Courtesy of Mad Max Morrison
Before the Boiz of Austin’s digital drag show “Are the Straights Okay?” even kicked off on Tuesday (Jan. 12), I already felt at home during the drag king troupe’s preshow.
As the audience logged on to Tuesday night’s Twitch stream, chat conversations bounced between life updates and comments on whatever song was playing from Boiz performer Papi Churro’s curated playlist (which, apropos for the show s theme, featured only “white and straight” tunes, as deemed by Papi). Although virtual, the on-screen atmosphere re-created the familiar sensation of milling around a bar before a show, picking out whichever pilsner beer on the can menu, and eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations – the kind of pleasant anticipation I hadn’t felt since the last time I went to a live performance in March before pandemic shutdowns.