Jeremy Morse
Fort-Coulonge May 7, 2022
The Pontiac’s drag scene continues to defy expectations with Saturday’s sold-out show at Fort-Coulonge’s Café Downtown.
The three-hour event featured Ottawa-based queens Kiki Coe, Kimmy Couture, Vera and Karamilk performing everything from. . .
soul-wrenching ballads to contemporary club anthems, carried by DJ Martin Leguerrier.
This is the fourth drag event hosted by Matthew Armour, owner of Downtown Drag Events.
“I’d say 80 per cent of the crowd, it was their first drag show and I was actually surprised when I saw that it was their first drag show, just because of the big event just held in March,” he said.
Armour is ecstatic to see so many new faces at Saturday’s show. “It was a great turnout.”
Armour is not the only one that noticed some new faces.
“When I came here today, I was blown-away of how it’s a different crowd. It means that the word is spreading,” said Kimmy Couture.
This is Couture’s third time performing in Fort-Coulonge. Couture noted some of the differences between Fort-Coulonge and the scene back in Ottawa.
“The crowd here is more of a chill, sit-down watch show, whereas Ottawa is more of a club night. I love both audiences.
When it comes to sitting down and watching the show, you get to appreciate what the queens are bringing.”
For the rest of the queens, this had been their first time performing in Fort-Coulonge. “We’re feeling the love and respect,” said Kiki Coe.
“I like doing shows in a small town because they’re very welcoming and they’re very excited to see drag queens because drag queens in a small town are not very usual.”
“Honestly, I would say the only major difference is your own perception of what people are expecting,” said Vera.
“I’m from a small town too and you immediately put your headspace there, you’re like ‘Could something go bad?’ or like, ‘Could you get a bad response?’ but mostly it’s like anywhere else, where people are game for anything and it takes a couple of songs for people to get into it, but then they’re going nuts, which we love.”
“It’s really nice, it’s a cute area,” said Karamilk, one of Ottawa’s newest queens.
Already well-acquainted with the scene, Karamilk decided to take up drag about four months ago. “For me, coming into drag I didn’t want to set any expectations, I just want to have fun.
I don’t want to let it get stressful, I just want to have it as a hobby I enjoy and as an outlet.”
Armour already has two more drag events lined up for June and July. On June 11, Fort-Coulonge will have a pride event at Le Patro, where a free, family-oriented drag performance is set to take place. On July 30, a more adult-oriented show will be happening at Café Downtown.
