This past weekend, All Things Go (ATG) celebrated its 10th year with two days of a lineup centered on gay icons in music. Lately, we’ve seen more representation when it comes examples of people and characters that are lesbian, bi/pan-women, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming — but ATG takes that representation a step further, creating a safe space for people to experience tangible queer joy and celebration through music.

While NYC was under drizzly cloud cover both days of the festival, the turnout at Forest Hills Stadium is proof that you can’t rain on a lesbian parade. It didn’t stop fans from coming to see their favorite artists, nor did it stop the artists from showing up for their fans or, in the case of Chappell Roan, showing up for other artist’s fans as well.

Roan dropped out of the fest a day before her set, sharing via Instagram that she needed to cut the set for mental health reasons. While this was upsetting to many of the attendees excited to see her (including myself), true fans still enjoyed themselves. They showed up and showed out in pink cowboy hats, clown-esque makeup and statue of liberty-inspired outfits in honor of the pop star. While we weren’t going to see her perform, we were able to experience other artist’s stellar performances on day one, including a Chappell Roan dance party.

Around 5:20 PM, the rain lightened up, and a cohort of local drag artists, including Rupual Drag Race Alumni Yvie Oddly and Aquaria came out on stage to keep the crowd, filling in for Roan’s absence. DJ B-Roc played some of her greatest hits including “HOT-TO-GO!”. While she wasn’t there to sing it, everyone in the amphitheater joined in to do her viral dance moves. During MUNA’s set, we got an acoustic rendition of “Good Luck, Babe!” with Naomi McPherson singing the high notes — “I know I look like this,” they laughed, noting their masculine outfit — “but I actually sing soprano.” Many of the artists also extended kind thoughts for Roan and there were also funny moments like Missy Dabice, lead singer of Mannequin Pussy, saying, “Thank you, I’m Chappell Roan!” before screaming the lyrics to “OK?OK!OK?OK!”

Alongside the rainy concerts, attendees were able to take shelter and hang around the arena, taking part in gay and glittery activities. Dave’s Lesbian Bar hosted a pop-up in partnership with local radio station WFUV while sharing their mission to raise money for the first lesbian bar in Astoria. They had a glitter and tinsel hair station, a spin-the-wheel-win-a-prize moment and a photo booth. Smiles with glittery cheeks and brows all around.

“People are excited about what we’re building and that is so inspiring. We want to be working with our community every day,” Dave Dausch, co-owner of Dave’s Lesbian Bar tells PAPER. “Being at a festival celebrating so many sapphic artists just makes so much sense,” Dave’s co-owner, Sarose Klein says. “That is exactly what we are bringing on a local scale to the queers of Queens.” They both agree that their favorite part of the fest was meeting all the “cuties.”

Before I even stepped foot into the fest, I felt it was going to be a safer space for me compared to other music events because of the queer artists and their fanbases of mainly women, trans and gender-nonconforming people. I shared a lighter with someone and we gabbed about our excitement for seeing Ethel Cain for the first time. I snapped a pic on my disposable of someone dressed as Roan from her Tiny Desk debut (down to the lipstick smudge on the teeth) and we exchanged our thoughts on the essence of AFAB drag.

I found two other attendees also flying solo during MUNA’s set and we exchanged Instagrams before seeing Reneé Rapp end day one with a kiss from her partner, Towa Bird, and an ethereal choir performance of “Snow Angel.” I met some last-minute ticket holders at the Dave’s pop-up, who let me chill with them during Julien Baker’s rainy and emotional set. And even when I was standing in the bleachers alone in my poncho not knowing the words to some of the songs, I was surrounded by the energy of the fans which made me feel a part of it all.

Photography: Kade Alpers

According to New York trio Sunflower Bean, their latest EP SHAKE is the band in their “most natural” state. “Just the three of us writing, recording, engineering and producing,” they tell PAPER. “No other additives.”

That approach to making music is also reflected in the album’s accompanying visuals, which were inspired by natural elements. “The purest, strongest, rawest base for everything. Earth, wind, fire, water, and metal,” the band says. Last Friday, they released five music videos, one for each song on the EP.

“Making these videos was incredibly fun and rewarding because of the energy and passion of the crew involved,” Sunflower Bean says of their shoot, which took place in upstate New York over three days. “You have to find the right people with the right spirit who are down to get dirty… literally. Our director was there with us in the mud and in the water. It wasn’t a comfortable shoot for us, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. By the end of the shoot, we were stripped almost naked and sprayed with a garden hose. We all felt we were getting something really amazing on camera. Movie magic was in the air!”

Check out exclusive shots from the magical, dirty shoot below.

This was when we were getting additional shots in the woods for SHAKE. Besides the actual mud pit stuff, this was the only other set-up for that video. We were falling all over each other as we ran out of the woods. We kept tripping because it was so dark. I think after the 15th or so fall, we were ready to call it.

We love a pit — a mosh pit or a mud pit. I think here, we were really experiencing all the glory of the mud pit and the fact that it was made out of 200 lbs of clay. I quickly learned how resilient this bass was!

Huddled together taking in some sunshine between takes. For this video we were blasted with a leaf blower for a few hours. The breaks between shots were much appreciated.

This dress was actually given to me by Courtney Love many years ago. She gave me some pieces that were close to falling apart in the hopes that I would wear them live. But I loved them too much and save them for very special moments like this, and I thought the dress perfectly represented the EP and who I am inside it.

We tried to use every part of this location. When you’re making five videos in three days, there’s no time to travel. I wish this weird little shed made it into one of the shots!

Olive giving what needs to be gave, as usual.

After shooting “Serial Killer,” I was a bit worried about contracting a brain-eating amoeba from being in a strange pond. But not so worried that I couldn’t take some pictures afterwards.

As far as I know, I am amoeba free!

Andrew D’Angelo did the makeup for these videos and this red lip was one of my favorites. I don’t usually wear red lipstick because it gets all over the mic when I sing, so I loved having a red lip moment for the video.

We’re really lucky to work with Fender! They sent us some guitars to destroy for the video, but this gradient Precision bass is my tried-and-true that I play on stage. It’s way too precious to ruin. She has her big moment in the “Angelica” video.

Styling: Amber Simiriglia
Photography: Crista Simiriglia