January 13, 2024
@natmechanics/X
Henn House, the events group cofounded by Philly drag queen Yari, is hosting a karaoke night at the Old City bar National Mechanics following the group's decision to no longer host events at the Gayborhood bar Tabu.
There continues to be fallout from the decision by a Gayborhood bar to cancel the performance by a Palestinian burlesque dancer — now the longtime host of one of the bar's weekly karaoke nights is moving her show to a new establishment.
Sunday karaoke night hosted by Philly drag queen Yari has been a staple of the bar Tabu, at 254 S. 12th Street, for at least seven years. Last month, Tabu faced condemnation by some for management's decision to stop dancer Leila Delicious from performing during a show in December. Delicious act would have included a sign that read "Our generation will free Palestine" on one side and "Biden, demand a ceasefire / If you support genocide, you Isreal dumb!"
Tabu called the sign antisemitic and said it contained text "targeting the Jewish community" in a post on social media that was later deleted, with the club then saying its decision to stop Delicious from performing had "unintended consequences." The situation continued to simmer and within a few days, Yari was one of 68 performers, hosts and others who had signed a letter in solidarity with Delicious.
This week, Yari said she will move her regular karaoke event from Tabu to Old City's National Mechanics, at 22 S. Third Street. The events group Henn House, co-founded by Yari, also announced this week that it would stop hosting events at Tabu. Karaoke nights are still on the schedule for Sunday evenings at Tabu, albeit with different hosts every week.
Henn House already hosts drag brunch events around the corner from National Mechanics at the restaurant Lucha Cartel, 207 Chestnut St. National Mechanics, a bar and restaurant housed in a building that was once a bank, will have its first karaoke event with Yari on Sunday.
"I've been to National Mechanics several times before and each time, I felt that the space was safe, inclusive and respectful of its diverse clientele," said Yari, addoing that she's attended drag and burlesque shows at the venue. "It's my hope that this new venture would hopefully encourage the owners to bring back more queer-produced shows to their spaces as an effort to expand our community's visibility way beyond the Gayborhood."
National Mechanics owner Paul Brown sees the collaboration with Henn House as bringing a "new vibe" to the venue and talked about restaurant being an inclusive space. "This new venture is about more than just singing; it's an experience we're thrilled to offer."
"We're proud of our no-tolerance policy towards discrimination and our history of hosting a variety of events that celebrate diversity, including drag shows, burlesque performances and dance parties," Brown said. "Our goal has always been to create a 'Third Place,' a safe and welcoming environment where everyone can escape the everyday and enjoy a sense of community."
Yari isn't sure whether karaoke at National Mechanics will be a permanent fixture, yet, but the hope is to have the event at least once a month to start. Brown is optimistic, saying that "seeing the buzz it's already generating, we're considering making karaoke with Henn House a regular feature."
Yari and Henn House are looking at other venues for karaoke events too, hosting a karaoke brunch at Gayborhood bar Cockatoo on Sunday, Jan. 28. Henn House is also in talks with another venue that they did not name yet. "All this to say that while there are a lot of moving parts, it was because a lot of hard work starting over from scratch," Yari said.
