ST. LOUIS — Chappell Roan is selling out venues across the country on "The Midwest Princess Tour," but her roots are here in Missouri.
Originally from Willard, Missouri, Chappell hearkens back to her Midwest upbringing in her music. With lyrics like "constant like cicadas in the summertime," it's no surprise that she'd title her debut album, "The Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess," which was released in September 2023. Months after its release, the album is topping the charts.
A firm supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, Chappell invites drag performers from the city she is visiting to be her openers.
Manna Steticcc Highland, Chloe Curiosity, and Visa D’cline are three of St. Louis' premier drag performers, and were among many who applied for the opportunity to hype up the crowd ahead of Chappell's St. Louis stop.
"I applied twice," D'cline teased that she promoted herself before the application was even open for St. Louis. "And then they added the date and then I applied again. And I'm like you're not gonna forget me."
"It was literally like, what every drag queen dreams." said Highland, who has performed in drag for three years and, before that, attended high school with Chappell Roan.
"Getting booked by her and being able to kind of share like a stage experience with her was full circle," Highland said.
Performer Chloe Curiosity described the atmosphere in the room as 'electric' and 'joyful.'
"I'm used to hosting a show for like 40 people so to do a show like that, with that big of a crowd, it was just insane," she said.
All three performers said they're inspired by Chappell who uses her platform to share what it was like growing up in rural America as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Chappell said to the packed house Thursday night in St. Louis, "Growing up here is tough when you're queer, I really needed this when I was 15."
"She is a firm believer in letting people be who they are and be themselves with no ridicule, or remorse about it," D'cline said.
Chappell's unapologetic support of local drag performers is already paying off too. Ahead of every show, the singer posts the performers' social media handles on her social media and even shares their Venmo accounts, encouraging fans to tip the openers.
"We're still getting paid." Highland said, "She is helping us big time financially "
They all say they're seeing the benefit of the exposure as well. D'cline mentioned how she surpassed her goal of gaining more social media followers in mere minutes
"My goal was to hit 1 thousand followers by the end of this year and I hit that goal in five minutes," D'cline said. "I am almost at 2 thousand followers now because of that concert alone."
A celebration of drag from a woman who says she takes so much inspiration from the artform is serving as an idyllic setup for Pride Month as well. Curiosity said the performance was the perfect thing to kickstart a month of honoring and celebrating their community, during a time when the political climate isn't always accepting.
"Especially like, right now, with everything that's going on. I think it's so important. Pride is so important to just get out there and just spread the message," she said.
Highland said it's a time to remind everyone that "drag is not a crime." All three drag performers hope their stories inspire others.
"Drag is almost like a superpower. You feel so small until you put on this cape," D'cline said.
You can follow Manna Steticcc Highland, Chloe Curiosity and Visa D'cline all on Instagram to see where and when they are performing in and around the St. Louis area.
Top St. Louis headlines
Get the latest news and details throughout the St. Louis area from 5 On Your Side broadcasts here.