2010-11-06 The Mechanical Masquerade

In January of 2010 Syrens of the South began producing an evening of Steampunk revelry entitled The Mechanical Masquerade.  After the July event Syrens of the South passed the torch to Doctor Q and The Artifice Club.    Under new management, The Mechanical Masquerade moved from Bart Webb Studios/Little Tree Studios up the street to The Academy Theater.

The evening was a traditional masquerade with masks being worn until midnight so people could guess who was whom.  The entertainment included burlesque performances by Talloolah Love and Knoxville's own Salome Cabaret and a musical set from the Bonaventure Quartet.  Talloolah Love did her clockwork doll routine, which was her very first steampunk inspired number lo so many years ago, so it seemed only fitting for her to do it for the first one produced by The Artifice Club.  Salome Cabaret performed they're group routine to Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka which is amazingly choreographed with a twisted sexual energy that makes it disturbingly beautiful. There was also a costume contest, sadly I did not catch the winner, but I do know one of the prizes was a weekend pass for Anachrocon.  For those that don't know, Anachrocon is a weekend of all things steampunk!  It includes performances, costumes, panels dances, parties and vendors. This February will be the third year for this rapidly growing convention and interest in steampunk.

Over all it was a very lovely evening and I know that the next event, which is Friday night at Anachrocon, will be another wonderful time had by all.  Below are pictures that have been up loaded from this and previous Mechanical Masquerades (mostly by Kevin whom we love and adore as he is an amazing little shutterbug) on Flickr, enjoy!

2010-10-31 Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque On the Go-Go!

Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go! is a touring burlesque show that includes Clams Casino, Anita Cookie, Minnie Tonka, Gigi La Femme and Darlinda Just Darlinda.  They picked back up with their fall tour and headed all over the country including Atlanta, GA to come play with Syrens of the South for Halloween!

The show included the bevy of beauties from New York as well as Atlanta's own burlesque legend Torchy Taboo who MC'd the show with some newer blood performing including the legs that make you beg Lola le Soliel, the woman of a million jobs Burnadette Cinders, your host the Syren of the South Katherine Lashe, and The Lady Miss Vagina Jenkins played panty wrangler for the evening.

It was an evening of haunted horrors that included The Ghostbusters, a werewolf, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, a sexy game of peek-a-boo, and more sassy entertainment then you could shake a severed arm at!  There was a raffle with fabulous prizes that included The Burlesque Handbook, hand made pasties from the Go-Go Girls themselves, and special items donated from Sin in Linen who was helping sponsor the tour along with American Shapewear.com!


Below are some fabulous photos of Dangerous Curves: Burlesque on the Go-Go on Flickr!

2010-10-22 Hexxt

Hexxt is a horror themed club night that pops up for special occasions. Having a variety of performers from Syrens of the South, Zombie Go-Go Squad, and the finale of Chaotic Suspensions.  It was a packed house with people in costume and rocking out for Karis' birthday as well.  There were give aways from Troma Films, Horror Central, Netherworld, Latex Records, Spencer Gifts and More!


The Zombie Go-Go Squad was a group of scantily clad undead girls who danced in on the platforms and in the cages between the acts to get the patrons in the mood.  From mummies to zombies the girls represented all aspects of the undead.


Performing for Syrens of the South included MC Fritzengrueben, Stormy Knight, Fonda Lingue and Katherine Lashe.  Fritz was a trouper since there was not a microphone for him to use.  His years of theater experience came in handy so he could project over the huge crowd.  Stormy Knight did a great strip tease that walked a nice line of classic and more fetish inspired for the crowd.  Fonda Lingue did a classic strip tease and was a vision in rhinestones.  Katherine Lashe closed the show with her Creature from the Black Lagoon routine.

Chaotic Suspensions closed out the night with some suspensions, tug of war and other feats of pierced strength.  


Below is a collection of pictures from different Hexxt events.

2010-10-16 Syrens of the South with Unknown Hinson at Variety Playhouse

This past Saturday Unknown Hinson  played at the Variety Playhouse after being the Grand Marshall of the Little Five Points Halloween Parade.  If you do not know who Unknown Hinson is, here's his write up from the website:

"Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this red-necked crooner gained regional popularity with a self-produced television show in 1992 and soon was touring nationwide, wowing audiences with his outrageous and campy, white-trash persona and freewheeling, sleazy tone. Hinson’s most recent CD release, Target Practice, melds weepy twang and searing guitar riffs and lyrics that speak of love-gone-bad and the dark side of the honky-tonk lifestyle."


Since 2008, every time that Unknown Hinson has graced Atlanta with his presence Syrens of the South has been his opening act.  Last October was the first time at Variety Playhouse and as Unknown Hinson does the voice for Early Cuyler on Squidbillies, he was joined by the rest of the cast to celebrate the new season and DVD release.  It was such a hit that Unknown Hinson came back to Variety Playhouse for his 2010 October show.  This year he was again joined by Syrens of the South and Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause, who opened the show.


Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause was amazing.  They were a perfect pick to open the show.  With their twangy guitars and Anna's sultry swagger they made the giant music hall feel like an intimate country bar where you could comfortably cry in your beer or start a brawl.
  
Up next was Syrens of the South.  MC John Carney introduced himself and them had the crowd singing along with The Burlesque Show (set to The Muppet Show theme).  Next up double your pleasure and double your fun with Tupelo Honey, a woman so sweet she'll make your tooth hurt, and the Double D's of Dixie, D'lilah D'lite in an old fashion cat fight.  The clothes came flying off as they fought over who was woman enough to keep a man!  Next was the fastest hips in the South Miss Stormy Knight having a Ho-Down!  In her western shirt and full skirt she spun around giving sneak peaks to the audience with an expert tease until it was time for her reveal which the audience greatly appreciated.  Then came the Master of Puppets, the Pastor of Muppets,  Mr Tim Monteith bringing Elvis back from the grave for a little Jail House Rock, always a crowd pleaser and a nice break of variety inbetween the girls.  The Shimmy Shake and Shazaam of Ursula Undress hit the stage as a bride from hell with her devilish grin, coal black hair and flame red dress.   Her tail, horns and pitchfork were no match for her angelic good looks and the love of the audience.   The screamed and yelled all the way to hell as the joined the Cult of Ursula!  Closing out the show was the Southern Sin-Sation Katherine Lashe (me) who came out with green hair and a swampy disposition for her creature from the Black Lagoon Tribute.  The show was amazing and super special thanks to Patrick, the staff at The Variety Playhouse and of course the audience who screamed their heads off at every shimmy, shake, bump and grind!


Of course next was the main event, Unknown Hinson.  I can't even describe how amazing he is to watch live. He is the most amazing guitarist I have ever seen and his band is perfectly in sync with him.  Not only are they all amazing musicians, but the songs are both hauntingly meaningful and hilarious at the same time.  He captures every Southern cliche while both simultaneously playing into them and proving how false they can be.  He is a brilliant showman and I have never seen or met anyone as dedicated to their fans as he is.  There is always an encore and he will stay until everyone in the line has had a chance to meet him, get a picture with him and get his autograph.  


Unknown Hinson is always on tour and usually comes back to Atlanta in April so if you missed him and the Syrens of the South you can probably catch them at The Earl in April.  If you're not in Atlanta I highly recommend you check his website to see when he'll be in a town near you because it's definitely worth checking out.

2010-10-16 10th Annual Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade.  If you're unfamiliar with Little Five Points, it's Atlanta answer to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, being a center of artistic expression, local pub and bars showcasing the best in Atlanta alternative and underground music.  It has been the heart of Atlanta Counter Culture since the early 1900s.  This year marked 10 official years of the local freaks gathering in Little Five Points to celebrate the one holiday that makes them all feel normal and the "normal" people get to dress up and take a trip to their wild side.  The Festival began Friday night at 5pm with street vendors, food carts and live out door performances to gear up for the excitement of Saturday.  I was very excited to see that Pallookaville had a line around the truck proving that gourmet corn dogs are never a bad
idea, that with the smell of BBQ, homemade chili and funnel cakes and other fried things that truly make it smell like a fall festival.

Saturday was the main event with the part of the roads blocked off for the Parade, this year's Grand Marshall was Unknown Hinson. He was a natural choice as he regularly does at least two sold out shows each year in Atlanta and was playing at Variety Playhouse later that night.  As the ladies of Syrens of the South were his opening act, Katherine Lashe, Ruby Redmayne and a kidnapped Anita got to ride with him!  The ladies got a lot of practice with their princess waves!  The "float" was actually a vintage black pick-up truck that had a red velvet couch that was accented with zebra stripped faux fur for Unknown Hinson to ride in while the ladies sat down at his feet, it was definitely classy!  (See picture below, thank you Photognome!)  I think what made it especially so was the Pabst Blue Ribbon car directly behind us handing out free schwag.  It was in the shape of a PBR Can with hot rod wheels and the hood ornament was a PBR keg tap.

Honestly, the whole parade was covered in Atlanta Burlesque Stars!  Talloolah Love was playing her viola with The Vauxhall Garden Variety Players, Johnny No Thumbs was drumming with The Imperial Opa Circus, La La Lucious was driving her Pink Pussy Cat Car with Tribe, Pera Dance Studios was showing off many of their amazing teachers including having an aerial rig they pulled with them, Awalim and Turnin' TriXXX danced their way along the parade route.  


Some of my favorite floats included the Kudzu Queen, because we're in Georgia and someone needs to be the Queen of it, and the Java Lords float that sprayed blood out of the claws.  One of my favorite things about parades is always the live music and there were so many bands and groups either playing and marching or floats.  It was an amazing day of the whole community coming together and having a great party.

Below are pictures taken by a little bit of everybody!

2010-10-09 The Imperial Opa Presents Night of the Living Circus

The Imperial Opa Circus produced The Night of the Living Circus it's final big show for the season at The Goat Farm.  It was a huge event with multiple opening bands and Ninja Puppetry by Raymond Carr who always does a great job.  The circus is a combination of live music and traditional circus acts such as clowns, acrobats, aerialists, strong men, with some not so traditional acts such as ice sculpting, belly dancers and fire spinning!  It is what I would imagine a circus put on at Burning Man would be with an amazing underground feel with everything you'd expect from a circus minus the elephants.

Below is a promotional video that they put together for this show.


The Imperial Opa presents: Night of the Living Circus! from Captain Crazy Productions, INC on Vimeo.

There was so much going on from the opening parade to the funeral procession at the end of the show for the woman who sacrificed her self to bring back the undead circus.  The entire circus had a cohesive story line of sacrifice and hard work to bring the circus to life and at the end the whole circus worked together to bring back the women who had saved them all and made her the newest member of the circus.  You have to love great entertainment that also has such a good positive message as well.  The highlights of the show for me were the comedic bit with the strong man, the two aerialists and the fire spinning, but the whole show was truly amazing.  I will definitely be checking them out again and you should too!  I hope you enjoy the pictures I took!

Oct with Syrens of the South

Happy Halloween! Oct, 2010 In This Issue ABCs & 123s of Burlesque Class Unknown Hinson Oct 16 Hexxt Oct 22 Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go Oct 31 Southern Fried Burlesque Fest Quick Links Calendar Store Press ABCs & 123s of Burlesque Class Burlesque Classes are each Sunday at Pera Dance Studios from 2-4pm. Check out the website to see which classes are being offered each week! Class Listings Website Contact Us Syrens of the South syrensofthesouth@gmail.com www.syrensofthesouth.com Dear Katherine, Each October Syrens of the South finds itself swamped with events and this October looks to be no different. With so many amazing shows and events this month you'll have plenty of opportunity to check out the local girls as well as some very special out of town guests! Sincerely, Katherine "Lashe" Neslund Syrens of the South Productions Syrens of the South with Unknown Hinson Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this red-necked crooner gained regional popularity with a self-produced television show in 1992 and soon was touring nationwide, wowing audiences with his outrageous and campy, white-trash persona and freewheeling, sleazy tone. Hinson's most recent CD release, Target Practice, melds weepy twang and searing guitar riffs and lyrics that speak of love-gone-bad and the dark side of the honky-tonk lifestyle. Variety Playhouse Website Syrens of the South at Hexxt Halloween Spooktacular Dj's Aesthetic, Flynt, and Vulture Performances By: Syrens Of the South The HeXxt Horror Troop Ishtar and Karis Zombie Go-Go Squad and much more TBA soon Lots O FREE swag from Troma Films, Horror Central, Netherworld and More Hexxt Halloween Spooktacular Website Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go! "See New York's Best Burlesque for One Night Only!" Dangerous Curves: Burlesque On The Go-Go! Fall Tour October 31, 2010, 8pm Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door Eyedrum 290 Martin Luther King, Jr, Dr, SE Atlanta, GA 30312 Syrens of the South is pairing up with New York City's best known, most popular and award-winning burlesque stars, Anita Cookie, Clams Casino, Darlinda Just Darlinda, GiGi La Femme and Minnie Tonka! These ladis are hitting the road and bringing their signature acts to stages throughout the country for a three-week tour that takes them from the Midwest through the South and up the Eastern Seaboard including Atlanta, GA, on Halloween! Purchase Tickets at the Website Southern Fried Burlesque Fest We have created this festival to support and showcase all facets of the neoburlesque revival - classic, humorous, conceptual, acrobatic, etc. We're bringing you the most amazing, creative, and talented group of burlesque vaudeville and variety performers in one place! Not to mention, the most elaborate class & workshop schedule you will ever see for performers, photographers, teachers, and anyone crazy about burlesque as a part of this four day event. Our goal for this event is to not only showcase the amazing talents the Southeast has to offer, but to also show the Southeast the amazing talents the rest of the world has to offer. It will be a weekend of burlesque goodness for all! Southern Fried Burlesque Fest Website About Us Syrens of the South produces burlesque shows all over the country. If you're looking for anything from classic burlesque to pirates, superheros to steampunk, rockabilly to science fiction, Syrens of the South is your one stop shop for the widest variety in burlesque shows in the Southeast.