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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021
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Justin Buckles
From left, performers Devlin Lynn Phoenixx, Lexxus Lynn Phoenixx, Clare Apparently and Ginger Vitus following the fi rst drag queen brunch in Astoria in 2020.
Life without drag
Performers navigate more uncertainty during coronavirus surge
By ZOË BUCHLI
For The Astorian
T
his Saturday morning will be a little quieter at
the Merry Time Bar and Grill in Astoria.
What was supposed to be a lively
return to the stage for Diva Drag Brunch per-
formers turned into yet another cancella-
tion. The venue informed the show’s pro-
ducer last week that the event would
no longer be possible following a
surge of coronavirus cases in Clat-
sop C ounty.
It’s a change of plans famil-
iar to virtually everyone who
works in front a live audi-
ence , and drag performers
are no exception .
Buckles,
Justin
the owner of a Port-
land-based production
group that produces
Diva Drag Brunch,
said performers miss
being on stage in front
of live audiences. Not
only do they crave
the excitement of
interacting with the
crowd, but the gigs
used to serve as a main
income source for
some performers. As
they wait for a safe time
to return to performing,
they have to fi nd new
creative outlets.
Joshua Conklin has performed
as Ginger Vitus on stage in
Astoria since 2013.
A new normal
Astoria native Joshua
Conklin is well-known for his
performances under the stage
name “Ginger Vitus.” Ginger was
supposed to make a comeback as
part of Astoria’s Diva Drag Brunch.
Before the pandemic, Conklin had been
performing in the area for seven years.
Conklin said his performances are less
about the money and more about the experi-
ence and environment. Leading up to the pan-
demic, Conklin was frequently doing fast-paced,
high-energy shows.
“I do it for the community aspect,” Conklin said.
With the pandemic creating limited capacities and dis-
tancing enforcements at shows, it’s hard to get into
performing and be fully immersed in a show, Conklin
explained.
Conklin said the energy from crowds is his favorite
part about drag performances.
“It means so much when people can really show
how much they’re enjoying and appreciating it,” Conk-
lin said, adding that pandemic settings limit that key
aspect.
He’s dabbled with the idea of virtual shows, but
hasn’t really found the motivation to plan one. In the
meantime, he’s pursued his other passions and ran
unsuccessfully for Astoria City Council last fall.
As far as drag, he’s looking to the future and putting
energy into planning in-person shows down the road,
potentially with the fi rst being in October.
A welcoming community
Right before the pandemic, Diva Drag Brunch was
selling out shows in Portland. Buckles said the team
wanted to try to expand the show into other regions,
so they expanded to Olympia, Washington, Astoria and
Bend.
Buckles was a bit hesitant to present the fi rst Asto-
ria Diva Drag Brunch in January of 2020, not knowing
what the reaction would be. The response was better
than he could have dreamed. He said they were over-
whelmed by how well-received it was by the Astoria
community.
“It was killer. We had over 100 people there,” Buck-
les added. When Buckles takes the show to new cities,
he says he always tries to use one of their local per-
formers, so he reached out to Conklin when planning
the drag brunch.
“I think it’s really good to do that and extend that
olive branch,” he said.
Both Conklin and Buckles raved about the Astoria
community’s love and support of drag performances.
Although he enjoys all aspects of putting shows
together and watching the performances, Buckles said
his favorite part is at the end when he sees how enthu-
siastic the audience is about the show.
“Everyone wants pictures, everyone is so grateful,
it’s so fun,” he said.
Buckles has been producing shows out of Portland
through his production company for about eight years
and across 22 states and parts of Canada. Some of the
performers his shows include have been featured on
NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”
While performances in Astoria remain on hiatus,
Buckles anticipates hosting many more Diva Drag
Brunches when the pandemic is under wraps.
Zoë Buchli is a contributor to Coast Weekend and
The Astorian.