BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - September 2016

queer
PEACH COBBLAH
Community Places and Sweaty Faces
Written by David Cutting, Photo by Chase Hansen
ISOLDE N BARRON
The Queen of East Van
There are sweaty people and then
there is Peach Cobblah. If you are
lucky enough to ever sit at one of
her shows, she jokes about the ocean of
sweat that comes forth from her pores in
delug-es. If you’re new, the joke doesn’t land
until about five minutes later when a rather
intense rendi-tion of “Good Mother” by
Jann Arden turns into a sweat shower from
The Baddest Bitch of East Van.
Once upon a time, Peach Cobblah
decided to try drag as a one off to get
tips so she could get drunk. Emerging on
the scene in Apocalypsticks’ “Mean Teen
Queen” segment, Peach sweated her way
into the hearts of East Van drag lovers with
her unique hip-hop drag style, which, at the
time, was unlike anyone else.
Inspired by artists like Nikki Minaj and
Missy Elliot, Peach brings hip-hop attitude
to every per-formance no matter the song.
And, with her signature arm waves and leg
kicks, she works it. She cites Roseanne as
another influence, which definitely shines
through in the crass and an-noying manner
that Peach’s humour manifests.
Peach can be found every Tuesday at
1181 for Shame Spiral, a show that is a
staple in the drag community. Part drag
show, part storytime, the show explores the
ideas of how certain behav-iours make us
feel and how expressing it can bring joy and
build community. Her brilliant “Blender of
Shame” is loaded up each week with random
songs that audience members pull for
her to perform. The level of mystery and the
campiness of Peach merge to create a drag
mon-ster that is hard to look away from.
Peach brings community together. For numerous
years, she has produced, performed,
and en-couraged new talent at The Cobalt
in East Van. Her stage is always welcoming to
new talent and is always a supportive place for
new queens to learn to express themselves.
Without taking herself too seriously, Peach
is always listening for the social commentary
around her creations so that community is
being built and nurtured. “Hustla and The
Gay Agenda, like Queer Bash before it, are all
events that help raise money for Zee Zee Theatre,
but also create a really im-portant space
in East Van in a queered way,” she says. “I love
the West End and spend a lot of time there,
but it’s vital for East Van to be able to party in
their own backyard too.”
“I want to create spaces that people feel
like they can be themselves in, like perhaps
the guy at the end of the bar has never been
to a show before, but by coming, he gets
exposed to new people. I take it as part of my
job as a drag queen to be the ambassador
of the space I am in, to get to know people,
to help them have a good time, and to help
them find their truest expression of self.” This
is Peach’s true essence and if you have ever
been to a show she is hosting, you will most
certainly be warmly welcomed.
Peach in no way would claim the title of
community leader, but her patience and willingness
to foster and nurture the community
makes this true without having to toss around
the label.
“I think anytime someone puts on drag
and gets a microphone they become de facto
leaders because people listen to what they
have to say,” says Peach. “I’d like to think I’ve
used that bi-zarre power to introduce people
to things that I’m passionate about: building
community, theatre, vital local charities like Out
in Schools and A Loving Spoonful.... Do leaders
have missteps? Ab-solutely. But we grow and
reflect and challenge ourselves and others and
that keeps our com-munity strong.”
In other news, Peach shared with BeatRoute
that she is also producing a show
inspired by the intersection of drag and her
occupation as a playwright. We are buzzing
with excitement to see and experience
Ghosts of My Tuck, which Peach promises is
weirdly political and wonderfully atrocious.
For anyone wondering where to experience
Vancouver drag, find Peach’s events
and get down there. Leave your judgments
and inhibitions at the door, because this bad
bitch encourages our authentic expression.
Catch Peach Cobblah on Tuesday nights at
1181 for Shame Spiral, September 17 for THUD
at XY, September 18 at Village Bistro for Queen
Eggs and Ham, a monthly drag brunch in
support of A Loving Spoonful, and October 14
for Hustla: Homo Hip Hop at the Cobalt.
Sitting at a stage-facing table in the centre
of the Cobalt with the spotlight on
her is Isolde N Bar-ron. On the stage,
a contestant of her annual Mr/Miss Cobalt
Competition awaits what she is going to say.
The words that follow are constructive, elevating,
and, at their core, kind. This is Isolde.
Classically trained in theatre, she yields her
knowledge of performance as a tool and her
generosity to share her input and wisdom
with others is what truly makes her The
Queen of East Van.
Isolde began drag in 2007, after being
inspired by big queens in Toronto who
really tapped into old glamour and camp.
Needing a remedy for traveling to Vancouver’s
West End for drag cul-ture, Isolde
began creating performances for a show
called Bent (an old East Van institution)
where, dressed up like Ursula and accompanied
by a cast of minions, she performed a
number from The Little Mermaid and dove
right into the drag scene.
Her name came from an intensely boring
poetry reading she was attending where
someone mentioned the name Isolde. She
thought it was humorous because placing
an ‘N’ with it could elicit a character of
sorts, but she still wasn’t sure where she
wanted it to go. Eventually, it was her father
who came up with the Barron part, which
fit nicely with the old school glamour campi-ness
that was her driving inspiration.
The Cobalt became home base for Isolde
when they picked her up for a weekly drag
show clev-erly titled Apocalypstick. It was
here she began to really bring a new excitement
to the queer scene of East Van. “We
[Peach Cobblah and Bambi Bot] worked
tirelessly to create an exciting new energy
for the queer community in East Van,”
says Isolde. “Some of the individuals in this
community didn’t feel comfortable in the
West End scene so by us adding a drag show
to the scene in East Van, it created a new
space for them to convene.”
The drag scene now is much different.
Isolde has a weekly show at the Junction on
Davie with Carlotta Gurl called the Barron
Gurl Show. “It is an exciting time right now
because the west and the east are meeting
and this is creating a really cool fusion of
drag,” she says. “The community spaces
are becoming communal and we get the
opportunity to connect with a broader
audi-ence.”
Isolde continues, “When we are dressed
as clowns people are more willing to open
up to us, to connect with us. It is our duty
to be their cheerleader and help them be
one with the community in the space.” The
inclusive nature of her role in the community
is related to the matronly quality of her
character.
Next year will be Isolde’s 10-year drag
birthday and after all these years it’s the
audience that keeps her going. “I love when
I am onstage fulfilling the song and the
audience is there with me,” she enthuses.
“These moments are rare but they are transcendent,
you become one with everything.
It’s magic, you are fulfilling the illusion,
the makeup, the lip sync, the costume,
the womanhood, When I see the audience
living for my moment that’s what keeps me
going.” For all this time, Isolde has had the
companionship of her darling husband/wife
Peach Cobblah (see beside) to share in the
magical drag journey with.
A mother to some, a mentor to those
who seek, and a wife to one, Isolde sits in a
throne in this community with poise and
grace, unafraid to speak her mind, lend a
hand, or offer wisdom. She lives to the full
meaning of the title Queen.
Catch Isolde N Barron on Wednesday nights
at the Junction for The Barron Gurl Show and
Sep-tember 18 at Village Bistro for Queen
Eggs and Ham, a monthly drag brunch in
support of A Loving Spoonful.
22 CITY
September 2016