11 Hot, Nerdy, New Burlesque Trends

October 3, 2014
By Amanda Halm

Burlesque isn’t all feathers, tassels and pin-ups. Brown Paper Tickets tickets thousands of burlesque events each year and we love to see all the creative tributes and trends.

Since it’s the season for costumes and creative dress, we tallied the outrageous, salacious, the downright funny and the serious, too.

Nerdlesque

1. Game of Thrones: Burlesque is Coming

We love the tagline for this event: “For the night is dark and full of rhinestones.” Who isn’t watching/reading/talking about Game of Thrones? Game of Thrones burlesque blends fantasy with the farcical. It’s produced by Moxie LaBouche who also put together another nerdy hit: “The Princess Bride: A Burlesque Tribute of Unusual Size.”

2. Comic Book Burlesque
Burlesque performers and superheroes have a lot in common. Both are confident, costume-clad, total bad-arses. Comic-book burlesque takes superheroes right from the page and brings them alive on stage. Get ’em, Bat Girl.

3. Burlesque and Board Games
Nerd Girl Burlesque gives the audience a tease and then steps down from the stage to play …board games. Sultry Scrabble. Daring Dice. Guests even get to bring in their own games.

Teases and Tributes

4. Tributes to the Late Great ’90s

This 90’s burlesque tribute wins just for the name: Ain’t Nuthin’ but a G-String.

5. Heavy Metal Burlesque
Big, crazy hair. Sky-high leather boots. Makeup to the max. Metal and burlesque go together like skulls and crossbones.

6. Queen

Get all gussied up and see burly meets the rock ballad with this burlesque tribute to Queen. Mustaches are the only must, real, fake or painted on.

7. Club Fiend: A Misfits Burlesque Tribute

If Queen doesn’t do it for you, maybe a little London Dungeon will. Yes, there is a burlesque tribute to the hey-day of the horror-punk band.

8. Burl-eoke
We know you never get tired of belting out Joan Jett covers at the local dive, but when it’s time to switch up your karaoke night, Burl-eoke is the thing to do.

9. The Pink Room: David Lynch Burlesque 

Cast off the rules of linear narrative and into the Lynchian – that is the bizarre, dream-like and hypnotic. Twin Peaks. Blue Velvet. Need we say more?

Horrorlesque

10. Zombie Burlesque
rAAaAA RrAaaAaaA uuHHHH Orr. Fluent in zombie speak? See classic burlesque with an undead twist in Vegas.

11. John Carpenter

‘Tis the season to be out-of-your-mind terrified. Liberty Rose brings acts inspired by the films of John Carpenter. Carpenter was the guy who directed a certain slasher film named after a certain holiday. This is the burlesque show of your nightmares. In a good way, of course.

What’s your favorite themed burly show? Comment away.

Arts >

The Mid-Week Beat: RIP Lou Reed

October 30, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

So, if this was a normal Halloween, I would be writing about all the upcoming Halloween music events but when a musical legend dies, it’s the duty of the music fan to pay tribute. This last Sunday morning, we lost probably one of the most influential musicians of the past 40 years and an artist that had a tremendous impact on me: Lou Reed.

Any fan of “alternative” music owes a huge debt to Reed. Starting his musical career in the era of “free love” and psychedelia, Reed was churning out discordant, droning songs about violence, hard drugs and life on the streets of New York City; far removed from what was going on in hippy meccas like London or San Francisco. Reed believed that rock and roll could push boundaries and challenge audiences just like the literature of the Beat Generation or the art of the avant garde.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that he found a confidante and ally in Andy Warhol, who took Reed’s band the Velvet Underground under his wing, giving them a home at his Factory, an entourage of “superstar” fans and a dark, surreal aesthetic that struck a deep resonating chord for the music fans that would later develop the punk ethos. The famous saying goes that the first Velvet Underground album sold very few copies, but everyone that bought it, formed a band.

After the demise of the Velvet Underground, Reed continued to experiment, creating the proto-industrial record Metal Machine Music, penning probably the first Top 40 hit about transsexuals (“Walk on the Wild Side”) and becoming a major influence and star of the glam rock scene of the early 70s. Of course, by the mid-1970s punk was in full swing and Reed was regularly credited as one of the founders. His songs were covered by bands like Joy Division, The Modern Lovers, Slaughter and the Dogs and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who all obviously owed a huge debt to Reed and the Velvet Underground.

Reed continued to make challenging music up until his death on Sunday, collaborating with Metallica and the Gorillaz, among others. Needless to say, the music world is a lot emptier without his presence and for this week’s Mid-Week Beat, I thought I’d highlight shows and musicians that owe a debt to Mr. Reed and the music he created. Thanks for everything Lou. We’ll miss you.
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Music >

The Tuesday Tease: Horrible and Hot – Halloween Burlesque Part 2!

October 29, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

Here it is, the final roundup of horrible and hot burlesque events happening on Halloween proper and on Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd, the period often referred to as the “Day of the Dead” in Mexican culture. The Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos in Spanish), focuses on gatherings of family and friends who pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, which honor the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. It’s nice to see this tradition honored in burlesque performances this year as I’ve always felt that the imagery associated with the holiday is so striking and dramatic.

I must say this has been the biggest burlesque Halloween that we’ve seen at Brown Paper Tickets and it’s just further proof that burlesque is growing, expanding and thriving all over the country. No need to honor the death of burlesque this Day of the Dead. This sparkly beast is showing no signs of passing away any time soon. Let’s raise a glass of tequila and suck on a sparkly sugar skull in honor of the hottest Halloween season yet!

Now get your costumes together, get your tickets and support your local spooky strippers!
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Arts >

The Pronto Podcast — Brown Paper Tickets’ Event Guide for Seattle

October 29, 2013
By Jeff Leisawitz

Welcome to The Pronto! Brown Paper Ticket’s event guide for Seattle.

Tune in every Tuesday to check out a few of our favorite events in the Emerald City! You can check back to the blog every Tuesday at 10am or hit “subscribe” on the player and get each week’s Pronto delivered right to your computer.

Have a friend that’s visiting Seattle this week? Why not share this podcast with them and give them ideas of something to do?

This week we got a conversation with an International Color Guru, happening tonight, Tuesday, October 29. Leatrice Eisman of the Pantone Color Institute will tell you everything you wanted to know about color but were afraid to ask. This one is at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse downtown.

Also tonight, at Gay City on Capitol Hill, it’s time for Pola-Reds Book Launch Party. This is a book of polaroids from the late 70’s that chronicles Jack Johnston’s queer art punk performances and private life.

Check out the Crosscut Courage Awards at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center downtown on Thursday, October 31. This event celebrates local leaders who have demonstrated bold leadership in public service, business and culture in the Puget Sound Region.

Friday, November 1, get literary with Boobs and the Bard: A Shakespeare Burlesque at the Jewelbox Theater in Belltown. Comedy and tragedy. With plenty of skin.

On Saturday November 2, how about an Asian Market Tour and Thai Cooking Class? You’ll learn ingredients, cooking methods and cultural wisdom. And you’ll walk away with plenty of recipes and a belly full of deliciousness.

Saturday, November 2, is also the day for Birding 101: The Basics at the Seward Park Audubon Center. Become a backyard birder and learn to spot lots of common species. Fun!

That night, Saturday, November 2, head over to Vermillion on Capitol Hill for Old Growth Northwest Poetry Reading featuring Caroline Wright & Kelly Davio. Great poets and a cool venue.

Tuesday Tease: Seattle’s Queen of Gorelesque!

October 23, 2012
By James Ulness

The First time I met La Petite More was backstage at a Chance Fashion show. She strutted down the catwalk in a Samurai-inspired Steampunk outfit, dragging a 3 foot pipe wrench with her and sporting a very large fauxhawk.

Backstage she showed off a pair of high heeled zombie shoes and large amount of gravitas. The reaction from the designers and photographers there was a unanimous “I want to work with her!” That was in 2009, since then I have had the opportunity to work with and for La Petite Mort on many shows and I can confidently say that everything she does is a monument to style, talent, art and a large amount of fake blood.

I recently had a chance to sit down with La Petite to find out what makes her work stand out.
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Arts >

11 Hot, Nerdy, New Burlesque Trends

Nerdlesque

Teases and Tributes

The Mid-Week Beat: RIP Lou Reed

The Tuesday Tease: Horrible and Hot – Halloween Burlesque Part 2!

The Pronto Podcast — Brown Paper Tickets’ Event Guide for Seattle

Tuesday Tease: Seattle’s Queen of Gorelesque!

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