Zine #12: Chanel & The Circus X Kirby LaBrea
In honor of Chanel & The Circus’ new release ‘I Wanna Do Drugs’
“We sure do know how to hype each other up,” Chanel lovingly jokes.
“Amen. And it just goes back to speaking that artistic language to each other,” replies Kirby LaBrea. Chanel is the ringleader of The Secret Circus and entity behind the musical group Chanel & The Circus. Kirby is a dancer, choreographer, musician, songwriter and boylesque performer.
The two can’t not love on each other when together and diving into memories with them somehow feels warm. But they’re the type of people who radiate just by existing. Seeing them live feels like flexing your toes between the hot sand and the lapping waves. The sun barreling down on you, sweat on your upper lip and anywhere skin folds into itself. The kind of warmth where even when sunburn starts kissing your shoulders and your throat tries to swallow the salty mist to be quenched; you don’t wanna move. You think to yourself, maybe this is what it is to be a plant. To be fed by warmth. Their presence is inclusive in a way societies should be built upon. It’s inclusive love.
Seeing them live is such an experience that I had to go balls to the wall with that analogy to even begin to describe what it feels like. There’s nothing they do that hasn’t been done before, but each wear their artistry with an attitude that makes it feel fresh and alive. I don’t know why but the image of a young Mick Jagger and SIA era Maddie Ziegler on acid putting on a show together came to mind on my conceptual mood board so take from that what you will.
The first time I saw Kirby perform with Chanel properly was at The Secret Circus; a very apt representation of Chanel’s commitment to celebration of and collaboration with other artists. It’s a warehouse event for freaks and geeks alike. The first show I ever felt safe wearing a see through top with my nips flying free. Fire poi, hoopers, drag kings and queens, burlesque, live music, photo booths, tattoos and more are just some of the variety the team puts in the show. Avoiding the normal dingy nature of underground warehouse shows, the slight self-aware gimmicky accents with design and themes bring the light-hearted aspects of a circus; truly representing the weird and the wonderful.
“But with the secret circus we make sure we have Black, POC and trans artists as well as allies. We split the door so it goes to the artists first and the promoters second and always encourage tipping. Being a filmmaker myself I always give the artists HQ photos and videos of their act because it so important to be represented. The first year we gave 100% of the proceeds to charities such as the LGBT center and Trevor project then we started focusing more on artists and recently ran a fundraiser for the Okra Project, supporting the Black trans community. I think the biggest effect that the circus has is being together different communities that wouldn’t normally be together in the same room.”
I attended the Valentine’s edition; where a sexy-sweet and silky photo booth with heart shaped throw pillows meant my free nips could be preserved forever. But free love is a core of the circus, even when out of the hallmark season: “The main goal of any show my band plays is to emote love and encourage self love and then community love. We always have people telling us they met the person their dating or their new best friend at our show and I think that’s because they feel comfortable enough to socialize and there’s like minded people.”
That night, I heard Chanel & The Circus perform ‘I Wanna Do Drugs.’ Chanel took the stage like it was their lover, while Kirby danced as if joy was a tangible thing swarming all over his body. I left my physical form, and for once not from anxiety episodes, but because I felt myself in the lyrics and chords more than I felt anything corporeal.
“I just wanna party and a lot of times partying has to do with drugs, I love people and crowds and though I am proud to be unique, sometimes I just want to fit in. My body doesn’t like drugs and to be honest neither does my brain, i got super sick and lost my body for a while and I never want to lose it again. I wrote this song in a victim state and have since grown out of it but I hope it shows people that you can party sober and have a fucking fantastic time, just be yourself and do what feels right.”
And while I do smoke, the song reached inside me and hugged the teenager whose anxiety made going to a social function feel like an internal earthquake. They told me it was okay to not be at the party and simultaneously, it’s okay to wish you could be at the party; neither are shameful - just innately human. The song has a coastal vibe with the bite of 2000’s edgier pop - picture a more carefree version the Donnas doing a spontaneous track at a bonfire on Dockweiler beach but add 70’s glam rock attitude, and Best Coast undertones. I’ve been awaiting it’s release since I first heard it, seeing it once live but it stuck in my head for months, popping up every few days. To celebrate its release, Kirby, Chanel and I chatted about their friendship, what it means to be a queer artist and all the joys of collaborating.
Chanel’s messages are on the left of the graphic. Kirby’s are on the right. Mine are above graphics.
Sorry, bystander curiosity, What made you two click so much creatively from the beginning?
What’s it like having gotten a front row view of all of Chanel’s different eras musically, Kirby?
Chanel, why does having multi media style artists involved in your live audience? How does working with Kirby in presentations, for example, influence the pre part of you writing a song? And what was each of your favorite performances with each other?
What was it like as you shared this new track’s final versions with your collaborators and friends? And Kirby, what did you picture/envision in your creative mediums in response to hearing the song
What was on your abstract moodboard when putting it together?
Why do you each think these lots of artists collaborating, multi art form pieces of content matter now more than ever in isolation?
Chanel, how do you suggest people celebrate/revel in the release of I Wanna Do Drugs? And Kirby, what do you have coming up on your artistic docket?
Last question from me, where do you see each other in ten years? Like what you’re manifesting for the other?
follow Chanel & The Circus on IG
follow Kirby on IG
on the topic of secret circus: “ Of course a community is nothing without a team, so I wanna shoutout the team that makes The Secret Circus possible, Nakeyta, Shaina, Byrd, Grayson, and Vocal Warehouse.” -Chanel
Photos for graphics pulled from artists’ public IG. Some photographers’ work used include: Shaina Rose Woolley and @deadmanphotographs