In this legendary, laugh-out-loud, and deeply soulful episode of Unboxed with Wes & Ace, we sit down with Kansas City's own premier curator of vibe and space, Adam—better known behind the decks as DJ Sir Queen. In a sweeping conversation that effortlessly bridges the gap between strict religious conformity and the absolute freedom of the underground dance floor, Adam shares the hilarious, profound, and beautifully complex story of how he found his sound and reclaimed his identity.The journey starts back in the early '90s with an unlikely hero: Jump Rope for Heart. Adam recounts how he jumped his second-grade heart out to win a mini boombox tape recorder, using his prize to microdose late-night hip-hop and R&B in his closet, safely out of his strict Catholic family's radar. That childhood musical encyclopedia set the stage for his senior year of high school in Amarillo, Texas, when a rebellious classmate named Lauren used him as the ultimate "good boy" alibi to sneak out. Instead of hitting the movie theater, Adam was whisked away to a gay burger joint called Furby's, run by bear daddies, and then to his very first step into a gay nightclub called Sassy's. Adam shares the exact, hilarious split-second moment he realized where he was—courtesy of a massive "ranch paw" grabbing his left butt cheek on the way out the door.Despite discovering a space where he felt an intense, liberating energy, Adam’s path took a sharp turn into a formal seminary and monastery. For six years (2007–2013), his brain was "locked in a bunker" of strict dogmatic conditioning, complete with a hyper-vigilant "tattletale culture" where church peers ratted each other out. He walks us through what it felt like to step out of that bubble in 2013, completely missing years of popular culture, and how a bedroom DJ controller in Maryville, Missouri, ultimately became his tool for healing and self-exploration.True to the show's unapologetic nature, Adam sets the record straight on the hill he is absolutely willing to die on: ABBA is European pop, NOT disco. He drops a heavy masterclass on music history, reminding the world that disco is inherently Black and brown queer music rooted in soul, jazz, and Caribbean rhythms, birthed in sanctuaries like David Mancuso's The Loft and Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage long before it was commercialized by corporate elites.From his first mind-blowing trip to Chicago's iconic Smartbar to throwing his own beloved monthly queer dance night, THICC, at Woody’s KC, Adam delivers a powerful message on modern club culture. He issues a passionate plea to the younger generation to put down the phones, stop chasing the "next hot bar," step out of the curated aesthetic, and learn to be messy, vulnerable, and fully present on a sweaty dance floor.It is an hour-plus full of storytelling, deep music history, and a beautiful reminder that when the right music hits your body, you are exactly where you belong.Connect with Sir Queen:Instagram: @theSirQueen (DM for bookings, track IDs, and residency schedules)Catch him spinning exclusive vinyl cuts at Nighthawk, or headline his signature queer dance party, THICC, running every second Friday at Woody’s KC (9:00 PM to close).Support the Relaunch:Keep the underground alive, check out our local KC safe space directory, and stream every episode at unboxedkc.org.
