The basement of Back to the Grind, a beloved coffee shop in downtown Riverside, was transformed into a vibrant stage of glamour and grit on Saturday January 18 for Club Vamp’s latest drag show, aptly titled "The Freakshow." The event celebrated community, diversity, and sensuality, while raising funds for those affected by the Palisades fire in Los Angeles. By the end of the evening, attendees helped raise $750 for the cause.
The lineup was a dazzling array of talent, featuring local drag icons and Club Vamp regulars: BRUNO Vamp, Nikki Rosé, Josefa Kudva, Freddie Deadd Vamp, Pixxi, Luna Lockhart, Sexx Luther, and Bubblegum. Each queen brought their unique flair to the stage, captivating the audience with performances that ranged from sultry and provocative to outrageous and comedic. The pulsating beats of DJ AHSATAN kept the energy high throughout the night, as the crowd danced, cheered, and reveled in the electric atmosphere.
Stephen Day
BRUNO Vamp, the mastermind behind Club Vamp, created an event that showcased local drag talent, and community that came together to support those who had been affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles. BRUNO welcomed the sold out crowd and reminded them that The Freakshow was a celebration of community, and passed out tarot cards to each member of the audience in the hopes that it would help set the tone for each person's new year ahead. I received the Three of Cups tarot card which represents a sense of community, support, and celebration
Stephen Day
Bubblegum started off the night with a fantastic lip sync performance that showcased their talent and ability to work the crowd, followed by Nikki Rosé, Josefa Kudva, Freddie Deadd Vamp, and Pixxi that performed as a group and brought great energy to the performance with a flair of furry, domination, and sexuality.
Stephen Day
Sexx Luther, who performed as "The Mime of the Circus", came out serving business and pleasure for the crowd with their fantastic performance which toyed with the audience and playfully antagonized members of the audience.
Stephen Day
Stephen Day
Luna Lockhart, who performed as The Bearded Lady in the Circus, came out serving sultry, sensual, goth realness, and performed in and around the audience taking "The Freakshow" to whole different level.
Bubblegum came out for another performance of "Bring in the Clowns" which served up emotion and sadness, and showed the incredible range of this talented queen.
Stephen Day
Even though a few of the queens that were going to fill out The Freakshow were unable to perform, the queens on hand did such an amazing job of creating a night of goth circus freakiness that delighted everyone at the show. After the queens were finished with their performances, the crowd was invited to get up and dance while DJ AHSATAN kept the energy flowing with their set.
Stephen Day
The Queens were so much to photograph, and I took so many photos.. check them all out at our Flickr page.
