Have you heard of Bizarre, the new absinthe bar located off of the Myrtle-Broadway JMZ stop? Of course you have! It’s the neighborhood’s newest, stylish space complete with huge windows, a projector playing scenes from silent movies, and quaint antique decor. Some might even say it’s the Cat’s Meow. Luckily, the management and hostess Merry Cherrie have noticed the buzz and have begun a new, monthly queerparty named just that. (more…)

Merry Cherrie (photo via Facebook)

It’s undeniable – drag is blowing up in New York. Drag is being redefined and reimagined by young queens that rap, sing, create video backdrops to their performances, and stylize their personas in a multitude of eccentric and artistic ways. One of this year’s brightest drag personalities is Bushwick resident Jason Daniels AKA Merrie Cherry, who has put on her red wig (or on some occasions, hasn’t put on her wig!), waltzed into the Brooklyn queer nightlife scene and taken over. At the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards, she described the beginning of her journey as starting from many nights of networking at Metropolitan in Williamsburg and has since been part of creating and hosting many events all over Brooklyn. Merrie Cherry has been a large part in creating the artistic drag performance art space and party Bushwig, the monthly drag competition Dragnet, the monthly Pit Stain party at This n’ That in Williamsburg, and the weekly game night at This n’ That on Tuesdays.

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All Photos by Kaitlin Parry aka Shoot People

Brooklyn Nightlife Awards were the culmination of this past year’s talent, performance art, creative expression and entertainment in one of the city’s, and nation’s, most talked about and most artistic places, Brooklyn. Hosted by the hilarious and seasoned Murray Hill and the creator of the event Merrie Cherry (Jason Daniels), the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards took place at the Glasslands Gallery on 289 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg. Beneath the beautiful cloth-cloud installation known as one of Glasslands’ iconic art pieces, the stage was lit up by Merrie Cherry’s gorgeous, flowing red gown. To the right of the stage, the talented DJ Anthony Dicapua kept the music in sync, entertaining and on point throughout the entire night. As Murray Hill facetiously noted, “We’re in a warehouse with Christmas lights! This is the big time!” Everyone in attendance dressed to stun. Ensembles ranging from virtually nothing at all to layers and layers of fur, designer jackets, studs, feathers, rhinestones, masks, makeup, metal, and even cardboard formed an idyllic landscape of the diversity of styles in and around Brooklyn.

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At the Spectrum (all photos by James Ryder)

My last week’s article Closeted in Bushwick sparked a lot of discussion, and I decided to try and expand my knowledge of what others have pointed out is a very active, albeit somewhat jumbled, queer nightlife scene. One of the parties I’ve heard a lot about is the regular OVA THE RAINBOW party at The Spectrum on 59 Montrose Avenue. The party features artists, shows, androgynous drag performers, and attracts a slew of very interesting characters. Previous parties have featured various colors of the rainbow, a tribute to the diversity of both the performances and the crowd that gathers within The Spectrum. This week, however, was focused on the “Temptation of the Flesh Tones” which brought the costumes and performances into a new realm that left little to the imagination and yet still sparked the creative spirit in everyone present.

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Photo by Dani Duh Bones

I love you, Bushwick, but I have some complaints. This neighborhood, so creative, friendly, so densely populated and diverse, desperately lacks a thriving queer scene.

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Nestled on the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Charles Place (a small, no-outlet road about a block down from Bushwick Avenue mostly known for the cafe Little Skips), a new vegetarian pizza place has just opened up.

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