Folsom ‘Princess’ party welcomes Katya at SF Oasis

So I fell down a Trixie and Katya clickhole not long after donning a neon tulle dress in SF for Solid Pink Disco — Trixie Mattel’s roving dance party where she struts onstage while mashing up bubbly tunes. Now that I’ve witnessed both drag queens in separate acts, my unsurprising verdict is they shine better as a duo.

Katya — a well-known Drag Race alum — recently appeared at SF Oasis for Princess, a weekly show by Tito Soto that’s part disco-pop dance party and part drag medley. This was my first time at Soto’s soirée and also visiting Oasis in a hot minute, and don’t worry: I have many positive things to report. Having known D’Arcy Drollinger and the Oasis crew since their opening in 2015, I feel like the club is now the young, queer-inclusive safe space that Drollinger and Heklina dreamed of creating a decade ago.

The sold-out party served lots of great drag alongside happy vibes, and the whole thing didn’t feel too polished or commercial; It was like stepping into a queer house party with your funniest, best-dressed friends.

Photos by Rachel Z Photography. Naturally I’m standing in back taking review notes on my phone — photo on the top right.

Queens Lisa Frankenstein and Kochina Rude presented us five acts at 11:30 p.m. and I am already tired are you kidding me — even though that was the planned schedule. Thankfully, the drag was worth it:

The dancing award easily goes to SNJV, whose Janet Jackson set incorporated breakdancing and some moves with a chair, while basically just eating up that stage. Sinn E Moan kept things acrobatic in a skimpy denim outfit while shaking it to Snow Wife, and Tito Soto made sure many in the front row got some free shots — all while looking fabulous in a glam goth look that gave just a little Adam Lambert.

From left to right: Sinn E Moan, SNJV, and Tito Soto. Photos by Rachel Z Photography.

The price of seeing Katya was paid not only in dollars but in time — five acts and a lot of vamping later, the self-proclaimed “sweatiest woman in show business” appeared at nearly 12:30 a.m. She shook her fake goodies for maybe six minutes while grabbing all the dollar bills she could. Watching this, I considered the price of fame and energy it takes to perpetually go on tour. Here is a queen whose comedy gold on YouTube should keep her in a lifetime supply of Louboutin stilettos kicked up on a $10,000 fainting couch, but instead she rolled around onstage yelling “not the bore worms!”

I honestly can’t be mad about it though; seeing that iconic contoured face that’s given me giddy joy on UNHhhh and I Like To Watch was worth the price of admission. Five out of five stars on Yelp, would go again. I just want to see Katya and Trixie together; The pair was supposed to be doing their Bald and the Beautiful tour, where I have been aching to see homophobic Cher. But understandably Katya chose her own well-being and entered rehab not long ago, which was probably the other reason I wanted to see her show so much: to make sure she’s doing okay now.

I actually made it to the end of the night, but my attention span waned after 1 a.m. for review purposes. Katya reappeared for one more performance amid several additional Princess drag acts, and some gays I know scored tickets to her meet and greet after wearing a custom printed Contact movie poster — because at that hour, I’m sure we’d all lost Contact with reality.

No one skewer me for saying it: this looks a little like sitting on drag Santa’s lap. FWIW said Sampson, pictured right: “I could read her mind and sense the anxiety she had — it was really encouraging to see someone like her still goes through things like that. She really is just a gem.”

Princess is one among many recurring events at SF Oasis that blend art with a good time, and Katya quips notwithstanding — our local queens deserve our love and attention. The night continued with acts by Bettyie Jayne and Franzia Rosé, albeit I mostly stared at a #twinning pair of zebra outfits sported by Lisa and Kochina. That was before scooting off to a dungeon-esque orgy down the street above Powerhouse; it was Folsom, after all.

Princess happens every Saturday alongside a robust lineup this fall, including the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Lady Bunny, and a drag-themed celebration of A24 films — SF Oasis really is everything, everywhere, all at once in local drag, isn’t it?

Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.

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