Chaos in Tejas: Gayos in Tejas; Big Freedia, Katey Red, DJ Rusty Lazer, Cult of Youth

Big Freedia (pronounced "Free-da") is the undisputed "Queen Diva" of Bounce Music, and performs six or more times a week in various venues throughout her hometown of New Orleans.  Bounce Music is an original urban music rising up from the intimate and fun-loving nature of the New Orleans housing projects which dominate the city's street culture, and Freedia performs a derivative of Bounce reserved for self-proclaimed "Sissies" (a locally used name for biological men with varied and ambiguous sexual identities) that has risen to prominence in recent years and features explicitly gay and cross-dressing musicians and themes.  Big Freedia, like other "Sissy" artists, has achieved mainstream success with several New Orleans hit singles such as "Gin in My System" and "Azz Everywhere!" from her albums "An Ha, Oh Yeah" (1999) and "Queen Diva" (2003).

Since 2009 Freedia has begun traveling outside the city regularly with her dancers and live DJ, Rusty Lazer, playing to audiences across the country and in Canada alongside (or onstage with) artists such as Spank Rock, Ninjasonik, Japanther, Mos Def, Gucci Mane, Monique and many more.  Last year Freedia performed on the West coast with New Orleans band Galactic, recreating her collaboration on the critically acclaimed 2010 album "Ya-Ka-May", and at North By Northeast alongside Kid Sister, De La Soul and her New Orleans neighbors Quintron and Miss Pussycat. Most recently Freedia closed FYFest between !!! and The Rapture in Los Angeles, shared the stage with Major Lazer at MusicfestNW in Portland, played multiple shows at CMJ including the Windish Agency Showcase and lit up the crowd by performing with 8 dancers at the 2010 Fun! Fun! Fun! Fest in Austin.