No matter which religion you follow (or reject, for that matter), there’s one unwritten law that applies to nearly every holiday or celebration: wear extravagant clothes. It’s that one rule that Ruby Rose Fox hopes will unite those gathered at her upcoming all-ages Holiday Ball, set for this Friday at the Red Room at Café 939 in Boston.
Like many others, the December holidays have always been a confusing time for Fox. Raised as a fundamentalist Christian and once bulled for being Jewish by race, the Boston singer now calls herself an atheist. Her conflicted religious past, however, didn’t stop her from trying to find an all-inclusive way to celebrate the upcoming holidays.
“I mean, Christmas was founded by the pagans so… I just think it’s a free-for-all anyway,” Fox says.
The holiday ball deliberately isn’t catered to any one religion, partially as a reflection of Fox’s own experience during Christmastime, and partially as a result of the past year’s particularly nasty slew of hate. Instead, the unifying force behind the ball is the dressed-to-the-nines throwback theme — minus the boozing of course (Café 939 is a dry venue).
“When I think of old-fashioned ‘balls’ I think of a formal event where the main focus is socializing and dancing,” Fox adds. “For me, I also think dressing up as a political act against shame. Just because I don’t have a lot — or any — money doesn’t mean I’m not going to celebrate being a queen. Dressing up when you’re rich is like brushing your teeth, but dressing up when you’re poor is showing your teeth.”
Seeing how Fox recently kickstarted her own “Queen Treatment Only” mantra and series of events, busting out the costume jewelry and patent leather kicks only seems appropriate. For backup girl power, pop-soul singer Jenna Lotti starts the show, followed by an hour-plus of Fox’s Boston Music Awards-nominated blues-rock. While she only plans to include one Christmas tune in her set — and that’ll be “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” — the majority of the show, from the setlist to the merch, will be a party fit for all religions.
“I did wrap up my merch in different colors just so that some Jewish tween doesn’t get Santa wrapping paper,” Fox says, before adding, “I love Jews who are obsessed with Jesus.”
