Photo credit: Albert Sanchez
Trixie Mattel
Drag queen, musician and overall powerhouse, Trixie Mattel is eager to show us a side of her that we haven’t quite seen yet, at least not like this. Her third album, Barbara, holds an intentional A-side and B-side feel to it—the first half features a sound reminiscent of the ’60s pop and rock records she’s fond of while the second is folkier and Americana-driven.
“There’s so much that I love about the ’60s. It was the time of women’s lib and super-women who weren’t afraid of makeup, bold patterns and showing skin [saying] ‘It’s not for you, it’s for me.’ It wasn’t for men; it was for yourself. What’s more drag than that?” Mattel, aka Brian Firkus, says. “I had this vision of me in drag at the beach [in the daytime], serving Marsha Brady, super tan, sipping from a Coke bottle and a little radio close by with an 8-track sticking out. Then at night, putting on a headband, bringing out your guitar and singing to the people you love, around a campfire.”
Though now based in Los Angeles, Firkus still talks about hometown Milwaukee with an obvious affection—his love for the liveliness of the city on its first warm day, treading back to his longtime-favorite spots like This is It! and Fuel Cafe in Riverwest whenever he’s in town, and frequenting places like Victoria’s Beauty Supply, once his go-to place for leggings and wigs during a time when it wasn’t uncommon to find him performing at night clubs like LaCage.
Back in 2016, shortly after a run in “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Mattel went on to star in the now widely acclaimed YouTube series “Unhhhh” with fellow contestant Katya Zamolodchikova. Packed with the particular kind of outlandishness and razor sharp wit needed to reach a certain level of niche stardom within internet virality, the series became so popular that it led to the Viceland spinoff, “The Trixie & Katya Show,” and eventually resulted in a deal with Netflix, solidifying the queens’ spot in mainstream pop culture.
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“I think that because I parody one of everybody’s favorite toys from their childhood and because of my Midwestern sensibility, my drag has this kind of sarcasm that’s universal. I do think that drag has become more mainstream and it’s because of us who keep pushing the envelope and because of people saying, ‘You know what? I’m going to do another show, another tour, another album. I’m going to an audition and I’m going to get it.’ I’ve managed to pull off some of my wildest dreams. I still can’t believe it.”
On Barbara, Mattel continues to set the bar even higher. The record features a moving re-envisioning of “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You” by Lavender Country, the first known openly gay band in the history of country music. Additionally, Mattel notes that she’ll be accompanied by a full live band during her upcoming tour, a first for the musician.
“I used to see shows at Turner Hall growing up, so it’s so crazy to actually be there,” says Mattel. “I’m extremely proud of being from Wisconsin. I love Milwaukee.”
Trixie Mattel performs at Turner Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m.
