WUSSY Mag put on the first ever Peachies Awards earlier this summer. The sold-out event, hosted by EllaSaurus Rex and Drew Friday, honored and celebrated Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ nightlife scene at City Winery with a red carpet and live performances. Some awards categories included Favorite Comedian, Bartender of the Year, Favorite Club Kid, Drag Artist of the Year, Party of the Year, and Favorite Drag Show.
ALT3R won the first-ever Peachie for Favorite Drag Show, and the show lives up to the title. The alternative, witchy drag show is only about a year old, but the energy of the performers and host is infectious to everyone who watches.
Founders Hera Kane, Kiki’s Dream, and Katrina Prowess first performed together in October 2021 at Star Bar for a Pride event. The success of the event urged them to create ALT3R, and by January 2022, they secured monthly, themed shows at Star Bar.
“[Star Bar] used to be a place for metal and hard rock shows, and hard to break into with a primarily straight audience,” Hera told Georgia Voice. “So, when we did the Pride event, it was just a one-night gig … Afterward, Amy and Dusty [the owners of Star Bar] were supportive and accepting of our style of performance. They were just like, ‘Do whatever you want. You always have our support.’”
“We wanted to forge a new format for a drag show, where it’s like going to a concert,” Katrina said. “We can give our fellow performers room to breathe, to do whatever kind of performance they want to do, and it still feels part of the theme.”
Hera agreed with her co-host. “It’s amazing watching someone be so true to themselves. You don’t need an expensive gown and diamonds. I don’t want to see diamonds. I want to see ripped-up stuff, and I want to see them rolling around on the ground and yelling. It creates a reaction to seeing someone be themselves. It’s magnetic, and what I feel makes drag unique, special, and magical.”
The girls call themselves a sisterhood, akin to an otherworldly trinity.
“We’re very Charmed,” Hera said. “I think every time you get into makeup or get together with your girls and do a number, there’s something new you can learn from. That’s the great part about having a sisterhood. Even when you feel like you’re stuck, they’re there to help and remind you who you are ….
“We’re like Pokémon,” Katrina said, “evolving into bigger and better bitches.”
When deciding a theme for every show, the ALT3R girls allow intuition and serendipity to guide them.
We’ll say, ‘This [theme] feels right,’ or one person will text an idea and someone else will be like, ‘I was just about to say that!’” Katrina said. “We’re doing a Rebecca Black song tonight [at the Rawr XD show on June 21], and apparently today is her birthday. We had no idea. Synchronicities are always there … A lot of things have fallen in line very serendipitously.”
Even their ALT3R story, from inception to their win, seems to be guided by fate.
“Nicole Paige Brooks was one of the first drag queens to interact with [me and Katrina], and she was the one to hand us the Peachie,” Kiki said. “So, it was a major full-circle moment … Yeah, we won an award, but to be in a room with so many people in the scene that we’ve looked up to for years and to be recognized in that way felt like our hard work paying off. It was a dream come true.”
“Out of nowhere, all of this is happening. It’s very wild and we’re very grateful,” Katrina added. “We’re so thankful to WUSSY, EllaSaurus Rex, Brigitte Bidet, and everyone that’s helped us … Our fellow nominees were people that we were going to watch before we even started. We’ve looked up to a lot of people.”
“It feels like it’s bigger than us. It really is,” Hera said. “We felt able to create a safe space for queer people that come to the show. We want them to say, ‘Okay, I’m allowed to go out and feel safe. I’m allowed to dance and be myself,’ when the world is saying horrible things, and spreading terrible lies about who we are. Drag is not a crime. It’s a blessing.”
ALT3R is every third Wednesday of the month at Star Bar (437 Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points). The ALT3R girls look forward to their individual projects, including Kiki’s music and Hera’s screenwriting, as well as several events for Atlanta Pride in October. To stay up to date, follow @alt3rdrag, @hera.kane, @kikis.dream, and @katrinaprowess on Instagram.