On Saturday, March 8, the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosted RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Trixie Mattel, Katya Zamolodchikova, and Bob the Drag Queen at the Spring Blast Drag Show.
This performance was one of many featured at the University’s Spring Blast 2025 event, which offered a wide range of on and off-campus events that were completely free for UMass Amherst students. Interestingly enough, Spring Blast was held the same day as UMass’s most infamous party of the spring semester: Blarney.
Many of the audience members wore green to represent their excitement for the annual “Blarney Blowout,” which is held off campus at the Townhouse Condominiums on Meadow Street in Amherst. According to local news station WWLP, 29 arrests and 23 hospitalizations occurred as a result of Blarney this year.
Before the show began, audience members were overcome with excitement. One student in particular exclaimed, “I am so f-ing excited!” before taking their seat. The infectious enthusiastic and giggly energy from the audience filled the entire auditorium.
The show, which was hosted in Bowker Auditorium, opened with Bob the Drag Queen’s intoxicating stand-up comedy routine. This season eight winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race dazzled the sold-out auditorium.
“They were like, ‘Listen, you can’t talk about drugs.’ Which, I don’t do drugs anyway, so I don’t care. And then I did a little research and apparently half of you are hiding BORGS in the audience right now,” Bob said as the crowd erupted in laughter. “So, I think I need to be protected from the students!”
As Bob worked the crowd, using her custom microphone that read “BOB” down the side, she touched on various topics throughout her set. From the Salem Witch Trials, to performance degrees, to even the 2001 hit movie Shrek, Bob had the crowd practically hanging off of their seats.
“How many of you here are actually studying for performance degrees?” Bob said as the crowd cheered. “So what restaurant are you going to work at when you graduate? I’m just asking, you gotta’ plan for this stuff”.
As she finished this joke, she noted that as soon as she graduated from college she had to start waiting tables. That is until she made her mark on the drag world on season eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
This reigning champion’s crowd work and witty sense of humor could have kept the audience laughing for hours. During one part of her set she even got the crowd to sing along with her to Stevie Nicks’ hit song, “Edge of Seventeen”.
“White people love that song,” Bob laughed. “Stevie Nicks is their Beyonce”.
As Bob’s dynamic comedic set came to a close, she said, “You know what, I love UMass so much, I am going to enroll today”. Although Bob’s performance had to unfortunately end, Trixie and Katya were welcomed to the stage soon after as Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” burst through the speakers.
This drag duo entertained the crowd with a live version of their podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful.
Trixie, the season three winner of Drag Race All Stars, made her opening joke about how she could not believe UMass students were able to see “three of the most expensive drag queens” in one day.
“What type of make-a-gay-wish-come-true college is this?” Trixie said as the crowd exploded with laughter. To which Katya replied, “I want to see the books of this public institution!”
Later on, Katya noted that her brother is a UMass Amherst alum which resulted in the crowd erupting with excitement. She added that from what she gathered from his experience, UMass is “a drinking college with an elective in learning”.
Their dry and sarcastic sense of humor kept the crowd laughing for their entire performance. Throughout the show, Trixie and Katya talked about a variety of topics, such as Trixie’s most recent trip to Australia, the Amish, and United States Representative Jasmine Crockett.
Trixie and Katya discussed congresswoman Crockett’s “fierce” response when the representative was asked what she would say to Elon Musk, to which she replied, “f-off.”
As the show progressed, Trixie entertained the crowd with a humorous PowerPoint presentation about the Amish.
“I don’t want the Amish community coming after me, but then again, how would they see it?” Trixie said. “And if they saw it they’re admitting that they’re sinners”.
Throughout this humorous presentation, Trixie explains what being Amish entails and their unique cultural practices, like their clothes, not having access to electricity, and the use of horse-drawn buggies as their main mode of transportation.
“All their [Amish women] clothes are flat pinned onto their bodies every day,” Trixie said. “Which I think is kinda slutty, like oops my pin–naked.”
Even after their stunning comedic performances unfortunately came to an end, as the crowd gathered their things to exit the auditorium, the energetic and happy demeanor of the audience remained intact long after.
Hopefully, these unforgettable drag queens will return to western Massachusetts.
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