The air was filled with excitement, glitter and passion as many from across campus and online attended the annual EWU Drag Show on Friday.

Even with the limited crowd, many felt the vibrant atmosphere. From pride bracelets to a table of Dolly Parton drag queens, the show brought an exciting conclusion to EWU’s Diversity and Inclusion week. 

The show, featured both in the Pence Union Building and streaming online, welcomed five queens to campus. Each queen brought their own style and influence into the show, creating a diverse two-hour set. The loose theme, “Diamonds In The Rough,” appropriately matched the feeling of such an occasion standing out from the past year of sheltered performances.

The show was hosted by Nova Kaine and Arianna D. Spanic, two local drag legends bringing their own flair of spice. Backed by these two, were three other queens: Hanna Miajoint, Charli Foxtail and Astin Armelle Courvoisier. 

The show proved to be far different from previous EWU drag shows as covid-guidelines were strictly enforced. This year, attendants were also blocked from physically tipping the queens, instead having to tip them via CashApp or Paypal. 

Despite the restrictions, the audience and performers were completely engaged the entire night. Each queen brought intense energy to the stage, being completely synchronized to the music. 

One of the most memorable queens of the night was from Nova Kaine, who’s performance focused on an older 1940s-1950s jazz aesthetic. Kaine herself is based on the original Nova Kaine, a famous drag queen involved at the 1959 Stonewall Riots. “Not many shows can say this, but we’ve only missed one week during the pandemic,” said Kaine during the show’s intro. “It’s been weird doing shows online, but we’re glad to have this safely in person.” 

Kaine was also involved with Eastern’s History of Drag lecture on April 21, hosting the lecture and providing an in-depth look at drag queen history.

While this year’s show was free, Eagle Entertainment still encouraged donations to be made in order to support the Odyssey Youth Movement. The Odyssey Youth Movement is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equity for LGBTQ+ youth in the Inland Northwest through youth-driven programs and community education.