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#3On a recent Friday night at Badlands, Seven (drag persona of Gabriel “Gaby” Rehepay Ikea-Mario) showed a packed house why she’s one of Portland’s top talents, holding her own while performing alongside local scene staples and opening for out-of-town RuGirls.
“Seven is as far as I can count to,” she jokes of her name. “It was also my username when I played video games when I was younger.” That bit of personal lore explains why Seven styles themself as a glamorized archvillain in an apocalyptic-futuristic role-playing video game somewhere between Overwatch and Kingdom Hearts, complete with cartoon proportions, graphic makeup and gigantic neon hair.
The self-described “Trashiest Showgirl in Portland” certainly lived up to the proclamation performing a sultry number to “Illusion” by Dua Lipa. Seven’s style combines high-glam and DIY punk aesthetics. That night, she wore black peep toe heels and torn fishnets. A leather belt snatched her red velvet body suit with her namesake numeral on the buckle.
Seven showcased her floor-work skills between moments of slinking sexily around the stage and raining 1’s on herself, sending the crowd into a screaming frenzy. For her second number, she donned a zebra print cocktail dress with a center slit and an oversized feather boa to lipsync Diana Ross’ “Swept Away.”
Drag found Seven when they moved from Otis, a small Oregon coastal town near Lincoln City, to Portland shortly after the onset of both the pandemic and the 2020 wildfires, the most destructive on record for the state. “My whole town or whatever basically caught on fire,” she recalls. “It was a very crazy time in my life, so I just picked up and moved to Portland and decided to pursue something wild I’ve always wanted to do but never got the chance to.”
When she’s not working parties such as Betty or hosting a release party for singer Slayyyter’s album Wor$t Girl in America, the Guamanian American socialite mothers the Haus of Sin, a small punk rock–inspired, all-POC drag family.
“It’s six of us counting myself,” Seven says, listing “me, Ave, Klawz Mawnsta, Violette and Chismosa,” before realizing, “Wait, that’s five...”
Math aside, Seven is tender with her chosen family. “These are the people I’ve been closest to for the past couple years,” she says. “As a brown, trans-femme person, I want to be there for people like myself. So if I can raise [up] people that see themselves in me, I’m more than happy to do that.”
This past year, Seven has performed all over Portland and traveled as far as Boston and New York City for shows. Their next stop? Possibly Guam. “As far as I know, they don’t really [have a drag scene],” Ikea-Mario says, “but queer and trans people have always been a part of the island, and I would love to explore that part of my lineage.”
SEE: Seven in Drag Brunch at Pamana, 15 NW 4th Ave., 503-770-0465, pamanapdx.com. 10:30 am and 1:30 pm Saturday, Aug. 8. $40. 18+. | Seven in Lip Sync Smack Down at Badlands, 110 NW Broadway, 503-972-7572, badlandsportland.com. 10 pm Thursday, Aug. 13. Free. 21+. | Seven in Ay Mamí! Drag Dinner at Golden Hour Coffee Co., 3538 SE Hawthorne Blvd., goldenhourcoffeeco.com. 6 pm Saturday, Aug. 15. $60. All ages.
