VODKA O’CLOCK VIDEO SPECIAL
SMOKE & MIRRORS PEEPSHOW HIGHLIGHTS!
RECORDED LIVE AT STEAMPUNK WORLD’S FAIR
AMBER LOVE 19-JUNE-2015 Please join the AU fans as a sponsor of Vodka O’Clock and AmberUnmasked.com through PATREON. Just go to Patreon.com/amberunmasked to pledge as little as $1.00 per creation which could mean per Vodka O’Clock episode or through written content. This episode is a special video highlight reel of the SMOKE & MIRRORS PEEPSHOW with some of the photos I could muster in the dark room with a cell phone camera.
Without exception, the SMOKE & MIRRORS PEEPSHOW performances were dazzling and beautiful. The dancers were women of various skin shades and sizes. Trying to pick a favorite dancer is like trying to pick a favorite kitten from a litter of every kind of cat you love.
When I entered the ballroom at the Steampunk World’s Fair, the show had already begun. I’m not sure if leading Madame, Attica Wilde, had taken the stage that night. She’s the matriarch of the troupe and has a dark sultry style like a noir femme fatale.
Vivi Noir was on the stage when I arrived. I love seeing her perform! She also teaches a flexibility course and it shows in her dancing. She spends a lot of time on floor maneuvers in this kind of stage setting. Luckily, the ballroom’s stage was slightly elevated. It may been hard to see from certain rows though. Vivi Noir is considered the “Siren†of the troupe for good reason. You will be hypnotized watching her.
Tigre Violette is spritely and spunky dancer. She did a pussycat themed performance. She always looks like she’s enjoying her work. I didn’t recognize her in different color hair, but after checking their portfolios, I know I’ve seen her perform before.
SPWF 2015 was the first time I got to see Foxy Squire, a statuesque woman who strips down as she lip syncs to a sexy lounge song. Her troupe persona as La Rebelle of the group is one that teases the audiences until they can’t take it anymore.
Out of retirement for a brief appearance was Madison Bartholomew. It’s been some time since any of us have seen Madison on a stage. She did a Middle Eastern inspired bellydance with a sword balanced on her head. It’s truly amazing to see. I don’t think I could do it standing still no less moving around. The music she picked was perfect on every level. The Peepshow and SPWF’s theme this year was “Carnival†so seeing Madison dance to Melanie Martinez’s “Carousel†(as heard on American Horror Story) was mesmerizing.
For your Gothic needs, Dollface Dagger might be the fetish you’re looking for. It’s unsettling to me to mix the creepiness of a horror movie doll with the sexiness of burlesque, but her fans go crazy. I saw her vampire routine in 2014 and she’s definitely cornered the market on the romantic horror genre.
If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it’s Ivory Askew the “Vixen†of the troupe. She’s their Marilyn. She exceeds in every quirky and playful movement showing off a smile that stops me dead. If you love things lighter, breezy, and cheery, Ivory’s performance is for you. This year, her routine was an adorable “newbie†dance where she acted nervous and awkward in her own silly, breathtaking way. It’s clever and… ok, I’ve gushed enough. Just see her if you can.
Also new for me to see was one of the performers actually singing. She was announced as Melody Marceau, but I think her dance persona name is different so I couldn’t find any information on her which is a shame because I really loved her song at the end of the show. Her bit of her song, “Circus,” is highlighted at the end of the video reel and an earworm that is so fun to listen to and sway along.
The Smoke & Mirrors Peepshow can often been seen at NJ’s Roxy & Duke’s in Dunellen. They book plenty of other performances too. As always, I hope they return to the Steampunk World’s Fair which is always one of my favorite conventions.
LINKS
Smoke & Mirrors Peepshow on Facebook
PHOTOS
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.