A Short Email Chat With The Amazing Performer Christeene
A Short Email Chat With The Amazing Performer Christeene
Christeene is an Austin-based singer and performer. There is an impulse to say that she is a drag character, but Paul Soileau, the actual Social Security number-having man “behind” Christeene doesn’t really like the word ‘drag’ that much in this case, and neither do I, except as a way of understanding on a basic level that yes, this is a man dressed up as a person in high heels and makeup with a woman’s name. Anyway. Christeene is the best. She and her backup dancers T-Gravel and C-Baby perform tonight at Glasslands in Williamsburg. Below is an email chat with Christeene.
I saw you play at Los Globos in Los Angeles. My friend turned to me during the performance with tears in her eyes and said she hadn’t felt so alive in years and that you were a genius. Do you think you have a gift for bringing people back to life? Do you think you’re a genius?
I ain’t no fuggin genius butt i doo like to see peeps rise up and stank it out when da nay nay gits up in derr face. Iz majiikal
Where did you get the pink suede boots in the “Fix My Dick” video? Can I buy them from you?
All my boots have been gifts tooo me from special friends who like tooo see dem move. And fuck no u cant buy my boots.
Tell us your life story in a few sentences.
My life iz in my videos an in my songs
Do you live in Austin? Do you like it?
I doo live in Austin. Iz da shit an iz all da best cuz my baybeez live here like PJ Raval an JJ Booya an T Gravel. C Baby lives in another city now butt we still know when tooo kick it riyeeeet.
I think “Fix My Dick” might be my favorite song of yours. It just makes me feel good. What is your favorite song you perform? Why is it your favorite?
African mayonnaise is da jam dat makes da shit hit da fan an me an da boyz eat it up and crap it out wit joy.
You have an awesome body. What do you do to stay in shape?
stay alive
You have said that your shows are a celebration of Da Bootay, and that people like to celebrate a celebration of da bootay. Can you explain that more?
acutally my song bustin brown is a celebration of da bootaaay. da shows are a hole other mess of shit…but Bustin brown celebrates all da joys of lovin in da buh hole
Your video “African Mayonnaise” (above) involved your running around Austin going into malls and so on. Did you feel people enjoyed that chance to experience you? Or was there negativity?
Everybody luved whut we brought to da citaaay except da Scientology peeps an da authorities an if u watch close u can see da love from da gooood ones haaaay.
Have you ever been to NYC before? Do you like NYC? Do your dancers, T-Gravel ’n’ C-Baby, like New York? What do you guys want to see here?
we came to NYC about 2 years ago an of course we fugggin love da hell outta it. I wanna see a packed fuckin room wit cray cray baybeeez in it at da glassssslannnnds.
I see now you’re playing Joe’s Pub. A very classy venue. Does that make you nervous or excited or both? Or is it all the same to you?
all da same tooo me. A hole’s a hole and a stage is uh stage
Other Q&As;: A Q&A; With Bootsy Collins, American Hero and A Chat With Fran Lebowitz
Sarah Miller is the author of Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn and The Other Girl, which are for teens but adults can read on the beach. She lives in Nevada City, CA.