House of Blues Turned House of Pink: A Review of Trixie Mattel’s Solid Pink Disco
A night full of sequins, chrome, and beat drops
By Lily George
On March 8th, our drag queen Mother, Trixie Mattel, took her Solid Pink Disco DJ performance to our very own Cleveland, Ohio at the House of Blues. My friends and I, as loyal Trixie fans, bought tickets and spent the previous weeks agonizing over what to wear (maybe that was just me?) and meticulously planning the perfect pink outfit. As someone that does not own a single item of pink clothing, this was a challenge, and with a trip to All Things Great Thrift and a risky Amazon purchase, my hodgepodge of pink and denim outfit was a go. My friends, as always, never fail to show up with the best and hottest that would leave this whole campus gagged – you have never seen pink so fierce.
After hitching a ride on a shuttle and grabbing dinner at Shake Shack, we finally arrived at the House of Blues and the outfits gorrl ..... almost every single person showed up with the most elaborate outfit display of pink and sequins. One of my absolute favorite parts of a concert is when an artist takes on a specific and bold look or announces a visual theme, and encourages the fans to come with the most creative and expressive outfits. Arguably these are always the best kinds of concerts and events to go to, and you can’t get better than a sea of pink gays.
When we arrived, the opening DJ was on stage doing their set and did a fantastic job of energizing the crowd. DJ Mateo Segrade kept the vibes right with the best of pop that everyone is playing at the moment – my favorite being a mashup of “IT GIRL” by Aliyah’s Interlude with “Perfect (Exceeder)” by Mason, Princess Superstar, as well as a remix of “Muder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which was certainly a crowd favorite. Finally, Trixie Matel entered the stage fashionably late, opening with her song and theme of the night, “Solid Pink Disco''. Miss Trixie made her grand entrance in her signature blonde wig, a fabulous short hot pink sequin dress, a hot pink feather boa, and sequin heels (only until she made a very sensual scene for the crowd when an audience member volunteered to put pink crocs on her feet). Entering on stage with Trixie were two lovely backup drag dancers who rotated every half hour or so with two other dancers.
Behind Trixie at the DJ board were the FIERCEST visuals playing throughout the show on the stage screen. Keeping with the theme of disco and incorporating a video game/outer space aesthetic background, the visuals were compilations of Trixie herself animated as countless clones of robots in full silver chrome, and dare I say it – it gave Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar.” These sexy, robotic clones of Trixie were catwalking and dancing at different points in the show. Another highlight was when the screen showed a video form of Trixie Mattel’s album cover of Looking Good and Feeling Gorgeous, with her in drag with her skin fully decked out in pink sparkles.
The show only lasted about an hour and a half, and it was hands down the best DJing I have ever experienced in person. Thankfully, I decided to wear my gym shoes that night because the beat drops went so crazy and there was no choice but to dance for your life. The transitions were seamless and she played all the crowd favorites that were still her own original remixes. Some song highlights of the night included her remix of “Formation” by Beyoncé, “I Love It” by Charlie XCX, and of course a cult classic, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA. Trixie Mattel turned the House of Blues into the House of Pink and if Mother ever returns to Cleveland next year, I will be there front and center.