200) Bubbles D’Boob
Giving the children raucous numbers and leading them in some racy games in between voluminous clips of Broadway musicals is the key to Showtune Sundays’ success. Bubbles gleefully floated the show this year between REBAR and the Fire Island Pines Pavilion.
199) DJ OhRicky
From Pieces in the West Village to its sister bar Hardware in Hell’s Kitchen, Ricky provides the soundtracks to some of the biggest drag names in the city while giving you healthy(-ish) doses of Kylie Minogue and Eurovision in between the shows.
198) Pepto Dismal
From Cali comes this aesthetically outrageous drag queen and DJ, and Brooklyn has not been quite the same since. Catch her on stages or in DJ booths wherever drag goes wild, notably the monthly party Scrunch at The Dreamhouse.
197) Chandilier
New York’s tallest drag queen’s dry wit has been refined through years of performing for bachelorette parties at Lips. She also hosts “Shut Up, Chandi,” a cult favorite Monday night show at The Duplex.
196)
A classy supermodel one night and an avant garde monster the next, here is the perfect addition to The Rosemont’s Wednesday show OOPS’ lineup.
195)
Perhaps the best known gogo boy of this city’s bear events, John-John also produces popular nights in the scene like Rockbar’s Purgatory and a monthly Latin party at The Eagle, Piel.
194)
This year saw a Brooklyn Nightlife Award nom for Jen Urban & The Box, a powerhouse dance rock duo fronted by this colorful musician. Between recording new songs for the The Box, Jen DJs karaoke at Macri Park (she was additionally BNA-nominated as a DJ this year) and dance parties at Lady Stardust. There, she also hosts a monthly live music event called Torch.
193)
Sporting lewks that beholders can’t help but wonder how the hell anyone can move let alone walk in, club kid Linux is the true definition of how an artist can be their own work of art. Susanne Bartsch, Ladyfag and
have spawned colossal kikis where brilliant scene queens like Aquaria and Ryan Burke rule the realm… but if you’re not seeing Linux at these events (and even in that crowd, Linux is pretty hard to miss), it can’t be that great of a party. When Linux recently fell into a bit of undeserved legal trouble, their superstar nightlife friends came forward with a benefit kiki for the ages.
192) Julius’
The ancient gay bar has obviously played an important role in the long history of queer civil rights and culture. A neighborhood dive with tasty bar food on the surface, it actually hosts a pretty unique array of old school queer thinkers and artists. It’s also the home of John Cameron Mitchell’s monthly vinyl dance party Mattachine and its rabid cult following. Julius’ medieval interior appeared memorably in a scene from POSE, as well as the the film Can You Ever Forgive Me?.
191) Mother Juan Aviance
The House of Aviance’s founder focused a lot on the House’s record label this year, producing releases from ball scene legends
Coby Koehl and Jade Elektra. But Mother’s out with the children often enough, particularly while hosting Hex Hector’s monthly JUHLA at The Ritz, Christina Visca’s Birdcage at LeBain, or Ladyfag’s Battle Hymn.
190) Bobby Duron & Steve Cunningham
The dynamic DJ duo keep the beat going for the city’s best cruisy bear and muscle queen dance parties. Catch them together spinning disco, rock or deep house at Rockbar and Nowhere, or separately at The Cock and The Eagle.
189) Harajuku
Known as much now for her daring onstage stunts–live douching, drinking her own piss–as for her amazingly elaborate drag looks and electric dance performances–the Rosemont’s OOPS cast member has come to embody so much of what we expect, and don’t expect, from Brooklyn drag.
188) Black Widow
After months of making her name in the weekly competition circuit, this energetic dance queen ultimately hooked up with two large ensemble shows–The Bad Bitch Review at REBAR and TURNt at The Ritz–before ditching drag for a cruise ship dance gig.
187) Henrietta Hudson
Manhattan’s last standing lesbian bar is more of an institution then it ever was. With its deft DJs, sexy gogo girls and rockstar bar staff, Henrietta has found and made work that rare cultural niche: lesbian nightlife, every day of the week.
[Photo: Grace Chu}
186)
An exceptional performer who hosted her own show at The West End for several months, Vanna left the city for a stretch to star in a Woodstock production of La Cage. Since her recent return, she’s hosted her second Stonewall Invasion and made several other appearances.
185) Bella Noche
New York’s number one nautical queen is a good time gal and all around sweetie, hosting Game Night at Rockbar (where she made finals for 2018′s Miss Rockbar pageant) and her own web interview show courtesy of Facebook Live and Spoiled NYC, “Cocktails & Contours.” These days she’s also making a name for herself as part of Long Island’s blossoming drag scene.
184) Misty Mountains Davenport
A cheerful performer and funny mix maker, the newly christened Davenport (and our current reigning Miss Cherry Grove) gives you your best life monthly at Icon. Meanwhile, she’s also cocktail waitressing / guest performing for the Stonewall Invasions most Sundays.
183) Nicky Boom Box
Therapy, Hardware and Pieces’ old school pop DJ is known to vogue his way across the late night dance floor after he’s done dropping the soundtrack to that night’s drag shows. He recently joined Holly Box-Springs as her Sunday brunch DJ at Gallo Nero.
182)
Crystal Mesh
In a scene where sometimes drag performers can take themselves a tad too seriously, The Rosemont’s Crystal is a trailer park rodeo clown. Her cute song “My Cabana” earned her a Brooklyn Nightlife Award nomination, and she makes the audiences for her OOPS ensemble show chuckle with just a look. Crystal was also the perfect choice to host the monthly prelims of the Mx. Mont Rose comedy queen pageant this year.
181) House of Yes
The queer friendly Brooklyn nightclub owned by two young women continues to attract top DJ talent and offer some interesting alternatives to the routine: light shows, circus acts, live music, outlandish themes and more.
180)
The soulful, charming and fashionable singer played dozens of gigs throughout the city and beyond this year (including a return tour to his hometown of Texas) and proved himself to be a natural host with his own party at Rockbar, Teaze.
179) Deryck Todd
The hat mogul continues to keep Acme’s Tuesday night STRUT one of the hippest weekly soirees in the East Village, while making stuff happen at Bedlam as well.
178) Jasmin Van Wales
Patti LaBelle’s biggest fan and a legend in her own right (Zalika Parsons even honored her with a full installment of her “Legendary” show this year at Bizarre), this classy ball scene veteran and trans beauty is the current reigning (and possibly final) Miss Monster as of late 2017. Lady Jasmin stays doing shows with The Monster despite their recent difficulties, sits as a permanent judge in Stonewall’s weekly drag competition Polish The Queen, and continues to occasionally produce her own showcases at the WOW Cafe.
177) Angelica Sundae
Equal parts gothy and goofy, this Brooklyn queen and former House of Umpteen Corpses co-member Mini Horrorwitz make for an unbeatable onstage funny frightfest. Catch them together hosting a Sunday game night at Pizza Party or at various kikis across the borough, and see solo Angelica host bingo at Boobie Trap.
176) John Marto
A longtime favorite DJ at the Ritz (and other bars like Atlas), this year John along with Marti Gould Cummings were able to bring a new successful monthly back home to Jersey City–Talde’s Fortune Thursday. And for the adventurous, get in the know of his super secret, super sexy dark room affair SCUM that he produces with Steve Senobyte.
175) Ritzy Bitz
Hilarious in a recent all-drag, all-lip synched tribute to the TV show Scream Queens at Lps, New York’s most gymnastic queen (and the only one allowed to wear sneakers) is mostly a Brunch Bitch these days courtesy of La Pulperia: she hosts at the restaurant’s Midtown East location on Saturdays, and the HK version on Sundays. Oh, and how excited are we to hear Ritzy’s first single drop?
174)
The popular TNT queen nearly quit drag in frustration with the P.C. police, but this year rose from the dead to host a fun new monthly at The Rosemont, “It’s My Party” where every month is her birthday.
173)
When RuPaul said in an interview that she likely wouldn’t allow Pep to return to Drag Race for an All-Star season because Boobs–even though Peppermint was the first competing queen to come out as trans during the show–fans across the world went “Um...” But the OG New York entertainer gave us the best “thank u, next” in the history of that show’s legacy, becoming the first trans person to originate a role on Broadway courtesy of the medieval Go-Go’s romp Head Over Heels.
172) Gilda Wabbit
Whether she was giving us opera in ball gowns or bangee in ripped fishnets, there is no doubt that this fan favorite queen left her mark on the city. Beginning with shows in Astoria sister bars Albatross and Icon and ever-increasing her visibility throughout Manhattan, starring in a subway meme, hosting cabarets, performing in Nightgowns with Sasha Velour… it was all a star-making formula. Since getting hitched and returning to her native Kentucky (and quickly becoming an important queer drag presence there), Gilda’s been back here with such surprising frequency it’s almost like she never left, thankfully.
171) Zarria Van Wales Powell
Knowing her to be a true professional and likable person, nightlife immediately rallied to her side when Zarria released a Facebook Live video condemning Vodka Soda Bottoms Up owner Richie Friendley for allegedly calling her a racial slur while accusing her of drink theft (a charge she denied). VSBU still hasn’t quite recovered from that bad publicity, but Zarria has gone on to slay guest spots and competitions while landing her first weekly hosting gig at the new Boxers Washington Heights on Saturday nights.
170) Greg Scarnici
The SNL associate producer has been letting his rainbow flag fly for a few years now–both on screen with some hilarious YouTube videos, and in the DJ booth for parties at the Fire Island Pines and a seasonal monthly tea dance at The Monster. This year, one of his hilarious YouTube creations became a star in her own right… Levonia Jenkins premiered her very own stage show Gender Fluids that opened at the Beechman and spread like herpes to stages across the land.
169) Antonio Cedeno
This long-time nightlifer and uber-tatted ex-gogo boy promotes / hosts a lot of huge events in the city, and produces his own hit thotfest Male Room at REBAR.
168)
The artist formerly known as Laé D. Boi performs almost entirely in self-penned, live performed rap, and has made a name for themselves hosting two polar opposite events: Reparations, a roving revue celebrating Brooklyn’s diverse POC queens, and The Rosemont’s Annie Mae, a geeky kiki paying homage to anime and related nerdosity. The stylish Blvck has also taken the reins of Macri Park’s monthly benefit show Wallbreaker and a monthly spoopfest there called Ghoul School, while hosting monthly parties at Dromedary Urban Tiki Bar.
167) Linda Simpson
Thank Goddess Linda liked taking photos during the Manhattan drag boom of the late 80s-early 90s. Today she’s one of the main amateur historians of that scene, and her recent slideshow
The Drag Explosion
compiled from that collection made for a fun and informative night at WILD Project. And while choosing to distance herself from the fray of bar lip synching and sticking to what she does best–hosting and storytelling at Le Poisson Rouge’s Friday and Saturday bingo nights–she did join her legendary drag sisters on stage for Lady Bunny’s Woodstock reunion.
166)
The longtime hostess of Suite’s Saturday night party and several Jersey gigs had a Moment in 2018. She won the Miss Latinissima crown at Club Mandala, and the first season finale of Polish The Queen at Stonewall. She also got a fun new gig at POSH doing Wednesday night pop-up shows with her drag sister Kristy Blaze, and several other Manhattan gigs followed.
165) Viva Vidalia
This voluptuous queen’s got it all: she’s funny, she dances up a storm, she’s got mad fashionz and designs for many other queens, and she’s equal parts warm and savage. And it now seems that the world’s is finally figuring this all out. RIght now Viva hosts Friday nights at Rockbar, a new Thotyssey-produced Tuesday night variety show at Bedlam, and a karaoke hosting gig Wednesdays at Boxers HK. She’s also a regular guest for Shuga Cain’s Hardware show, and no doubt more milestones are coming her way in 2019.
164) Eugene Edo
One of Manhattan’s busiest DJs (he worked 30 straight nights this year!), you can catch Eugene throughout the week at The Ritz, Barrage, Atlas, REBAR, Therapy, and God knows where else!
163) Sasha Velour
First of all, how burned-in-your-brain-forever was Diego Montoya’s alien stepdown gown she rocked for the Drag Race Season 10 finale? Yeah. The renown queen helped trailblaze the Brooklyn drag-as-art movement before showing the world how far the form can be taken with her Drag Race win, and she returned to NYC for several key performances this year–most notably for installments of her multimedia concert series Nightgowns. And did you see that crazy old-timey video she made at Bizarre Bushwick with Peppermint and her Brooklyn sisters? Yeah!
162) Jasmine Kennedie
Clearly a rising star of the scene, Mancie Mandell’s drag daughter and FIT’s latest pageant winner is supermodel gorgeous, dance-tastic and already Insta-famous. For now, catch her making all the children live and die on late Wednesday nights at The Ritz with the bitchin’ drag revue TURNt.
161) Zenobia
One of Brooklyn’s most exciting dance queens has also found recent success with DJing various shows and parties in that borough. By day, Zenobia’s a high profile supporter of Drag Queen Story Hour.
160) Michael Magnan
The veteran club DJ remains a favorite beatmaster of Ladyfag for parties like her monthly Battle Hymn. Lately he also joins forces with JT Almon as the DJ duo FNV (Fruits-N-Vegetables) for nights at Glendale’s Nowadays, and spins the monthly party Nookie (with its fun B-Movie retro posters) alongside Cameron Cooper.
159) Rise Bar
John Blair, Beto Sutter and Ted Arenas’ thot factory still Brings the Bougie, but also boasts some great DJs, two killer drag shows (Piss Myles & Jasmine Rice for Messy Mondays, Marti Gould Cummings with Brenda Dharling & Bootsie LeFaris on Legend Wednesdays), and a seasonal singing competition that many people love (Rising Star). Also, bae bartenders of course.
158)
This tall and cheery queen from the Apple Farm co-hosts a brunch in Astoria’s Fresco’s Cantina with Gloria Swansong on Sundays, and has her own monthly show at The West End. For several months she appeared with friend Tucker Murray as cabaret duo Two Tuckers at The Duplex, and a Golden solo cabaret premieres there in December.
157) Crimson Kitty
One of the world’s original and best AFAB queens, Crimson taught us that technically anyone could “do” drag, but a true queen puts in the work and the werk. After disbanding her troupe Ladyqueen, Miss Kitty made the world her litterbox with shows all over the country, and fun hometown gigs like the recent “Villains” revue at Stonewall. And on top of all that, she finally received her very first pageant crown: Miss Nerd!
156)
A self-taught sorceress of costumes and makeup who can give you the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, or the dead ringer of your favorite celebrity diva, or a detailed monster from your worst nightmares, Andora’s been something of cherished NYC secret. That is, until she went and became our city’s first ever winner of the national Miss Gay America pageant in 2018. Now we must share her superstardom with the world!
155)
Three fourths (along with DJ P_A_T) of what makes The Rosemont’s “Fake Nudes” a Brooklyn Nightlife Award-winning kiki, Tiffany Jones, Candy and Sookie Sterling are a flashy, flirty threesome that bring some heedless fun to BK nightlife. In late November they began hosting what will likely be the Next Big Blowout, “Studio” at 3 Dollar Bill.
154) POSH
The bar with an older crowd for happy hour that morphs into a younger dance party with top DJs each night remains a favorite destination for HK locals, who get into the 11pm free food (on some nights) and the hot-as-fuck bar staff (all nights). Wednesdays in 2018 featured a return of drag to the venue, currently featuring pop-up performances by Kristy Blaze and Octavia Onyae.
153) Annie Manildoo
This campy queen is nearly solely responsible for the current Long Island drag boom, with her careful selection of venues across the counties like Off Key Tikki, The Living Room and One Eye Jacks. Her well-curated show rosters include both budding local talent and borrowed girls from the city. Other busy queens emerging from LI include LaBelle, Ivy Stalls and Syn.
152) Morgan Royel
The longtime performer originated in the ball scene, and is now a fan favorite among the Lips Restaurant roster of drag queens. She also currently hosts “Do The Right Thing,” a hip hop party at The Ritz originated by her gurl Peppermint.
151) Shay D’Pines & Angel Elektra
Really, does any queen have as much infectious fun performing as these two? Keeping drag alive in their hometown of Yonkers with gigs at Guapo and The Alamo, the on-and-offstage pair can be found Acting The Fools in local venues as well: Rockbar, Queen Vic and Brooklyn’s Sycamore Bar this December they also debut as pageant hosts with the premiere Miss Q Train.
Thotyssey 