by Jas Keimig
If you've been on any Seattle dance floor in the past year, you've for sure gotten down to the selections of DJ Kween Kaysh. Maybe you've seen her behind the decks at a Sapphic Seattle event or spinning out Jersey edits at Babe Night or holding down the fort at Day In Day Out last summer.
And now, for the first time, Kaysh is launching a party of her own, Sho-Nuff, a queer dance experience that specifically centers Black, Brown, and Indigenous dancers and performers. After a sold-out soft launch late last month, Sho-Nuff is hosting its first official party just in time for Pride this Friday, June 23, at No Bad Days on Capitol Hill. For Kaysh, this event has been a long time in the making.
"There is so much healing that needs to happen in queer community, and having a safe space to do so is very important," said Kaysh in a recent phone interview. "I know the feeling of it. I know what type of music reflects that. I think [Sho-Nuff] will essentially be a hub for queer, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to gather, to experience joy, to experience pain, to experience all-around healing, to experience freedom within themselves, whatever that looks like, in a nonjudgmental environment."
Kaysh grew up in Federal Way singing R&B and gospel music and ended up on the other side of the Cascades at Washington State University for college. As a student, she nursed her love of music and hosted her own radio show, dug through tons of music crates, and DJed house parties. After graduating and making her way back to the Puget Sound area in 2016, Kaysh worked as marketing manager for event producer and media host Casey Carter's blog The Blow Up.
In 2017, Carter hooked Kaysh up with her first official DJing gig at Vermillion Gallery — and the rest was history. Over the past five years, Kaysh has cultivated a following and reputation for playing thoughtful, hype sets of hip-hop, R&B, and house, and DJing everything from Bumbershoot to opening for Burna Boy. She even currently acts as Northwest regional music curator for Spotify's Frequency playlist, which specifically celebrates Black music. These experiences all served as good fodder for learning the ins and outs of the Seattle music scene as well as what it was missing.
"I don't feel there's a lot of queer spaces that center the BIPOC, LGBTQ community," she said. "I'm trying to figure out what that looks like as far as, how I can curate that based upon my experiences of working with Taking Black Pride or Seattle Pride this year and being able to see how they do things behind the scenes, how they operate, and how I can do the same."
The idea for Sho-Nuff grew out of Kaysh's desire to see more spaces for queer dancers of color by queer performers of color. And, even more specifically, a place for grown folk to get down to good, non-Top 40 music. "I wanna hear stuff that I listen to in my car," Kaysh said. Sho-Nuff's posters (made by Kaysh's partner Thania G) and promo videos emphasize femme fun, featuring music from Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, City Girls, and Nicki Minaj.
For Sho-Nuff's Pride party on Friday, Divine Augustine will host the night's proceedings with guests Tacoma Birds of Paradise bringing their poles to the dance floor and a specialized drink menu courtesy of Gold Bar. Behind the decks will be Lanae Misfit, Cancer Tears (a collective project by Toya B and Cousin Chris), St. Saudade, and Kaysh herself. Creating a safe, collaborative space for dancers and performers alike is of high priority for Kaysh. Since the venue's giant windows look directly onto the sidewalk of the bustling Pike Street, Sho-Nuff will cover them so everyone feels like they can unwind without being gawked at by pedestrians.
"I want people to see themselves in every piece of the environment as best as I can represent," said Kaysh. "I want it to be an all-around hub of joy that queer people can experience and run to as a safe haven."
Sho-Nuff's Pride Party goes down at No Bad Ideas on Friday, June 23, from 10 p.m.—2 a.m. Tickets are $24 without fees and limited, though there will be some at the door. Bring cash to tip your dancers and bartenders.
For more Pride events, check out the Emerald's 2023 Pride Guide.
Jas Keimig is a writer and critic based in Seattle. They previously worked on staff at The Stranger, covering visual art, film, music, and stickers. Their work has also appeared in Crosscut, South Seattle Emerald, i-D, Netflix, and The Ticket. They also co-write Unstreamable for Scarecrow Video, a column and screening series highlighting films you can't find on streaming services. They won a game show once.
Featured Image: Sho-Nuff is powered by DJ Kween Kaysh. (Photo: Abby Rouillard of @giiirlbandstudios)
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