Live Concert Photography: CHRISTEENE: The Lion, The Witch and The Cobra with Peaches and Justin Vivian Bond at City Winery 3/25/24
Paul Soileau is a Lake Charles, LA-born drag queen, performance artist, singer/songwriter, rapper and creative mastermind behind the acclaimed character CHRISTEENE. CHRISTEENE is noted for untraditional, “terrorist drag,” which aims to expose hypocrisy and intolerance through untraditional, self-described “terrorist drag,” which frequently features her appearing in torn-up clothing, stringy and matted wigs, and heavy and smeared makeup.
With CHRISTEENE, Solieau can address issues that his previous drag character Rebecca Havemeyer doesn’t — in particular, his background as a queer Southerner.
Last month, CHRISTEENE along with her handpicked — and affectionately named — backing band, Fukkn Band, and her dearest friends and allies, Peaches and Justin Vivian Bond gathered together to pay tribute to Sinead O’Connor‘s debut album, The Lion and The Cobra at City Winery.
CHRISTEENE detreimned that as the world continued to unravel., a unified response to ideologies “that threaten our way of life” was vital. Given that O’Connor’s work had resonated with her for decades, she chose to conduct this greater message through the anger and energy of O’Connor’s debut album.
Solieau’s CHRISTEENE tribute to The Lion and The Cobra was delightfully crass yet tender hearted, loving and deeply empathetic, revealing an artist who adored and understood O’Connor first as a person, then secondly as an artist of her unique time.
Photos are below.
