There’s a new Bad Judy in town, and she’s armed with multiple instruments, a dynamite voice and looks for days: all hail Mercy Be! [Cover photo: Monte Photeaux]
Thotyssey: Mercy, hello! Thanks for chatting! You’ve had a pretty busy summer so far it seems, including a Pride performance with Village Person Randy Jones and the Bad Judies! How did that go?
Mercy Be: Hello! It has been a pretty busy summer, indeed. Performing with Randy Jones and The Bad Judies was so surreal, and a moment I will not soon forget. It happened to be on the very pier on which the Village People recorded the music video for “YMCA,” so to get to perform that song with an original member of the band in that location on Pride weekend was very symbolic and memorable!
Literally iconic! Are you fully, or honorarily, a Bad Judy now? The Judies, of course, are an all drag, live instrument and harmonies group that we can find weekly at Red Eye and the Ice Palace.
I am fully a Bad Judy! I am still new to the band, so there are still dates that I’m not able to join them, but more and more we Judies are performing as a 4-piece band at Red Eye, Ice Palace and beyond!
I see you bring the saxophone and violin to the mix. That’s so cool! Can you play other things?
Yes! I sing and a play a little keys, but sax and violin are my main instruments. I started violin when I was four, and sax when I was ten.
Where are you from, and was music a family thing or entirely your own thing?
I’m originally from the Pocono Mountains, PA. I got into music because of my dad, who is also a musician. My grandparents were also musicians, so it is very much a family legacy that has passed down through the generations. I grew up watching my dad play fiddle in his band, and he always had such a stage presence and connection to the crowd. I’ve wanted to do the same for as long as I can remember, though doing it in drag has been my own little twist on the family legacy!
Were you also in bands growing up? And did you ever record original music?
I grew up playing a lot of classical music in band and orchestra, and I eventually branched out into jazz and composition. I’ve composed and recorded music for multi-media projects as well as live cabaret acts, mostly instrumental. I would love to eventually get into writing songs with my own lyrics, but most of my experience has been with instrumental music and covers.
Who are some of your musical inspirations, in jazz or pop or classical or otherwise?
Oh where do I begin!? Right now I’m really into Prince, and have been working some of his music into my act. Some other names at the top of my list are Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Céline Dion, ABBA. I also love traditional jazz standards, and also Celtic and bluegrass fiddle music. I grew playing a lot by ear, and I was always very drawn to traditional Irish and bluegrass music. Beyond that, I’ve always been a bit obsessed with John Williams. His music is the soundtrack of my childhood, and is a major inspiration for me as a musician. So, a little bit of this, a little bit of that!
How did you become Mercy Be, and a New Yorker?
I moved to NYC in 2018 to get into the music scene, and quickly became enamored with the amount of opportunity there was–not only to perform, but to see other great artists perform. From there I dipped my toes into the cabaret world, the comedy world, and eventually the drag world. I made it my mission to witness every genre of performance I was remotely interested in.
During the pandemic, I had the time on my hands to really step back and think about what I really wanted to explore the most. Up until then I had played music and done improv comedy, but a part of me had always wanted to try drag. So I started experimenting with wigs and makeup in quarantine. I was living in Washington Heights with two close friends from high school at the time who had always encouraged me to try drag based on my personality, so I tried it in the comfort of my own apartment.
Fast forward to 2023, I had moved to Astoria, just down the street from the local gay bar Albatross, at which I quickly became a regular. The bar announced that they were hosting a drag debutante ball for first time drag queens, and I decided immediately to sign up, though I hadn’t come up with a name yet. I was performing regularly with a song-writer friend of mine, Jackson Sturkey, in the cabaret scene. One of his songs was stuck in my head that week, which included repetitions of the phrase “mercy be!” I wrote it down on my list of potential names, which I wanted to have a timeless connotation–after some deliberation, that’s the name that stuck! So I performed as Mercy Be for the first time at Albatross’ Debutante Ball hosted by Angela Mansberry, and the rest is history!
I find that younger pop music fans are relatively unfamiliar with live instrumentation… although I guess you can argue that the massive popularity of Taylor Swift is bringing that back somewhat. As a multi-talented musician, I bet you’d really like to see Da Kidz start to appreciate the live band experience more.
Oh yes, it is deeply encouraging to see younger people appreciate live musicians with instruments! Its also always great to see the reactions of people when they hear a pop song being covered by live musicians… especially in drag!
You mentioned that you’ll be with the Bad Judies regularly at Red Eye (Mondays) and the Ice Palace (Thursdays). What’s your favorite number to do with them?
Hmmm thats a tough one…I’d have to say either our rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch,” or our mashup of “Come Clean” and “Rain on Me.”
And this is cool: folks can have a solo Mercy experience this Saturday, with your pop up show “Sax, Drags & Violins” at Albatross!
Yes, they sure can! I’m so excited to do this show at the bar where it all began! There will be live violin and sax, singing, hilarious lip sync mixes, games, and a great time.
What else is coming up for you?
I’ll be joining The Bad Judies again a few weeks, and hopefully continuing to develop my solo show… so stay tuned for updates!
Werk! Okay, finally: what’s your single favorite item in your drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
Ooh, good question! I’d have to say my Pride hanky robe I got from Butch Kweens. It’s a beautiful flowing robe made of different color of bandanas. It’s such a vibrant garment with so much fabric, and I always feel fabulous in it!
Thanks, Mercy!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Mercy Be’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.
Thotyssey 
Yay!! Great article! Can’t wait to see you ❤️
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