Beauty + Brains / Burlesque + Variety = Win!

Picture this: It’s the first Wednesday of the month. You have a choice – a night with your favorite Doctor, deciding between Firefly or Serenity, boldly going where none have gone before… OR

Celebrating Geek Chic and the Variety Arts at the Raven Lounge!

Enjoy a nerdy martini or a C++ cocktail and check out some of the best in Burlesque and the Variety acts with a +1 keen eye to all sci-fi, fantasy, comic and brainy, geeky goodness. This city is so full of amazing talent you’ll wish you had 30 lives. 

This month we’re bring in some amazing out of town performers alongside local starlets. Fresh from Steampunk Worlds Fair, we’re bringing you live music from The Wandering Cellist (NYC).  Andria Noir of the legendary Lux Arati is bringing technical fan dace to the stage. Our shiny burlesque ensemble features special guest, the sweetest bottom in the district miss Cherie Sweetbottom (DC). Representing Philadelphia, the bad ass of burlesque and producer of the Sexploitation Follies, Miss Rose. Experience the burlesque debut of Aly Katz, who will also serve as our stage invader for the evening. Miss Eyrie Twilight will be takin’ it off and keeping it going. 

 

Our raffle is full of local event tickets and shiny prizes at bargain basement pricing! This month we’re giving away – 2 tickets to The Aviary (http://www.theaviaryphilly.com/), passes to Dr.Sketchy’s Philadelphia, Something shiny from Steampunk Black Sheep, Vintage comics and much more! 

What are you waiting for? Get out to The Raven Lounge and TALK NERDY TO ME!

6/5/2013
$10
Doors at 8:30pm show at 9pm

The Raven Lounge

1718 Sansom Street

Philadelphia, PA

Sponsored by 
Dr.Sketchys Philadelphia
(www.drsketchy.com/branch/philly)
Skola Entertainment
(www.doriansparlor.com)
Steampunk BlackSheep (http://www.etsy.com/shop/SteampunkBlacksheep)

Kinetic vehicles(sculptures) of all sizes, shapes and adaptations paraded around Kensington and Fishtown once again this year with the mudpit/finishline on East Norris Ave, right in front of the Trenton Ave Arts Festival.  More info here: Kinetic Kensington

In the interest of full disclosure, Jim Thorpe’s Pa Burlesque Festival pissed me off before the first dancer almost exposed a bare shoulder.  We were truly excited about the opportunity to review the 2 day “festival” with performers from “around the world” at the Plays and Players theater off Rittenhouse.  We were generously offered full accessability to the performers, with the sweet vantange spot of photographing the show from the backstage wings of the beautiful theater, and that if we arrived an hour before show time, could go backstage and shoot the performers as they prepared for the show.  We had planned for a real Bruce Davidson documentary style photo essay.  We arrived an hour early as we had arranged, and were directed to the dressing rooms.  It was perfect.  Backstage chaos in a maze of exposed brick dressing rooms as girls applied false eye lashes, laced each other’s corsets and wriggled into mounds of yummy fabrics.  This was going to be a truly amazing photo essay exploring the world of classic burlesque from behind the scenes.

Denied.  The organizer who had cheerfully volunteered the all access photo-op, informed us that although we were there an hour early as we had arranged with her, we weren’t allowed to photograph the girls getting ready and that we should go to the audience and shoot from there, accompanied by a stern warning not to get in the audience’s way.  Great.  An hour early to sit in the audience with my camera?  We can do that anywhere even without generously posting a free blurb before the show to help publicize the event.  Not to mention that since we didn’t have seats, if the place filled up, we were shit out of luck.  Luckily for us, it didn’t come close to selling out.

Philly is a community saturated with one of the country’s most thriving burlesque communities.  In preparation for this article we began asking the local performers about the “PA Burlesue Festival”.  Almost none of the Philly dancers knew about the event, and the one we found who did had serious issues with the contract she was sent in order to apply.   Was this the problem with the performance?  Possibly.  I find it difficult to believe that these were the best dancers Pennsylvania and “the world” has to offer.   There were two girls did stand out in the sea of mediocrity.  Scarlet Starlet was flawless.  Beautiful girl, beautiful dancer, lovely costume, cute, classic Vargas style piece.   Deana Danger did a 1920′s inspired performance that equally lovely, but in general this was an evening that was all fluff and no excitement.

Burlesque was meant to entertain.  It was a combination of comedic sketches, acrobatics, music and erotic dancers.  It’s supposed to make you laugh till you cry:  part beauty, part drink and dancing on the edge of total debauchery.   This was none of that.  The costumes were gorgeous, but most of the dancers totally unimpressive.  The MC for the evening was boring.  A Rubinesque woman in a bad wig and a beautiful costume who announced the performers with all the personality of Melba toast.  Long awkward pauses were punctuated with occasional references to some fat guy in the front row who apparently is a fan.  I’m not sure why.  The naughtiest the show ever got was the mention of a red glittery paddle which left those of us who adore Philly Neo-Burlesque craving an evening with the Rigor Mortis Review.

We’re not totally dissing the PA Burlesque Festival,  but before they decide to hang their 2 inch heels in this town, they need to reach out to our Philly girls for a little real flavor, as well as a packed house.  When a city is accustomed Burlesque bad asses like Miss Rose Burlesque, we’re gonna need a little more than a pretty face in a nice dress.  On the other hand, the scantily clad tattooed chick cleaning the stage between acts was awesome.  She’s welcome back for a cheese steak anytime!

We first met Miss Wynter during last year’s Fringe Festival as one of the bevy of beauties in Gunnar Montana’s “Rub“.  It seemed to be a match made in some sort of deliciously erotic hell.   Little did we know, that the stunningly beautiful dancer swinging in her giant heart shaped lyra, was none other than the winner of Delilah’s Entertainer of Year, 2012. A dark haired, fair skinned, classically trained ballet dancer, she has a wicked sense of humor which instantly reminds you that there happens to be a very bright girl hiding behind those long, elegant lines.  Enter Gunnar Montana.  Dancer, choreographer, visual artist…and lover of all things gutteral, disgusting and dirty.  Then put the two together.  Pure magic.

When Gunnar called saying he needed some photos of a dancer he was working with, we had no idea who he was about to show up with.  The pair arrived, bundled up for the much publicized “winter storm”.  Even in her earmuffs and sneakers, we were thrilled to get the duo to the dirtiest, non windy spot we could think of.

After trudging through the pitch black darkness and filthy debris, terrified of running into anyone else stupid enough to be there, Miss Wynter didn’t miss a beat.  She strapped on her 9 inch glittery stilettos, wriggled into her feathers, kicked aside a gas can and suddenly became a sexy, winged creature which instantly warmed the very air around us.

In “RISE OF PHOENIX”, Gunnar Montana has transformed his muse for this year’s Entertainer of the Year competition at Delilah’s with feathers, rhinestones and fire, in what she promises to be dangerously sensuous.   Can she retain her title?  We’re sure of it.  Don’t miss this one.  We’ve seen her up close and in filth.  She’s the real deal.

It’s been a busy several months over this past winter.  More and more shoots popping up, each requesting some type of dramatic backdrop.  So Lori and I headed out on Saturday to scope out some choice spots, shoot them and then get photos back to models and others to sift out what places worked for who.   Our list included three sites, the Richmond Coal Wharves at Pier 18, the Reading Viaduct and the so called Reading Tunnel.

This was our third time to the Viaduct. Since we were here last the tracks have been removed and the ties are in piles.  Most of the overgrowth has been  cut back and the tree uprooted.   Still this is one of the most dramatic unknown spots in Philadelphia, with fantastic views of Center City and the surrounding urban landscape.  For more info on the Viaduct check out this website.

This site really appealed to us, but the model and choreographer/costume designer chose the Reading Tunnel.  Which worked out just freakin’ fine, so check out our photos from the Reading Tunnel with Courtney Lepresi and Gunner Montana.

Reading Viaduct Gallery:

From the Pennsylvania Burlesque Festival Website: http://www.paburlesque.com/

 

AND NOW! Gear up for the 2013 PA Burlesque Festival. We rock Philadelphia on March 8 and 9 at the historic Plays and Players Theatre with “FRIDAY NIGHT DELIGHT” and “THE BIG REVEAL.”

TICKETS are on sale NOW for both shows. Order them HERE and don’t wait! Our last show was 100% sold out!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The 2013 PA Burlesque Festival has pledged to donate a portion of its proceeds to Habitat for Humanity’s Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fund.

Through an online fundraising campaign, we are asking our fans to help us cover our $3,000.00 in performer hotel expenses so that we, in turn, can donate that same amount or more from our ticket proceeds. We are also accepting non-perishable food donations at both shows, to be collected by the New Jersey FoodBank. Please consider helping us meet our fundraising goal by donating through the link below. There are great perks involved, including front section tickets to both shows!

http://www.indiegogo.com/PABurlesque

It was cold.  Seriously cold.  For those who don’t know, Paul and I don’t just cover “all things Philly”.  We have a Photography Studio, Black, White and Raw Photography, in which we photograph everyone from models to psycho sideshow clown babes.  One of the models we’ve photographed several times is Philly Pin Up Model, Nikki Doll.  We had photographed Nikki in our studio, and in Laurel Hill Cemetary.  But where to go on a cold day with a scantily clad pin-up?    I wanted to do something a little different with Nikki.  Most of the photographers who shoot her tend to go for the cheese.  I understand that.  Adorable pin-up girls with tattoos doing retro shoots.  Bright colors, cutesy themes, it’s a win win.  But one of things I love about Nikki, is her dark side.  The punk kid under the pink hair.  The girl who’s probably lived a life that’s not all roses and baking cookies.  I wanted to make retro cool.

Enter Tattooed Mom.  The local bar on South Street with a jaw dropping collection of street art.  A diverse community of tattoo artists, musicians and models who get together for food, drinks and…candy.  A dive bar where you can drop in and catch a group of punks drinking local brew and making Valentine’s day cards.  With a kitchen that’s open till 1:30 am and a calendar that’s packed full with everything from book readings, to zombie crawls to Beard and Mustache competitions, we found the bar to be more welcoming than any venue we’ve been to in a long time.

As huge fans of graffiti, the upstairs was perfect.  With it’s 2 pool tables, bright red bar and rooms covered from floor to ceiling in graffiti, our only problem was having the time to photograph our model in every nook and cranny we could find.  We can’t wait to go back for a late night snack and a drink.  I know we’ll be warmly welcomed, even without a half-dressed pin up model!

Was it really only 2 years ago that we were sitting on the floor of the Sheraton  Hotel for Troy Timpel’s Tattoo Arts Convention, close enough to photograph the sword as it slipped past Betty Bloomerz’s uvula?  It was.  And what a difference 2 years and the Pennsylvania Convention Center makes.

This past weekend marked Troy and his Villian Art’s 15th Annual Tattoo Arts Convention, and it was truly spectacular.  With it’s thriving tattoo community, the Philly convention has become a virtual Who’s Who of tattoo artists.   Philly convention regulars like Don “MF’ Juan, Permanent Mark, Myke Chambers and Chris Torres were joined by an array of reality tattoo show hotties like  Meghan Massacre, Amy Nicoletta, and Sarah Miller.

Entertainment was above and beyond anything we’ve seen at the past shows.  Tattoo contests were huge this year.  Our favorite Clown Babe Reverend Mackenzie Moltov and her fellow babes were on hand for arials, and general sideshow awesomeness.  Suspensions, burlesque and pin-ups, oh my!  I did miss the Rigor Mortis Review this year, and that made me sad, but Scarlett Storm managed to walk around naked all night, and that’s never a bad thing.   Somehow I also missed my favorite throw back to the days of Coney Island tattoos, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie, but that’s ok.  I still have my signed copy of “Tattooing, The Life and Times of Crazy Philadelphia Eddie” from last year, in case I forget about his trials and tribulations punctuated by bouts of Syphilis.

I love the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention.  I love seeing the art.  I love watching the artists.  I love the colors of the ink and the tools for sale.  I love the glares sometimes get when we get when we photograph the artists.  I love being surrounded by thousands of people who agree that every one looks hotter with ink.  When I got my first tattoo, my artist said “Welcome to the Club”.  Gotta say, this is the greatest membership ever!

Gabe Tiberino murals at the Municipal Services Building

We found ourselves over by City Hall for the first time in a while,  we were passing through Love Park when we noticed artists Gabe and Joe Tiberino’s series of murals on the exterior wall of the Municipal Services Building.  We wanted to get over here when Gabe and Joe were still working on them but never made it.  Fantastic addition to the area and definitely Tiberino work, but how many faces can you recgonize in them?

Gabe Tiberino Murals at the Municipal Services Building

This is the 15th year of the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention and the second year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The available artist’s booths are already sold out. More tattoo celebs this year as well as artists and entertainment. If you live in Philly and you’re into ink and other body art, this is a must do event.

Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention 2013