DOORS 7PM | SHOW 7:30PM

The Occasionalists, Brooklyn’s premier live karaoke band, are pleased to present “Live Band Karaoke For a Better World,” a very special Pride Month benefit show for Trans formative Schools. The band is thrilled to present a diverse setlist across more genres and decades than we thought possible in which the band plays the music and you, the audience, get to be the lead singer of the band.

For more about the band, go to the band’s website @ occasionalists.com. Singer sign-up will start when the doors open so come early to sign up for your favorite song. Lyrics will be available to singers on an iPad so don’t worry if you can’t remember all the words. The evening will be hosted by the incredible comedian/activist Elsa Eli Waithe.

Stacy Cay and Esther Fallick, two amazingly funny comedians, kick things off with opening sets of comedic brilliance. Read more about them below.

Trans formative Schools is a progressive education initiative centering transness and social justice. Its mission is to support and uplift the lives of trans children, trans educators, and families-touched-by-transness by opening a Middle School. In fall 2023, TfS is launching as a free Brooklyn and online-based Afterschool, open to all students ages 9–15, that embodies the work of liberation through rigorous academics, joyful connections, identity exploration, and student-led activism.

About Elsa Eli Waithe (they/them)

A comedian and activist originally from Norfolk, Virginia, now based in Brooklyn. They have appeared on NPR, MTV, and BET, and they are the founding instructor for GOLD Comedy, where they have taught hundreds of women and non-binary folks the art of standup. They are also well-known for organizing and activism in support of racial, sexual, and economic justice. Notably, a photo of their brutal arrest by the NYPD was a cover photo for the New York Post, and subsequently featured in the Netflix documentary “Who Killed Malcolm X?” Their latest activist project, Slavers of New York, has been covered by the New York Times, Inside Edition, BBC, and Reuters, among others. Twitter: @elsajustelsa

About Stacy Cay (she/her)

Hailing from Arkansas and raised by parents who thought she was a boy, Stacy’s ability to find the humor in both the traumas – from conversion therapy to death threats – and everyday challenges of being trans in a hostile world makes her voice one you won’t soon forget. Tucker Carlson calls her “satanic”. Audiences describe her as hilarious. Stacy has appeared in the New York Comedy Festival, opened for Giannmarco and Robin Tran, and is the creator/producer of Spend the Night’- a touring femme friendly, pajama party themed comedy show. She is a powerful voice and advocate for the trans community. She has given testimony in state houses and lobbied state lawmakers in an effort to protect the rights of trans people and humanize the community. stacycay.com, @stacycay on IG and @stacycayslays on Twitter.

About Esther Falick (she/her)

A comedian, singer and musical theater writer based out of Brooklyn, NY. She has been written about in Vulture, Autostraddle, Broadway World and much more. Her one woman show, “Esther Updates Her Book,” has played in many NYC venues, including 54 Below, Union Hall and Caveat and she was part of the 2022 New York Comedy Festival. She was also a co-writer on the Purple M&Ms debut song, “I’m Just Gonna Be Me,” which premiered online in September 2022. estherfallick.com/