These indie rock stars just put salt in Bill Lee’s wound.
At their Sunday show in Nashville, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, members of the indie trio boygenius, performed their Re:SET headlining gig in full drag makeup and costumes.
While the band normally performs their set in suit and tie, the “Me & My Dog” singers took their recent show as an opportunity to call out Tennessee lawmakers, who passed a law restricting adult cabaret performances in March. The state bill included a restriction on “male or female impersonators,” banning any performance in spaces that “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” (The drag ban was struck down after being declared unconstitutional earlier this month.)
Beginning their performance with a live-recorded off-stage rendition of “Without You Without Them,” fans sprang to uproarious applause when they saw footage of Bridgers, Dacus and Baker in head-to-toe drag. While Bridgers rocked a spiderweb-embroidered leotard, Baker chose royal purple for her Elvis-inspired look. Dacus, who recently announced that she had suffered a concussion, paired her necessary sunglasses with a bejeweled black and red dress.
boygenius in drag for their nashville show…they really are geniuses pic.twitter.com/izslLvoHHi
— Katie Minard (@KatieMinard) June 26, 2023
Baker was the first to verbally take aim at Tennessee Governor Bill Lee: “I’m content with the person that I am,” Baker said. “I have a lot of anger for the people that have made me feel small, and feel erased.”
Bridgers then chimed in, asking the crowd to join them in a chant. “Can we say ‘F— Bill Lee’ on three?” she asked, before leading the crowd in a repeated scream.
Fans of the group swarmed to social media with their praise of the group, with Twitter user Katie Minard tweeting, “boygenius in drag for their nashville show… they really are geniuses.”
The “Not Strong Enough” singers are not the first to criticize the Tennessee drag ban in their performances. Back in April, country singer Kelsea Ballerini brought drag queens Kennedy Davenport, Manila Luzon, Jan Sport and Oliva Lux on stage for her CMT Awards performance. “I love performance, and I love self-expression, and I love inclusivity,” Ballerini told Entertainment Tonight.
Another country powerhouse, Maren Morris, revealed at Nashville’s Love Rising benefit concert that she had introduced her son to drag queens. “Yes, I introduced my son to some drag queens today, so Tennessee, f—ing arrest me,” Morris said on Instagram.
Hayley Kiyoko, who has long been vocal about her support of LGBTQ+ rights, brought out drag performers LiberTea and Ivy St. James in an act of resistance. “I find pride in making sure my concerts are safe places for ALL,” Kiyoko captioned her Instagram post. “How can I do that if we aren’t allowed to be ourselves, especially at a predominantly queer concert? We deserve to have a safe space to be ourselves while we navigate the evil that is threatening our own existence.”
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