With far fewer options for gay bar-goers than the Boston area once boasted, a mainstay like the regular Queeraoke night at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain can seem like one joyful oasis of community. And, reports the Boston Globe, it’s been going on for nearly 20 years and has never been more popular.
“Whatever the capacity is, we’re usually pretty close to it,” Queeraoke promoter and host Peter Hallisey told the Globe. “Karaoke is kind of exclusionary [for anyone not singing], so that’s why it cannot work in a bigger space, but it’s just big enough where you get the right energy.”
Reports the Globe:
Hallisey, who goes by DJ Summer’s Eve, has been a part of Queeraoke from just after its 2004 conception. He noted that the Midway had long operated as an LGBTQ+ -friendly space, citing a lesbian softball team’s longstanding karaoke gatherings as pre-Queeraoke lore. But for Jay Balerna, the Midway’s owner and manager since its opening in 1987, there was interest in setting up something more official
“Someone said, ‘queer folks love karaoke, so why not call it Queeraoke?’” Hallisey said. “And being a terrible singer is a great strategy for karaoke hosting.”
According to Hallisey, it was an instant hit. Over the last two decades, Midway’s Queeraoke night has been decked with best-of-Boston awards, been spotlighted on queer travel guides, and survived the pandemic — not because of its prominence, but because of its intimacy. With a capacity of 99 people, the bar is big enough to get “energy flowing,” but small enough to keep everyone involved in the party. Hallisey also emphasized the importance of dance breaks in between patron performances, which he said allowed people to get close and mingle.
Read the complete Boston Globe story here.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up!
