Intro
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200. Jarvis Derrell
The live singing fashionista with the comic flair first caught everyone’s attention as a social media star, but gradually proved their merits as a live stage entertainer and engaging party host as well. These nights, Jarvis can be found hosting Monday night karaoke at Playhouse, as well as a weekly cabaret “Drama Club” at Red Eye (with co-host Ty Evans and accompanist Yasuhiko Fukuoka). They’re also hosting It’s Him’s Thursday night affair with DJ Alex Cohen, and is just generally being fabulous wherever they’re at.
199. Nancy NoGood & Reina NoBuena
The delightful mother / daughter drag duo were up to all sorts of good and buena this year, featured in a Time Out New York cover article over the summer and hosting the weekly show “Flamboyance” at Someday Bar in Brooklyn. Daughter Reina popped up in a number of Brooklyn shows and competed in “Are You the Ultimate Diva” in August, while mom Nancy co-hosted Dromedary’s longest running event–a Sunday brunch–with Emi Grate, and emceed this year’s Mx. Nobody pageant which Reina also competed in.
198. Blue Rose Royalty
The alarmingly pretty young DJ spins pop, house, and more at popular dance parties like Susanne Bartsch’s “On Top” and Ty Sunderland’s “Ty Tea.” He’s also no stranger to the booths of 3 Dollar Bill and The Rosemont, and currently heads his own monthly “Checkmate” at Phoenix Bar in the East Village.
197. Reese Havoc
If you found yourself drawn into the possibilities of what Cole Escola’s off Broadway, super fictionalized Mary Todd Lincoln comedy Oh, Mary! could be long before it became the very on-Broadway sleeper hit, you likely came across some of the brilliant online marketing posts of New York City Center’s social media sorceress Austin Spiro. with a succinct yet off-kilter verbal and visual humor that speaks directly to the social media generation, it’s no shock that Austin’s drag alter ego Reese Havoc is also becoming a major star on the scene as well. Already a Glam Best Comedy Performer nominee in 2023, Reese is a favorite choice of nightlife colleagues and producers to feature in their major 3 Dollar Bill productions and is the co-host with Hanukah Lewinsky of the hit show “The Simple Life” every other week at VERS in Hell’s Kitchen.
196. Roqué
The DR native has been an NYC queen since 2018, and her star power has been rising ever since. Currently she hosts “Shows” every Friday at Good Judy and is one of Vena Cava’s rotating co-hosts for The Rosemont’s Glam nominated ‘byLatinQueers.” She’s also added her certain flavor to a number of Brooklyn ensemble shows, and hosted the birthday roast of Catrina Lovelace in July.
195. The Bush
The primarily sapphic space opened in Bushwick April 2023 care of owners Jenille Nikke Alleyne and Justine LaViolette, shooting holes into the national “death of lesbian bars” narrative and becoming an instant success. Featuring a programming calendar of game and craft nights, karaoke, meet-ups and dance parties utilizing an impressive roster of seasoned and up-and-coming queer femme DJs, The Bush is calling on the kids to be both sexy and social… and the scene is much the better for it.
194. Anthony Fett
One of the queer bar and theater scene’s most prolific cabaret artists, Anthony is a draw for Monster Bar’s upstairs crowd thanks to his weekly “Open Mic Piano Party” featuring pianist Yasuhiko Fukuoka as well as heading the “Stonewall All-Stars” monthly showcases across the street. He once again hosted the essential Stonewall viewing parties for the Oscars and the Tonys with favorite co-ho Lavinia Draper, and ended 2024 on a festive note with his Gayer Than Christmas showcase at The Triad Theater.
193. Lori Lu
The Mexican born AFAB drag performer and producer continues to smash folks’ preconceptions of who can do drag and how one should do drag. In ’24 she revealed an impressively advanced skill set regarding her drag looks and performances, putting together a dynamite package that won her the “Miss Big Adam’s Apple 2024” national prelim pageant title in November. Lori also knows how to put a great show cast together, as her Wednesday “Femme House” (sometimes “Masc House”) showcase at Playhouse Bar proves.
192. Dean Dante
The producer (formerly with drag queen Suddenly Audrey, now solo) and main attraction of cruisy kinkfest / fetish fantasy “Leather & Lace,” Dean has overseen the sexy event take shape in several incarnations across multiple venues: Rockbar, Red Eye and VV Bar primarily. And he looks fantastic while doing it!
191. Marcia Marcia Marcia
If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen much of this Drag Race Season 15 (2023) slayer–who fought in one of the franchise’s most celebrated lip sync battles–this year, it’s because you live pretty exclusively in the Drag Bubble (no shade, we spend most of our time there too). Marcia’s alter ego, musical theater dynamo Marty Lauter, has been quite busy playing the role of Victor in the current immersive Broadway production of Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre; they’re also the understudy for the lead character of the Emcee, and have performed in that capacity a number of times. Marcia did come out for a twirl as part of Camp Classic’s Brooklyn Halloween show; no doubt we will see her again soon enough,
190. Harriet Tugsmen
Mx. Rockbar 2023’s outrageously funny numbers and deadpan improv stage presence lend themselves to a number of weeklies and monthlies: “Skinny Brunch” at Hardware (with Chola Spears), “Voyeurs” at Icon (with Boxa Crayonz), “We The People” at Albatross, “Friendly Black Hotties” (with Ratchét Marseilles) and “Noodz” (with Alotta McGriddles and company) at Rockbar, as well as pop-up moments across the city.
189. Jolina Jasmine
Extreme beauty alert! Also: glamorous looks (yet unafraid to turn it out in the occasional Thanksgiving turkey costume), dance prowess and just general delightfulness. The former Miss Paradise (2016 & 2021) maintains a presence at the Asbury Park venue as their longtime Tuesday night bingo hostess, and crosses the river to join sis Bootsie LeFaris Thursday nights at Balcon and occasional Saturday nights at Pieces.
188. Justin Vivian Bond
It’s hard to imagine a more authentic NYC queer nightlife experience than a Mx. Vivian cabaret show. The captivating singer and dry comic wit who has been an iconic entertainment figure for decades had an unusually abundant presence at her home base of Joe’s Pub throughout the year, staring in a number of themed cabarets of her own production. With a voice and presence that’s both old school and cutting edge at the same time, Vivian is someone you need to continue to watch and hear and learn from in 2025.
187. Boxa Crayonz
Last year’s “Pantheon” premiere season winner at Icon and this year’s Mx. Cantina (via Fresco’s annual pageant), Boxa has certainly proven that they’re a fierce performer in competitive environments. They also bring that meticulously thought-out producer brain, along with their their ability to perform deftly as a drag king, queen and anything in between with equal gusto, to their frequent gigs as well. Boxa currently co-hosts “Voyeurs” at Icon with Harriet Tugsmen, where the pair screen, comment on and perform numbers in relation to a movie of the month. Boxa also works several times a week in multiple locations across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn… there’s lotsa Boxa to go around.
186. Hanukah Lewinsky
A very funny comedy queen with very current references, Hanukah and her sis Reese Havoc pull very big crowds with their twice monthly “A Simple Life” at VERS (they also both emceed a leg of the Bushwig concert in November, and were 2024’s Glam winning Best Duo). With other gigs from earlier this year including a Drag Race viewing party in the Financial District, a weekly with Julie J at Playhouse and a tea dance at Balcon plus tons of 3 Dollar Bill large cast show appearances, Hanukah is spreading Light across the whole city. And FYI, she is the first and now only queen to shoot a Glam Award nomination announcement video in a Party City!
185. BibleGirl
This iconic queen surfaced during the first Brooklyn drag boom with way-out-of-the-box numbers, trademark elements to her looks, branding aptitude and a pioneering online dominance. These talents all led to the rise of her mega internet enterprise DragQueenMerch.com, a notoriously rocky relationship with Drag Race production company World of Wonder, and a move to Los Angeles that seemed it would be quite permanent. But as of this year, she’s back! Originally set to host shows in the Financial District’s Lilly’s Bordello before that venue’s abrupt closure, Bible now co-hosts Friday and Saturday shows at Brooklyn’s Macri Park. Still in a constant state of travel, we have no doubt we’ll be seeing more of her when she’s ready.
184. Jayse Vegas & Robert Garcia
Best friends and two of NYC’s most known queer indie recording artists and nightlife performers at a time where drag is still super dominant in the scene, Jayse and Robert currently co-host the monthly showcase “Drop the Mic” at Sandy Jacks in Brooklyn. Previouslt they both co-hosted the weekly “House Party” at Rebar and a singing competition “Gender Bender” at C’mon Everybody earlier in the year. Now they’re heading into January ’25’s Glam Awards with a nomination each (Jayse for Best Male Performer, Robert for Best Vocalist). Last year Robert starred in a memorable episode of MTV’s Help I’m In a Secret Relationship (detailing her relationship with Lyn Brooks and featuring a vivid cameo from Jayse) and showed just how compelling a personality she was, in addition to being a mind-blowing vocalist who we hear is currently working on new music. Jayse–one of the hardest working hustlers in the scene–dropped The Gay Agenda 2 over the summer; the EP showcases both his maturity and playfulness as well as a fantastic cast of collaborators. Jayse and Robert are really fun to watch and listen to both together and separately; they are proof that live music thrives in the scene, and that there are more experiences out there for us all to have in nightlife besides drag shows and sex parties (with love to both, of course).
183. Boyish Charm
This Bronx-born Drag Queen Turned DJ But Still Drag Queen won the Best DJ Glam Award in both 2023 and 2024, and continues to be a valuable edition to any show both on the stage and in the booth. For a weekly Boyish fix, catch her spinning Brooklyn’s most popular Monday night open stage show “Mad Mondayz” at Metropolitan.
182. Sandy Jack’s
Queer owned and operated since Michael Thayer and Kevin Valenza opened the Greenwood Heights bar in 2021, Sandy Jack’s has been catering to the whole community while also gradually becoming more of a queer identified venue over the years. It’s always been a spot where everyone can go to chill, play pool and sing karaoke, and Sandy’s weekly trivia nights are a wildly popular appointment for many. But gradually drag and other queer entertainers have been filling up their programming calendar, creating stars out of up-and-comers like Vampy Von Thickums Galore, Bertha Vanayshun and Afrosephone Applegate. “Battle of the Jacks” has become an important Brooklyn drag competition, “Drop the Mic” with Jayse Vegas and Robert Garcia is one of the few shows where you can catch recurring queer indie music artists, and Sorayah D’s “Trans Joy” is a unique showcase for trans artists. Jack’s has also hosted several benefits for queer causes and individuals this year. It’s time for us all to get to know Jack about Sandy Jack’s!
181. Amber Valentine
When Amber is in the booth, you know the kiki’s got style both visually and sonically. She’s the resident DJ /producer for the weekly “Misster” at The Woods as well as the seasonal monthly “PAT Party” (with JD Samson) at Union Pool, and otherwise DJs several Susanne Bartsch affairs including “On Top” at Le Bain throughout the year.
180. Natalie Carrera, Pietra Parker & Fonda Koxx
The luxurious trio came together every Friday at HUSH Bar in HK for the fan favorite show “Reinas,” but were busy separately as well. Pageant beauty Natalie was crowned Señorita Colombia Oneida Trans 2024 (sweeping all categories) and has since stepped back from “Reinas” to make way for DD Fuego; Pietra is the resident host of Diogo Ambrosio’s weekend Brazilian circuit parties at Rebar Chelsea while maintaining a strong connection with Brazilian fans both online and in person; and Fonda is a frequent guest and newly hired hostess of Kween’s Saturday brunch in Astoria while working as a dedicated mental health advocate.
179. Marilyn Maye
Being a celebrated jazz singer in the ’60’s and a frequent TV guest of Johnny Carson and Steve Allen could’ve been enough for any performer as far as “peaking,” but at 97 years old Ms. Maye appears to be more popular and busy than ever. Still singing with strength and poignance and charming the audience with stories and style, in ’24 Marilyn delighted audiences with several nights of shows at 54 Below and a much praised one-off at The Ice Palace. She was a Jim Owles Gay Pride Gala award recipient, directed a few cabaret productions starring other artists, and continues to work as a voice teacher. The legend lives on and continues to inspire future generations; we can’t wait to see what Marilyn is up to on her 197th.
178. Ari Kiki
One of our great comedy queens of the past decade who’s elevated “casual drag attire” to a stunning art form, the Shade Parade podcaster and mother of the Haus of Kiki maintains ties to her home base Stonewall via her monthly “Tee-Hee” showcase. She’s also become something of a Chelsea institution thanks to her Friday night basement karaoke (and seasonal Drag Race viewing parties) at Gym Bar.
177. Boomer Banks
The queer adult content overlord and actual pornstar with legendary physical attributes has lent his name and talent to many projects over the years–hosting the biggest parties in the scene, running his own fashion brand, starring in two seasons of OUT TV’s porn-centric reality show X-Rated: NYC, and featuring in what might be every music video put onto YouTube by your favorite local drag queen or queer indie artist. In 2024 Boomer’s become prolific in yet another field: DJing. He’s played the booth at Red Eye for several events now, as well as the occasional night at 3 Dollar Bill, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade afterparty, and even the nights at the Fire Island Pines.
176. The Big Girlz
The seductively thick foursome —Vampy Von Thickums Galore, Lanyé Armön, Frida Cox and Olympia–took the drag world by storm when they formed this talented supergroup in 2024 that performs weekly at Playhouse and monthly at Icon and Fresco’s, and were even Get Out Magazine covergirls in September. Individually, they’ve made quite the impact as well: Vampy hosts a monthly show at Sandy Jacks, Lanye joins producer Lucifer for weekend HK parties at Balcon and Boxers, Frida co-hosts both Sunday Toro Loco brunch with Jessica Rose and “Cox-Tail” at Balcon with Virginia Thicc, and Olympia frequently starred in Sunday night shows at Icon.
175. Lola Michele-Kiki
Can you believe our Haus of Kiki high kicker was gonna walk away from drag in 2024!? After about four months of hosting “ThursDate” at Pieces Bar, Lola headed out to bartend sans drag at Cherry’s on the Bay in Fire Island–and when she returned to NYC at season’s end she started pouring spirits at The Dickens with another queen who decided to hang up her wig after that FI season, Petti Cash. But as the Drag Gods are wont to do, Lola got pulled back in… but this time she’s having fun as Ruby Roo’s Frisky Fridays co-host at Pieces, and a monthly show hostess at Stonewall as well.
174. Antonio Cedeno
The gogo boy turned nightlife producer has found a new home base for his cruisy brand: Red Eye in Hell’s Kitchen, which housed many of circuit parties and after hour affairs this year. He’s also done stuff at the Pines Pavilion and Club Lambda, and currently is part of the “Nova Mondays” production team at The Copacabana in Manhattan.
173. Maddelynn Hatter
NYC’s long-reigning spooky queen has hung up her fangs for now, at least in regards to weekly drag with the conclusion of her “Mother” showcase / competition at Hush in July. She does continue to be a favorite (and Glam nominated) wig stylist to the other drag stars of the city, and during Halloween Month embarked on the successful “Banshee” mini-tour with fellow Dragula alums and sisters in horror Vander Von Odd, Louisianna Purchase and Evah Destruction.
172. Jasmine Kennedie
A star of RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Covid-complicated Season 14 (2021), audiences and fellow contestants alike slowly fell in love with Jasmine’s sincerity, quirky fashions and dance talent, and were enthralled by her highly emotional on-screen moment coming out as trans. Since then, Jasmine has been in a mutually delightful relationship with the Drag Race franchise: joining their Vegas live revue for a long run, lip sync assassinating Jimbo on All Stars 8, and hosting viewing parties for later seasons at Hardware Bar as part of her Izzy Uncut co-hosted show “Fantasy.”
171. The Dickens
Celebrating its second year of operations in Hell’s Kitchen, The Dickens has proved itself to be a popular alternative to its drag-centric and cruisy dive neighbors thanks to a kitschy-yet-classy decor, multi-tiered setup, fancy cocktail and food menus, a pleasant and pleasant-looking bar staff and a charming rooftop summer layout. Operated and owned by PMac’s Hospitality (a company that owns several local restaurants including Haswell Green’s) alum Bryan Hannon, The Dickens is as safe and least embarrassing a place as you can find in this city to bring your office friends or extended family for a pleasant yet still perfectly gay experience. The venue is light on programming save a bingo brunch hosted by Jacklynn Hyde and some pop-up events, but sometimes a low key rooftop summer vibe is what a bitch wants and needs.
170. Andrew Barret Cox
The multitalented singer, songwriter, performer, designer and event producer has found the perfect platform to basically combine all of these skills: Apocalypse Noir, a vehicle featuring an ensemble of recurring and guest performers that showcase elaborate costumes and soaring vocals and dark sexy energy, currently every Monday night at Balcon. Andrew is also the longtime resident emcee of Hot Rabbit events, and a Glam Award nominee as well.
169. Steve Sidewalk
New York nightlife can’t hold too tightly to it’s treasures! DJ Steve Sidewalk has been making a name for himself in venues across the country, these past few years especially. Locally he’s keeping the party alive Wednesdays at The Ritz, Thursdays and Sundays at Rise Bar, and frequently at Paradise and Feathers in his native New Jersey.
168. Ricardo Tavares
The Brazilian born producer of kinky kiki “HARDER” since its 2015 creation that currently resides at 3 Dollar Bill as well as the monthly “ConTEAnental” tea dance at Body By Brooklyn, Ricardo has also recently become more visible as a DJ for these events as well. He also debuted a new party this year, the 9am-starting “Morning Glory” monthly at Banya Bath Club.
167. Heidi Haux
There are many OG drag traits that this queen honors: engaging audiences directly, using actual elements of surprise and out-of-the-box references in her shows (we once gasped when we beheld Julia Roberts’ alarming “cum” dialog from Closer brilliantly acted by Heidi in one of her mixes). 2024 marked another year of her hosting the “Get Happy Hour” which brings devoted regulars and curious walk-ins to Pieces Bar every Saturday. Ms. Haux also keeps the bridal parties ecstatically entertained as part of the Lips Bar & Restaurant cast four nights a week.
166. Switch n’ Play
The grounds breaking Brooklyn drag / burlesque troupe have been doing their thing via several incarnations (currently Divina Gransparkle, The Illustrious Pearl, K. James, Miss Malice, Nyx Nocturne, Vigor Mortis and Zoe Ziegfeld) since 2006, and have gotten so popular and celebrated that they were able to play Lincoln Center last year. Currently they enjoy a popular monthly revue at Littlefield as well as one-offs at Coney Island USA; members of SnP can also be found performing with their sis Sasha Velour in her “Nightgowns” shows occasionally.
165. Boyyyish
Aw! If good time energy had a human battery, it would be Boyyyish. The forever young DJ leant his sonic skills to parties at 3 Dollar Bill, Le Bain, House of Yes, Animal, Jupiter Disco, Phoenix Bar, C’mon Everybody, Good Room and more… all while maintaining a digital presence on The Lot Radio.
164. Yuva
DJ DynAmite’s Desi / Bollywood party was birthed at Bamboo 52 a decade ago, and really evolved into an important brand in recent years. With a home base at Red Eye and other important events at The Dickens, Rebar, The Ice Palace and The Laurie Beechman Theatre, Yuva is providing a much needed spirit, flavor and representation for New York nightlife.
163. Brie Bordeaux
Part of Manhattan’s lovely and lethal drag troupe The Assassins, Brie’s extraordinary athleticism, choreo showgirlship and hot girl vibe lend themselves well to any stage she’s flying across. Her longest running show has been “Chaotic” (formerly “Bionic”) at Hardware which she hosts Saturdays with Stasi; she also was part of the three-girl “Cruel Intentions” cast which had it’s last home at the now-defunct Spot, and has recently started up “Halftime Show” at Boxers HK with one of her “Cruel” co-hosts Christine Dior.
162. JMV
Long known in the scene as an adorbs gogo dancer, the current drag and burlesque performer is now championed as a HIV / AIDS awareness advocate and for presenting programming to the bars that’s a shade different from the usual drag presentations. In 2024 JMV brought their sexy and campy flavor to the Laurie Beechman Theatre (both as part of the Lucky Chengs drag brunch cast and for special one-offs), Red Eye, Hardware, VERS and 3 Dollar Bill among other venues. They performed for “Night of 1000 Stevies” at Irving Plaza, were a regular returning act at Troupe429 in Connecticut, acted with the cast of Nora Burns’ The Village: A Disco Daydream at SoHo Playhouse, and co-produced the massive “Miss Hell’s Kitchen” pageant that benefits Cycle for the Cause. All while titillating the children with prime social media content!
161. ShowPonii
The latest Best Drag King winner at the Glam Awards has some formidably complex and dazzling makeup skills and show numbers, both colorful and chaotic (but often with signature clown white mug and prominent stache). He’s definitely a performer who can lead the next generation of drag folks and their fans to the next level. In 2024 Showponii became part of the core cast of C’mon Everybody’s popular drag party “Fagnet,” recurred as a monthly performer in Bertha Vanayshun’s “Jack-Offs” at Sandy Jacks, and co-hosted the also-monthly “Boiz Who Brunch” with Myster E. Mel Kiki at Fresco’s. Show’s also been a part of a ton of Brooklyn and Queens large cast shows, twirled on the Bushwig stage and hosted several installments of “Horsin’ Around” at Good Judy. We look forward to prancing with this Ponii into a bright 2025.
160. Thorgy Thor
One of the most idiosyncratic and endearing personalities to ever emerge from the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise (Season 8 in 2016, All Stars 3 in 2018), Thorgy’s original claim to fame had been mothering basically all of Brooklyn drag as we know it over a decade ago. Although she often comes off as a bit scatterbrained in some interviews and live stage moments, it takes a truly disciplined mind and steel work ethic to accomplish what she’s accomplished over the years: mastering the violin and leading entire orchestras while in drag (the “Thorchestra” has since become one of her signature showcases and has been conducted around the world with top symphonies), creating so many memorable TV moments both on Drag Race and the ensuing TLC docuseries Dragnificent, and keeping us constantly engaged with hilarious off-the-planet observations as a podcast or Pit Stop guest (anything she will ever say about recording artist Pink will be a viral moment forever). In 2024 Thorgy also hosted her annual Drag Race viewing party at BK Backyard, the 13th Annual Start Out Awards, Brooklyn stage shows dedicated to Real Housewives and the Willow Wonka Glasgow Experience fiasco, among other diverse events. This Brooklyn Drag Mom ain’t ready to abandon us at the bus stop just yet… or so we hope!
159. Kevin Aviance
Sometimes we in New York queer nightlife can forget how much we owe the look, sound, style and substance that make up what our community is today to this icon of ballroom, drag and indie music. Fortunately we have teachers as reputable as Beyonce herself to help us remember; she sampled Kevin’s legendary 1996 anthem “Cunty” in her track ” ” for 2022’s dance / house / pop behemoth album Renaissance. The much deserved flowers have been tossed his way ever since, but never let one-off sampling distract you from the fact that Kevin remains a vital figure in the scene today. Whether he’s performing a live number for Sasha Velour’s “Nightgowns” or the Stonewall Brick Awards Gala, or dipping into his richly and diversely informed musical lexicon to DJ top parties across the city and the world, Kevin of the royal House of Aviance continues to discover new doors to open for the rest of us.
158. Phoenix Bar
The East Village epicenter for cruising cute college boys and pursuing pleasure with a hint of bohemian grit harkens back to the gay glory days of the ‘hood, but in that process the bar remained under the radar and largely unchanged for years. Then change did come with a recent shift in management and a colorful renovation, transitioning the bar in the website’s own words, “from ‘go-to dive’ to ‘be seen at destination.'” Phoenix now offers (and promotes!) a wide range of programming including a long-running trivia night, karaoke, drag shows, bingo, crafting, Drag Race viewings and sexy dance parties like Alotta McGriddles’ bear-centric “Bawdy” (formerly “Bear Naked”), DJ Blue Rose Royalty’s “Checkmate” and DJ Chauncey Dandridge’s “Neu-Stalgia.”
157. Griffin Maxwell Brooks
The college competitive diver turned social media superstar turned hot club DJ of the moment, having Griffin’s name on your party’s flyer all but guarantees it will be a capital-e Event. With killer high fashion looks and a sonic sound that sends the kids into a frenzy, Brooks served several “high profile secret warehouse” vibes, Fox Collective’s “Sweet Tooth” and “Alpine” at The Chocolate Factory, the “SERVE” benefit kiki for the Ali Forney Center and “”Forever Days” with SG Lewis both at Knockdown, several sessions of Bartschland’s “On Top” at Le Bain and some headlining nights at House of Yes, to just name a few 2024 local highlights–they’re quite world traveled as well.
156. Victoria Holiday
Victoria was having a Big New York Drag Year in 2024, with several high profile shows under her belt including two Stonewall Invasions… but then she packed it all up and took it with her back to her native Puerto Rico in September! In her wake, she left “ByLatinQueers,” the Thursday party at The Rosemont she co-founded with Vena Cava and others that continues to thrive. Victoria recently returned to host a leg of Bushwig and compete in “Are You the Ultimate Diva All-Stars”– hopefully she’ll be back again someday, but in the meantime we’ll have to settle for Insta thirst traps.
155. Stasi
It’s interesting–we think of her as totally a Manhattan queen these days, but when we checked our early interview with her we were reminded that she started out as sort of a Brooklyn bitch! Whatevs, she was certainly busy working in ’24, turning out high energy performances as a hostess at The Ritz, as Holly Dae’s featured co-star for the “Open Call” competition which now resides at Balcon, as one fourth of Hush Bar’s popular “CXNT” show cast, and as Brie Bordeaux’s weekly co-host for “Chaotic” at Hardware.
154. Untitled Queen
One of Brooklyn’s pioneering multimedia artistic queens, Untitled is just as likely to have a gallery presence today as she is a drag show moment. Those two worlds collided when she created and held the celebrated and now-Glam nominated “Untitled (Art Star)” competition at C’mon Everybody, which gave queer drag artists a platform to showcase more artistic presentations to themes. Untitled also took to the stage herself in productions like Tiresias’ “Bacchanal,” Pride Month’s “Loca 2000,” and of course Bushwig.
153. Xavier Mazara
One of New York’s most proven-killed and reliable drag show and dance party DJs, Xavier can currently be found scoring the city’s biggest drag revue “QUEEN” at Industry on Thursdays, and holding down the fort every Friday at The Ritz, among other weekly spots at Barracuda and Rise.
152. House of Yes
The dance and show venue in Brooklyn, while not a queer venue per se, is well regarded for incorporating drag as well as burlesque, circus and aerial acts into its mood board since it Kae Burke, Anya Sapozhnikova and partners opened it in 2015. HoY is also known for its strictly enforced “no harassment” policy, frequent Burning Man related programming and excellent sound system which enables the venue to host star DJs from all over the world to entertain the queers and non-queers alike.
151. Catherine Cohen
This writer and performer’s comedic material could remind you of everyone from Lena Dunham to Paris Hilton to Carol Burnett, before you realize that in fact she isn’t really like anyone else at all. A Catherine Cohen presentation usually pokes fun at Millennial language, delusion, self-aggrandizement and pop culture references with brilliance, either through standup or cabaret or original music or poetry. Nightlife first caught wind of Catherine (aka “Cat Cohen” for on screen credits) as the host of Club Cumming’s weekly “Cabernet Cabaret” back in the day, where her cult configured immediately. Her hilariously bizarre 2022 Netflix comedy special The Twist…? She’s Gorgeous brought her to another level of fame. 2024 saw her releasing an original album Overdressed (with many amusing corresponding music videos) and recurred as one of the Brothers Sisters director duo for the film-within-the-show of the fourth season of Only Murders in The Building. Despite this meteoric rise of success, Catherine still respects her roots and returned to host “Cabernet Cabaret” at Club Cumming often throughout the year.
Intro
#500-451 | #450-401 | #400-351
#350-301 | #300-251 | #250-201
#200-151 | #150-101 | #100-51
#50-1 | Previous tHOTlists
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