A high priestess of performance and one of the sharpest wits of the era, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond cuts an indelible swath with vivid charms. Hailing from Maryland, Justin’s transformation to a specifically queer performance artist began in San Francisco with a role in Kate Bornstein’s play Hidden: A Gender. Kiki & Herb, Bond’s demented cabaret act spawned with musician Kenny Mellman, ran for years downtown in New York, toured the UK, played Carnegie Hall (twice), the Sydney Opera House and was Tony-nominated for Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway. Since retiring Kiki, Justin has focused on writing original songs, many of them included on the forthcoming album Dendrophile, produced by Thomas “Doveman” Bartlett, which will be released April 4. An original musical, Arts & Crafts, co-written with Sandra Bernhard, also premieres at Joe’s Pub in March. Justin Bond