CR Pride returns for its fourth year with some of Vancouver’s finest drag talent to celebrate diversity and inclusion in this community.
There are some old friends and new ones scheduled for this year’s Campbell River Pride Party, which is being held on June 22 at the Tidemark Theatre following CR Pride Festival in Spirit Square.
The Queen of East Van, Isolde N. Barron, alongside her wife, Peach Cobblah, return to host, but this year’s event will also feature the gender-bending glam rock of one of Victoria’s hottest new bands, Art d’Ecco.
Art d’Ecco is an enigma: an unapologetic, inclusive rock and roll mystic in a wig and lipstick.
“There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled ‘neo glam,’ the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics,” says CBC Music.
Originally from South Africa, Cameron (Isolde) is a Vancouver-based director, producer and drag queen. As The Queen of East Van, Isolde N. Barron, she hosts The Barron Gurl Show every week in Vancouver’s West End, as well as Drag 101, a monthly show at UBC’s Pit Pub. As the Queen Mother of the Cobalt, a space she helped transform into a vital queer hub, she hosted her own weekly show Apocalypstick for two years and was a monthly fixture at Queer Bash, East Van’s premiere queer dance party. She is currently the head judge ushering in new talent for the Mr/Miss Cobalt Competition, in its 7th year. In boy form he produces and curates Club PuSh for the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and is founder and Managing Artistic Director of Zee Zee Theatre celebrating their tenth season. He is a critically acclaimed director and graduate of Studio 58 who further trained with Pochinko clown master, John Turner.
Peach Cobblah is known as the Baddest B&*#h of Vancouver. With her wife Isolde N. Barron, she co-created Tucked & Plucked: Drag Herstory Live Onstage which has appeared extensively over the past six years. Peach created and for the past four years has hosted Shame Spiral, a devilishly regretful weekly drag show at 1181 in Vancouver’s West End. She also helped revive the queer East Van scene with events like HUSTLA, the city’s original queer hip hop event, The Gay Agenda: Glitter & Skin, a monthly party celebrating all forms of masculinity, the annual Mr/Miss Cobalt Drag Competition, Eye Roll: Another F$%*ing 90s Party, and Limp Wrist, celebrating queer icons.
She can be seen sweating and swaying all over town in her monthly and pop-up events like Drag 101 at UBC and Queen, Eggs, and Ham, a delicious an devilish brunch show. She appeared as Hanna the Dominatrix in The Vancouver Playhouse’s final production, La Cage Aux Folles. Out of drag Peach is known as award-winning playwright Dave Deveau whose plays have been touring Canada and the US for the past six years.
CR Pride Party is sponsored by Campbell River Mirror, 99.7 2day FM, Coast Discovery Inn, What’s On Digest, Save On Foods, BC Touring Council, Shadoe Intimates, Boston Pizza & Hermosa Lingerie. CR Pride Party will be held at the Tidemark Theatre following the Campbell River Pride Festival on June 22 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $17 for Youth and $22 for Adults (plus applicable taxes and fees) and can be purchased at the Box Office, Tuesday through Friday 12-4 p.m. or online: tidemarktheatre.com.