This year, March 17 was not only Chicago’s annual St. Patty’s Day celebration, but also an observation of St. Pattie Gonia’s Day at Pilsen’s Thalia Hall. The Nebraska-born, Oregon-residing environmental activist and drag queen brought her national Save Her! tour to Thalia Hall for a rousing two hours to whip up support to save Mama Earth.
In December, Pattie hiked from Point Reyes National Seashore across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco in full drag, including heels and a wig, to raise money for environmental justice causes and to promote equitable access to the outdoors. The 100-mile backpacking trek raised over $1.1 million from over 30,000 donors (with an average donation of $30 each), which was equally distributed to eight nonprofits. Pattie also co-founded The Outdoorist Oath, a nonprofit to get LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC folks into the outdoors, as well as the Queer Outdoor and Environmental Job Board.
Pattie and crew performed in front of a giant upstage screen playing accompanying videos, with cameos from folks like Science Guy Bill Nye as well as flashes of slogans like “nature is gay,” “hydrate or die straight,” “get the fuck outside,” and, of course, “FDT,” as well as some Parker Posey White Lotus pronunciations. The stage was sparse, but the dance floor and upper balconies were packed with a boisterous and appreciative audience.
The tall, fit, ginger and mustachioed Pattie, seasonal in green sequined boots for her first lewk, was accompanied by Armenian-American (“like Cher!”) non-binary drag king Vera! (father to 48 drag kids!), and even taller queen, Salt Lake City-based Sequoia, in a showcase of mostly lip-synched numbers, like Dolly’s “9 to 5,” Reba’s “I’m a Survivor” and Britney’s “Toxic” (we were even rickrolled).
Pattie also lip-synched Jon Stewart’s famous drag queen defense, and Vera! referenced a popular No Kings protest slogan: “No Kings but Drag Kings” (Chicago’s next No Kings rally is at Butler Field in Grant Park on Saturday, March 28, 1:30pm.).
The first half also featured performances from local queens, like bearded Black activist queen Lucy Stoole, who wore a pink, sparkly devil outfit with a BLM theme (“the devil works hard, but we work harder”). Drag king Tenderoni brought an anti-AI message for many reasons, including its devastating environmental impact on the water supply, following by another hirsute performer, Secret Queen, who performed “Barracuda” wearing sets of mini-wings on her shoulders, arms and feet like Hermes.
Pattie was joined by ex-Mormon pianist Jacob Rex Ostler (who was acknowledged for just buying his first pair of Doc Martens) for some live singing. There was a “justice for gingers” dance-off with red-headed audience volunteers. Later in the show, some keffiyehs were waved and proclamations were made, like “inaction is a choice” and “better to be a faggot than a fascist.” Local partner organizations that were tabling the event also got shout-outs, including Gay for Good, Brave Space Alliance, and the Environmental Education Association of Illinois. The costumes were clever, like the Nature Valley granola bar wrappers bra, and a necktie skirt, as were the wigs, although Sequoia didn’t need one with her natural long brown curly hair.
Pattie Gonia ended the evening by encouraging people to attend, and generously tip, the dizzying array of Chicago drag performers at many (mostly North side) venues. Drag shows are cathartic, where one can scream into the existential void amidst a flamboyance of fabulously dressed, often tipsy, but like-minded and fun-loving progressives.
Pattie’s merch is sustainable, natch, printed on second-hand garments to create one-of-a-kind shirts. Her next shows are around Earth Day in Boston, Burlington, Vermont, and Portland, Maine, followed by some Utah shows in May, as well as in Philly and at DC’s 9:30 Club, with more national shows through October. Thalia Hall, at 1807 S. Allport, continues to present a packed schedule of bands and speakers, along with the other venues owned by the hospitality group 16” on Center, including The Salt Shed, Empty Bottle and Evanston SPACE.
Did you enjoy this post? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!
