The Trans Artists Powering Austins Alternative Nightlife Scene
p1nkstar plays New Year's Eve with Cheer Up Charlies
Erika Vee of Austin's experimental nightlife scene, Personal Service, spoke on Instagram Stories last month about the precarious state of Texas-based trans artists: “I think a lot of you in the Texas music scene are blissfully unaware. The situation will be even worse if most transgender people are forced to go elsewhere for medical services.
He continued: “One more thing, we're not just artists, many of us do a lot behind the scenes that you don't see, often for little recognition and no compensation, out of pure passion. If that's the case, good luck filling the gap."
"Trans people work a lot harder in the underground scene, but places like Cheer Up Charlies or Coconut Club are also full of trans people doing events." - p1nkstar
Along with partner Pat Reed (aka Tears of Eros) and old friend JT Whitfield, Erica continues to produce experimental and dance music around the city as one-third of the underground conversation collective Death of Influence. They often hold the Eternal Space Club on Fourth Street, recently renamed the Residents' Advisory Club. Erica never intended to become an activist, but thanks to the support of fellow transgender p1nkstar, her message spread through social media and she received support from LGBTQIA Texans and their allies.
"After the post stopped getting attention, I'm glad I shared [p1nkstar] because I meant what I said," he explains. "The dance music scene in Texas — not just in Austin, but everywhere — is full of transgender people, and it would be very different without them."
His announcement comes in the final weeks of the state Legislature's grueling 88th regular session, which has seen several anti-sex bills reach the Capitol. Senate Bill 14 would have barred minors from receiving gender-affirming medical services, while others, such as the failed SB 1029, tried to prevent Medicaid from covering gender-affirming treatment for both transgender adults and minors. SB 12, which targets drag shows, vaguely defined as "sexually oriented" and involving minors, fines organizers up to $10,000.
Now trans Texans, many of them musicians and creatives, are struggling to figure out what to do next.
"I meet a lot of trans people, and a lot of them try to have a backup plan," says p1nkstar. "It's scary - people aren't sure about signing another year's contract because we don't know what the climate is going to be like."
In the year Relocating from Mexico to Texas in 2014, P1nkstar has made a splash on Austin's dance scene by combining gender-bending performances with a neo-opera feel. Today, her presence in Austin's nightlife scene might best be described as a politically aware pop star anxious to make room for her gay peers.
"Transgender people work a lot harder in the underground scene, but places like Cheer Up Charlies or Coconut Club are also full of transgender people," the show's organizer said. "Historically, nightlife and music are some of the few places where transgender people can find work, so we have a big presence in every city."
Salia appears backstage during the performance (Photo by De Rundle)
Asked if she plans to stay in Texas, she said, “I love Austin so much, it's hard to think about leaving. It's a great community and I feel really supported as a person and as an artist. "The government has never been on our side, so taking care of ourselves and each other is something we can do."
While there are threats, cooperation among Austin's transgender nightlife remains strong. Tommy Jammer, better known as Sallyah on stage, talks about his inner circle's plans to make the most of the summer.
“We all agreed that something was brewing because this might be the last summer we're all going to be in Austin. It's like the last hurrah." - Salia
"My friends and I were at Club Forever recently and there was a time when we were all standing on the sidelines talking about the bad things that are happening right now," Jammer says. “We all agreed that something was brewing because this might be the last summer we're all going to be in Austin. It's like a last hurray. Things never happen."
As Sallyah, Jammer unleashes hypnotic electronic music on a local decay progression. Outside of the studio, they are a constant presence at DIY raves and outdoor venues. After a brief stint in New York last year, they returned to their longtime home in Austin; However, growing anti-trans rhetoric quickly undermined their return home.
"All of these laws have had a tremendous psychological impact on me and the people I know - it seems in many ways submissive and hopeless," Jammer says. "I grew up in the underground scene in Austin, and whether we're putting on a show, hiring talent, or fundraising, a lot of it is made up of gay and transgender people."
He continued, “There are people of many genders playing in different places in the city! They bring too much to these places, and it will disappear because it is dangerous for us."
Lucia Beyond (Photo by Rosie Matsek [@fairyfountain])
One such sound professional is Lucia Beyond, who has worked as a sound engineer at several popular Austin music venues, including the Continental Club, C-Boys Heart & Soul, and Sahara Lounge. He goes beyond being an artist on stage and behind the soundboard, creating genre-blending DJ mixes and performing live with Ezra Rodriguez (Euphonia) and David Alvarez (eg Artifex). His recently released self-mixed sophomore album, Airborne Fantasy: Unlimited, chronicles the beauty and agony of his growing production experience, fusing soaring guitar work with soaring synth melodies.
"I've been doing really well with music lately and it's crazy because for the first time in my life I feel like everything is falling into place," shares Kezya. "Law seems like this terrible force."
"I don't want to run away - this is literally the land of my ancestors," he said. "We have a great group of people and artists in Austin right now, and I love that."
Amid the political turmoil, Beyond encourages those unfamiliar with trance music to broaden their horizons. “Go out and listen to a trance artist show or a trance mix show and you'll see how different it is. It is very profound knowledge when it changes a lot.
"You learn a lot. And then, of course, you have something to say that's different from what everyone else is saying — and that's what art should be about."
In addition to his weekly show on Tuesdays at the Volstead Lounge in Los Felices, p1nkstar will be performing live at Swan Dive on Friday, June 23rd at Swan Dive as sister fisters. Lucia Beyond will play the Queer Freak Show at Sahara Lounge on Friday 23rd June and Body Mechanics will play Queer Techno Night on 30th June.
