The Kinsey Sicks: Almost Infamous

The Kinsey Sicks "drag-a-pella" performances are familiar to Frameline veterans; they mix highbrow political humor with lowbrow bawdy humor, all delivered with just a teensy-weensy pinch of camp. They'll be touring with their new show, "Wake the F@#k Up America!" this summer. Almost Infamous chronicles their venture into the world-unto-itself that is Las Vegas, where they had an extended run at the Hilton. We get to watch the group wrestle with the challenge of shifting from a frenetic schedule of touring to a settled gig, with the added challenge of adapting the show to the sensibilities of the Vegas audience and especially the Vegas management types. We get to see some clips of the show, but mostly we focus on behind-the-scenes.

Almost Infamous includes archival footage, all the way back to the group's formation in 1994, but mostly follows the day-to-day stresses of preparing for opening night: getting fridges and Internet in their hotel rooms, auditioning understudies, a last-minute change of performance venue, and the occasional interpersonal "panties in a bunch" moment. As fabulous as their music is, their ability to deal with the tasks at hand without losing all semblance of sanity is even more impressive. They clearly know the difference between on-stage divas and backstage drama queens. Even if — or maybe especially if — you've never heard of The Kinsey Sicks, this film is highly recommended

The Kinsey Sicks: Almost Infamous, dir. Ken Bielenberg, 2008 USA 95 min.

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