Story by Addison Conley
Featured photo by Jenene Grover
MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Located near the center of Bonnaroo, where about 80,000 people have gathered for music and good vibes, is the House of Yes. This group, which puts on the festival’s annual Pride Parade, also hosts performances, movie screenings and dance parties that last through the night.
2023 marks the fifth year that the performing arts venue and nightclub based out of Brooklyn, New York, has made its way back to The Farm.
The group puts on a spectacular and varied show that includes elements of circus, burlesque, pole and drag performances. Extravagant choreography is paired with upbeat, funky music performed before an enthusiastic crowd.
Tanya Karina, the producer for the House of Yes, said it’s the energy of Bonnaroovians that brings the group back to the farm each year.
“That’s why we love bringing it to Tennessee, because it doesn’t get seen here. In Brooklyn and New York, we love our audiences there, sure, but we come here and this is like no other audience we’ve ever performed for. The gratitude is oozing out of the walls, it’s incredible,” said Karina, 34.
House of Yes also introduced the annual pride parade to the festival.
“We’re really grateful that we were able to be the ones to bring that joy forward, especially for queerdos and weirdos that come to this festival,” said Karina.
Karina was a Bonnaroovian even before joining the House of Yes.
“It changed my life. It was the first music festival I ever came to. I was like, ‘How do I make this part of my life all the time?’”
Soon after attending her first Bonnaroo in 2014, she found the House of Yes and figured out how to make that dream come true.
Karina has been with the House of Yes for six years, working on everything from production and running shows to performing and designing costumes.
The recent anti-trans bill proposed by the Tennessee legislature had a large impact on the group’s performances at Bonnaroo.
Before it was declared unconstitutional, the group was already pivoting in terms of the content and themes of their shows. The proposed bill also raised safety concerns for transgender performers.
Karina said that Bonnaroo worked closely with the House of Yes to address these concerns, saying that the festival was “literally lobbying on [our] behalf.”
“To think that we couldn’t do what we do best down where we really love to do it was truly heartbreaking for a moment, but we decided we were going to push through and give the same energy we always do,” said Karina.
Laser and Pantz, a traveling duo that performs with the House of Yes, said that the environment is much more liberal back home in Brooklyn than in Tennessee.
“Of course, we were worried about coming here at first,” said Pantz. “But we know that Bonnaroo nurtures us and has since the beginning,” chimed in Laser.
“Advances in the bill happened right before we got here, which eased up the pressure, but we knew we were protected here more than anything,” said Laser.
Toshi Salvino, the group’s makeup artist, said they love seeing newer members of the queer community feel free to express themselves at Bonnaroo. Their favorite thing about working for the House of Yes is “being part of helping people express themselves in their truest form.”
Addison Conley is a staff writer for MTSU Sidelines.
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