For eight hours, Shelby Sanford was in country music hell.

She91裸聊视频檇 been convinced by her best friend Ruth Krulitsky to compete in a lip sync competition, and Krulitsky91裸聊视频檚 song of choice was 91裸聊视频淏eer Thirty91裸聊视频� by the country duo Brooks & Dunn.

Sanford, not a fan of country music, reluctantly agreed. To learn the lyrics, she put the song on repeat during a long drive from Nelson to the coast. Eight hours, one song over and over, until she could sing by heart a tune she might need 30 beers to enjoy.

91裸聊视频淩uth likes to convince me to do things that I don91裸聊视频檛 want to.91裸聊视频�

Krulitsky, an honest country music fan, was less concerned with Sanford91裸聊视频檚 plight and more focused on representing the talents of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a real story we91裸聊视频檙e trying to tell here,91裸聊视频� Krulitsky said with a wry grin. 91裸聊视频淔inished for the weekend and hitting the honky tonk.91裸聊视频�

Sanford and Krulitsky were among the five sets of performers competing during Intuit Studio91裸聊视频檚 Lip Sync Battle and Variety Show at Nelson91裸聊视频檚 The Capitol Theatre on Saturday.

Drag is nothing new to Nelson, but a lip sync battle in the style popularized by the show RuPaul91裸聊视频檚 Drag Race was something the city hadn91裸聊视频檛 previously seen.

Intuit Studio91裸聊视频檚 owner MJ Armstrong said she wanted to de-emphasize stage performance with her dancers and avoid what she described as 91裸聊视频渟tuffy91裸聊视频� dance showcases.

Lip sync battles between dance numbers, she decided, would mix up the program and challenge contestants who were also judged on their costume and props, dancing, and crowd engagement.

91裸聊视频淵ou don91裸聊视频檛 have to be really good at any one thing, you just have to be kind of good at a lot of things to do a good lip sync performance,91裸聊视频� said Armstrong.

One of the judges was Lev Sonego, or Aloe Vera if you prefer their stage name, who since 2017 has been performing with the local drag troupe The Dancing Legs. Sonego said contestants should exaggerate their facial movements and try to not overthink the lyrics.

The performance, Sonego said, should be an honest one.

91裸聊视频淏ecause when that happens, then they can totally sell it. When you are thinking about your lyrics, then we can see it on your face.91裸聊视频�

The Dancing Legs, which also includes Alex Pilon (Johnny Poutina) and Marjorie Jade Menard (Shiraz DeVille) who co-hosted Saturday, started as three friends chatting about drag over drinks. They decided to audition for a Christmas burlesque show, and five years later looked like seasoned professionals when they opened Saturday91裸聊视频檚 show with their take on 91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 Have A Kiki91裸聊视频� by Scissor Sisters.

91裸聊视频滱 lot of people say that drag isn91裸聊视频檛 being someone else, it91裸聊视频檚 being yourself,91裸聊视频� said Sonego. 91裸聊视频淪o it91裸聊视频檚 showing the true part of yourself and I think that91裸聊视频檚 really empowering. Even though I91裸聊视频檓 wearing a costume I am showing a really vulnerable part of myself. So I think being able to do that and feel empowered by it, that91裸聊视频檚 a really rewarding feeling.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 also clear from the audience which performers have tapped into that feeling.

Laena Brown, one of the competitors, has a theatre background yet prior to Saturday hadn91裸聊视频檛 been on a stage in six years. But when the first notes of Queen91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淪omebody To Love91裸聊视频� began to play Brown, wearing a bee-inspired costume, danced and jiggled and lip synced in a performance that would have made Freddie Mercury proud.

91裸聊视频淢y whole life I91裸聊视频檝e been told in many places that I go that I91裸聊视频檓 too much. Being in the world of drag, there91裸聊视频檚 no such thing. You can never be enough. I think it91裸聊视频檚 a huge place of freedom and imagination and joy and it also gives people watching and witnessing the permission to experience that joy and that freedom.91裸聊视频�

The night ended in a lip-synced performance of Madonna91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淟ike A Prayer91裸聊视频� between the finalists Krulitsky, Sanford and Brown. Krulitsky and Sanford won the judges over yet again by returning to the stage in monk robes with crosses in hand, and went home with a $1,000 prize.

But Sanford left with something else she admitted was 91裸聊视频渉er secret shame91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� she now has country songs on her playlists. When Sanford realized she was sharing this detail with a reporter, a look of dawning horror appeared on her face.

91裸聊视频淎ll of Nelson is going to know I listen to country.91裸聊视频�

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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