Texas band wore dresses on stage in East Tennessee, and supported LGBTQ causes by doing it

Ryan Wilusz, Knoxville News Sentinel
·3 min read
442

The Vandoliers piled into an Asheville, North Carolina, changing room and smiled at their new digs. Their dresses, carefully selected with their broad shoulders and personalities in mind, would make a powerful statement the next time they walked on a Tennessee stage.

The Texas-based, alt-country rockers checked their tour schedule as they began learning more about Tennessee's anti-drag bill. Their opening set for Joshua Ray Walker at The Shed in Maryville was just a couple of days away − the same day Gov. Bill Lee ended up signing the bill, which limits "male and female impersonators" to age-restricted venues.

What started as a simple "sign of solidarity" turned into much more, band member Cory Graves told Knox News. Rolling Stone took notice and wrote about the dresses they wore at The Shed, which have been auctioned to support Knox Pride and the Tennessee Equality Project.

The auction ended at noon March 6, raising $2,277.69 to be split between the two groups.

Texas-based band the Vandoliers wear dresses as they perform at The Shed in Maryville, Tennessee, the day Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that limits "male and female impersonators" to age-restricted venues in Tennessee. The dresses were auctioned on the band's Instagram, with $2,277.69 in proceeds supporting Knox Pride and the Tennessee Equality Project

"I have lots of friends in the LGBTQIA+ community," lead singer Joshua Fleming told Knox News. "We have fans in that community. I've opened for bands in that community. I've had bands open for us in that community. ... This is a big part of my heart."

Vandoliers take the stage in dresses at The Shed

Fleming was nervous when the band arrived at the East Tennessee venue − a smokehouse, juke joint and Harley-Davidson shop.

Bands often worry about losing their voices or running out of money on tour, Fleming said. But on this day, his mind raced through the possible reactions from fans who might not agree with the statement band members were preparing to make.

"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" by Shania Twain played through the speakers as the band stepped into the spotlight. The reaction: "Everybody ended up having a great time," Fleming said.

The Vandoliers open for Joshua Ray Walker at The Shed in Maryville, Tennessee, on March 2. The band bought dresses in Asheville, North Carolina, prior to the show and wore them on stage the same day Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that prohibits "male and female impersonators" to age-restricted venues in Tennessee.
The Vandoliers open for Joshua Ray Walker at The Shed in Maryville, Tennessee, on March 2. The band bought dresses in Asheville, North Carolina, prior to the show and wore them on stage the same day Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that prohibits "male and female impersonators" to age-restricted venues in Tennessee.

"I had tons of old-timers and alpha bros and all of them coming up saying, 'Man, that was so fun,'" he said. "No one had a bad attitude. The ones who did, which was very few, left. The room didn't clear out."

Just like their walkout song, the band prepared a setlist designed to subtly speak of the challenges the new law poses. Their song "Simon Says" is sung from a woman's perspective. Their song "Don't Tell Me What To Do" speaks for itself.

"One of my big things with this law is there's not really much of a line between what is a sexually explicit show and what's not a sexually explicit show," Fleming said. "And all of us going up there in dresses entertaining a crowd of people in a bar, that's technically a drag show.

"By the way, it was a terrible drag show. The drag community is much better than us. They are professionals in all of this."

Will drag law pose problems for Tennessee concerts?

As professional musicians, the Vandoliers have a choice to make: Continue playing Tennessee, or avoid the state and its laws.

Dresses worn by the Vandoliers at The Shed in Maryville were auctioned − starting at $100 and increasing by at increments of at least $5 − to support Knox Pride and the Tennessee Equality Project. Prior to Gov. Bill Lee signing an anti-drag bill March 2, the same day as the concert, Knox Pride said it would cancel its annual festival and parade if the bill became law.

"Not wanting to perform for the other half punishes people who are trying to do the right thing," Graves said. "I want to continue touring in Tennessee and playing our shows for the people who deserve to be there, and be a good positive light for those people."

Graves and Fleming understand other artists might not feel that way. Musicians are conscious about where they do businesses, Fleming said, and prohibitive laws could be a turnoff when it comes to booking a tour.

How the dress auction went

The six dresses worn at the March 2 concert were auctioned separately on the band's Instagram page.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vandoliers 🦂 (@vandoliers)

Bids started at $100 and increased by increments of at least $5 until noon March 6. Final bidders also will receive a signed setlist of songs played at the Maryville show.

"Vandoliers is for everyone, forever," Fleming said.

Ryan Wilusz, downtown reporter for Knox News, can be reached at 865-317-5138 or at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Instagram @knoxscruff.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Vandoliers auction dresses worn in response to Tennessee drag bill