Were the whole of Brooklyn Made a “house,” as they say in ball culture, Durand Bernarr most certainly was the father of that house last week.
On February 28, 2023, The House of Bernarr gathered in Bushwick where Black History Month culminated with a staging of his Wanderlust Tour. The NYC portion included TeaMarrr (TEA) as the *incredible* supporting act that warmed up the room before Durand’s presence doused his children with flamboyance like Cognac flambé.
His theatre kid aesthetic is #GlamourousBanjeeBoy and he uplifts all Black culture and people with every strut he takes on or off stage. At the concert, his self-expression liberated a crowd of fascinated onlookers; the only thing more spectacular than his persona were his music and vocals.
For the afterparty, Durand did an underground performance at Astor Hair where he freestyle skated across the checkerboard floors of the salon under a disco chandelier. The pop-up was an experience curated by the creative community Parks and Rec that included deejay sets by DJ 9AM and Quiana Parks. After midnight, Durand gave us reinterpretations of Kirk Franklin’s “Stomp” and Juicy’s “Sugar Free,” a regimen of cannabis for self-care and ridding your life of contemptible fuckboys.
