We got to Nurse Bettie on the early side so she can shoot more photos of me in the bathroom getting ready some more. There were two birthdays and a bachelor party, andit was packed at 9pm. I feel like I haven't been there in a long time and really missed it! Peekaboo Pointe performed last night, the first time with me at Spanking the Lower East Side. She's in-demand and super busy with her "Best Night of Your Fucking Life" tour with Mr. Law and Lil Miss Lixx. She worked that little bar! I also had Deity who wore this amazing real chain mail top and bottom and stepped on a plate of strawberries on a plate and licked it off her own feet. We talked about fetishes after the show while eating the birthday girls' raspberry chocolate cake, and I told her about my animal, er, interests. Ha ha. I have a new act about cats and shaving that I wanted to do for this month's show at Coco de Mer, but Simon felt like I should save it for August so alas, I will save it for August.
This past Monday night was Honi Harlow's show at Fontana's. This one was a special show because Russell Simmons was there taping an episode for his reality show. Anyway, I was watching Kimora's reality show when I was in Denver and I just learned that she is now developing all these super high-end (expensive) jewelry for the Hello Kitty line! These things are like $1000! This, for instance, is priced at almost $2,000:
If this isn't the absolute whoring of a brand and archetype, I don't know what is! Anyway, so Honi and the intern they were filming had already told Simmons that I was the opening act, doing Hello Kitty/Asian Hooker! He was excited to see it so we waited until he was ready before I opened the show (I had to open because we had to go to Beatles Burlesque at Public Assembly right after). The act went really well (no backwards dancing this time), and me and Ticket to Ride scurried over to PA right away. Later, I heard from Caprice and Cesar that Honi had said during the show that Russell Simmon's new girlfriend (Korean, of course) was offended by my act. Kudos for me!! It's good to offend especially if it's people who are not of your ilk. Later I found out some more, apparently she was also offended that he brought her to Chinatown! Sounds like girlfriend's got an Asian chip on her shoulder.
Beatles Burlesque was off-the-hook!! This show is so my baby. Well, Nurse Bettie is too as is Coco de Mer and Macao Trading Company. I was so excited to have Nasty there and Darlinda!!! They were amazing and Jenny C'est Quoi - so talented. Miz Margo transformed herself from her Goth look to this 1970's suit lady. Beelzebabe was the sacrificial lamb and opened the show with a modified black fan dance. I tried to remember what everyone did, but I accidentally got too drunk (didn't have time to eat dinner) and I tricked a couple of guys in the audience to buy me shots if I took off my dress (the same shiny silver one that I posted about earlier). I'm going to be wearing this dress to EVERYTHING to get my $400 worth. (yes...it was that much but it's worth it!!!) I do remember taking off my dress at the very end of the show and crawling up to Brassy from the side stairs as she was singing "Live and Let Die" and then licking her leg? It was fabulous, fabulous fun. We went to eat at Doner afterwards with Brassy and Michael's friends. Around 330am, I realized there was no way I could go to work the next day so I had to email and say I wasn't coming in. Next time, I am NOT scheduling a work day the day after a show like that.
All this happened the day I returned from the Colorado Burlesque Festival. I had such a STUPENDOUS time there, it was both a combination of relaxation (hanging with Gisella in Boulder, eating tempeh and seitan, going to the lake with her new puppy, and not wearing make up and the same t-shirt for days) -
Gisella's awesome new house! I love staying here!
Coco her dog.
- And excitement at the festival being glammed up and performing. The women (Fannie Spankings, Lola Spitfire, and Midnight Martini) who organized this first annual festival were so nice, talented, and certainly knew how to create an amazing line-up. The headliners were Michelle L'amour, Tigger!, and Trixie Little & Evil Hate Monkey. I was particularly moved by the performances of Takka a belly dancer from Denver, Midnite Martini, and Michelle L'Amour.
I think she's half-Japanese or Japanese and I thought she was so pretty and exotic. She was so nice too, and she had a body that was just fucking insane!!!
Midnite Martini is a true artist. Her aerial work is stunning, elegant, and a virtuoso performance of athleticism and beauty.
Anybody who have seen Michelle L'Amour's white fan dance tribute to Sally Rand will know what I mean when I say that her performance, persona, stage presence, sheer ethereal beauty will move you to tears. She was a vision of grace, beauty, and things long gone and watching this act can make you feel sad.
My black fan dance is nothing compared to hers. I learned a lot from watching her and other performers. My favorite part of the the entire experience, I have to say, is meeting all these fabulous new people from all over the US. Honey Lawless from SF, Freya from Tennessee, Liam Sullivan (aka Kelly Shoes) who was our MC. It was inspiring in the way that made me feel like I don't have to stay in NYC to do burlesque. I want to perform and communicate an idea. And if there's an audience who wants to see, that's what matters most to me. Not which "city" is attached to the name. I love to travel and I didn't travel for a year because I didn't want to stop performing even for two weeks. But now, I feel like my horizon and perspective have expanded thanks to my experience at the festival. I was also very impressed by Big Mama Red being our "dressing room sponsor" - that meant we had a fridge stocked full of wine, beer, champagne, plus food catered by Jonesy's including seafood sandwich, sliders, cheese plate, and a plethora of other stuff that I was too scared to nibble on before I went on.
Umm alcohol. My friend...
Umm cupcakes and candy. My enemies...
Tigger! having a handful of Calamity.
Chicava Honeychild also from NYC but who is originally from Boulder, Colorado was also at the festival. We both decided that next time we should stay in Denver at the hotel where everyone is staying. Her mom saw her Hot Science act for the first time ever at the festival. It was like her coming-out show. Her mom apparently loved it and said she liked my fan dance too.
Since being back in NYC, I've hit the ground running. I am also expanding the performers I book at Nurse Bettie. Now that the Slipper Room has closed, I feel like there are a lot of performers who were doing regular gigs there but now are free to take other gigs. I can't pay them as well but if they are willing, I'm willing! I am also implement a "Sacrificial Lamb" program at Nurse Bettie - for newbies who have performed under 20times to gain more stage and live audience experience. It's unpaid but for the exposure, it's worth it. Believe me, I came from that route too back when I only performed once a month, but I would rehearse and rehearse all month in preparation for that ONE act in one night. Then when I finally was on stage doing the act, things would always go unexpectedly such as wardrobe malfunction, different crowd than expected, or just nerves. I am a big proponent of gaining as much live experience as possible. It gives you more improvisation skills which ultimately makes you a more confident performer at ease in any space and with any crowd.
(Cold beer in an air-conditioned is so good! I'm drinking a bud select 55 as I'm blogging. its only 55 calories! Michael is drinking something called Natural Light on the other side of the room watching P90X)
A few of us involved in Beatles Burlesque worked on some logo explorations for Juliet Jeske's bakery busines, "Sure Thing: Sweets & Treats". I agreed to create a logo brand for her, design and build a web site for her in exchange for 4-5 batches of Beatles Burlesque cookies to give out at the shows. At the last gig, they were gone in no time! I didn't even get to keep one. So the logos look like this:
I'm not going to say who did what, but can you guess? Haha. Ask Juliet which one she picked. The web site will be coming soon!
We just ordered from Domino's pizza tonight. Now, I was a total Domino's Pizza hater. I thought the food was disgusting and I haven't had it since I left Texas after high school. I've only ever ordered it once in all 11 years in NYC and it was terrible! But a few months ago, I went on their web site and I was so IMPRESSED with their site interface and the OMG-online ordering Flash interface! It lets you customize your own pizza, choose a coupon, choose the toppings and you see pictures of your topping animate in on the pizza! Big buttons. I love big buttons. Graphics that explain everything. Great iconography. After you submit your order, it gives you a tracker of whether your pizza is being prepared, baked, or out for delivery. And even gives you the name of the delivery guy! Like "How was Luis in getting your order to you?"
What a great online experience! This beats calling on the phone to order delivery! The interface was big and easy to use. And for some reason being able to click on "Spinach" and see little pieces of spinach appear on the pizza was an extremely rewarding user experience.
Last notes: I think Chewie waited til we were asleep and sauntered into the living room where a chicken bone was on the low table top, and ate it! We couldn't find the bone anywhere today. Also finally tried out DBGB Tuesday night. I didn't order the burger but I got a sausage and that was delicious. But I ate too late and that always gives me a stomach ache in the middle of the night always around 3am. DBGB does have great restrooms for a public shag though, after Double Crown/Madame Geneva. :)
Harlow's Hide-away and Beatles Burlesque were both great. I was so glad I was able to see most of both of them.
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