Nobody in New Orleans has slept in days. Nightly thunderstorms in our now perma-Hurricane season make for a
wearily predictable 3am alarm call. We’re all cranky as hell. Thankfully, though, it’s hard to be grouchy around producer and performer extraordinaire Trixie Minx, and as we meet for coffee, she’s her usual goofy self.
“I might present as Jessica Rabbit,” she says, “But if you know me at all, you know I’m way more of a Roger.”
Rabbit status established, Trixie begins by talking about her new series of shows, called Sultry Sundays, tentatively to be held weekly at the Howlin’ Wolf. “I’m so excited for this show. I’ve been volunteering, bagging groceries for the Musician’s Clinic and it’s been operating out of the Howlin’ Wolf and we got to talking with the venue. I’ve worked with them before and we wanted to put together a show.”
wearily predictable 3am alarm call. We’re all cranky as hell. Thankfully, though, it’s hard to be grouchy around producer and performer extraordinaire Trixie Minx, and as we meet for coffee, she’s her usual goofy self.
“I might present as Jessica Rabbit,” she says, “But if you know me at all, you know I’m way more of a Roger.”
Rabbit status established, Trixie begins by talking about her new series of shows, called Sultry Sundays, tentatively to be held weekly at the Howlin’ Wolf. “I’m so excited for this show. I’ve been volunteering, bagging groceries for the Musician’s Clinic and it’s been operating out of the Howlin’ Wolf and we got to talking with the venue. I’ve worked with them before and we wanted to put together a show.”
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The concept is slightly different, and sensitive to the new cultural landscape. “It’s a weekly, so hopefully it’s sustainable and can get money to performers precisely because it’s a weekly. The hook, though, is that the acts aren’t necessarily ‘sexy’ in the expected way. I want the performers to do acts that they feel passionate about, to do what is sensual to them. Sexy for sexiness’ sake can be a bit bland, the commitment to the act is what will make it sexy. I can’t wait to see everyone’s perspective on what passion means to them.”
That question of the new landscape can’t really be addressed without talk of the dreaded last twelve months or so, though. Trixie managed to maintain a relatively active production schedule while both observing and being subject to the various restrictions. How was that? “It was…frustrating!” We both laugh with nervous recognition. “I compare it to throwing spaghetti at a wall,” she says. “You legit don’t know what’s going to stick, or if it’s cooked right, you just keep tossing stuff.” Virtual shows require new skill sets, though. “When I did my first virtual shows, it was my first time video editing and it had a very early-MySpace feel, but you work it out and it gets better.” As it became clear that reopening was going to take time, Minx partnered with music venue d.b.a. to produce live-streamed shows. “That was bumpy, too, because we’re all learning as we go, but it was a very supportive atmosphere from both the venue and the performers, and I think that support sums up the overall feeling in among all these new things that we suddenly had to try.” |
By the time venues started to cautiously open up, Minx feels like producers were hitting their virtual stride. “We figured out what works and I’m totally ready for online shows if there’s another pandemic!”
Live shows eventually came, including a couple in Atlanta in October, which involved a distanced and capped capacity of 100 at a large theater. “It’s weird because the shows went really well but my personal stress levels were super high and I almost had a breakdown making sure that we didn’t create a super-spreader event. I was genuinely worried, it was terrifying.”
Minx’s best practices and strict adherence to health and safety prevailed, though, and nobody got sick, performers and crowds alike. Doing shows now, though, brings up understandable ethical issues that were not previously in the mix. “I truly believe, though, that as we approach a post-COVID world, that most producers and performers are no longer thinking “what’s the most entertaining show”, but “which show is being presented thoughtfully and with purpose?”
Of course, entertainment and sustainability is still a high priority, but Minx notes that there’s new criteria, including the question of whether people are safe. A live, weekly Friday night show at the ballroom in The Royal Sonesta Hotel has been ongoing since late February this year. At first this meant the performers being outside in a courtyard with the guests in the bar, looking through the windows. “We MacGyver-ed a safe situation and it wasn’t perfect but it worked as a safe compromise,” Minx says.
Live shows eventually came, including a couple in Atlanta in October, which involved a distanced and capped capacity of 100 at a large theater. “It’s weird because the shows went really well but my personal stress levels were super high and I almost had a breakdown making sure that we didn’t create a super-spreader event. I was genuinely worried, it was terrifying.”
Minx’s best practices and strict adherence to health and safety prevailed, though, and nobody got sick, performers and crowds alike. Doing shows now, though, brings up understandable ethical issues that were not previously in the mix. “I truly believe, though, that as we approach a post-COVID world, that most producers and performers are no longer thinking “what’s the most entertaining show”, but “which show is being presented thoughtfully and with purpose?”
Of course, entertainment and sustainability is still a high priority, but Minx notes that there’s new criteria, including the question of whether people are safe. A live, weekly Friday night show at the ballroom in The Royal Sonesta Hotel has been ongoing since late February this year. At first this meant the performers being outside in a courtyard with the guests in the bar, looking through the windows. “We MacGyver-ed a safe situation and it wasn’t perfect but it worked as a safe compromise,” Minx says.
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At the time of this interview, capacities had been lifted but tables still had to be six feet apart. “This means limited capacities and reduced margins, so you have to get creative,” says Minx. I suggest that this coincides with performers needing higher fees because they didn’t work all year. “Yes, and before this, you could do a few lower-paid shows a night or several a week, and so it was easier to work with. It was a living that disappeared. This is a job, we pay taxes, it’s a real industry.”
Crowds have been largely well behaved, but hosting is a different job now. “I feel like a hall monitor,” she says. “It used to be about dancing, now it's also about policing. Shows are earlier so people don’t get too drunk, that kind of thing. It’s very interesting all round.” The new rules of being able to be unmasked while ‘actively’ drinking are open to interpretation. “I think we should all just do shots!” she says. “Shots only, we do a round every 30 minutes then everyone masks back up!” Minx also started up her ‘Trixiegram’ service, doing personal distanced and online appearances, which she may well keep up as it’s been so much fun. “I just did one today,” she says, laughing. “It was for an out-of-state 95-year old man! I don’t know if he knew what to do with himself, but he seemed to really enjoy it!” Other lockdown initiatives - her nightly, bath-based talk show ‘Tub Time With Trixie’ for example - became great energy focuses. |
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Minx has also put out a few comedy sketches, cementing her stated goofiness. “I love it but I can’t be silly in every show. If the venue wants a traditional old-school burlesque show, I can’t be dressed as a turtle eating lettuce off the floor, but if it’s my show with Fleur de Tease, you had better believe I'm going to do that!”
The immediate future is still hard to predict. “I was very optimistic for a while, and I still am but I'm not anticipating or relying on anything. I think this city is one of the last thriving examples of bohemia in America, and it will always rise like the beautiful sparkly cockroach it is. You can’t kill it! But things will be different and we’ll hopefully evolve and I think that’s a really good thing and I’m excited to see where we go next.” We’re excited too, especially if it means way more lettuce-eating turtle acts.
Sultry Sundays start at The Howling Wolf at 6pm on Sunday May 16th, go to www.trixieminx.com for tickets.
The immediate future is still hard to predict. “I was very optimistic for a while, and I still am but I'm not anticipating or relying on anything. I think this city is one of the last thriving examples of bohemia in America, and it will always rise like the beautiful sparkly cockroach it is. You can’t kill it! But things will be different and we’ll hopefully evolve and I think that’s a really good thing and I’m excited to see where we go next.” We’re excited too, especially if it means way more lettuce-eating turtle acts.
Sultry Sundays start at The Howling Wolf at 6pm on Sunday May 16th, go to www.trixieminx.com for tickets.
