Capping off back-to-back weekends of fundraising and community building, APLA Health once again brought Los Angeles together in spectacular fashion with the 2025 Best in Drag Show, held Sunday, October 5 at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Downtown LA.

Following the success of last weekend’s 41st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, thousands filled the Orpheum for an unforgettable night of comedy, camp, and compassion — all in support of APLA Health’s Alliance for Housing & Healing program, which provides critical services and housing for people living with HIV across Los Angeles County.

Hosted by a team of dedicated volunteers and emceed by beloved drag talent Salina EsTitties—who began her drag career on this very stage—the show delivered an over-the-top pageant parody where contestants competed in talent, costume, and interview categories. Audiences cheered as the performers dazzled with jaw-dropping looks and outrageous performances, each moment celebrating the creativity and defiance that define LA’s drag legacy.

The star-studded judging panel included 2025 Emmy Award winner Katherine LaNasa, Judy Greer, Camryn Manheim, Cheri Oteri, Dan Bucatinsky, Grant Show, Kathy Kinney, and Variety’s Marc Malkin, who lent wit and enthusiasm to a night full of laughter and heartfelt appreciation for the cause.

“Best in Drag Show isn’t just a night of glitter and glamour—it’s a statement of inclusion, empowerment, and communal strength,” said Terry D. Goddard II, Director of the Alliance for Housing & Healing. “Every performance and costume reflects the creativity, courage, and resilience of our community.”

Now in its third decade, Best in Drag Show has grown from a small fundraiser in a West Hollywood living room into one of LA’s most beloved annual events. Each year, it raises vital funds for APLA Health’s HIV and housing programs while fostering visibility and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Events like Best in Drag Show and AIDS Walk LA remind us of the power of collective joy and action,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “They’re more than fundraisers—they’re celebrations of who we are, and what we can achieve together.”

As the curtain closed on another sold-out evening, the message was clear: LA shows up for its community. From the sidewalks of West Hollywood to the stage of the Orpheum Theatre, APLA Health continues to unite Angelenos around creativity, compassion, and care—proving that when art and advocacy meet, everyone wins.

For more information on APLA Health and upcoming events, visit aplahealth.orgCapping off back-to-back weekends of fundraising and community building, APLA Health once again brought Los Angeles together in spectacular fashion with the 2025 Best in Drag Show, held Sunday, October 5 at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Downtown LA.

Following the success of last weekend’s 41st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, thousands filled the Orpheum for an unforgettable night of comedy, camp, and compassion — all in support of APLA Health’s Alliance for Housing & Healing program, which provides critical services and housing for people living with HIV across Los Angeles County.

Hosted by a team of dedicated volunteers and emceed by beloved drag talent Salina EsTitties—who began her drag career on this very stage—the show delivered an over-the-top pageant parody where contestants competed in talent, costume, and interview categories. Audiences cheered as the performers dazzled with jaw-dropping looks and outrageous performances, each moment celebrating the creativity and defiance that define LA’s drag legacy.

The star-studded judging panel included 2025 Emmy Award winner Katherine LaNasa, Judy Greer, Camryn Manheim, Cheri Oteri, Dan Bucatinsky, Grant Show, Kathy Kinney, and Variety’s Marc Malkin, who lent wit and enthusiasm to a night full of laughter and heartfelt appreciation for the cause.

“Best in Drag Show isn’t just a night of glitter and glamour—it’s a statement of inclusion, empowerment, and communal strength,” said Terry D. Goddard II, Director of the Alliance for Housing & Healing. “Every performance and costume reflects the creativity, courage, and resilience of our community.”

Now in its third decade, Best in Drag Show has grown from a small fundraiser in a West Hollywood living room into one of LA’s most beloved annual events. Each year, it raises vital funds for APLA Health’s HIV and housing programs while fostering visibility and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Events like Best in Drag Show and AIDS Walk LA remind us of the power of collective joy and action,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “They’re more than fundraisers—they’re celebrations of who we are, and what we can achieve together.”

As the curtain closed on another sold-out evening, the message was clear: LA shows up for its community. From the sidewalks of West Hollywood to the stage of the Orpheum Theatre, APLA Health continues to unite Angelenos around creativity, compassion, and care—proving that when art and advocacy meet, everyone wins.

For more information on APLA Health and upcoming events, visit aplahealth.org

In a music landscape that often moves at breakneck speed, Scot “Little” Bihlman offers a rare moment of stillness with his new single, “Heavy Head.” The track, which also lends its name to his forthcoming album via V13 Music, feels less like a song and more like a gentle exhale—a pause to consider the weight of life while finding a quiet spark of perseverance.

Opening with the subtle resonance of an acoustic guitar, “Heavy Head” immediately establishes an intimate, almost cinematic atmosphere. The music doesn’t demand attention; it invites it. Each note lingers with intention, creating space for reflection and connection. This is a song that understands the power of restraint, letting the instrumentation breathe alongside the listener’s own thoughts.

Bihlman’s vocal performance mirrors this approach. His voice carries a clarity and authenticity that feels lived-in, threading through each chord and moment with careful precision. There is an honesty in his delivery that avoids melodrama while still capturing the emotional weight of the song’s themes. “Heavy Head” balances heaviness with hope, burden with resilience, and melancholy with quiet determination—qualities that make the track relatable on a deeply human level.

Thematically, “Heavy Head” explores the tension between pressure and endurance. Life’s challenges often come unannounced, yet Bihlman’s song suggests that there is a way to navigate them without surrendering one’s sense of self. The track encourages flexibility and adaptability, using imagery and musical phrasing that evoke the fluidity of water. It is both a meditation and a guide, urging listeners to flow around obstacles, to yield when necessary, yet remain steadfast in spirit.

From a musical standpoint, the song blends heartland rock sensibilities with a bluesy undercurrent, anchored by acoustic warmth and understated instrumentation. There is no rush, no excess, no distraction—just an unvarnished focus on emotional resonance. It is a sound that reflects a maturing artist, one who prioritizes storytelling, nuance, and authenticity over spectacle. The result is a single that is immersive, evocative, and quietly commanding.

“Heavy Head” also marks a pivotal moment in Bihlman’s ongoing evolution as an artist. As the third single leading up to the full album, it signals a deepening exploration of themes that have long informed his work: reflection, resilience, and the human experience in all its complexity. While rooted in familiar sonic territory, the track expands his artistic range, blending reflective songwriting with subtle emotional intensity. It is both a continuation of his previous work and a statement of intent for the record to come.

The song’s structure and pacing contribute to its contemplative nature. There is a deliberate ebb and flow, mirroring the emotional weight suggested by the lyrics and instrumentation. Moments of quiet introspection alternate with subtle crescendos, reflecting the balance between struggle and hope. In doing so, Bihlman creates a listening experience that feels alive, immediate, and deeply personal, while remaining universally relatable.

Ultimately, “Heavy Head” is a study in contrasts and endurance. It is at once grounded and expansive, tender yet strong, personal yet communal. It demonstrates Bihlman’s ability to craft songs that resonate not only as music but as reflections of lived experience—songs that encourage listeners to slow down, process, and emerge with renewed clarity.

With this release, Scot “Little” Bihlman sets the tone for an album that promises to explore the full spectrum of human emotion, navigating the pressures and triumphs that shape life’s journey. “Heavy Head” exemplifies his commitment to songwriting that is thoughtful, evocative, and profoundly human, offering an invitation to pause, breathe, and move forward with quiet strength.

Brooklyn’s Midnight Foolishness has never been a band to play it safe, but their latest release—a stripped, acoustic reimagining of Emmure’s “MDMA”—pushes that daring even further. The original track, a blast of aggression and cathartic fury, is reworked here into something almost spectral. Gone are the pummeling riffs and guttural screams. What remains is the raw, trembling pulse of the song’s emotional center.

In this version, Midnight Foolishness takes what was once confrontational and turns it inward. Their “MDMA” is slow-burning and fragile, built on sparse acoustic textures and a vocal performance that feels uncomfortably intimate—like a late-night confession recorded in a dark room. Every silence stretches, every breath carries weight. The heaviness doesn’t come from distortion; it comes from vulnerability.

That vulnerability is central to the accompanying music video—a grim, tightly framed narrative that blurs the line between metaphor and nightmare. Set in a dim, claustrophobic garage, the film depicts frontman Rob Corbino bound and tormented by a captor while two others sit motionless nearby. The sequence unfolds with deliberate discomfort, its violence slow and psychological rather than explosive. But as the video progresses, the scene begins to mutate: the captor’s power dissolves, replaced by something ritualistic and symbolic, until the roles of victim and survivor merge.

It’s a disturbing watch—but it’s meant to be. Beneath its shock lies meaning. The band turns exploitation into allegory, using the imagery to comment on the darker realities of creative life—the ways artists can be consumed by the very systems that elevate them. The performance becomes an act of reclamation, a moment of taking back power through the same vulnerability that once left them exposed.

Since their formation, Midnight Foolishness has inhabited a strange, vital corner of Brooklyn’s music scene—part nostalgia, part reinvention. They’ve worked with artists like Jonny Craig and Joseph Arrington, always moving between genres with purpose. What has remained constant is their commitment to emotional honesty. That thread runs through everything they create, and “MDMA” feels like the culmination of that ethos: a transformation of both sound and spirit.

Their acoustic approach strips away every protective layer, revealing something that feels personal to the point of discomfort. The guitar is soft but unsteady; the vocals waver between restraint and release. The song breathes, trembles, and occasionally breaks. There’s a kind of courage in that—the willingness to expose what’s underneath rather than amplify the noise.

In reinterpreting “MDMA”, Midnight Foolishness achieves what few covers do: they shift the emotional gravity of the song entirely. Where Emmure’s original thrived on force and defiance, this new version speaks in resignation and reflection. It doesn’t rage against the world; it endures it. That endurance is its rebellion.

The band’s trajectory reflects that same resilience. Since their 2010 debut The Sinners, Midnight Foolishness has evolved from energetic pop-punk roots into something darker, slower, and more introspective. Their sound has absorbed new textures—grunge grit, alt-rock melancholy, and the emotional immediacy of confessional songwriting. With “MDMA,” they’ve arrived at a point of pure honesty: a song that dismantles its own armor and stands unguarded before the listener.

By turning down the volume, Midnight Foolishness has found a new form of heaviness—one that lingers long after the last note fades. Their version of “MDMA” is less a cover than a reckoning, a quiet confrontation with pain and purpose. It’s an act of reclamation, not rage; an elegy dressed as an echo.

If the original screamed to be heard, this one whispers—and somehow, that whisper hits harder.

Toronto’s Victoria Staff returns with “Love Should Feel” – a bright, romantic indie-pop single that soaks in the joy of love when it’s simple, easy, and right. The track beams with warmth, capturing that rare kind of connection where everything else fades into the background.

“For a long time, I thought love was something that was supposed to be difficult. It was supposed to be chased and fought for,” Staff says. “Turns out, it’s supposed to be easy. ‘Love Should Feel’ is about just basking in how simple good love is.”

That sense of playful ease even made its way into the single artwork – though not without chaos. The idea was simple: a dive into a lake surrounded by sunflowers. The execution? Not so much. “We had about 75 sunflowers, but the stems were too heavy and started sinking, so we were frantically cutting them down in the boat. Every time I jumped off, the boat moved, the flowers scattered, and we had to rearrange them again,” Staff explains. “Then the seagulls started circling, thinking they were food,” she laughs. “And all of this was on film so we didn’t even know if we had the shot until we got home.”

With its buoyant melodies and heartfelt lyricism, “Love Should Feel” showcases Staff at her most joyful. “This song is special to me because there are no bad memories tied to it. From writing to recording to releasing, it’s been easy, and that’s exactly how love should feel.”

Montreal’s Libby Ember arrives with her introspective debut EP, I Kill Spiders. Thoughtful, anxious, and emotionally candid, the four-track collection captures the young singer-songwriter’s journey through self-doubt and quiet contemplation. Blending warm indie-pop textures with the raw honesty of indie-folk, the record is a compelling exploration of growth, conscience, and the weight of our smallest actions.

I Kill Spiders moves through questioning, longing, and reflection, creating a cohesive story of emotional honesty. The EP showcases Libby Ember’s signature introspective lyricism while delivering warm, accessible, and intimate production.

Anchoring the release is the title track, “I Kill Spiders,”  a striking meditation on guilt and consequence. Born from a moment of late-night anxiety, the song balances classic pop sensibilities with Libby’s intimate, reflective style to question the karmic significance of our choices. The track is the result of Libby’s first-place win in the Overture With The Arts songwriting competition, where she developed the song with mentorship from Canadian singer BAYLA before it was produced by Luca the Producer (Lucas Libertore).