Nicky Click plays The Beaver on March 17. Credit: Amos Mac
Nicky Click’s wardrobe is most likely the envy of any drag queen, which is the closest persona she can compare herself to.
“It’s powerful for me, as a femme, to get on stage and sing songs about my life,” she says. “I love performing and I love drag queens – I feel like I’m performing ‘gender,’ too, because I am taking my femme persona and multiplying it by a thousand.”
Now promoting the release of her third album, Metaphorically, of Course, this is Click’s first trip back to Canada in two years.
Making stops in Montreal and Toronto, the performance artist who originally got her start in Olympia, Washington, during the riot grrl days, is admittedly putting out a “risky album,” as it’s a departure from her familiar ’90s electro-pop style.
“This album has everything from country to folk to electro to house music on it, and there are all these different characters – they are all of us and all of me,” she explains. “They are all of these societies of women who want to explore themselves a lot more, which is why there [are] so many new [genres] of music.”
Beyond performing as a solo artist, Click brings with her a cast of characters (all played by her) who show their true colours during her live shows and on the album. Her live performances feature just Click and a microphone, but the engaging artist keeps the setup simple because it’s her outrageous costumes and lyrical content that pulls her audience in.
Her lyrics speak directly to the queer community – specifically to those who are femme-identified. Her past two albums have focused on being queer, femme and a feminist. This time, Click says, she is addressing similar issues as she has in the past, but we can expect to see more sex positivity, more fun and more comedy on Metaphorically, of Course. “I even do a Rocky Horror Picture Show cover,” she adds.
Performing about femme issues has allowed Click to evolve both personally and as an artist. “It helps me because I need to do it for myself. I am compelled to create art and share it, and thank God there are people who are interested in [my work],” she says. “Performing is a medium for me to be able to put that positive energy out there and to recognize that it is possible for a larger woman to take up space, have fun and talk about politics, too.”
This is Click’s first tour in six months. She recently returned from playing in Europe and living in Berlin. Berlin, for Nicky, is a queer mecca of sorts. She notes that no one cares if you’re queer, and it’s a beautiful blend of politics and “really fun dance parties.”
It was a welcome getaway and a return to her queer femme roots. “I respect curvy femmes – they look hot,” she adds. “I also really like how resourceful femmes are — with fashion, with mind-fucks, with making things work for them by carving out their own place for them that’s unique in a straight woman’s world.”
The Deets:
Fit: Nicky Click Live, with DJs Phil V & Kris Steeves
Sat, March 17, 10:30pm
The Beaver
1192 Queen St W
$5 at the door
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