Crash Landing at Berlin, every second & fourth Monday for two-hours, starting at 10 p.m. "Crash Landing is an amateur drag competition that focuses on weirdos and club kids that I cohost with Nico and drag bartender Lucy Stoole," she said. XYZ at Roscoe's every first Sunday, 9 p.m.- 2 a.m., with all mid-1990s to early-2000s music, hosted by Trannika, with performances by local queens and special guests from across the country. Drag Matinee at Berlin every Saturday, 10 p.m.-midnight. Trannika Rex is one busy queen on the local scene. Just consider her current, local roles: Trannika's Most Wanted, held every first Wednesday of the month at Berlin, from 10 p.m.-midnight. "If you have ever said to yourself, 'I don't like the drag scene here,' then go to a bar you like and offer to throw a show on a slow night there's a pretty good chance that (the bar) will let you do it," she said. Obviously, humor is ever-present with this local diva. you heard it here first." When asked personal info, she answered, "I'm single as hell and I'm gay, I guess." Trannika claims she sold the most World's Finest Chocolate bars in all of Fairlawn Elementary, in both third- and fourth-grade, beating out rival Sara Alan "by a God-damn landslide, both times," she said. "There's a strategy to building energy and maintaining it, and that's the ultimate rush for me. It's my job to take the temperature of the room and turn it into comedy and bring it all home in a certain amount of time." The real-life Trannika Rex is 27, lives in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood and certainly has a strong wit, even without a microphone in her hand. Consider some Trannika Rex: When asked to describe Trannika Rex to the world, she replied, "Everyone has that one aunt." She lives in Andersonville "because it's easier for me to maintain my love affair with Boystown if I'm not there all the time," she said. "Plus we just got a Mariano's Fresh Market down the street, above a gym, and the sitting area overlooks the salad bar. It's the best dude-watching in the city.
"You can call me lazy for not performing, but it's also a feat to get the train running and get it all the way back to the station through 15 performances. I wrote skits and performed improv and was in local Theater With a focus on comedy for the majority of my childhood, so when I started hosting I approached it like a play that I was the narrator of. "I found out quickly that my interest (in drag) is in curating, promoting, and hosting – and less in performing songs, which isn't usually the case for a queen," Trannika said. "One thing I didn't like when I started was that a host would still perform a song or two, so (she) would have to change outfits, (thus) there would either be a break or someone else would take over the host role and it totally fucked up the cadence of the show. Get ready to transform your playlist because here are our favorite Pride songs to get you in the spirit this year.Trannika Rex is celebrating her 5 th year on the Chicago drag scene, where she brings a double shot of sass and a splash of spice to her shows, primarily at Roscoe's Tavern and Berlin. We can't forget about blasts from the past at the hands of music icons. Get ready to put viral singles courtesy of LGBTQ+ artists and producers on repeat. If you're headed to an event and need to throw on an epic playlist that honors and uplifts the queer community, look no further. Passing the Pride month vibe check also extends to the aux cord. All the more reason to dust off the brightest, boldest Pride merch and celebrate the rich history of the queer community while making way for the future.īrushing up on the history of LGBTQ+ flags and checking out books that make queer teens feel seen are impactful ways to honor the community. Federal and state governments across the US have worked to silence queer voices through anti-LGBTQ+ "Don't Say Gay" legislation and laws limiting and banning gender-affirming care in Texas and Ohio. Fierce events and parades are back to being held in person, which calls for a celebration, especially after the stress of the past year. It's that season! Pride month is here, and it's better than ever.