Artists in their own words: Nicole Lynn Foxx

Nicole Lynn Foxx (photo by: Jamal Sharif Harrington)

Who: Nicole Lynn Foxx

What: Drag performer & producer

Where: Algiers

Q: What do you remember pinning to a bulletin board?

NLF: I have done a lot of flyering, but one I remember was at the Healing Center. They had a bulletin board right outside Cafe Istanbul, and I had a really large square flyer and the bulletin board was full. I thought I would get away with tacking it onto the edge and letting it hang off the bottom of the board, but when I went back, it was gone. My feelings were so hurt because it was such an important show to me.

Mind you, they did have a sign that said, ‘If your post is not on the bulletin board, it will be removed,’ and they stuck to that rule. That is the only time I’ve had something taken down immediately.

My show was literally that next day, and I thought I had been clever with getting it inside the bulletin board boundaries and letting it hang off, but they were on the take-down immediately.

Q: When is the worst time to have someone serenade you?

NLF: For me, it’s when I’m in the zone and trying to get things done. If I’m on my computer, I have 50 tabs open and am doing 500 things, so if someone is serenading me, that will cause a problem. Specifically, it is a distraction because I will want to sing along with them.

We will turn that serenade into a Broadway production with singing, dancing, and props. I can’t afford that because I have to stay focused and get work done, so I would have to tell them, ‘Get out of my face with that beautiful music!’

Getting distracted with songs happens when you are performing or DJing as well. There are songs that the melody or the production gives you a feeling that you love, and you want to put them on repeat. Sometimes I’ll be performing, and a completely different song or particular mood or melody is all that’s going through my head.

It’s a balance because you want to keep yourself fresh and always change the music while also bringing people into your obsession with a certain song. I fight that desire, I pull through, and I tell myself ‘It’s not the time to be a song groupee right now.’

Q: What movie would be a visual soundtrack that could represent a typical day/night for you?

NLF: It’s funny because I never really watch movies that I can relate to. One of my alltime favorite television shows is Star Trek, and that has a lot to do with the fact that it can take me out of my life and experiences. The movies I usually watch have nothing to do with drag or with me as a person.

So it’s really hard to choose a movie that connects with what my life is like. So, I would say I want to be one of the next generation Star Trek characters.

Q: If you had to go back and DJ at an event you were at, what would it be?

NLF: I would actually want to co-DJ. There was a night where me and one of my best friends from elementary school, so we go way back, found out that Erykah Badu was DJing a free show at Preservation Hall. We got in this really really long line, and one of my friends went in, but there was one lady in between us because we had shown up separately. Well, that lady stepped out of line to talk to someone, the man at the door asked me to step up, and I was the last person admitted into the show.

She was so mad.

So we’re standing in Preservation Hall watching Erykah DJ with all of her homies, and that is where I wish I could have gone up to her and asked her to show me her magic.

When you co-DJ, it is definitely a tag-team situation where each DJ takes a turn, and you vibe off of each other. You don’t know what the person is about to come up with, so you have to pick up where they left off. It’s very in-the-moment in order to create a strong vibe. And, of course, everyone is there dancing, so you don’t want to kill the vibe that’s been created. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s all about what you feel and then allowing everyone in the room to feel that as well. I think Erykah and I could have created a good vibe.

Q: Who is an audience member that you saw, remember, but you never actually met?

NLF: I perform on Bourbon Street every Wednesday, so there are a lot of tourists. There was one couple at a show where I was performing a Gladys Knight song, and the woman passed me a hundred dollar bill. I never got to say thank you or meet that person.

There was also this very energetic fellow who was at the show. He tried to come on stage, but there’s a rule against that, so he pulled me down onto the floor. We started ballroom dancing. I didn’t know what I was doing. He was spinning me in circles, I felt like I might throw up, but I loved it so much.

After the show, I couldn’t find him. Although, he might have been drunk and wandering along Bourbon Street, which is dangerous but very common. All I know is that he made me feel like I was on Dancing with the Stars, and it was amazing.

I love audience participation. I like to create a party as much a performance, so I want that involvement to happen. When people come to my show, I want them to feel something.

Nicole Lynn Foxx will be hosting “Thrills and Wonders” featuring special guest Ray Gunn (International King of Burlesque 2013) on Sunday, September 3 at 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM at Three Keys in Ace Hotel New Orleans. This show will be a part of CAKE, Ace ​Hotel ​New Orleans’ weekender series of shows during Southern Decadence Festival. You can see the full lineup here. To learn more about Nicole Lynn Foxx as well as keep up with her performances around New Orleans, you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and be on the lookout for her upcoming website.