Cobrah at Radio/East

Oh shit, here I am posting about the Rebel Ragers Tour like I didn’t shake my tits at Cobrah just weeks after lamenting about how I felt so alone at the Peaches show.

This performance was her first time in our city and was part of the Torn tour for her debut album by the same name. As my friend and I joked when I mentioned that I was catching the Peaches and Cobrah shows this year, this is part of my maiden mother crone worship that will be completed if I can snag a Madonna one before the year is out. Otherwise I think we will be stuck in this sexually regressed timeline, I am sorry for my failures if I don’t cum (bad sexual pun intended) through.

Let us start with one my biggest anxieties about leaving the house: the drive and struggle to find parking. My husband had been to this venue once before, so I avalanched him with questions he could not answer because he is a straight man who does not have my level of anxiety in all the same things. He made it seem like I could get parking near the site, but I couldn’t because this show was sold out and I took my sweet time getting there.

Driving wise it is in what I think of as the warehouse corporate district, my old job Progressive is in the area along with other sprawling office buildings with dedicated parking lots that may be tow happy, so down the street forced to parallel park did I go.

This is a coffee spot with food trucks and trees and seating for their daytime business, that can then convert to a popping night spot with an outdoor stage that will not piss off the neighbors (cause they are keeping office hours). While brilliant, it would be harder to get here if you are depending on the inconsistent public transportation that we have in Austin.

Another thing I want to mention is that it is a beautiful and open location, but the main area that will be used as the stage and dance floor is gravel and reminiscent of an unfinished Texas backyard - meaning that it is not heel friendly. Get sturdy shoes and maybe look into the terrain if you have mobility concerns.

Moving onto the next thing that shakes my nerves, how was it being at a sold out show solo?

This was a happening crowd that represented the Austin queer community, much like Peaches it was very compressed and packed in close to the stage. I was able to secure a good side spot near a couple of guys who were outgoing and drunk enough that they had to chat it up with those around them, my awkward self included. I am half deaf from youthful bad decisions, and with the earplugs I wear at concerts now I could only hear every other thing but their kindness and looking out for those around them made a difference. When I popped a squat because my old knees could not carry my stick legs anymore, one of them dropped down ready to sober me up or pull me out of a heat stroke. I had to make my apologies if I scared them, but fucking good on them for being aware of the messes around them.

Before we talk about her outfits, the clothing and kindness from the crowd was skanky and pure. This was a show that dressed to impress.

I did worry about Cobrah though with the lighting and Texas heat, she was wearing flesh toned lingerie with a mesh long sleeve body suit. It had to be stifling being overtly sexy while sweating your tits off, or at least that is what I think whenever it is still nineties degrees at night and I am wearing a tiny little outfit that is sliding off my body with my sweat.

Her set design was sleek and at times appears to be a bedroom on a pedestal. Like Peaches, she was accompanied by two dancers, these being brunette ladies that were also in their chonies that showed off how cut their bodies were as they rolled in timed to the beats. It would seem that she was "singing” more to a track than other performers I have seen, but this is a show that is more about the production. It has the pulsating lights and the pounding bass, I imagine it is hard to hit the moans or words with the same breathy tone as she incorporates hairography that may result in an occupational injury.

Much like the venue, there is a trade off when it comes to aesthetics. These things are not the worst downsides to encounter, just things that need to be considered.

Overall the show was amazing, one in which she was able to play most of her works because her songs are short and her catalog right now consists of EPs and this album. So of course I wanted more, which I think is was she wants and needs from her audience.

“Dog” has been on repeat since, and is the perfect compliment to my movie of the summer, Pillion.