On the chilly evening of Feb. 28, the new organization We Keep Us Safe held its inaugural queer happening Let Yourself Shine with Brave Space Alliance as the beneficiary.
The event took place at i0 Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., and invited guests to “come as your shiniest self” for a soiree that featured ambient performers, curated art installations, stylistically varied live performances, a silent art auction and a warm, welcoming LGBTQ+ atmosphere that bridged the DIY aesthetic with old world burlesque seamlessly.
Stage manager and producer Cyn Cat smoothly rolled out an evening of non-stop entertainment with an array of cutting-edge DJs to create a unique soundtrack. DJ Certified Scruffian, DJ Con_Bot, DJ Spectre, and DJ Flesh_Bot underscored the night with panache.
First up onstage was scrappy funk band Edge of Green, who paired nicely with vocalist Kelsey Goodwin, whose blistering vocals made for an arresting mix of Black grooves with saucy sass. The entire room was in a state of shock, and it was clear no one knew what to expect afterwards.
Without missing a beat, Emcee Alister Aldrich hit the stage and shifted the energy and enthusiasm into a burlesque show featuring old school erotic dancers Evelyn Tensions, Phaedra Black and Risque Noir, and a surprisingly sweet dance duet with Circulating Sparkles and Flow Fairy Faith.
Even more unexpected was Russian-born violinist Jerome who filled the room with a haunting and soulful solo followed by Jean Wildest whose studied, intense sensual ballet was not only suspenseful but elegant.
But what was presented onstage was hardly the whole show. An array of interactive art was placed throughout the performance space including Beloved Community Eventually by Julie Eventually, which took the idea of whitewashing history into disturbing extremes and Steel Tigerlillies’ eerie and shimmering Do Androids Dream of Electric Cats.
Outside the performance space was an online art auction featuring works by Mothra Liddel, Joe Yonek, EMC, Krista Walker, Dorathy Downstairs, Cyn Cat, Erin Hankins, Dame Scott, Runar Beck, Six Ramone, Jaime, Daria, Mish Emma Moss, Dee Anderson, Goblin Market, Kathleen Weinstein and Nick Cywink.
In the mission statement for We Keep Us Safe the organization says, “We’re a tiny autonomous collective freely offering labor and compassion to help build up our communities. We are still gestating and discovering our process and invite you to join us in the process.”
