Viktor’s new fabulous friend, Gigi Praline dials in from Finland to discuss her evolution in the European burlesque scene, from their punk roots to apprenticeship with Bettie Blackheart, style and inspiration, to plans in the future; all whilst maintaining a career in academia!
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— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 171 call hook by Mr. Valdez. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
In this edition of the Music That Made WE, Viktor gets to talk to Doll Body, a regular of the New York burlesque and drag scene and co-producer of High Concepts, a 420 based cabaret.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” by Tina Turner Doll Body says: “It’s an amazing song first of all and it’s an early memory song from before I had a consciousness of music… I remember my mom singing it a lot and just around the house you would hear ‘ What’s love got to do with it!’ It was her earworm.”
“Fantasy” by Mariah Carey Doll Body says: “Conversely, my mother did not like this artist, so this was my rebellion…This song was 1995 in a big way…Mariah…is one of my favorite ever divas. Today, tomorrow, yesterday.”
“Spice Up Your Life” by Spice Girls Doll Body says: “This was the first time I had gotten tween mania for something. It was my first concert… I remember this dictating my entire tween realm… Spice Up Your Life in particular is not a love song. It says love authentically, live loudly, all the people of the world.”
“Dancing In the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen Doll Body says: “I consider him now my father. He is an amazing poet…He has been a staple in my home and my mom would talk about his band as if she knew them. ‘Oh just listen to Clarence closing it out on a saxophone.’ “
“Existentialism on Prom Night” by Straylight Run Doll Body says: “I chose this to represent all my deep emo and punk rock leanings of 2001 -2005 when I was in highschool… a boy I had a crush on was the original person who hipped me to them… it’s very bleeding, very cathartic, very cut myself open on the floor…it’s just very high school dramatisms where music is life and I would blast this song in my PT cruiser while speeding.”
“That Time” by Regina Spektor Doll Body says: “I liked her earlier stuff and I don’t know if it was me or her or both of us, but this is such a gritty minimalist song.. and I was thinking the other day how impactful it is. There is a line about walking on Delancey Street and I play this song whenever I’m walking [there] and imagine dead pigeons.”
“12:51” by The Strokes Doll Body says: “A music reviewer once said of The Strokes: ‘They don’t understand your pain, but they will make it feel better.’ That’s my only intro.”
“Because the Night” by Patti Smith Doll Body says: “It’s such a great song. It’s energizing and empowering. And I love Patti Smith as the quiet New York trash poet that she is.”
“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs Doll Body says: “I don’t have many love songs on my list, but this is a very heartbreaking one…You asked me what was on my walls and in college every year is a new dorm so I got to refine and edit it by collaging my walls. I had a picture of Karen O on my desk where she was upside down kind of pouring beer in her mouth while singing and she was just hanging upside down, mouth open, while I wrote my papers.”
“Suspended In Gaffa” by Kate Bush Doll Body says: “This song really has just been the last three years where I feel like things have been witchier and self investigative. Kate Bush is such a weirdo who I think is bewitching everyone through her music. I’ve felt very suspended in Gaffa. That’s just been the way.”
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Produced by Viktor Devonne, reigning Mr Hollywood Burlesque WEBurlesque Podcast Nework is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Podcast Network logo artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode.
Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help.
All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Special thank-you to Raina Sinclair for transcription services.
Hey all, I am turning 39 this year and I’m throwing a party I want you all to come to. It’s going to feature some music, mirth, and mayhem to spare.
As is tradition, my birthday burlesque show is all about favorite things.
Previously, my birthday show has been all-Madonna, all-Broadway, and even all-improv where the artists swapped music! This time around, we are guaranteeing you a UNIQUE, ONETIME ever experience where these folks are performing digital acts to songs that have just narrowly missed my own repertoire.
Like a lot of burlesque folks, I have a lot of playlists of “maybe someday”s and this time out, I gave them AWAY to a select group of burlesque entertainers. Each person performing was assigned a song with one request: be awesome. I have no idea what they’re going to do, what direction they took, or even what they’re wearing.
The performers who took on this challenge are:
WEBurlesque first timers: FAGGEDY RANDY, Chicago • MR. VALDEZ, Colorado Springs MIMI HURRICANE, Atlanta • JED RYAN, NYC
and the grand returns of: ABBY FANTASTIC, NYC• ESMERELDA MAY, NJ • WARUMONO, Los Angeles ROCCO CHANEL, NJ• GWEN RUBY, Los Angeles
PLUS a Special Appearance by Hollywood’s own LILI VON SCHTUPP!
Find out what of my almosts became their must-dos. Who knows, maybe they just stumbled on their new signature act.
SILVER TUSK AWARDS 2023!My birthday show is also a fundraiser for the Silver Tusk Awards 2023, which expenses include the Tusks themselves, shipping, the prize bags, and the entertainment booked for the show.THIS IMPENDING YEAR is going to be our biggest ever, as we are going international with THE SILVER TUSK AWARDS: WORLD DOMINATION. That’s right, every performer in the world is up for what I fondly call the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards of Burlesque. This November, the ballots go up, and you get to choose the nominees for such accolades as Shiningest Star, The(Up in) Smoke Show, Ass Almighty, and Hilarious Hussy. You know, the serious stuff.
Dahlia Kash, the Mocha Mae West, is a burlesque artist currently living in Olympia, Washington and working on Portland, Oregon. Known for her formative work in the iconic Rubenesque Burlesque, Dahlia has also performed in Sacramento, Seattle, and San Francisco, amongst other locales, whilst highlighting her Boricua ancestry and powerhouse sense of self. Dahlia may also be seen as drag king Javier Miguel and queen Daizelle Marie Lou’Viere D’Ho and is one of the producers behind Melange as well as Mischief, both queer and POC variety shows. We talk “you’re so brave” compliments, neurodivergence backstage, the high cost of living, production, living with rheumatoid arthritis, and the nuance of villany.
[[ SPECIAL SPONSOR: NEOBURLESQUEDECK.COM — The Neo Burlesque Deck is a unique poker sized deck of cards for the pin-up burlesque photography fans, & playing card enthusiasts. ]]
Listen to this episode:
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— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 170 call hook by Mimi Hurricane. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Jim Silvestri created Thotyssey, a New York City gay entertainment writer and venue spotlight columinist. Whether putting together the coveted yearly Thot List or interviewing bartenders, drag performers, burlesque artists, and other nightlife staples, Jim has become one of the greatest assets to promotion in the tristate area. For his efforts, he has won multiple GLAM Awards for Best Nightlife Blogger/Writer. [rec: July 11, 2022]
[[ SPECIAL SPONSOR: NEOBURLESQUEDECK.COM — The Neo Burlesque Deck is a unique poker sized deck of cards for the pin-up burlesque photography fans, & playing card enthusiasts. ]]
Listen to this episode:
SUPPORT THE POD!
— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 169 call hook by Mx. Pucks A’Plenty. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Today on the Music that Made We, Viktor chats with Esmerelda May, member of White Elephant Burlesque and producer of Cosplay Burlesque and KPop That Pastie. Esmerelda won the Silver Tusk in 2022 for Video Vanguard.
“Objection (Tango)” by Shakira Esmerelda says: “This was the first Spanish song I got to know. My mom is from Ecuador. She was from one of those generations that was raised to be American. You hid your culture because you wanted to fit in. You didn’t want to be different. So I didn’t have a lot of that growing up…I heard it when my mom listened to it, the typical Saturday morning Spanish music while she cleaned the house. So even though it is the English version, it kind of introduced me to Spanish music. It was my gateway into that.”
“Numb” by Linkin Park Esmerelda says: “This was really when I started to find my own place of tumbling into goth, emo, alternative. Which is what I’ve always liked, but I wanted to fit in so bad (with other kids). And I had a super girly phase where I don’t remember this, but my mom told me I would refuse to wear pants…. I wanted to be Barbie, and then did a total 180 and refused to shop in the female clothing section of stores….I started exploring more of what I liked and going towards this. This is where I started to find who I am now.”
“For Good” from the Wicked Broadway cast recording featuring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel Esmerelda says: “In highschool I auditioned for the school play and we did Wizard of Oz and I was Auntie Em. I’m a mediocre singer for a tiny town in New Jersey. I was fine enough to get tiny singing parts in the alto version…but I started to realize I really like musical theater. I’ve always loved musicals. My mom loved musicals so I always grew up around them and they always created a sense of joy for me…Theater is such a huge part of my life, it’s why I got into burlesque….This song has a special place in my heart because I was not the most well behaved kid, I got into a lot of trouble… and I sang this with a girl I got into a literal fist fight with during a production of Oliver…and then we became very close friends… This play is very important to me and this song was a turning point in my life because I sang this and I decided I’m going to college for theatre.”
“Moonlight Densetsu” from the Sailor Moon Soundtrack Esmerelda says: “Sailor Moon was something I found when I was very young. I didn’t have cable when I was growing up. I had a nightmare, I woke up at 4 in the morning…and my mom pulled me into her bedroom where I couldn’t fall back asleep. And my mom turned on the television…she said just find something to entertain yourself…and while flicking through the channels this theme song was playing and I just thought ‘ooo pretty cartoon!’ My mom told me I got real quiet and was glued to the television….this was the first anime I ever experienced….I will love it until the end of time.”
“Miss Kiss Kiss Bang” by Alex Swings, Oscar Sings Esmerelda says: “This was my first real burlesque number because it was the one I put thought into. I wanted to do something a bit geeky and fun because I didn’t really now how to not portray a character. I did theater at this point for a couple years, I knew how to play parts, but I didn’t really know who I was. So I thought it would be fun to play with the idea of Clue. The first time I did it, I did it as Ms. Scarlet, but I have since developed it into my own adaptation. I remember finding EuroVision on YouTube, and watching it and falling in love with this song and figuring out what I would do as a performer. And it’s still in my rotation today 12 years later.”
“Born To Be My Baby” by Bon Jovi Esmerelda says: “This is actually my and my husband’s song. It is not the typical slow romantic dancey song because that’s just not us. He is also a performer who I met in college for theater. I was joking one time and I was trying to be sappy and cute. which we are now, but back when we were finding each other we definitely were not. And I said we don’t have a song that so stupid, let’s listen to the radio and find something romantic and vomity and make it our song. And he said no… and then a couple of days later he said listen to this, this is us. And the words of it are definitely how our relationship works…this song just makes me happy and makes me think about my adorable equally queer husband.”
“You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing” by Halestorm Esmerelda says: “I’ve performed to a lot of Halestorm before and this song I did as- a one off….but the song is called You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing and I have been called a bitch my entire life. And if somebody tries to hurt me with it I’m going to embrace it. I’m very loud, in your face and opinionated….I’m not afraid to call people out when I think they are being wrong morally.”
“Save Your Story” by Citizen Soldier Esmerelda says: “This is an artist I stumbled across on Tik Tok…I hit a weird mental road…. I definitely started questioning a lot of things about me as a person, as a performer, both professionally and personally….I was going through the motions and didn’t realize how much I was going through the motions. I was disassociating with reality… This artist is a very mentally aware person and a lot of his songs are about mental health… and he helped me to take that breath and stop….this song made me cry….it helped me to keep going.”
“Voices” and “God’s Menu” by Stray Kids Esmerelda says: “The reason I picked these two songs is because they are both by the same artists….they definitely got me through 2020 on… the song Voices came up as a suggestion on youtube and I watched it and the lyrics very much spoke to me and then I started researching them…God’s Menu is the song that made them very popular and more well known…it spearheaded them to fame…this was the first time I felt I had fallen into a fandom…Voices got me into them and God’s Menu convinced me to do KPop That Pastie.”
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Produced by Viktor Devonne, reigning Mr Hollywood Burlesque WEBurlesque Podcast Nework is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Podcast Network logo artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode.
Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help.
All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Special thank-you to Raina Sinclair for transcription services.
Mx. Pucks A’Plenty is a Seattle-area entertainer, producer of What the Funk?! festival, talks to Viktor Devonne about performance, inspiration, dominance, getting paid, acts of oppressed pettiness, and the age-old community vs. scene vs. industry conundrum. [rec: July 26, 2022]
[[ SPECIAL SPONSOR: NEOBURLESQUEDECK.COM — The Neo Burlesque Deck is a unique poker sized deck of cards for the pin-up burlesque photography fans, & playing card enthusiasts. ]]
Listen to this episode:
SUPPORT THE POD!
— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 168 call hook by Newfound Lad. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Mr. Valdez of Peaks and Pasties and the Brotherhood of Burlesque is a stylish boylesquer out of Colorado Springs. We discuss all things including: covid, inspiration, the trappings of masculinity, what happens when the music stops playing, and starting out in a banana suit. [rec: July 5, 2022]
[[ SPECIAL SPONSOR: NEOBURLESQUEDECK.COM — The Neo Burlesque Deck is a unique poker sized deck of cards for the pin-up burlesque photography fans, & playing card enthusiasts. ]]
Listen to this episode:
SUPPORT THE POD!
— WEBurlesque Podcast Network is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 167 call hook by Sweaty Eddie. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
Hail to the chief of Americana nerdlesque, it’s Teasy Roosevelt out of upstate New York. Coming of their win for Fashion Geek 2022 at the Silver Tusk Awards, this Albany Pop Culture Provocateur walks us through the songs that were too much for the parents, just in time for the talent show, and led to a great career in nerdlesque. Hold onto your seats for up to the date Tony! Toni! Toné! updates. #godbreastamerica
The Music That Made WE is a creation of WEBurlesque Podcast Network, produced by Viktor Devonne.
Based in Albany, NY, Teasy Roosevelt produces A Guide to Titstory, a burlesque show focused on American historical figures and events along with being part of the Pop Culture Provocateurs, a nerdy troupe also based in the Capital District. At the beginning of 2022, Teasy won a Silver Tusk for Fashion Geek and has also been voted Best Burlesque in Albany in 2018.
“The Last Unicorn” by America Teasy says: “I chose songs that sort of shaped me as the person I am today through childhood. My brother and I watched this movie consistently over and over again. We were allowed to rent a video on Friday nights for the weekend and we would go to the video store and my mom would be like look at these (other) videos and we would say ‘Nope! We want The Last Unicorn.’”
“Nowhere Man” by The Beatles Teasy says: “Yellow Submarine was another VHS tape…The Yellow Submarine is perfect for kids because it has all those elements of weirdness, colors, flying things. The movie is ultimately bizarre and when I found out as an older millennial that The Beatles didn’t do the voices for the film it crushed my heart.”
“Free Your Mind” by En Vogue Teasy says: “When I first heard En Vogue I was in the car and we were driving to my aunt’s house and I was just enamored with their voices….it was very intense and just awesome for me to hear these women really sing.”
“The Right Stuff-” by New Kids On The Block Teasy says: “If you were a young girl growing up (in the 80s) this was it. Obviously I don’t really identify as a young girl now….but they were the boy band of the day….everybody was obsessed with them, so I figured I probably should be too.”
“All That Jazz” from the 1997 Chicago cast recording featuring Bebe Neuwirth Teasy says: “I love musicals. I’ll even listen to the bad ones. All That Jazz became my audition song when (my highschool’s musical theater show) was going to be a musical review…and the person who directed the musical was like ‘Okay…’ because it’s very suggestive…I fucking killed it and I remember my grandfather came to the show and he was so proud that I did this…it was really like a first burlesque act.”
“Basket Case” by Green Day Teasy says: “This is when I started getting into my punk phase. My friend Crystal at one point gave me a mixtape of songs and on it were bands like Operation I’ve, Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Boss Tones. That mixtape definitely changed the trajectory of music I was listening to. She wrote on the mix tape ‘Listen to all the music.’ And I listened to every single track…Punk started to get popular when the mid 90’s hit and all these bands started to get famous and one of those was Green Day…Green Day was the first concert where I was loud and being myself and getting all my energy out.”
“Someday I Suppose” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Teasy says: “I became very obsessed with the band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. So obsessed that I basically followed them around the northeast…I ended up going to school in Boston and they were the Boston band. If you lived there and didn’t like them, there was something wrong with you…I love this song so much and I was so in love with them as a band.”
James Bond GoldenEye Theme from GoldenEye N64 Teasy says: “GoldenEye N64 was the game of the 90s. It’s so nostalgic for me and it brings my brother and I together. With a competitive spirit that would result in fistfights, but even now that’s the only game we will play together. It was one of the first video games we were actually allowed to play that was a shoot ’em up. We very much bonded over this game. And I put it on here because it’s just a fun memory.”
“Come On Eileen” by Save Ferris Teasy says: “An excellent group who I haven’t heard in awhile….the lead singer was definitely one of those people who could sing and had my voice style and listening to her when going on auditions made me admire that. I would listen to this while driving all the time….and the CD got worn out by being played so fucking much.”
“Tonight Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins Teasy says: “They are the most cinematic band I can think of in my opinion. Their albums are always so strong…I wanted to end on a cinematic note and Tonight Tonight…everything about it is chef’s kiss. I don’t think I need to say anything else because the song just explains itself. It is a great song.”
SUPPORT THE POD!
Produced by Viktor Devonne, reigning Mr Hollywood Burlesque WEBurlesque Podcast Nework is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Podcast Network logo artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode.
Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don’t got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help.
All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.
WEBurlesque Podcast Network 