This was my second year witnessing the greatness of Big Freedia at Boulevardia. (I have been lucky enough to see her twerking class at Bonnaroo in years past as well, thankfully.) The hottest weekend of the year so far in Kansas City, this weekend slot of the biggest beer and music festival in the area is always sweltering. And Big Freedia always brings the attitude and energy to make that heat bearable.
What I love about a Big Freedia performance is that, as I walk around the perimeter of the main stage area, I can see people in every direction realizing she is on stage, or hearing dance music, and running in her direction. What an insane power to have. What a great thing to get to see in my life. Here, some early highlights. (And we have gifs to come!)
Day 2 of Boulevardia was a hot one. Per usual, the annual festival occurs on just about the hottest weekend of the year, Father’s Day in downtown Kansas City. Day 1 featured many favorite local acts, an array of vendors (some of which provided a reprieve from the heat), and a metric ton of photo opportunities. Day 2 brought much of the same, with an earlier start time that easily drained the battery on many of us throughout the day.
But at 5:05 pm, the legendary Big Freedia took the main stage. If ever there were someone to reignite the flame on a fiery – yet sweaty – festival, she is that person. Her catalog of high-energy music brought the whole crowd to their feet, encouraging people of all ages to dance. (In fact, I witnessed many employing her twerking tactics throughout the evening as we got deeper and deeper into our alcohol consumption.) The show was an absolute work of art
Big Freedia brought beauty to the beginning of the evening on stage. She continued to bring good energy in her kindness to those who approached her after her performance as she roamed the festival grounds with her friends.
**Big Freedia was introduced by Kansas City’s current mayor in what many are considering to be a performative move. While he is championing legislation to make our city a safe haven for trans people, he is fighting against affordable housing for tenants and has voted down vital mental health, housing, and arts funding for the city. He has also pumped more money back into policing in Kansas City while defunding public health resources, a controversial and uneven approach.
