Known for hair styling finesse and hair raising onstage antics: Brooklyn’s Lie-Luh! [Cover photo: Corsette]
Thotyssey: How was your Halloweekend, Lie-Luh?
Lie-Luh: Truly crazy and so much fun, but absolutely exhausting. I think I’m still recovering, lol!
We’re slowly (but not too slowly) approaching Christmas Drag Season! Do you have any festive looks prepared or thought out yet?
Oh Lord… it is coming soon, isn’t it!? I haven’t had a chance to start thinking about the holidays quite yet. I’ve been laser focused on a couple big upcoming projects and gigs, which has truly consumed every brain cell I have at the moment (which isn’t that many to begin with). If I were to place bets on what I may be serving this holiday season, you could mostly likely expect something cunty, a little trashy, and probably non-denominational given I grew up as a non-practicing Jew who celebrated Christmas growing up for the Hallmark of it all. I’ll figure out exactly what that looks like when the time comes.
How would you overall describe your drag, as far as looks and numbers go?
It’s hard for me to narrow down specific inspirations, because I truly feel like I’m inspired by everything I see — which is why I often present so different in drag. Off the top of my head, I’d say some of the biggest inspirations for my drag are the iconic blonde bombshells of my generation: Anna Nicole Smith, Trisha Paytas and Pamela Anderson, reality TV personalities from the early 2000’s from Jersey Shore to Jackass to Rock of Love — and last but certainly not least, cunty female video game characters that I definitely had crushes on growing up.
I’ve been called the Eminem of Brooklyn drag, I’ve been told I am what people expect Stewie Griffin would grow up to be, I’ve affectionately been called white trash… and unfortunately this all does resonate with how I see myself in drag. While to some those things may sound like insults, I take them as very high compliments. My drag is birthed from the mind of a 13 year old boy living in the suburbs in 2009: a true mall rat and piece of shit, who’s absolutely chained to that family desktop computer. That boy was actually me growing up, but I was four years too young, and eleven years too closeted to embrace it. I owe my drag persona to being chronically online for the majority of my youth, consuming media like a sponge, and creating the never ending rolodex of references within my mind.
I have so much fun taking time to collect new references, pulling from what’s already in my repertoire, and combining things that you maybe would not think would necessarily work together. My drag is extremely trashy, yet high fashion and polished… I am a flaming dyke performing aggressively heterosexual music, I am the smartest dumb bitch you will ever meet, and that’s the dyke-otomy of it all. “My drag is truly unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it,” whatever Lady Gaga said.
What was the beginning of your drag life like, and what are the joys and challenges of navigating Brooklyn drag today?
Drag has pretty much been a part of my life as long as I can remember, being from Massachusetts with a mother who is a huge fag hag. By design, I spent a lot of time in Provincetown growing up. My mother brought me to my first drag show while visiting Provincetown when I was in third grade. It was a drag magic show starring the New York legend Cashetta, may she rest in peace. Every year, I would look forward to the week spent in the little condo on the beach we would rent in PTown, and the opportunity to ogle at and take pictures with the queens barking on the street — and if I was lucky that year, also getting the opportunity to go and see a show.
For as long as I can remember, I was absolutely enamored with drag queens. The big hair, the shellacked on makeup, the glamour, the jewels, the larger than life personas. Something about it all just fascinated me so deeply, and I felt like a moth to a flame being around drag.
My fascination with drag became a hyper fixation and a special interest, so I began consuming every piece of media I possibly could that related to drag when I was in middle school. That’s when I also found Drag Race. I was also watching every single tutorial available online about makeup, styling wigs, creating costumes… truly any video that was drag related. At the time it wasn’t anything that I knew was something I could do or I was even allowed to do, but I wanted to learn absolutely everything I could about the art and its history.
Like many cases, It wasn’t until lockdown where I was bored and alone in my apartment back in Boston where I said fuck it, and began putting myself in drag — just for my own entertainment, which I did for a few years. Years after moving to New York and only doing drag in the comfort of my own home, and with lots of convincing, a good friend finally convinced me to start performing consistently at open sets in 2023… and I haven’t stopped since. I grew up being that kid who had a million different ventures creatively that they wanted to pursue. Drag has allowed me the opportunity to combine all of the mediums I love and lets me become the art.
In relation to your second question, It’s no secret that this past year has been an extremely difficult time to exist as a queer person in America. We are all experiencing what has quickly become the most scary and uncertain period politically that we have witnessed in our lifetimes. Through that, I can’t help but maintain a constant awareness of all of the love around me. I feel more love around me than I have ever felt. I am experiencing connections with my chosen family in a deeper, more profound way than I ever have before. We are all scared to death… nothing is certain. All we have right now is community. It’s weird to say that I feel like I am simultaneously living through the best and worst time of my life.
Historically, we focus on the negative ways — the horrific and barbaric things that humans resulted to for survival when pushed to our limits — and how survival has divided humans. What I’m seeing could not be more of a polar opposite of that. Never in my life have I experienced such momentous displays of love, community and unity among people. So much light, so much joy amongst all of this ugliness and uncertainty. It is beautiful, it is human. It is a gruesome juxtaposition from the means that put us in these positions. We fill each other’s stomachs, we put roofs over each other’s heads, we line each other’s pockets, we show up, we share, we laugh, we release. I am extremely grateful for community times like these.
You’re a multitalented performer and artist, but your knack for wig and hair design has helped you carve out an important side hustle! When did hair stand out as a skillset for you?
Being a bit of an emo kid growing up, I started cutting and dying both mine and my friends’ hair in middle school. I also grew up participating in all aspects of theater on and off stage. One of my first jobs was working for a community theatre where I would style wigs for various productions. As I mentioned before, I spent a lot of on the internet growing up; I watched countless hair styling, dyeing and wig tutorials throughout my teens out of pure fascination. When it came to starting drag, I was very stubborn in the sense that I felt that I had to do everything myself. But wigs and hair was something that came pretty naturally to me, and I was able to apply this preexisting knowledge to. I believe I have styled every wig I have worn since I started drag, with the exception of one. Pretty soon after starting drag, people began asking for commissions themselves. Since then, it has become a huge passion of mine… and an additional stream of income that has helped keep me afloat financially.
I’m very grateful to everyone who has trusted me with a commission, and allowed me to help them make their visions come to life. You may even be seeing some work of mine on your television screens in the near future!
You have what looks like a very fun show coming up at C’mon Everybody this Thursday: the Andie Sleaze production “Night of a Thousand Boyfriends,” a tribute to the various boyfriends and husband characters of Sex & The City. Niche, sure… but that’s so many epic characters that we’ve never seem before on a drag stage! What can we expect from the night, and do you have a favorite S&TC dude?
I’m so so excited for that show! I know it has been a passion project of Andie’s that he has been tirelessly working on for a while now. He called me on at its inception to be his right hand for the night, so I’ll be working as a stage manager of sorts making sure everything runs smoothly… and maybe you can even catch me in a number or two. Truly, it is a show you will not want to miss.
As far as the men in Sex & The City go, I have an extreme soft spot for Steve. Whenever in the conversations with friends and the topic comes up of which of the four women we are there, it’s an ongoing joke that I am not any of the four… I’m Steve.
You’ll be back at C’mon on November 20th for a new competition, “Mx Fist,” care of SissyFist Productions!
Yes! This will be my first competition that I will ever be competing in, and I am extremely excited. For a long time I was very anti-competition when it came my drag; personally, because I just didn’t feel ready to display my drag within that kind of format. But over the the past handful of months, I feel I’ve really found my voice, perspective and confidence as an artist. I owe a lot of that to my drag mother, Silly Brown and drag Auntie Amygdala for being such incredible mentors and inspirations to me. The two have also been huge helps in preparing for this competition.
This felt like a perfect competition for me to participate in, as it’s something that allows me to apply my own creative vision however I see fit, an opportunity to utilize a lot of references from media that inspires me, and last but certainly not least an opportunity to push my art and drag to a scale I haven’t before. I don’t wanna spoil too much, but expect some custom looks designed and created by yours truly, a fun and twisted storyline, and a backup dancer… or three.
What else is coming up for you… or is there anything else at all you want to mention or discuss before I ask the closer?
After the competition, I’ll be shifting focus to an exciting rebrand and the passing of a torch of sorts of a long running show over to my sister A.C.I.D. and I. I can’t say much at the moment, but big things are coming in the New Year! Taking this on is extremely full circle for us, and means a lot to us both. It’s rare to meet somebody you align with so fiercely, that you have that unspoken connection where you know what the other is going to say before the thought is even formed. She is the Ilana to my Abby, the Rigby to my Mordecai, the Drake to my Josh, the Maya to my Anna. There is truly nobody I would rather be working this closely alongside.
Additionally, while there is not yet a set end date for filming or release, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this ongoing project which has been, and continues to be such an important part of my drag journey. Over the past year, Molly Weinberg, a brilliant and talented filmmaker has been documenting members of my drag family and I as subjects for a feature length documentary revolving around our community in Brooklyn. It is such an honor to be a part of this project and to have what I consider to be the best year of my life documented, and for her to have captured many of its most special moments. While shooting of the documentary is still in progress, Molly recently held a fundraiser show for the film in which we finally got to see a little teaser trailer for the movie.
It was incredible and emotional to see this past year quite literally flash before my eyes. Molly has managed to capture countless drag shows, community paint nights at my auntie / cousin Dyonne’s house, at home interviews, my entire move, trips upstate for out of town gigs, the list goes on. She is really creating something that is so special; I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of it all. There is no set end date for filming or release. I would have been remiss had I not mentioned this project which has been and continues to be such an important part of my drag journey.
Last thing I want to add: I mentioned the importance of community before. I wanted to shout out and reiterate how much drag family means so much to me. I know I’ve already mentioned them a handful of times but I truly need to give them their flowers. Referring to these people simply as my drag family is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our relationships. My family has shown up for me in ways I haven’t imagined friends could, and my biological family never would. From riding in the back of cop cars to secure a can of gas in the middle of the night after running out of gas in New Jersey, taking care of each other when we’re sick, helping each other move, countless nights spent on each other’s couches, and numerous weekend trips and excursions spent creating lifelong memories… I cannot stress enough how blessed I feel. I am a better person and a better artist because of my family. I am the best version of myself when I am with them.
Shoutouts to my mother Silly Brown, my sister A.C.I.D, my auntie Amygdala, my cousin / auntie Dyonne, my auntie Soraya Sis, my cousin Ever, and my grandmothers Paris L’Hommie and Sterling.
Okay, lastly: what’s your favorite / most essential item in your drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
OneSize glitter setting spray has become the finishing touch for every look, that I absolutely cannot leave the house without.
Thanks, Lie-Luh!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Lie-Luh’s upcoming appearances, and follow them on Instagram.
Thotyssey 