On Point With: Kurt Cocaine

Known for colorful looks and “unhinged” performances, Kurt Cocaine keeps New York raving from both on the stage and behind the scenes. Next stop, New Jersey!

Thotyssey: Hello Kurt, thanks for chatting with us today! How is November treating you, and will you be feasting this Thanksgiving?

Kurt Cocaine: Hi, thanks for having me! November has been crazy! I won’t be feasting for Thanksgiving, I don’t celebrate that… but I will be feasting every other day because I like to live stream mukbangs on Tumblr.

What is the best thing to eat on camera, lol?

I would say ramen or creamy pasta. I like to eat grocery store sushi, but they don’t even care.

Lol their loss! So if you could describe your role in nightlife to the uninitiated, what might you say?

That’s kinda hard to answer. I would say I’m very much a Jumpscare to people who aren’t familiar with nightlife antics (which isn’t a bad thing… people like to be scared. But once we get to chatting, you know I provide a silly, fun experience!

You have some very visually fascinating looks on your IG… who or what do you get your aesthetic inspiration from?

Thank you so much! I’m inspired by so many things. Manga is a big one; the way characters are styled is just iconic the magical girls from Magical Girl Apocalypse is something that comes to mind. I really like challenging myself. Ugly things inspire me a lot too, like trash or rotting stuff.

Where are you from originally, and how did you come to find yourself in this magical nightlife world?

I’m Colombian; my parents came to America with me as a baby. We bounced around a bit, and then they decided New Jersey was where they wanted to be. So I grew up in Jersey. I would do teen club promoting there, so I’ve been in nightlife for a long time!

As I got older, I started performing (I was making music at the time), and then I started going to the city to party more. I would go to concerts, but I started raving–I would go to Elsewhere and Heaven. I got into promoting underground raves through a friend and just was partying like all the time, sleeping in my car just so I didn’t have to drive back to NJ! I’m so happy for how things played out, because I’ve meet incredible people! My favorite place to rave at now is Trans-Pecos or Wonderville!

Were you a particular Nirvana fan at any point, or is it just an amazing name for the sake of having an amazing name?

OMG PLS! Okay, so full tea: I’m not a Nirvana stan. I like a couple tracks and I keep it moving, but Kurt is so talented handsome and babygirl-coded that I needed my drag monster to be named after them (I also dated someone obsessed with Kurt and got into performing in drag when we broke up, so it just made sense in my mind).

An amazing tribute! This rave scene now, which is really dominated by trans and non-binary folks and is all over Brooklyn and Ridgewood, has become a very big part of nightlife. It’s maybe one of the most significant developments in the scene of the past few years. What is it about these events that make them so special and successful?

Raves are about PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) and that’s why they are so special you can be anyone or anything and be accepted. You can go to a rave with no friends and leave with a bunch… and if not, at least one. Good raves leave you feeling healed. Also all looks are appreciated, so it’s always fun to go all out.

What are your performances like onstage?

Unhinged. I like to use blood and glitter a lot. I like to use Joseline Hernandez songs right now because of my obsession with Joseline’s Cabaret; I think it’s so funny to be a cryptid performing “Vegas” and shaking my ass. I just got a puppet, so I’m going to be using that in more shows, too.

We’ll maybe get to see some of this unhinged puppetry this Saturday at TV Eye, where Soo Intoit and Onyx Odyssey will be hosting an open stage show called “Bad Taste.”

Yes, “Bad Taste” is going to be amazing! I won’t be using my puppet (Sandwich is their name), but It will still be unhinged and fun. The theme is “Tumblr cringe,” so I’m going to be doing a Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared number.

Incredible! And what can you tell us about “Jersey Core” at Meatlocker in Montclair on December 1? I don’t think I’m aware of other Jersey raves!

I can with my whole chest say there is no rave in New Jersey like “Jersey Core!” We have our wonderful DJs coming from the city to Jersey for the first time ever at Meatlocker in Montclair. I’m so so thankful that we are able to do this. We just have the sauce, what can I say? We are latinx queer / trans baddies cultivating queer / trans BIPOC excellence! I promise you, no party in Jersey is gonna have people lined up serving cunt waiting to get in as much as us!

And I see you got New Years Eve covered at Secret Pour with a special edition of “BIPOC Emo Night!”

Yes! I’m going to be vending and performing there! Super excited it’s right after my birthday that’s on the 30th, so I’m hoping to have a new outfit to debut.