all the gigs. I was always thrift shopping to add to my collection of colorful and unique articles of clothing. I would always flirt with gender bending, but never fully called it drag.
I was inspired to fully immerse Coleslaw into the universe of drag by the passing of my close friend, Adam. I channeled my grief into creativity and taught myself how to properly apply makeup and sew garments from scratch. I forced myself to show face everywhere and perform as much as I could. Then I capped off 2017 by winning the year-long All Star Monday competition at Machine Nightclub.
I was fully aware that I didn’t look pretty or put together properly, but I had a sense of humor about the whole thing. I decided to name my character after something I am grossed out by, so I named her Mrs. Coleslaw because I am disgusted by mayonnaise. I later ended up dropping the Mrs. because it raised too many questions.
So, when you started getting into performing as Coleslaw and doing more gigs, how did you find the balance between music and your drag career?
Music has been an obsession for me my entire life. I used to make mixes on cassettes for my mom to listen to in her car, so DJing was a natural progression for me. Going from DJing house parties, to special events, to bars, and eventually to having residencies at nightclubs was a huge achievement for me. But after DJing at Machine every Friday night for five years, I decided to put DJing on the back burner to focus on other aspects of myself, such as drag.
I do DJ bookings now as Coleslaw and it somehow makes perfect sense. Some have asked me why I bother spending time painting my face to DJ when I can just DJ as myself, Ian Diver, and to be honest with you… I don’t know. I think that being in drag gives me a sense of confidence that I don’t have normally.
Your whole look reminds me of like, a kooky aunt moonlighting as a club kid. What inspires your drag?
Coleslaw is goofy to the core and no matter how much I have (at times) tried to make her serious, she still makes people laugh. I am inspired by an insane amount of things: Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda and everything about the film Barbarella, Miss Piggy, Nicole Scherzinger, Divine and John Waters, Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, Tove Lo, Martha Wainwright’s Bloody Motherfucking Asshole, all versions of the color pink, Madonna (80’s until 2008,) Rossy de Palma, cats meowing into microphones, Isabella Rosellini in Death Becomes Her, Rihanna in all of her eternal glory, the idea of Andy Warhol, Karen O, Rufus Wainwright’s Gay Messiah… I could literally go on forever!
You’ve recently started hosting a drag show at the Museum of Science Planetarium. How did that get started?
I worked on a project at Oberon Theater in Harvard Square and hit it off with James Wetzel, who was working there. We kept in contact through social media, and years later he contacted me as the events coordinator at the Museum of Science. They were putting together laser show tributes to famous musicians inside of the planetarium, and he wanted me to organize a show of local drag talent to perform Lady Gaga’s music in the museum lobby after the Gaga laser show ended. This was before I started doing drag regularly, so I was only DJing the party.
Another couple years later he contacted me to collaborate on an idea to have drag inside of the planetarium… and the rest is history. We have had five completely sold out shows so far and the next one is Thursday, February 21st!
Coleslaw performing in the Planetarium. Photo by Jonathan Beckley.
Your performances are always so carefree and off the cuff. I remember one Drag Brunch where you literally left the bar and got onto a city bus when it pulled up during your lipsync. It really feels like anything might happen when you’re doing a number. How has this lined up with working in the Planetarium?
Thank you! I take that as a compliment. Honestly, when my performance starts I just keep moving and follow my gut instinct for what to do next. Maybe I’ll roll on the ground, maybe I’ll eat an entire bottle of Sriracha, or maybe I’ll just dance my ass off.
Mind you, performing in a bar at brunch is much different from a nightclub stage, which is also extremely different from performing inside of the 360 degree Planetarium dome. You have to observe your audience and assess what you think they are looking for. And if they’re not paying attention, then give them a very good reason to pay attention. Inside the Planetarium, the queens need to take extra precaution to serve face to every single person in the room. So there’s a lot of moving and shaking.
What’s been your favorite moment from the Planetarium shows so far?
We were featured in a big write up in the Boston Globe, and seeing myself and my friends’ pictures printed on a newspaper was otherworldly. It made all of my stress and anxiety for this project completely worth it.
Also these shows are recommended 18+, however there have been parents bringing younger kids to see the show. And while I have a tendency to be vulgar, I toned it down as much as I could whenever I saw their little faces. It’s so wild and amazing to me that some parents are so open to their children that they would expose them to my world. I have the most extreme amount of respect for any parent who embraces their children’s LGBTQIA identity.
What’s your advice for any drag queens (or DJs) who want to break into the Boston scene?
I would say be a nice person, and have a sense of humor most importantly. Socializing is very important. You gotta do the leg work and go out to the parties and be seen and known. Get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to try new ideas. Keep it fun— as my close friend Pristine Christine always tells me, “Remember, you’re not curing cancer, it’s just drag.”
Catch Coleslaw hosting the next Planetarium Drag Show at the Museum of Science on February 21st. Tickets available here, doors at 7:30, all ages, recommended 18+. Also featuring local queens Neon Calypso, Belle Awesome, and Qya Cristál.