The weather for this year’s Restoration of Independence Day, brisk and blue, made for a fine early afternoon walk past block parties and backyard grills to Heldeke!, where a drag queen sat outside doing tarot readings on the terrace for a pirate and the star of the day’s show, Sasha Paris-Carter. Part of the US-based Estonian diaspora, SPC is visiting Estonia for the first time courtesy of the Oberlin College REECAS grant, and caps off two months’ stay with a show that reorchestrates their upcoming album with the input, influence, and able assistance of local musicians Lebo Sibul on guitar and Alec on bass.
Before they kick off, however, tarot-reading drag princess and comedian CumUnity Cervix opened the show with a quick warm-up set thick with puns and campy deadpan, just as happy to skewer historical figures as modern types, including ourselves [Editor’s note: CumUnity prefers “cummunitarian we/our” pronouns when performing, whether speaking or being spoken of]. Bookended by a brief lesson on audience etiquette and an even briefer musical interlude, the set was chippy, cheerful, and chockful of irreverent glam.
Having seen SPC and Lebo Sibul’s Post-Punk Cabaret recently, I knew to expect powerhouse vocals, but this night’s arrangements, though recognisable, had evolved further: swapping piano for five-string bass and shifting SPC’s focus to their vocal and physical performance, letting backing tracks carry weight on occasional tracks. The melodies were clear and crisp, the bass moody and driving in turns, and the vocals perfectly-matched across the range as they soared from sultry lows to birdlike heights.
While the incredible piano skills were missed, the shift gave space to dance moves, kicks, and mic stand swings that were only more impressive for the fact that the album, and thus the show, addresses some of the particular challenges of living with disability. A more important theme, however, was the ways we change ourselves in order to fit into spaces not suited for us, whether that’s the anonymous streets of New York City or a relationship determined to make us feel small. SPC’s songs rang with biting fury and vibrating pain, operatic in scope.
The staging was fairly simple, given the constraints of the space and the number of performers, but the fashion was impeccable, SPC a study in dark-clad harleqinade and Alec serving something of a drag Lord Byron. All musicians were in fine form, and can be seen again on Sunday 24 August at 1700. Tallinn Fringe Festival runs until 18 September with a spectrum of artistic endeavours – the full program can be found here.
Interested in writing for Sour Cream & Dill, or having your show reviewed? Subscribe to our newsletter and mark your interests, or send an email to info@ this website’s URL with the details.
Author: Laurie
Laurie likes alliteration, ambiance, and lists with three things.
Subscribe to our email newsletter to get the latest posts delivered right to your email.