Synthia Kiss’ Windsor Birthday Bash Revealed

Dive into the fabulous world of drag with Synthia Kiss and her podcast - "Semi-Qualified Queens" with Juice Boxx - where they serve sass, humor, and a whole lot of delulu for the salulu. Find out about their Live Tour, hitting cities like Ottawa, Toronto, and Windsor on March 23rd, for Synthia's birthday bash at Windsor Sportsmen's Club.

DRAG MAG: Since Canada's Drag Race what exciting projects or opportunities have you been working on?

Synthia Kiss: For the last two seasons of CDR, I have the pleasure of speaking with the Illuminated queens as part of our podcast coverage on Canada's Drag Race. I would also say creating music with Brat Pack. And more recently, I was on an episode of a television series my brother produced for CBC Gem called Ghosting. I'm on the finale episode of the season, Hunting for Ghosts.

DM: Can you share some insights into the friendships and connections you've maintained with fellow queens from the show?

SK: I think I'm the most close with my Canadian sisters because we all kind of have had the same trajectory afterwards, like career opportunities, how to navigate certain busy times of the year, certain slow times of the year, and the gamut in between. And I feel like I'm on the right track after talking to my fellow colleagues, you know, checking in with someone like how Priyanka runs her day-to-day business, or, Jimbo, seeing how they actually like operate. I think it's important to kind of pick the brains of your colleagues. These are kind of like my work friends, if that makes sense.

Reflecting on your time on CDR, what are some of your fondest memories?

I have two. My Rusical performance because that was super scary and we were singing live and then I also the Snatch Game. And I ended up winning the challenge. So that was a really cool moment. Snatch Game winning is kind of iconic.

In what ways has the exposure from CDR opened doors for you and influenced your drag career?

It's been just so surreal that I travel across the world and people still know my art. When we went to the UK, there's just such a fan base there that it's almost overwhelming at times where the reach of my art, it just goes to so many more people. I don’t take it lightly, the following that I now have online. It's a really cool opportunity to keep sharing my art. So whether it's the podcast or a new creation I've sewn, I let the fans be like my motivation because I think it's a really cool connection.

How did you come up with the name Synthia Kiss and what does it mean to you?

So I was lying in bed one night and I randomly thought how cool it would be to spell the name Cynthia with an S because I really like synthesizer, electro pop music, I especially love dancing to that kind of music. It's like synthetic, synthesizer, like synthetic kiss. So it's almost this robot, Fembot, Barbie doll. Synthia sounds like a traditional CIS woman's name, but the way I spell it, it's kind of adding this twist to it. And so it all kind of just like clipped together. And it's always just like felt correct.

So who or what are some of your major influences when it comes to your drag aesthetic?

I love fashion icons like Sarah Jessica Parker. I like her whimsical approach to fashion, how she'll pair some unexpected pieces together. I always think that's really exciting. I like keeping an eye on fashion weeks around the world to see what's dropping. And then also just other drag queens that I really look up to that have just curated their art in a specific way. I think all those things are part of the mood board and per project to kind of spin the wheel and decide it's like, hey, what's the energy, what's the vibe for this? And then create a look based off of that. I think for me, fashion, it can be, I like when it's a bit referential. I like when it's of a moment, and I like it really sparking joy lately. That's been my new favorite thing. And that often means sparklier. I love adding rhinestones to stuff now. Just make things so sparkly when I can.

Can you share the origin story of the Brat Pack and how this collective came together?

Brat Pack's really cool. It's got quite a long history, history that actually started before my time with the group. Back in the day, Brat Pack was like a collective in Vancouver with a bit of a rotating cast. And one of the final iterations of it was myself, Gia Metric, Kendall Gender and there was also James Mokur and Finks Jem. That's when I was part of the group. We were like very Spice Girls energy at the time. We had a weekly show in Vancouver, group numbers, solos, the whole nine yards. And then at a certain point, I took a little bit of hiatus in the group because I wasn't living off of my drag. I had a full-time job and just needed to focus on that, focus on me for a bit. And then during the pandemic, I lost that job. And then auditioned for Canada's Drag Race because of it being such an interesting time in my life where I was like, hey, this is an opportunity that I could go for, let's go for it. And so all three Brat Pack members happened to be on the one season. And so from there, we reunited the group as a trio. And as you saw, it was a huge part of the show, and then we parlayed that into some tours and some music afterwards because it was fun.

What do you think makes the Brat Pack stand out in the drag scene?

I would say it's great in the sum of its parts. Kendall is such a workhorse. She has such a strong work ethic. I have a really strong technical background as far as like editing video and graphics, and kind of like the branding of a product. So together, we're basically mounting something and sharing it with the world to gobble up. And that's harder than it looks. And actually, especially in this day and age when you're self-producing a lot of stuff, it just means you have to be super organized, really driven, as well as have something to say. So all those things combined, I feel like that’s what makes Brat Pack kind of pop is the real attention to detail and the planning.

How has being part of the Brat Pack influenced your personal growth and drag career?

I think after a certain point it really woke me up to the fact that I do like working on different projects as well. I think group work is always challenging so it's nice when you have multiple things on the go. For me, having my podcast with Juice Boxx, having opportunities like going on another program, Ghosting CBC, as I mentioned, like these things are fun because it's switching things up. It's getting to flex other parts of my skill set. And so Brat Pack almost in a way reminded me of like what's special about Synthia and what I also love to do when I can't because I'm in the group. If that makes sense, you know, it's like I like to switch it up.

What exciting projects or events can fans look forward to from the Brat Pack in the future?

I think for right now, each one of us was kind of craving those solo projects I just mentioned. And so for the time being, I know we're working on those. And I'm sure there's gonna be a point where we reunite and we start to create together again, but I think for the foreseeable future, we haven't really put anything in the calendar. Making songs is very expensive. Making music videos is even more expensive. And so I think at one point it was just like a moment where we're super proud of what we made together. And for the time being, I think we just kind of want to celebrate what we've already created versus drop new material.

Tell us about your podcast with Juice Boxx. What's the concept and when did you decide to start it?

So the concept is all things drag because we're "semi-qualified" to speak on it. I obviously didn't win my season. Juice went home first on hers. So it's kind of hilarious to think, okay, what do these two gay white men have to say about anything? But at the same time, we have that delulu for the salulu. We just have a really fun time cutting it up. We both have the gift of gab.

What's it like working with Juice Boxx?

It's tricky sometimes being on the West Coast and working with someone in Ontario. There is that awkward time difference, but we make it work. I often catch her after her workouts midday, and it's the beginning of my day, and we've just kind of found that rhythm. She's hilarious. I also think she's just so savvy when it comes to her Twitch streaming and her tech setup that she made a really intimidating process such as starting a podcast really simple and streamlined.

Can you tell us a little bit about your sponsor and their role in this initiative?

Freddie has been so important as far as the Semi-Qualified Queen's live tour. We definitely wouldn't be able to check out every single city, the transportation to get two Queens, two bi-coastal Queens around. There's some operating costs to that. So Freddie has been insurmountable when it comes to supporting us, to make sure that we can show up to these venues. And then from there, it's put on these really fun evenings with special guests from each city. We have an interview portion of the night. It's really special. And so it's big brands like Freddie that believe in queer art, that this is possible. It's incredibly important. And we feel so blessed to have their financial backing for this.

What guests and topics have you covered on the podcast and what kind of reception have you received from your fans?

We've got some really fun guests on the podcast. Jimbo and Priyanka have been special guests. We also had Brad and Brooke, judges from CDR on the podcast, which is really cool. I definitely had a high school crush on Brad Goreski growing up. So to have him on my podcast was kind of a pinch me moment. We've had some really great guests from international seasons as well. Kween Kong, Lemon, we just had on recently. Yeah, the list really goes on. And recently, we kind of realized that we're a Canadian podcast, and we just really love when we focus on Canadian seasons. So it's kind of our love letter to the Canadian drag theme. And so we've just recently been trying to do a hyper focus on that.

Where can fans find your podcast? And what future guests or topics can they look forward to?

Wherever you listen to podcasts, if you type in semi qualified queens it should show up. We have fabulous new podcast art, so check it out. It's the same imagery as our tour right now with a sparkly pink background. And we are actually going to be diving into the archives of Canada's Drag Race really, really soon. And we're going to be switching over to video format, which is really exciting. We're gonna be doing a little deep dive into where it all began, if you can believe, almost like four years ago now. It's so crazy. And we're gonna be sitting together doing it because I'm gonna be visiting Toronto soon for the tour and we're gonna create some content together while we're there. So there'll be lots of T, obviously coming from Juice’s season and perhaps some bonus surprise appearances from guests. I don't wanna give away too much, but that's definitely what's in the pipeline.

Semi-qualified Queens live tour has been taking different cities by storm. What cities have you visited so far and can you share some highlights or memorable fan interactions from these events?

We went to Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary. It has been so fun to connect with people, the listeners of the podcast in person. The thing about a podcast is the parasocial relationship where I'm in your ears privately as you wash the dishes or walk your dog. And then all of a sudden we get to have this evening where the laughter is in front of us. We have our chemistry. So it's been really fun to get to see that unedited, unfiltered, in person and we're drag queens, right? So it's really fun to see us all up in the high whore drag, the wigs, the makeup, everything. Cause again, the podcast is for your ears. So a lot of times you're missing out on the visual treat when it comes to what Juice Boxx and I bring. So the tour has been so much fun. And as far as fan interaction, it really makes me smile when you see different age groups come to these shows, you've got like young Gen Z fans, and then older tables of gay men on double dates, it's like everything in between. It's just like a really fun crew of people. This show starts at a delightful 8 p.m. It's not one of those late night drag shows where you're staying up till 2 a.m. and you're so tired the next day, so hey, we decided to make it a marketing point. It is a comfortable evening show, you'll be back home before you know it. It's very conversational, feel good, have a drink, have a laugh.

What can fans expect from a Semi-Qualified Queens live show and what cities are you planning to visit next?

At a Semi-Qualified Queen's show, you're gonna get a little bit of dancing, a little bit of singing, some incredible mixes made by Juice Boxx with spoken word. We've got our special guests in each city, so you're gonna have a fan favorite from each city coming out and we're actually gonna conduct an interview with each special guest for the second portion of the night. So the evening starts out, classic drag show, lots of lip syncing, it's fun, it's fabulous. Take a break and then yeah we switch over to the podcast format and you walk away knowing a little something more about the special guest, us, and perhaps the drag scene in each city which is really fun. As far as cities that we're checking out we're gonna be in Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor on the 23rd of March, which fun fact is my birthday, so we’re gonna turn it up. And also London, Hamilton, and Peterborough.

How can fans find out if your live show is coming to their town, and what's the best way for them to stay up to date on it?

@SemiQualifiedQueensPod is our Instagram handle, and that is the perfect place. As well as following both Juice Boxx and myself on Instagram. We are the social media girlies. Climb those link trees, see where we're next, and we do lots of promotion on our stories and stuff as well. So you'll see it if you follow.

Where will the event be?

The Windsor Sportsmen's Club. This is my very first time coming to Windsor, I've been told I need to try some infamous pizza. This has been mentioned many times by Juice Boxx, a particular Windsor style of pizza that I'm really looking forward to post show. Definitely not beforehand. But afterwards I say, let's party.

Who will be joining you at the Sportsmen's Club and what can fans expect from this particular show?

Koko Starr is going to be our special guest for the evening. So we're going to get a really fabulous performance from Koko. We're going to kill it on stage with our numbers that we've prepped for you guys. And then we get to sit down, chat with Koko, and kind of talk about her origin story, where she wants to head to next, kind of pick her brain in that fabulous semi-qualified queen’s format of the show.

Is there Semi-Qualified Queen’s merch and if so, will it be available at the show?

We actually have these really adorable stickers that I made. Like the classic, hello, my name is sticker. It says hello, I'm semi-qualified. And it's very very cute. I highly recommend getting one. They're only five bucks so buy a ton. And we've also got some beautiful prints, some of the assets we shot for the tour promotion, those pink fringe backgrounds we're dropping, and some Polaroids. Some really fun images to collect.

Looking ahead, what are your plans and goals for the future?

Ooh, I'm manifesting some sort of all-stars moment for Synthia Kiss. I feel like since the show, I had one of the biggest learning curves of my life, both spiritually, my sense of fashion, my sense of drag. I felt like I, in a sense, was starting over. I came from this funny hiatus and then jumped into Canada's Drag Race, which was definitely something I wouldn't recommend. I was feeling really out of sorts that entire time. So now I feel like I would actually go in as a bit more of like a bonafide performer and have a stronger sense of self. I would love a chance to go back into the Thunderdome as we like to say on SQQ. I stole that term from Alaska. I really like it.

Do you have any projects or anything that you're working on that you can give us a sneak peek into or kind of share with us?

We have a SQQ season, we're gonna call it season three of our podcast, but we'll be doing the dive into the archives of Canada's Drag Race. That's gonna be coming up. So stay tuned for that. And then before you know it, my goodness, it's gonna be Pride somewhere and I'll be performing lots in the summer. I'll be in Toronto for Comic-Con in March as well. Right before we kick off the tour which is going to be really fun. And then from there I kind of have that like that sweet spot in the calendar where I'm like I don't know what I'm doing but I'll be doing something. It always seems to fill itself up.

Semi Qualified Queens Live
Saturday, March 23, 2024
At The Windsor Sportsmen’s Club

By Kevin Blondin

Juice Boxx Unleashed

BIO - Juice Boxx

Drag Queen and hair-flipping extraordinaire Juice Boxx is small, sparkly, and adorable, but with a seductive twist.

Her smart hosting style perfectly balances her fun and flirty performances, which serve a blend of top 40s pop princess and enticing burlesque vixen. Juice began her career in the fast-paced drag scene of Toronto, where she excelled for years before being cast on the first season of Canada’s Drag Race.

Along with the stage, Juice Boxx spends much of her time streaming on Twitch. She has collaborated with companies like Dead by Daylight, McDonald’s and It Gets Better for a variety of different online events.

Although her status as “Canada’s Porkchop” (or first eliminated) on the show cut her time short, her cute and quirky personality won viewers over as she tripped, snagged, and fell her way to becoming a fan-favourite.

DM: Juice Boxx, spill the tea! What's the juiciest thing that's happened in your life since Canada's Drag Race Season 1?

JB: Honestly Since season 1 it's hard to lock down just one thing that's been the juiciest. I've built my brand up into something I'm very proud of with streaming and podcasting. I've been able to travel all over Canada performing.

Now that you've sashayed away from the Drag Race runway, how has your drag evolved?

I feel like I have found exactly how I want to be portrayed and how I want to perform vs how I felt I needed to perform. In Toronto you were expected to do 4-16 numbers in an evening and everything you did from your hair, costumes and makeup was dependant versatility and being able to work and dance. Now that I've been on drag race and given a bigger platform I'm able to express my art closer to how I want vs how I HAVE to, to be able to work. 

What exciting adventures have unfolded in your drag journey?

I was able to discover a lot about myself, and that's always a wild adventure. I discovered confidence and sobriety within my drag journey and it really helped me grow as a person. 

What is your best memory from being on Drag Race?

My best memory would be meeting the other girls, as we saw the entire filming process was quite stressful for me but being around my sisters was always something that helped calm me down.

We've heard you're a gaming enthusiast! What's your go-to game?

My personal favourite game is kingdom hearts 2, but I’ve definitely been so deep into the Spiderman games lately!

What’s new and exciting in the Game World?

I’m not too sure actually, I mostly just play for myself and my own enjoyment lately… I’ve got enough excitement in the drag fandom, I like to keep the gaming stuff in the no drama zone.

How does gaming influence your drag?

Gaming usually influences my costuming choices… I love to add aspects of cosplay into my drag or just flat-out full-blown cosplaying characters!

Are there any connections between gaming and drag?

Taking on a new persona and a fantasy definitely!!

Windsor roots run deep! How has your hometown shaped the fabulous queen we know and love today?

Trauma… haha. Growing up in Windsor wasn’t the most accepting place of who I was… but trauma makes you funny so at least I can make people laugh.

What is something special about your hometown?

My family, it is always nice to have a safe space to come back to.

Can you share any early drag memories from your hometown?

I didn’t start drag in Windsor, I started in Toronto about 5 years after I had left… but I do remember seeing Miss Conception, Devine Darlin and Sofonda Cox as the first queens I had interacted with at Windsor pride in like 2015.

How has your hometown influenced your drag identity?

I mean this in the nicest way possible... it has not.

How does it feel, and what does it mean to you, to be able to come back around and perform in your hometown?

It means a lot, especially seeing how much more accepting Windsor-Essex has become since I left. It’s really beautiful to see growth in a community after you’ve left.

You have a show coming up in Windsor in the New Year. What can fans expect from this hometown show?

I absolutely LOVE performing back home so one thing you can definitely expect is my parents in the back partying and getting rowdy!

Where and when is the event, and who else will be performing at the event?

It will be February 4th at The Barbershop Bar, with me and Koko Starr!

Speaking of roots, your CrossFit journey is as fierce as your drag! How does sweating it out at the gym inspire your performances?

Fitness was something I discovered with my sobriety journey, I wanted to feel happy and comfortable in my body OUT of drag. I was able to find community and fun within Crossfit and I’ve recently started training to become a coach to help others the way I was helped. Crossfit doesn’t really inspire my performance but it definitely gives me better stamina for longer shows.

Can you share any fitness tips for staying fabulous?

Drink plenty of water and SLEEP! Hydration and recovery are just as important as your workouts.

As we count down to the New Year, what resolutions are you making for yourself?

I honestly never make new years resolutions! I always have goals for myself year-round, so why make a deadline?

How will Juice Boxx conquer 2024 with a bang?

I’ve got a lot of shows I’m producing myself and with friends. I found for a long time I wasn’t getting cast in shows I was passionate about, so I decided why not create those opportunities for myself?

What is one thing that you hope to accomplish in 2024?

Keep being successful and hot.

What is your biggest memory from 2023?

DragCon 2023 I think was a big one for me. It’s always a wild time and this year was one of my favourites.

How do you celebrate on New Years Eve?

I usually go to bed at 9pm…

Can you spill some details about your latest podcasting venture and what listeners can expect?

Me and Synthia Kiss are taking on S4 of Canadas Drag Race and diving into exclusive interviews with the eliminated queens. We also recently announced a live tour so we’ll be going across Canada doing our show live! We may also make a stop in Windsor if you’re lucky!

How can fans tune in?

Listen wherever you listen to podcasts or on the SONAR network.

How else can fans keep up with all of your latest news?

Follow me on Instagram, TikTok or X!

Any new news coming up in the new year that you can share with us now?

Watch my socials for all show announcements but currently watch out for SemiQualifiedQueens LIVE in your city soon!

Lavender Promotions & Koko Starr Events Present:
The Babes Who Brunch
Sunday, February 4, 2024
At The Barbershop Bar

By Kevin Blondin