A new documentary series from Live Nation, HOME STRETCH, which showcases artists returning to their hometowns while on tour premiered on YouTube yesterday, with the pilot showcasing who else but your favorite drag queen's favorite drag queen. Drag legend Sasha Colby stars in the debut of HOME STRETCH to talk with Live Nation about what it was like for her to return to her hometown of Waimānalo, Hawaii. Waimānalo is only 25 minutes East of Honolulu, where Colby performed at the Hawaii Theatre on the last stop of her Stripped national tour.
Returning home is an emotional process for anyone, and Colby is generous with her vulnerability and honesty about what this means to her. She reflects on growing up in a home that was at times alienating and less than supportive, what the greater reception to her success has been like in Hawaii, and what this means to her specifically as a trans person. And there are so many moments of pure trans joy, keep scrolling for the five moments that had us reaching for the tissues.
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HOME STRETCH opens with Colby on the beach, voice over saying, "I grew up with the mountains as my backyard, and you walk a block down and it's the beach. It just opens up to the most breathtaking sight I've ever seen," and she's right. It's all gorgeous. Colby continues, "I used to run away from there when it was hard at home, and the yelling was too much, the othering would be too much. I remember going there and just spending hours. Like I would go there at nine in the morning, and stay there until three in the afternoon and just dream about... this. About what I'm doing right now." Someone behind the scenes asks if she would like a tissue and I would also love one while we're offering!
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Colby is not just native to Hawaii in the sense that it is where she's from, but is also ethnically Native Hawaiian. She was the first Native competitor to win a standard season of RuPaul's Drag Race when she was crowned on Season 15. She's a legend everywhere for a reason, but back home she's an even bigger deal. While her home life might not have always been great, her Hawaiian community has been exceptionally supportive.
She says, "Having Hawaii be the last stop on this tour, it's really exciting. I remember going to the Hawaii Theater as a kid to watch all the famous people, and now I get to be playing there. It's really full circle." She's not just stunned to be performing at such an iconic venue, but to be doing it for this specific crowd. "I know it's going to be insane, the amount of chosen family and friends I have there. The way Hawaii really is just so proud to see me succeed in Drag Race, and it's a great way to cap off a really amazing chapter in my life."
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So they don't just sit there and wax poetic about how cool it is that they're two highly successful out, trans drag queens who get to make a living sharing their stories and their art with the world, but that's what I felt in my heart so this got me okay! Sasha Colby and Jinkx Monsoon are both two artists who are very important to me personally, so when I saw Jinkx Monsoon show up to support Sasha Colby it made me tender. I'm an easy crier, even if they're just sitting around talking about politicians and the Pope stealing the thunder when their shows come to town.
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Mark Kanemura, famous dancer and Stripped tour director, is also a long time friend of Colby's. When they are standing backstage in the show circle and he starts saying, "I've been really thoughtful about this whole experience, and I think a lot about us back in Hawaii in our beginning days, and like us sitting at Hula's fucking broke as hell..." Colby interjects, "On my 21st birthday!" Meaning these two have been friends and performers together for at least 19 years.
Kanemura continues, "Yeah! With these big dreams. And it's like, I cannot express to you how surreal it is that we are traveling around, like, sharing your story with the world is so fucking incredible. And to see every night the love, the support, the enthusiasm, and excitement that surrounds you and everyone here is just fucking incredible. I'm so fucking proud of you." I'm not crying, you're crying. But seriously, it's a really beautiful moment!!
Courtesy of Live Nation/YouTube
When the time has finally come, and Sasha Colby is being dragged out on stage, and you hear the crowd absolutely losing their minds? I lost it. I felt it. I had chills. To see everything come full circle like this and to experience just a taste of how much everyone back home truly adores Sasha Colby felt like magic.
Episodes 2 and 3 of Sasha Colby's HOME STRETCH series will premiere on Live Nation's YouTube channel on 8/14 at 9am PST. To see all the other moments we didn't get to cover, you can watch for yourself below.
