Somerville, NJ is not the place where I expect to unexpectedly run into a flyer for an upcoming Burlesque show. Once I found out exactly who was running the show, then it made sense. I’ve interviewed him before and you’ve no doubt (if you know me) know about his web comic In His Likeness, James Hatton. He’s a good friend of mine and fellow townsfolk and happens to be the voice behind the Burlesque troupe. Now I cannot say that I have not known they were doing Burlesque because I missed out on one of their Cosplay Burlesque shows during New York Comic Con this past year. Sadly. But this was not their usual display.
On Sunday September 27 at Verve (www.vervestyle.com) in Somerville the Cosplay Burlesque was giving a performance to demonstrate how Burlesque has changed over the years. I was pretty excited to finally see this troupe perform, I’d seen videos of their performances before but I knew this would be different. How exciting to show up to see someone in costume at the door greeting people!
The show began with James Hatton’s fantastic MC abilities. He really has a great sense of humour and keeps the crowd involved and handles them well. I was really impressed, as I’d not seen him do this yet in person. He really was fun to listen to and watch. He started out by explaining the rules of the show. Basically no flash photography, that sort of thing, then went right into the show. What I think could have been a little different here and quite useful is an actual “history” of burlesque or an explanation of the burlesque’s true beginnings and where it has come from, possibly represented, and what it has become today. There are plenty of books, videos and websites out there for this sort of information, if you are interested. I do, though, think the show could have used more of something of this nature.
Onward with the show! There were five lovely ladies performing by the names of Madison Bartholemew, Victoria Belmont, Luna Chase, Lily Stitches and Zenithan. (I couldn’t help but think the last name might be a woman who also does some snake charming on the side for a side show, it sounds so sideshow-esque!) They started with their idea of Burlesque during Victorian times, followed by the Old West, incorporating the use of Christianity (which I wasn’t sure how to take given I was expecting more of a history of burlesque through the ages and this just didn’t seem to fit into that whole idea in my thinking), the 1930’s (one of my favourite era’s!), their rendition of Can-Can dancers, the 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s go-go dancers, the 1980’s and then onto modern times.
While I did find the show entertaining, I did not, however, feel it provided what I expected by the title of the show. While I had a lot of fun watching the women in their costumes, I felt that they were lacking in choreography. That made the show a little awkward. At times I felt as though they were performing their act for the first time. The other part of the show that I felt was a little off was the music. For a show that was supposed to highlight burlesque through the ages, I felt the music for each act should have matched the timeframe being highlighted, but instead the music was modern and really threw the theme out of sync. The women were having a good time up there, that was pretty obvious and the audience was having fun watching and encouraging them. My favourite part of the show itself was when James invited audience members up to do their own dance. It was fun to see who would take up such an offer and what they might show us. I’ll admit, the one woman who volunteered seemed oddly like she’d done this sort of thing before!
So while I don’t feel that the show was a total loss, I do feel like it was out of sync and a little awkward. Perhaps because this show was different from their usual type of show. The troupe normally do Cosplay Burlesque which would obviously agree with the usage of modern music and character-derived costumes, but this show just seemed out of order and out of time. I have not seen their Cosplay Burlesque other than on video, and I must say it was entertaining, especially if you’re a comic book fan or gamer. So don’t hesitate to catch this troupe doing their next show as I have no doubt that if it is your cup of tea, you definitely will enjoy what you see. With a little more practice and research I think they could make their “Burlesque through the ages” show run smoother and a little more in time with the timeline.
See images and videos of this troupe at their website: www.cosplayburlesque.com
18
Sep
09
Q and A w/ The Gay Blades
photo stolen from their MySpace but taken by Lucia Holm
Luckily I was able to get this little Q and A at all. Originally I wanted to sit down with them and talk but as fate would have it, they were touring and I am stuck in New Jersey being a librarian in corporate hell (for the time being.) So instead we did it this way and I think you can tell just by reading this why I felt the need to talk to them. After you are done reading this, please, if you haven’t already (seriously?) checked out their music, please go check it out. Links will be at the bottom of the post.
Also, I apologize for my convolutedness (apparently not a word!) in one of the questions. 
My friends and loyal readers, I give you Clark Westfield…
My friends and loyal readers, I give you Clark Westfield…1. Starting with a typical question: I heard you both met as carnies. Tell me about that. (I love carnies btw, some of them…always wanted to join some kind of travelling pack of weirdos).
Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, working in the traveling flea market was a lot like being on tour. There’s some hesitance to develop new relationships too early, as you need to make sure you fully understand the social dynamics at play, before committing. You never know who to trust do you? One day you’re high fiving someone and the next day you’re looking for your merch/ticket money, which has mysteriously vanished. Dig????
2. I saw you for the first time in Brooklyn when some friends brought me along insisting I see you guys live. I almost offered to work your merch booth because it looked lonely and I’m an old merch girl, but that is beside the point…the point is, you had fans in masks and underwear playing cowbells on stage…now is this a common occurrence at your shows? Do you plan it out or does it just happen?
We absolutely plan it. I’d love to say that our music makes the freaks just dance their clothes right off, but people are still a bit gun shy from the Bush administration. We used to do it a lot more often, but with us playing so much, its impossible to arrange the theatrics at every show. Now we just rely on our thrashing bodies and wall of noisey pop music to get us through the lonely nights. Plus, its really hard to play in masks….I’m not sure how Slipknot does it.
3. What is your whole creative/studio process?
Equal parts black magic, red wine and good friends who are way more talented than us helping us play the parts.
4. What about albums, how’s that look on your front and I know you’ve been touring, how is that going and labels…are you on one and if so why are you on that one and if not, why not? If I had a label, I’d sign you.
Real quick, this question might be the single most convoluted question we’ve ever been asked, but I think I know what you mean. We are in fact signed both in the US (Triple Crown) and in the UK (Something In Construction), and in both cases we’ve maintained an imprint (4Never Records) as we are very particular about how our records are being worked. We’re actually demoing for the new record as we speak and its turning out really 90’s sounding, like somewhere between Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Junior. Not sure how that happened…
5. What motivates you to do what you do everyday? Can you pin point it or is it something that just happens?
This however, is a great question. I guess, we are just trying to fully realize our potential; to see how far we can take it. I mean, we’ll always play music, and write tunes, but it takes a lot to haul your ass out to a van every day and drive across the country for 7 months out of the year. Its certainly not about the fat checks which we aren’t cashing. Recently, we were sitting in our own amazingly dope hotel rooms in Barcelona, waiting to play a club show at 2:30 AM, and couldn’t believe someone was paying us to come to play music 3000 miles from home just cause we wrote some pop songs. All in all, your view is always subject to your emotional state. Sometimes life is glorious. Other times, it feels like your youth is being stolen from you.
6. Do you know who the band Marisette are? You should follow them on Twitter. Different sound than you guys but man a show with the two of you would be like an awesome party. Just sayin’….
I really like awesome parties and I will follow the shit out of them starting right…now! (I actually really just followed them)
7. So many people out there who are creative haven’t learned to channel that energy and they hurt themselves and others, would you agree that art and being creative is a great way to cope with the world and other issues we encounter as humans?
I know a lot of artists (and not so artistic people) who abuse substances and themselves due to the frustrations of feeling completely alienated from what they perceive as “normal” people. I mean, I too look at most people as though I were from a completely different culture, but I also understand that everyone probably feels the exact same way, “normal” or otherwise. Art or any other focused effort, helps us cope with the alienation inherent in modern society because we’re able to connect with others who are like us. I mean, as religious institutions crumble and the family structure dissolves, we are all going to be grasping to find that ever important sense of “belonging”. Dig?
8. What do you think would happen if we just let people be themselves?
Well first, I think we need to give ourselves the permission to find and then be ourselves. Then we can focus on tolerating others.
9. Is there a quote, song, film, etc that really gets you pumped when you read it or hear it, see it etc?
Cool Hand Luke might be one of the most perfect pieces of art ever created. Amazing writing. Amazing acting. Amazing direction. Amazing music. I challenge anyone to find a flaw in any aspect of that film. And its not by accident. There is a measured amount of ebb and flow tempered with a clear focus of an final product.
Go see these guys live. You will implode, explode and sexplode, and have an experience you will never forget! Watch the videos! Check the tour dates! Get thee to a nunnery! After you’ve seen them of course:
http://www.myspace.com/gayblades
22
Jul
09
The Dead Weather
The Dead Weather – Terminal 5, NYC – Friday, 7/17/09
Opening Band – Screaming Females (Ferocious.)
Two days before the concert, I finally looked into this “Dead Weather” band. A friend of mine had asked me to go along months ago, and after briefly checking out the band’s website, I discovered it was another Jack White creation, so I figured it had to be decent. Over the last decade, I’ve lost touch with music that was made after Machina and the Machines of God, the original Smashing Pumpkins’ last album. To me, alternative rock was a lost art, and despite trying to find it in newer bands like My Chemical Romance and The Killers, something just wasn’t fully clicking. So, although I had heard of Jack White and that he’s basically a guitar god, I’d stayed ignorant to his works since he emerged, thinking he’d be just a fad in our ADD-paced world. And who could be better than Billy Corgan, anyway?
Silly me.
After watching a few videos on The Dead Weather’s website, including the quirky introductory “interview,” it was clear that not only did Jack White have incredible talent as a musician, but he knows which artists to collaborate with to make a killer album. After seeing this show, he also knows how to pick opening bands that will impress, instead of bore, his audience.
It became clear that White is a genious Friday night at Terminal 5 in NYC, by the time the opening band had finished its first song. The Screaming Females, a young trio from New Brunswick, NJ, began, greeted with middle fingers and cat calls from the audience. “Go back to Jersey!” shouted one guy, deep within the sold-out crowd. Another dude closer to the stage spent the first song waving his middle fingers and jumping to the alternative rock sound, fronted by singer/guitarist, Marissa, backed by drummer, Jarrett, and bassist, Mike. I was expecting a bunch of punk-wannabe chicks screaming their heads off, trying to sounds “RAWK!”.
Silly me.
Marissa broke out into a guitar solo. This was an a-typical solo from what I’ve seen from a female guitarist. (Not to be sexist, but I’ve yet to see a woman play more than rhythm guitar or mellow acoustic sounds.) To be frank, Marissa plays like an experienced, male, rock guitarist. Her style and skill reminded me of Billy Corgan. And that’s saying something, because Corgan is my guitar hero.
The audience cheered the band after Marissa dedicated the next song to middle-fingered-happy-dude; however, it wasn’t until that next song did it sink in with the audience that Marissa’s musicianship and energy was ferocious. It was a moment in which everyone looked at each other and went, “Oh, wait a minute, she’s serious. Holy shit!” It wasn’t just some heavily-practiced, one-song fling with solo-guitarism – Marissa has some “mad skillz.” Jarrett and Mike were equally energetic and talented, though Marissa clearly stole the show.
The opening act was longer than most, playing for about an hour, covering a good chunk of their three-album repertoire. I highly recommend checking them out either on their website www.thescreamingfemales.com, MySpace, or shady cellphone videos on YouTube.
The Screaming Females
The Screaming Females
As amazing as the opening act was, there is no question who the real stars are once the lights dim for the headliner band. The Dead Weather came on stage, and for the first time, I was able to experience Jack White in all his pure musical glory. Opening with the first song on the album, “60 Feet Tall,” White (drums, vocals), Alison Mosshart (vocals, guitar), Dean Fertita (guitar, keyboards), and Jack Lawrence (bass), blew the already winded crowd away. Infused with blues and classic rock, their songs become heavy, alternative rock anthems in person.
Dead Weather
Dead Weather Mosshart breathed her sultry fire into every song, her voice like chili-flavored dark chocolate – a classy, bluesy, alto tone with a rock growl: combined it reminded me of Patti Smith, Pat Benetar, Courtney Love (on good days), and Stevie Nicks. When she wasn’t singing, sometimes with a cigarette in hand, smoking between verses, she prowled the stage, the music moving her body and soul.
White, Fertita, and Lawrence carried the sound, renewing a vitality that I last heard in 70’s rock – Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Janis Joplin. Sitting on the third level, experiencing the band play “So Far From Your Weapon” (my favorite on the album), I was reminded of two things: stories of gospel music as sung by slaves in the cotton fields, and of the original Woodstock festival – how music was once inspirational and powerful, filled with the soul of blues and heart of rock.
During “Will There Be Enough Water?,” White picked up his guitar, to the thrill of the audience. Lawrence took over the drums. Mosshart and White took center stage and sang, two black-clad suns creating a crackling heat lightning of musical performance. It was only broken by White backing up into his thundering, screaming guitar solo, snapping strings, and wearing down the guitar before its time. I could easily picture myself sitting on a porch of a weathered old house deep in the hills on a hot day, someone playing this song with a banjo, singing, followed by Zeppelin’s cover of “When the Levee Breaks.”
Jack White on guitar
The band closed the night by powering through a three-song encore, including “Treat Me Like Your Mother” and ending with a cover of Bob Dylan’s 1978 “New Pony.” Sung by a woman, “New Pony” drips with sex, particularly when Mosshart laid upon the monitors at the front of the stage.
Alison Mosshart lying on the monitors
After listening to the album and immediately seeing The Dead Weather perform, how could I have missed all that talent before? Perhaps, Jack White not only unleashed his own soul and found his perfect niche, but he also formed the perfect modern-day band that can easily stand confident next to the classics, unlike most other newer acts. Even if this band is fleeting in time (since all of its members have other main acts), it nailed its first album directly into rock history.
***Review by Ginger Meadows
17
Jul
09
Destroy to Rebuild: Marisette
Photo by Joel Arbaje
Before moving to New Jersey, I had heard about a band called the Champagne Charade. I think I actually helped to make some graphics for their street team but I admit, I never really looked into them or heard them play. That summer, I was at a BBQ and ended up having an extended conversation with two people, and was admittedly just happy to feel like I was making friends. I was, however completely unaware that they were members of this band. I had finally realized, after overhearing someone mention a show they had coming up, that it was in fact the lead singer Desiree-Saetia and guitarist Rob who I had been talking to that whole time. I just knew they were really salt of the earth, genuine people and I really enjoyed their company. Not that I expected anything less just because they were in a band, but you know, there was no flashy ego or false personality about them, just real people.
A lot has changed since last summer and with a few personnel changes and a bit of a make-over, the Champagne Charade has become Marisette , one of the most ferocious sounds to come out of Northern New Jersey in a long time. When I recently had the opportunity to see Marisette play, it was as though the power of the previous line up had tripled. It was like hearing a different band. Not to mention how much more relaxed and in their own skin they seemed. I am not usually too impressed by the female fronted bands out there these days. They all tend to sound the same but this band sounds like no one you have ever heard and with a fierce female vocalist who will literally blow your face off with her energy. The current line-up includes Desiree-Saetia on vocals, Rob on guitar, J.D. on guitar, Nicky on bass and Paulie on drums. I can honestly say this combination is a force to be reckoned with.
Over much sushi and some pretty amazing desserts, Desiree-Saetia spoke with me about the band, getting down to the bare bones about the name change, the new line up and how much they’ve changed since the Champagne Charade. The most obvious question on my mind (and I’m sure many others’) was, why the name change and why that name? She assured me it was much more than just a simple name change. “With CC we were trying to have this look with costumes and an image and fit in with something we really weren’t, thinking that it would make us stand out but really the look didn’t mesh with the sound and people just didn’t get it.” she explained. She told me that with the new line-up they have really come into their own sound and no longer need that image to stand out. Now they are being themselves and it has really helped with the songwriting process. “Once we knew we had made the right change, then we had to change the name, we just weren’t that same band anymore. You need to be yourself and not change to be something for someone else.” While they did want to be sure their sound was original, they felt it also meant they needed an original name. “It’s a made up word.” It’s a combination of words and ideas from some of their own personal influences — song titles, band names, etc. “When we decided on Marisette, I looked the word up and found out if you break it down it means “mar” – to disfigure or tear apart and “sette” – to rebuild. So it fit with our whole idea that we needed to tear ourselves down in order to build ourselves back up again.”
Besides their electrifying live performances, Marisette has a great rapport with their fans. They keep in touch with fans through their MySpace, Twitter and even a Facebook account. “We’ve always been really real with our fans. We’re real people, we love communicating with the fans.” It didn’t surprise me to hear this, knowing what truly friendly people they were.
If you’ve seen Marisette live, then you know Desiree-Saetia has some pipes. She can go from singing a sweet and subtle melody to a deep and powerful rage all within the same song, making it seem so easy. She stands out among so many female fronted bands that are out there now. Her voice is such a compliment to the powerhouse of sound coming from J.D.’s shredding riffs and the rest of the band’s substantially concrete wall of sound. It is hard to imagine this band going unsigned for very long. What I really enjoy about watching them play is that you can tell how much they want to be there. It is as though this is what they were meant to do and it comes through in how comfortable they are up there. It is inspirational and if you are someone with a dream, no matter what it is, being around that kind of attitude and energy can really motivate you to keep doing what you love as well. “I’ve always wanted to be a singer, but once I started listening to rock music I was sure.” She explained that she had the opportunity to see her first show at the age of 12 and she was lucky enough to get to see the show from the side of the stage where she could see the audience react to the band. “When I saw that audience, I just knew this was it. I was in my first band by the age of 14.” Incidentally, her favourite band when she was a teenager was called When All Is Lost, which happened to have a guitar player by the name of Rob. Yes, that very same Rob you see churning it out inMarisette. As far as influences go though, she credits Darryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Jonny Craig of Emarosa as her biggest motivators to keep going. Palumbo, besides having an amazing voice, has a tattoo that simply reads “PMA ” which stands for “positive mental attitude” and that made a difference in how she started thinking when she was younger. “With what he’s been through, his music literally kept him alive.” She took that to heart and hasn’t stopped since. “With this band, we have to constantly reinvent ourselves to stay on top and stand out. Was I as good back then as I am now, no. Am I as good now as I’ll ever be? No. You keep practicing, and you’re always changing.” She encourages that attitude in her fans just by doing what she’s doing. It shows when you see her up there and you hear the band doing what you know they love.
The influence she gets from Craig is similar. She claims that just knowing about his trip through life and the things he’s gone through to get where he is has just inspired her more. She really wants to do that for someone else through her music. She recently had the chance to sing for Craig and his band. “It was unreal to be there with my favourite singer like that.” she beamed.
Between all five members, the influences on Marisette vary. From punk, to hair metal to hardcore, it is all in there helping to create a sound unlike the others. Their passion has put them up there as one of the more dedicated and honest hardworking bands on the touring scene right now, creating a style and sound all their own. There are plenty of bands out there that sound like every other band. So many bands seem to just mimic the others, but not Marisette.
Currently unsigned, they are working on recording four new songs for an upcoming EP. They’ve been touring around the East Coast but would like to tour wider and are looking for representation or a booking agent to help them reach out to their fans in the midwest and West Coast and to broaden their fanbase. If you do get the chance though, you shouldn’t miss this band while you can still get close to them. Marisette is going to make the other bands in Northern New Jersey rethink quitting their day jobs.
Check out Marisette:
24
Jun
09
Welcome to Twisted Peppermint!
You are probably wondering what is going on here and what this is all about! Well this is Twisted Peppermint, a portal to art culture far and wide, local and tight and here you will find articles about artists, musicians, and people who are creative, bold, daring and in essence inspiring! I want to use this to talk to and about the people who I think are making a difference by being themselves, expressing themselves and totally rocking the world with their creative souls. I want to inspire my readers and show them the people I feel are really making a difference in art culture and the world in general through their art. I also have no intentions of being overly cautious of how I express myself here. If I think it, I’m going to say it. This is about expression and art and sometimes it will be fucked up fun and sometimes just bodacious beauty, either way it’s going to be said. If you haven’t already, follow us on Twitter @TwistedP for the latest updates to the blog and find out who we are interviewing or what we are covering next. This is still a work in progress but it will be progressively growing and who knows where we might end up, but we want you to come along for the ride! We already have interviews and reviews set up for the near future so by no means do we intend to stay quiet for long. If you have an artist you’d like us to talk to or about, please email me at LadyMothraRose@gmail.com. By the way, that is me, your humble blogger. LadyMothraRose, fearless blogger and anarchist at heart. So welcome, and enjoy and get ready for a ride into art culture like you’ve never seen it before!
