By Kevin Ferrisi –
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – When you go to a drag show, you usually expect fierce looks, sharp lip‑syncs, and maybe a touch of burlesque. But last Friday at Dead Language Beer Project in Hartford, CabaRestle from Rhode Island added something completely unexpected to the mix: professional wrestling. The show teamed up with the state’s living digital virus Paxx Headroom and paired local drag performers with CabaRestle’s unique mix of drag, burlesque, live bands, and wrestling, creating a night packed with energy, surprises, and pure spectacle.
The show featured a lineup of talented performers including Paxx Headroom, Miranda Darling, Clementine KuLayd, Arachne, Dolling, Rory Roux Lay, and Vivienne LaFlamme, each bringing their own style and personality to the stage. Between wrestling matches, drag performers took over the ring to perform, turning an unusual space for drag into something that worked surprisingly well. The mix of athleticism and artistry made for a night that felt fresh, unpredictable, and entirely entertaining. The night also featured live music from the Tax Collectors and Harlots as well as Haunting Titans keeping the energy high throughout the evening.
Drag and wrestling might seem like worlds apart, but they share a strikingly similar heart: both are built around the creation of an alter ego. In each art form, performers step into heightened versions of themselves, characters that amplify their confidence, creativity, and power. Whether it’s a drag queen commanding the stage in sequins or a wrestler entering the ring in full gear, both crafts blur the line between fantasy and identity. These personas allow artists to explore parts of themselves that might not fit into everyday life, expressing emotion, storytelling, and self-discovery through spectacle. At their core, drag and wrestling are about transformation, performance, and the freedom to become your truest, boldest self.
CabaRestle is a live‑event experience out of Providence, Rhode Island, that blends drag performance, burlesque artistry, live music and professional wrestling into one wild evening of entertainment. The show launched on May 25, 2024 at Inspiria in Providence and has since traveled through Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island with over a dozen events in its first year and a half. With a show coming up in November in Bedford, MA, CabaRestle is expanding its reach while staying true to its bold, genre‑blending style.
ConnecticutDrag.com spoke with Tim Murray, founder of CabaRestle and longtime wrestler, about the inspiration behind the show. Tim explained that he wanted to bring together wrestling, drag, and burlesque in a way that felt fun but also safe and inclusive. He recalled a Rhode Island show called Providence Wrestle Party, which paired wrestling with live music, but he wanted to take it further. Having wrestled for 25 years, Tim has seen the negative sides of wrestling culture, from harassment to objectification, and he wanted CabaRestle to be a space where everyone could enjoy the spectacle without that tension.
Tim Murray has built the show around a simple idea: creating a safe, queer-centered space for performance. Most of the wrestlers are queer, and Tim intentionally blends campy wrestling, drag, burlesque, and queer music to make the experience welcoming to everyone. He wanted a space where people could enjoy wrestling without harassment, objectification, or judgment, and where trans, neurodivergent, and nontraditional queer folks could feel included. For Tim, CabaRestle isn’t just entertainment, it’s a community that celebrates creativity, identity, and fun in a way that’s genuinely safe for everyone involved.
Local drag performer Paxx Headroom joined forces with Tim Murray for a one-of-a-kind night at Dead Language Beer Project. For CabaRestle’s very first event at Inspiria last year, Tim Murray couldn’t find a band, so he took a suggestion from a friend and booked a new band, Tax Collectors and Harlots. The chemistry clicked immediately, and the band said the show was everything they loved in one place.
Later, when planning a Sci‑Fi–themed after-party for Comic Con at AS220 in Providence, Tim discovered drag performer Paxx Headroom and knew they were perfect for the lineup at Comic Con. It turned out Paxx Headroom is partnered with the band’s drummer, creating a natural connection and paving the way for CabaRestle to bring its mix of drag, burlesque, and wrestling to Connecticut.
CabaRestle continues to push the boundaries of live performance, mixing drag, burlesque, wrestling, and queer music into a show that’s as entertaining as it is inclusive. For anyone curious to experience the energy and creativity firsthand, you can check out CabaRestle on their Facebook page to see upcoming shows and events.
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