Drag Race royalty descends on Chicago as Serpents Tour begins
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Nymphia Wind (L) and Plastique Tiara. Photo: Courtesy of Serpents Tour
Two of the world's biggest drag stars — Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara — are teaming up for their first-ever Serpents Tour, which hits the Vic Theater stage on Friday.
Why it matters: The tour was supposed to kick off on the East Coast last weekend, but storms postponed dates, making Chicago the unofficial start of the highly anticipated string of shows.
What they're saying: "Chicago is so great," Tiara tells Axios. "Roscoe's was the first ever venue to book me."
- "Chicago is just booming with drag," Wind adds. "It's everywhere."
Context: Both of these stars have appeared on "RuPaul's Drag Race" — Wind won season 16, and Tiara was a semi-finalist in season nine of "Drag Race All-Stars."
State of play: Tiara has also emerged as an influencer with millions of social media followers.
- "At one point in my life, I was very ashamed of being gay and being Asian, but now I'm being celebrated for it," Tiara says.
Zoom in: While they both delivered memorable moments on "Drag Race," Wind says they won't just repeat their greatest hits.
- "We're two very Asian queens who are very focused on how we look," Wind explains. "We were definitely going to bring the fashions and really represent Asian excellence, and we only strive for perfection."
The big picture: Tiara was born in Vietnam, while Wind grew up in Taiwan. They relish in the opportunity to represent Asian queer culture on stages across the U.S. while also celebrating the end of the Year of the Snake.
- "This tour is based on a traditional Asian folklore called the legend of the white snake," Wind elaborates. "In the story, these snake sisters were demonized. I feel like we see a bit of a connection with drag."
- "These sisters in the story are not bound by blood either," Tiara adds. "I think we relate to that as gay people, because you know, family is not all about who you share blood with, but it's about who accepts you for who you are."
The bottom line: The tour gives Chicago audiences a rare opportunity to see two of the biggest queer artists on the planet.