Saturday March 28th, there were pirates at the Old Yellow Cab building downtown on 4th Street. Some drunken sailors, some sober pirates with no less the swashbuckling. It was a cold night but the performers of the Blue Moon Circus, Jimi Black, Sunova Starshine and Gabriel Ford gave new meaning to ‘flame licked’ as they danced, twirled, kissed, combated and commanded the balls of fire on rings, daggers, poles and chains.
Pirates and steampunk, kinda like the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s but somehow strangely get along. With many a grown man, woman and scallywag dressed to the nine’s in weathered, feathered attire and old school vintage futurism garb. Two unique and very distinct sub-cultures making cozy bedfellows, like Redbeard meets Blade Runner or Blackbeard meets The Golden Compass, modern day. Then again, they said rap and metal would never mix either.
Sponsored by www.airshippassepartout.com and MC’d by Sir Ernest Octave Suszczynski. Tarot readings were available from the slightly dead looking but always dapper Loren Muzzy. When you can stand out in the crowd at a pirate themed steampunk event, you know you’re dealing the cards right. The lovely Zattana also supplied and applied hand-made, custom drawn Henna for anyone wanting an anatomical souvenir to take home. Also working the door, inking wrists with cats and skull and bones were the happy brimming crew of Kitty Kim, Mike, Sabrina, Tammy, Ray & Gintia. Flower Power Wood Fired Pizza was also parked outside to cure the shore leave munchies.
Event vendors included Studio De Sade, Bree Orlock Designs, Cultist Crafts, Free Pirates for Hire, Jacobee Rose Buchanan, Under the Eaves the Art of Kate Huser Santucci, Sylvan Creations by Nicole Marker, Purple Dragon Creations, Pandora Society, Marianne C Jackson and Sew Late at Night, along with ye friendly bar serving wenches Tara and Erin.
The Blue Moon Circus took over the interior with solo performances then to the open air to play with fire.
The BMC is a collective of circus and side show entertainers from Louisville, KY, Southern Indiana and a few national talents. Comprised of side show stunt artists, fire eaters, spinners, aerialists, jugglers, clowns, unicyclists, belly dancers, dancers of all kinds, contortionists, stilt walkers, actors, face painters, musicians and more! That night we got the fire breathing, dancing, juggling, sword-dancing and self-torture artists.
The Circus, founded in 2007 by Ember (Laurel Fleury) and the Great Baldini, started as a side show featuring fire artists, expanding to snake and belly dancers, then hand drummers, aerialists, contortionists and so on. Now 40+ members strong, their never at a loss for entertainment!
Since June 2013, Blue Moon Circus has grown from a single act following another to a more collaborative and creative effort with all performers joining forces, for a more family flow feeling, creating a unique, original experience while helping preserve classic, tradition old side show and circus customs and acts of yesteryear. Always broadening the scope of what can be done, drawing from and discovering the secrets of classic circus photos and performance footage while paying homage to the greats and the current kings and queens of the carnival creation.
The first performer, the dancing, moving bombshell Bad Alice took the front of the building as her own, opening the show with an enchanting waltz holding silky sheets in ways to make you jealous of them. Later, back indoors she continued her act with a curved blade used for culinary or cutlery depending on which if any scallywags got out of line. She balanced the weapon on head and shoulders and could have probably grabbed, thrown and hit any bulls-eye at will.
Her interest in belly dance began at 15 in Hot Springs, AR. The irresistible combination of a park, a 30 foot blow up castle, and a troupe of lavishly dressed dancers enchanted her young mind into spending the next 16 years dedicated to the craft. She’s become a versatile body weaver of many styles and still learning with Turkish and American tribal as her favorites. Being trained by world class dancers and attending Womyn’s Festival’s at 15 and 17, helped cement her passion for the lifestyle. Under the tutelage of Mona Simone, Ruric Amari and Kelly Creagh in Louisville, she continues to learn her passion.
Next up was the black draped, bearded and double chain bladed Octoclaw, ready, prepared and maybe a bit too willing to swing meat cleavers around the general vicinity.
For your childhood memories, wonder and enjoyment, Pan the Hungry Juggler and trickster appeared in character and costume. Close to the fabled hero of Neverland in appearance, but closer to the ‘adult’ version as this Pan had no issues playing with his yo yo in public. Following in the footsteps of Mark Hayward he turned the toy into his private Rubik’s cube, later, following Octo and Hollows fire show, performed his trademark skills with orange/red hoop rings, juggling pins and glowing balls.
In the summer of 2013, he became fascinated with the performances of the Cincinnati circus. Seeing the trapeze artists, stilt walkers, magicians and jugglers, all learning from each other, oozing with skill and talent conjured full body inspiration. Since then he’s continued pursuing the mastering of “juggling.” He wants to bring happiness to others through engaging entertainment, hoping to teach and feed other starving artists in the audience with the passion he’s found in throwing stuff around, without hitting anyone.
Elizabeth Hollows was inspired by the cartoon circus and carnivals from a young age, quickly diving into palm reading at 10, then the noisy but fun art of balloon animals at 16. At 23, she became a female Indiana Jones, talented with a whip. At 24, she began studying poi (a performance art of swinging tethered weights and objects through a variety of patterns). At 25 she eclipsed Mash’s hot lips Houlihan and began playing with fire eating, fire and blade poi. Drawn to the dark side of the circus and side show life, she is a multitalented mistress of the wicked that come, using spinning fire and sharp blades to entrance her audience. Coincidentally she’s a big fan of Tom Browning’s “Freaks.”
She welcomed, challenged/dared everyone to step outside and watch her fondle some hot daggers. With a certain glow she played touch resistance with her ivory skin, inhaling some flames, she put out the heat with a seductive smirk. Not to have her other half feel neglected she slid down on the pavement and danced a few more fire swirls on her legs, ZZ Top would’ve been impressed. She finished with a few more hot pokes down the throat with Bad Alice returning to light a cigarette off her flaming lips.
Inside Mr. Octoclaw prepared the animal traps, demonstrating their authenticity, snapping a carrot for the audience’s awe and wincing approval, offering anyone a free piece of Vitamin A before readying hands for contraption. On three, he drove hands into steel with a loud click; eyes squeezed tight and raised his hands revealing a large purse attached to the chains which he merrily swung back and forth as his face and hands reddened.
After Alice had played with the steel sharpie, Mr. Claws went outside and batted around his two pronged baton, hot on both sides, breaking it into two long beams that said I’m training to be a fire-pit fighter. Miss Hollows returned ready to start swinging two long chained fireballs of her own.
They went back inside as Octo got on the cymbals, flute and mandolin and had a four way dance party finale ending with him getting staple-gunned on the cheek.
Playing the best of the (18) 70’s, (18) 80’s and 1990’s, a ye merry band of pirates started off the music taking the stage and symbolically “Hoisting the Colours” high, so way hey, give’em some time to “Blow the Man Down.” The man in black covered “Hurt” so the pirates covered his version. They begged “Jolene” to keep her hands to herself and not pillage another lady’s man. Beware, the “Beast of Pirates Bay,” Lochness has nothing on him and Peter Pan flew his way, never made it back to Neverland and Hook lost his other hand.
The question that lingers in every sea gals mind, “What do you do with a Drunken Pirate?” Have your way, if he’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” on the steel ship he rides. Well “Shiver my Timbers,” “Yo ho ho, it’s the Pirates Life for Me”
The first fire dancer of the evening, Dayton’s own Jimi Black started off, warming the night air with some techno dance beats and giving everyone the inflamed five pronged fire fingers, forming circles, shapes and abstract designs, dancing, spinning and twirling a blazoned one man roller coaster ride.
Inside (where it was safer) the crowd got heated back up and ready for some Middle East Flavor with Troupe Roja as they danced the hall with lots of ceremonial style and romanticism weaving their mystique, combining characters, props and storylines into the routines. Known for their performances of American cabaret, vintage Oriental to modern theatrical fusion, Dunyavi and folkloric. The lovely ladies of the sea included Mary Aleena Van Loveren, Courtney Ropp, Amy Siegel, Marisa Dillon with Zattana and Nafretiri Al-Naseem playing the exotic twins.
Miss Schatzi Lord brought the high quality burlesque to the envious and impressed, professing her undying sharp-bladed admiration, love and disdain for certain or any and all looting pirates. To rape or pillage, that was the question. While Hook got the pillage, she gave Captain Jack Sparrow a more different personally favorable fate. With dagger in hand she slowly shimmied out of her outfit into something much less appropriate but much more welcomed.
DJ V-Ral also played two sets between, Miss Lord and Miss Starshine and after Drunk & Sailor closing the show, into the wee hours of the frosty mourn.
Cincinnati’s Sunova Starshine has been mastering her craft and mesmerizing audiences with her inner dancing deity since she first set foot on a stage, starting with hip hop, adding belly dance in 2007. Her interpretation includes fusing Cabaret, ATS, Hip Hop, Liquid, Tutting and burlesque to create a unique and vivid experience. She also incorporates performances in belly dance, burlesque, Led hoop, fire hoop and fire dart. Since, there’s nothing hotter than watching a beautiful lady playing with fire then throwing it by or around you.
Her friend and fire safety Gabriel Ford performed next spinning and weaving fireballs with the grace of a trained aerialist. A nunchakutricks instructor and multi-discipline fire dancer. He made feeling the burn, feel effortless.
Schatzi Lord returned, in a little bit darker frame of dress. Appearing cocooned by webs, until parted revealing her call of Cthulhu, tentacles bound by insidious gasmask. With the black marks and trails of his attached attack or caress bound to the skin.
Lousville’s Drunk & Sailor Phillip McGuinness (usually the drunk) & Captain Amos Muirhead (usually the sailor,) but from time to time they both get ailed up and set sail under a blue moon.
Phillip McGuinness and Captain Amos met in 2005 as cast members of the Kentucky Renaissance Faire. After a couple years of doing improv acting together, they started appropriating unused stages with a guitar and a will to entertain. They have since been stowaways at renaissance festivals from the Gulf Coast to Lake Michigan, sci-fi/fan conventions including DragonCon, and more bars than they can remember with a clear head. (Un)lucky audience members often find themselves dragged onstage to become crew members, intoxicated with excitement!
They started their shindig talking about the hills of “Donegal” with a “Pint” in their hand, or at least in their mind’s eye, till later. After a cheery, festive song about the devil we were introduced to “John Kanakanaka.” It’s all about being a pirate and you can’t be a pirate without all your parts. You can’t “Ring the Bell” without all your parts, either. So they convinced soundman Jeff Opt to do it for them.
Twas time for a whale’s tail, sea bound trip for “South Australia.” Three-fourths through the show they were aching to be “In the Drink.” “7 Drunken Nights” came and went, as drunk as drunk could be, they was. Too hazy eyed to see the truth right in front of thee.
Two lovely young birthday lasses were also brought up to celebrate their special day. Argh, Ale and wenches to all! And to all a good night!
Images by Mike Ritchie
