Intro
#500-451 | #450-401 | #400-351
#350-301 | #300-251 | #250-201
#200-151 | #150-101 | #100-51
#50-1 | Previous tHOTlists
450. Devo Monique
A dance diva who has scaled back a bit in 2024 after turning the party out for years in Brooklyn, Devo did have a bunch of highlights for the year including “Sissyfest” at Rubulad, a Rocky Horror shadowcast on the Pines with Loosey LaDuca, hosting “Body Hack” at Nowadays, a Kacey Musgraves tribute show and a Bushwig slot. Devo also worked on an autobiographical show Distant Blood that explored her struggles with health among other topics.
449. Davida Jones
No big surprise to see Davida sashed “Most Popular” at this year’s Miss Fire Island pageant. She’s become a fixture of the community thanks in part to her very individualistic take on drag makeup, wardrobe and comedic performance style. This past summer she was also a FI bingo hostess (care of Island Breeze), and still found time to headline two Stonewall Invasions.
448. Scarlett D. Von’Du
This pristine Kansas City-born dancer from the House of Von’Du is making a name for herself in NYC, largely through Daniel Gold’s “Leg Up on Life” elaborate showcases at Industry and Sony Hall. Scarlett also hosted a Drag Race viewing party at Boxers HK this year… no doubt preparing for own own moment in that franchise in the likely near or future.
447. Accident Report
A writer and content creator and NYC’s only remaining third of the original nightlife trio The Nobodies, Eric Shorey aka DJ Accident Report keeps the brand’s signature annual event thriving. “Mx. Nobody,” the very inclusive and entirely out-of-the-box Brooklyn pageant, celebrates talent and excellence in queer nightlife culture that doesn’t always get the proper flowers elsewhere. This year’s edition was another big success culminating in a crowned champion at Mercury Lounge in September. Accident also DJ’ed events at Dromedary like “Knick Knacks” and “Sex Change” throughout 2024.
446. Slagatha
It’s been Slagatha all along! This high concept glamor ghoul was hosting back to back weeklies on the same night (Thursday) in late summer Brooklyn: bingo at Macri Park, followed by the “And What About It?” party at sister bar Metropolitan down the street, which continues to this day.
445. Taína La Fina & Tella Novela
Despite different aesthetics and performing styles, these two queens represent Club Cumming well! Both perform there with sister Giardia the Parasite for the recurring show “Tres Leches.” Meanwhile Taína and Giardia were Brooklyn brunch queens at El Santo for much of the year and are still monthly “Frat Party” co-hostesses at Rockbar, while Tella joins Giardia every Sunday at Phoenix Bar for themed shows and events.
444. Jay Essex
The music enthusiast and busy NYC DJ spins parties and supports shows in venues like Balcon, Boxers HK and HUSH.
443. Lilith Moon
Sherry Poppins’ wacky, witchy drag daughter is a Queens native, and the hostess of Albatross’ monthly “Full Moon” underwear party.
442. Captain Wonder
The well-travelled, multiple Glam-nominated Dr. David “Captain Wonder” Howe has been sharing vital and viral clips of drag performances on his socials for some years now, capturing what makes the art form great… and occasionally harrowing.
441. Cholula Lemon
Perhaps best known for hosting monthly “Lotería Night” at C’mon Everybody, Cholula also turned out looks and numbers in major NYC events like 3 Dollar Bill’s Queer Arts Summerfest, Stonewall’s “No Place For Hate” benefit and Horrorchata’s annual springtime Selena Festival.
440. Luxury Bones & Andie Sleaze
The Brooklyn draglesque kinf duo came out swinging with third performer Selena Surreal as show production company Big Drama in 2024 with themed, large cast, mult-discipled revues in All Night Skate and Purgatory. Eventually the brand was put on hold as the three performers branched out into separate projects, but Luxury and Andie add unique and exciting elements to everything they take part in.
439. Drew Tessier
The veteren comic created a great opportunity for himself and his community when he founded the massive New York Queer Comedy Festival, a multi-teared event and competition that ultimately crowned Tim Murray the 2024 winner after a massive weekly showdown. Drew also runs a weekly queer comedy night at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club and hosts the Mostly Queer podcast across all major platforms.
438. Saint Ahmad
Ahmad appropriately titled his sexy August single “On Go,” because that’s been his state of being last year. Starting off 2024 with a fiery onstage performance at the Glam Awards (he was a nominee, too) and barreling through show dates that took him from Paris to WeHo, Ahmad is becoming an artist for the whole world to enjoy.
437. Mizzaddy
The multiple Glam nominated local burlesque star serves femme and butch, Puerto Rican beauty and old fashioned Vegas glitz with every split, dip and tassle twirl. You can find them performing in both burlesque and drag spaces throughout the city and beyond.
436. Blacc Cherry
A politically active Manhattan queen with a musical theater repertoire that includes both dance and live singing, Ms. Cherry hosted several shows at The Duplex in the West Village, a Drag Race viewing party up at Dive 106, and in June starred in a solo stage show at Green Room 42.
435. Red Lantern District
The sensual drag trio of Felicia Oh, Kekoa and Kanika Peach have been hosting this monthly-ish drag show and sexy party at Brooklyn’s stylish cocktail bar Red Pavilion, providing a safe yet provocative experience for queer Asian New Yorkers since 2023. Even TimeOut is gushing over them. You can also catch each of these girls twirling in parties and shows throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, but get Red Lantern District onto your calendar immediately.
434. C’etait BonTemps
Brooklyn’s “Pastel Priestexxx of Burlesque & Drag” performer and “Lavender Menace” merchant is a fascinating mainstay of nightlife performance, offering their own uniquely dark twist to the genre. This year alone, C’etait utilized that twist to perfection in C’mon Everybody tributes to alt-rock divas like Fiona Apple, Bjork, Tori Amos and Kate Bush.
433. Guilty Pleasures
A show DJ on the come-up, GP supports the drag gworlies and other entertainers in venues like VERS, Playhouse and Club Cumming.
432. Meat Puppet & Problem Child
Known for frequently appearing together in large cast shows in venues like Purgatory and All Night Skate, Mx. Puppet & Mx. Child are strong representatives of the artistry and eccentricity of queer geek culture and Brooklyn drag.
431. Spice Diamond
This Venezuelan vixen is quickly becoming a favorite of the new generation of drag show fans, having made flashy and high energy appearances in venues like Balcon, Boxers HK and Fresco’s Grand Cantina.
430. To Proudly Go
“A nonprofit that celebrates sci-fi, promotes the LGBTQIA+ community, and partners with important community causes to foster a kinder and better world,” To Proudly Go meets every Saturday at Barracuda Bar for screenings of the latest streaming Stark Trek property and Trek-themed drag variety shows starring Heather Wood, Godiva Romance, Jackson Juniper, Kailee Rose and DJ Cameron Cole with occasional geek goddess drop-ins like Flippe Kikee, Megami (see above photo) and Jackie Cox.
429. Magnus Riise
A Glam nominated singer / songwriter and co-host of the Mysteries of the Euroverse podcast, Norwegian born Magnus can also be found hosting a monthly Sunday queer music artist showcase at VERS called “Extended Play.”
428. Boiler Room
Boiler Room was the no frills, mega-hot gay dive during the height of the the 90s queer punk East Village scene. That alternative spirit was potent; God save the gay who played Gaga on their digital jukebox in their nearly 30 years-lasting 4th Street location, which after economic complications closed in April 2024. Fortunately, the bar was reborn on nearby 2nd Ave in June, and now boasts an additional sublevel available for private events. We haven’t vibe checked this new location yet, but we hear it’s delightfully similar to its first incarnation.
427. Lady Simon
Once a way out-of-the-box Brooklyn drag star, Lady Simon has long since reestablished herself as an in-demand DJ. These days you can find the Lady in Hell’s Kitchen supporting Balcon’s exciting “Apocalypse Noir” Monday night variety revue, and frequently DJing parties and shows at Boxers HK and Happyfun Hideaway as well.
426. Stella D’oro & Jus Jahlisa
The “Queen Mum for Project Achieve/Columbia University and the NYC HIV Vaccine Trials Network” Stella and longtime sis “Queen of Vaccine” Jahlisa remain powerful health advocates and allies for the queer community, and will undoubtedly be important people to check in with as our access to national health resources enter a period of uncertainty. But they also do fun stuff! Stella just presided over her 75th birthday edition of Barracuda’s “Star Search” competition where she regularly competes, and Jahlisa is a favorite brunch queen in various uptown and Harlem eateries.
425. Jewel Marquee
The self-described “Lesbian Broadway Pop Princess of Astoria” is a drag up-and-comer who’s created new sapphic affairs in the city care of recurring events at Brooklyn’s Mad Tropical and Icon Astoria.
424. Chase Runaway
Boasting one of today’s prettiest, most colorful and creative drag aesthetics and actual comedy and hosting skills to boot, Chase is one of the performers on this list that leaves us wondering why she isn’t yet working everywhere. Not that she hasn’t been busy enough as the weekly karaoke hostess at Nicky’s Unisex and part of large cast shows at 3 Dollar Bill and C’mon Everybody, but we’re in pursuit of more Chase, NYC!
423. Galindo
A classical music composer by day and a longtime West Village DJ by night, Gilbert Galindo has established residency at Stonewall for weekend dance parties, occasional drag and variety shows and even his own recurring branded party there, “Hombre.”
422. Paris Filter & Aimee Amour
This beautiful newbie twosome co-host “Extra Extra,” a recurring show at Sandy Jack’s. Separately, Aimee is also a DJ who takes part in several Brooklyn drag shows on stage or in the booth or both, and Paris was enlisted to compete in Janelle No. 5’s “Are You the Ultimate Diva All-Stars” pageant in November.
421. RuAfza
New York by way of Boston by way of India, this Desi drag star is making her mark on the scene via a wide variety of different showcases: from joining drag tributes to Remi Wolf and Brat and campy Bollywood classic film Dostana, to a Paper Magazine feature, to a massive summer “Dragistan” showcase at 3 Dollar Bill, to a one woman Brooklyn birthday show in November.
420. Talia Fortune
After co-producing a few Brooklyn drag shows with Maliboo earlier in the year, Talia found herself taking part in other large cast shows at C’mon Everybody, Purgatory and 3 Dollar Bill. She also DJs quite a bit nowadays, and while competing in an August edition of Janelle No. 5’s “Are You the Ultimate Diva” she put her quick canvas painting skills to memorable use in her talent presentation.
419. JCLEF
A DJ here to serve your pop, disco, hip hop and EDM needs, JCLEF is the resident beatmaster for the many incarnations of the “Leather & Lace” kinkfest which takes place at Rockbar, Red Eye, and VV Bar. Among other gigs, JCLEF also spun at Duplex, Mary’s Bar and the Pines’ “Drag Tea Tuesday” finale.
418. Tiresias
Combine mythological imagery, performance art, multimedia projections, original music, drag, puppetry, sculpture, ballet, circus, kink, and your most haunting fever dreams… and you have the bare minimum of a Tiresias description. Known for their “Underworld” shows which feature large casts of cross-genre performers presenting all of the above and then some, this artist has figured out how to throttle and enthrall an increasingly distracted and cynical audience. Despite living with a degenerative vision condition and keeping frequent out-of-town performance commitments, New Yorkers enjoy Tiresias’ work at spaces like 3 Dollar Bill, Mercury Lounge and House of Yes when they can.
417. Mehmooni
A stunner both on the drag stage and on the gogo box, The Persian-Floridan born Mehmooni is turning heads everywhere she goes in NYC nightlife. You’re likely to see more of her soon enough, but for now you can frequently to catch her at Metropolitan or The Rosemont.
416. The Deep End
One of trendy Ridgewood’s first queer venues, The Deep End remains home to the popular “Bear Milk” monthly fur fest as well as karaoke, trivia, some drag shows and featured DJ dance parties.
415. Apollo
The “Horse Meat Disco” host, dancer, gogo boy and burlesquer entered the QueerIndieMusicVerse with his hot single “Stamina,” which dropped over the summer.
414. Creatine Price
Proving that mastering the classics can be an innovation in these times, trained opera diva Creatine owned the Red Eye stage with a recurring and unique opera-driven showcase “Cantana.” 2024 also saw her performing at 3 Dollar Bill and the Ice Palace, and notably competing on France’s Got Talent where she proved her enchantment can masterfully speak French as well.
413. David Puck
Spending their formative years in the UK, David ultimately became known as a street artist before joining Brooklyn drag nightlife in the most bizarre and delightful fashion one can: presenting as objects, body parts and odd characters via whimsical and cartoonish large paper masks constructed by Puck. David’ artist ‘s art incorporates improvised storytelling, immersive crowd work and singing in a fashion that sets them apart from likely every drag artist ever. David proved a memorable surprise to audiences in 3 Dollar Bill, Rubulad and Metropolitan Bar, and theaters like the PIT and the Magnet that were probably more suited for Puck’s work. Sadly, David moved back to the UK in September, depriving us of what would’ve been a killer Bushwig set had they stayed.
412. Phil Chanel
At the beginning of 2024 the Haus of Chanel’s Jersey-based party host and event producer retooled his popular “Polish the Queen” drag competition into “Polish HK,” now a monthly showdown at Red Eye. He can also be found hosting Manhattan events like “Battle Hymn,” parties at Fresco’s Grand Cantina in Astoria and various circuit parties throughout the year.
411. Lena Horné
“The Southern Belle of Brooklyn” is one of the city’s most enjoyable live singing queens, who pops up in some unlikely venues across the city including Arlene’s Grocery, Culture Lab LIC, Nicky’s Unisex, Franklin Park and the Sultan Room, as well as some mainstays like C’mon Everybody.
410. Sorayah D
Inita D’s dynamic drag daughter and trans visibility activist is a resident performer with a monthly presence at Brooklyn’s Sandy Jack’s; she’s also taken part in that venue’s 2024 benefit events for PFLAG and Trans LifeLine (which she hosted).
409. Miz Cracker
Definitely one of the funniest, smartest and all around quickest performers of the past few decades to emerge from NYC’s drag scene, Cracker eventually made her mark on the world by showing a full range of talent and emotion as a cast member of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10 (2017) and All-Stars 5 (2019, where she made it to the finals). But alas, New York couldn’t have her forever, and after an eight week spring residency at Manhattan’s Industry Bar she returned to her native Portland. The funny lady did return once in September to star in a Laurie Beechman Theatre stage show, so hopefully the Crack will be Back again soon enough!
408. Nowhere Bar
The longtime East Village gay dive continues to serve “ain’t broke, not fixing” vibes with very long-running parties like the goth “DIZZY,” the bear-tastic “FUZZY” (pictured above), the gogo boy party “Macho Mondays” and vintage dance destinations “Double Headed Disco” and “Numbers.” But some newer parties are also growing in popularity, like Tank Unit’s “Pleasuredome” the sexy-stinky “Pheromone” and DJ Noble Bear’s self-explanatory “Fat Fuc.”
407. Lavinia Draper
Actress Susan Campanaro’s fully realized creation Lavinia has been belting the hits and sharing her harrowing and hilarious tales of stardom and misadventure in venues all over town. At her homebase Stonewall, Lavinia is a regular performer for the weekly “Piano Bar” shows, and also co-hosted the Oscars and Tonys viewing parties there. She additionally served memorable one woman shows at the Susan Batson Studio, Theater Row and the Ice Palace.
406. Aria Jae
AKA ArrJay, this drag star and content creator can actually boast a growing discography of original rap music (with an 8 track EP dropped last year) and appears in guest spots throughout the city. Earlier this year she co-hosted “The Simple Life” at Hardware and “House Party” at Rebar.
405. Glow Job
A vibrant disco / circus queen and video vixen who incorporates a lot of physicality and stunt work into her live shows, Glow Job is known for being a hosting fixture of the monthly Sunday “Ultramaroon” dance at Blue Midtown as well as kikis in Le Bain, The Stranger and House of Yes. Earlier in the year, she brought that athleticism to an edgy peak with a monthly axe throwing party she hosted at Brooklyn’s Bury the Hatchet.
404. Shaneeda Bump
The DC native comedy queen and Drag Out the Vote activist has been popping up on New York drag stages for a few years now, and currently co-hosts the monthly “D.R.A.G.” show with Virgo Rising at Club Cumming.
403. Uncle Freak
A king of kings in the drag and burlesque worlds, the dashing Freak’s 2024 gigs brought him to venues as diverse as Coney Island USA, House of Yes, Littlefield, Club Cumming, Purgatory, 3 Dollar Bill, a boy band brunch at Macy’s and a Halloween show at Rutgers. Freak’s female persona Foxy Belle Afriq was no slouch either, gracing many gigs of her own including the recurring “Frolic” burlesque showcase at C’mon Everybody.
402. Gigi St. Croix
What’s your sign? Well whatever it is, Gigi’s got a party for you; her “ZODIAQ” is themed for the astrological sign of the month, featuring monthly guest performers born under said sign and tarot reader Paul Flannagan. NYC Gay Men’s Chorus member Gigi can also be found performing for “Divas Live” monthly at Albatross, where she made her drag debut in that bar’s “Debutante Show” some years ago.
401. Groovy Bluez
A relatively newer and R&B influenced queen, Groovy took part in many large cast Brooklyn showcases while creating the recurring, reality TV inspired “drag strategy game” showcase “Big Sister” at 3 Dollar Bill. She also made it all the way to the Mx. Cantina 2024 finale… no simple feat with such stiff competition.
Intro
#500-451 | #450-401 | #400-351
#350-301 | #300-251 | #250-201
#200-151 | #150-101 | #100-51
#50-1 | Previous tHOTlists
Thotyssey 