Philly firecracker, indie music maker, drag demoness and celestial body Moon Baby lands in NYC this week for a special tribute to a dramatic pop diva.
Thotyssey: Moon Baby, hello! Thanks for chatting today! How is your Spring Season treating you so far?
Moon Baby: Heya! I’m an Aries, so I am in season right now. One might say “the girls have been spotted filming.” Vernally inclined, enjoying oyster happy hours and the Russian spa in north Philly.
Sounds heavenly! Speaking of the cosmos… per your namesake, were you following the Artemis’ recent trip around the moon with any interest?
Yes! The new Earth Rise photo is so high resolution, you can even see my pathetic little wiener.
Science! How long have you been a drag performer now, and how might you describe your particular “brand?”
I started performing in March of 2012. I do the camp cunt comedy, but I am most delighted by making music. I sing in an operatic falsetto that interplays with strange Tasmanian Devil vocalizations and sort of rockabilly teas.
Are you a Philly native, and have you always been musical and / or a performer of some sort?
I’m from Pittsburgh—I moved to Philly in 2018 to be with the old ball and chain while he got his MFA, and I really fell in love with the city and the scene. I have always been a musically minded person; I started writing lyrics about loving God in seventh grade. Jesus took my wheel, but I have since taken it back and have been recording songs since college about gay sex and Greek mythology.
What was the world of Philly drag like when you started, and do you think it’s changed in many ways since?
When I moved to Philly in 2018, I was seeing amazing punk performance styles and classic drag glam—but only ever in the Gayborhood. I’m a renegade raver type, so I started throwing a party called Altslut69 in venues not typical to drag shows at the time. I was one of the first to book out of town, televised talent. Covid changed up a lot for nightlife, and since then Philly drag has kept its spirit… but has become really professional and entrepreneurial. These girls don’t play, and the booking fee is worth it. Amazing performers here.
Is there a “craziest thing I’ve done on stage” moment for you?
I have a long list of crazy from the first half of my tenure as The Moon Baby. I used to do a performance of “Margaritaville” where I peed into an empty margarita pitcher, drank the margarita, and then on the last “looking for a lost shaker of salt” pulled a salt shaker out of my pedigreed anus.
Classic! How did your “margarita” taste?
Like asparagus.
Yum! The age old question: has Drag Race elevated the art of drag, ruined it, or both?
I just think it’s like comparing Honcho Campout with Survivor; they are not the same thing. A way Drag Race has negatively impacted the drag world is that entertainers act like they are in a parasocial relationship with their community. Let’s be a little bit more plur.
That’s fair! Where can folks usually find you in Philadelphia?
I perform at Franky Bradley’s frequently, but if you just want to hang out come to the river, dude. The hammock will be set up.
You’re returning to Brooklyn’s Oberon on Thursday for a conceptual tribute to Lily Allen’s album West End Girl, alongside your Philly sis Lili St Queer and NYC’s own Drag Queen Merchant BibleGirl! What can you tell us about your relationship with this album, and what this show will be like?
This album is just so good, and when it came out absolutely every line became a vocal stim. The show will be like Lily Allen on Temu. The music is being interpreted for a live, small band, so it’s a little more jazzy. I am so excited to have Bible join me as Madeline.
By the way, as a Lily fan… do you now hate Stranger Things cuz David Harbour?
Okay, so I will be honest: I have only seen one season of Stranger Things—the Vecna season. I really loved it, and heard horrid things about the final season… so I’ve been protecting my peace. But he dies in that DTF show, as well right? Media in which David Harbour is punished is very en vogue.
No spoilers from me! Zipped mouth emoji!
What else is going on with, or coming up for, you?
I’d love to plug that aside from doing cabarets of other brunettes’ music, I make my own. This past year I came out with my song “Shipwreck in a Purse.” It’s awesome to have Biblegirl in the show, who has collaborated with me on music in the past, with our song “Pumps by the Pool.” More music soon!
Amazing! Last but not least: what’s your favorite item in your drag bag?
I have a Mac Heatherette lip glass. I used to wear it every time I donned a wig, but realizing the magic and rarity of it I have never wielded that particular wand again. It’s essentially a sacred little totem that rolls around my makeup bag, reminding me of what it takes to be a Cuntress.
Thanks, MB!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Moon Baby’s upcoming area appearances, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Stream and download her music across multiple platforms via her website.
Thotyssey 