Interviews

Seth Nayes is a veritable alternative renaissance man: actor; model; dancer; anti-bullying spokesperson. Seth got his start in the entertainment industry as a professional wrestler (Sometimes as Syrin, sometimes as Gigi Gaymore) — an unusual and particularly hazardous route for someone who’s openly transgender. In this interview we discuss his former wrestling career, bullying, and his current status as Madame Envy in the Peach Pie Caburlesque troupe.

JNC: You got your start in professional wrestling. That's a very homophobic environment. Did you receive extra punishment because of that?

SN: I was around for a few years on the production staff before I started training so I made a lot of friends and learned the business a bit before I just jumped in the ring. My mentor Val Malone and her husband the uber-talented Silas Young helped me out a lot. Sam Hayne, who is a legend within the Indy Wrestling scene, gave so much advice and was very accepting. Of course there were those who didn't quite accept me and gave me a hard time (they secretly wanted it in the pooper). There would be the occasional stiff kick to the throat from people who tried to actually hurt me, but you have to get up, shake their hand and say "thank you sir, may I have another?"

JNC: That leads well into my next questions… you're involved with a project called "Ouch, Bullying Hurts!" Tell us a bit about that.

SN: It is a beautiful video put together by Arketype Inc. It's shown in schools to raise awareness of not only bullying, but ways to stop it. A lot of kids are afraid of speaking up. Growing up can be tough, there are too many kids offing themselves because of the rough treatment they get at school. If I can help someone get through high school, into the real world, and past that stage of helplessness it's been a job well done.

JNC: Outside of the wrestling ring have you experienced a lot of bullying because of your sexual preference and lifestyle?

SN: I grew up mostly on an Indian Reservation in Lac Du Flambeau. So when I was younger, I was jumped and tormented daily—not only for being a ginger, but for wearing fishnets and socks on my hands. I [took] karate and after years of training I could defend myself and they started leaving me alone. I decided after those 5 years of torture and bullying that no one would ever make me feel that way again.

JNC: Now that you've discovered the world of burlesque via the Peach Pies Caburlesque troupe, you're Madame Envy. What's your goal on stage?

SN: Oh my, after being a part of the Best of Midwest Burlesque Festival, I am so inspired to go above and beyond what I was doing before—the flash, the buildup, the excitement. When seeing a legend such as Ophelia Flame literally light up a stage it inspires you to reach for the stars. I have many goals within burlesque. But my main goal would of course be the first transgendered Queen of Burlesque—this is only the beginning.

JNC: What's the atmosphere like in the Peach Pies?

SN: Sassy, ridiculous, cheeky, scandalous, outrageous. You never know what to expect. These women are seriously the craziest broads in Wisconsin. I love them all to peaches; I mean pieces [laughs]. Moxie Rhodes and Kitty LaRue have taken me under their brilliant feathered wings and it's been the best time of my life. We've only been getting better and better. If you get the chance, come see us shake and shimmy for yourself. The ridiculousness can only be truly experienced if you're close enough to catch a garter.

JNC: [laughs] I’ll take it under advisement. Do you have any upcoming creative projects you'd like to share with us?

SN: Well there is talks of starting a web series based off of my first horror film "Spawn of the Zombies" which is now an ode' to Left 4 Dead. I'll be brought back in a living role. But don't worry I'm sure I'll be eating brains again in no time! I also have a huge shoot coming up at Ohio State Reformatory, a huge haunted abandoned prison where I will be shooting with one of my favorite photographers, Dividing Me. Stay tuned! But most importantly, Peach Pies Caburlesque will be coming at ya in the flesh! 'Oh! And I was just featured in a publication, Gorgeous Freaks Magazine. This is the year of the dragon baby, and this dragon is blowin’ more than just fire!

Amelia Klem Osterud’s 2009 book “The Tattooed Lady: A History” delves into the lives of several unique and daring women who displayed themselves and their body art for carnival crowds all over the U.S. during a time when women were expected to cover as much of themselves as humanly possible.

Since the publication of said book, Amelia has written several magazine articles on the subject, and lectures on the topic of tattooing whenever possible. I myself love body art despite the fact I’m far too indecisive and chicken-shit to get any myself. Amelia and I discuss the history of tattooing, cliches about the tattooed, awful tattoos, and other things involving tattoos. Did I write the word tattoo often enough?

I don’t know much about art but Amber Michelle Russel immediately caught my attention. Not only is she beautiful, intelligent, and talented, but her art immediately triggered a strong reaction inside me. Her work ranges from finely crafted portraits to the brutally raw and visceral.

JNC: A previous Wisconsin Sickness article mentions that for you art is a therapy which you need. I know what that’s like. For me writing is a release. Either I'm gaining the satisfaction of creation, or I'm exercising some sort of demon. Which is it most often for you?

AMR: I would have to say both. There is no greater beauty than in release. Getting your feelings out through a canvas or an idea on paper is one of the best experiences humanly possible. The fact that people enjoy it as well is just a perk.

JNC: I'd read somewhere that you've no formal art training. This came as a surprise to me based on the quality and the originality of your work. Did your skill come merely through constant practice, or where you able to identify and emulate the fundamentals and principles involved in making art at this high a level?

AMR: This usually comes as a shock to most people. Personally I take that as the highest of compliments. Art was something that I was always interested in. It was the one thing that made sense in the world. I remember being a little girl and always having a “doodle pad” in my hand at all times. Most children were outside playing while I was inside drawing or coloring. I think being consistent with my art over the years and always pushing myself has really helped me grow as an artist.

When my husband and I started dating 14 years ago, I was at his house and saw this amazing life size paper mache bust of Gene Simmons from KISS. That was the day I was introduced to the wacky and wonderful world of the art of Steve Wirtz, my husband's brother. Over the years I've been able to go to several art shows of his and have truly become a fan of his work. Steve has an array of work that will take you through all sorts of emotions. Some of his stuff I have stood and laughed at, some I have stood and pondered it's meaning and then some of it I have quite honestly went HUH? To me that makes for an amazing artist. He has something for everyone's taste and his talent will quite honestly leave you in awe. At least it does for me and not just because I'm married to his brother. When I talked to Wisconsin Sickness's fearless leader Charlie about wanting to write for him, he mentioned he was looking for artists to add to the page. My first thought was of Steve and since I haven't been able to get him drunk enough to spill any secrets to his paper mache talent at our annual Halloween Party I thought "Hey I'll interview him and maybe he'll answer the questions I've always wanted to know" and it worked! So here are the questions I asked Steve or as I like to call him The Man, The Myth, The legend.

I enjoy Will Farrel and dick jokes as much as the next guy, but I’m also the kind of guy who’s always on the lookout for comedy that has the balls to be unique. The Marvellous Unspeaking Troupe of Entertaining Scouldrels are an example of such comedy, relying on such silent film-era staples as prat falls, sight gags, and slapstick to entertain. And you don’t need to visit Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles to get on board their band wagon. The M.U.T.E.S. are quietly honing their craft right here in Wisconsin. And yes, that shitty pun was completely intended.

There’s a dream like quality to watching a M.U.T.E.S. sketch: Beautiful women and bungling men adorned in the onyx and alabaster of the silver screen struggling with absurdity while the Brechtian punk cabaret songs of the Dresden Dolls fill the theatre. I recently contacted one of the troupe’s founding members Alice Wilson, otherwise known on stage as the beguiling Vine Pewter. I wasn’t very surprised when Alice informed me the idea to form the M.U.T.E.S. came to her in a dream. Since that fateful night the troupe has performed at such Brew City big deals as the Milwaukee Film Festival, the Milwaukee Comedy Festival, and Pridefest.

Burlesque has a bad rep. What started in the 1840s as a rebellious blend of comedy, song, and sexuality that liberated female performers on stage and screen eventually devolved into nothing more challenging than exploitation. However since this century began, a new generation has rediscovered burlesque and an art that was thought to have died a sleazy, scandalous death has shambled back to life, covered in tattoos, middle fingers outstretched high in the air informing the world otherwise. In Milwaukee, a troupe called the Brew City Bombshells wants the world to know they are a helluva lot more than strippers wearing a vintage aesthetic. I recently interviewed seven of the ladies: performers Jezabella Darling, Trixie Tang, Sugar St. Clair, singer Aurora A'Leur, Emcee/Comedian Kandi Kickass, and Bombshell co-managers/founding members Raven McCaw and Vee Valentine.

JNC: This type of performance is about as underground as it gets. Exactly how did each of you become a Bombshell?

Raven: I was actually one of the founding members of the Brew City Bombshells Burlesque, along with Vee Valentine and a couple of others that are no longer with us. I had already been performing for about 6 months when the group (about 5 or 6 of us at the time) established its identity.

Jezabella: I've been a sex/body-positive individual for as long as I can remember. I'd been working at the Tool Shed as a sexual health educator for a couple of years, and we had sponsored the troupe. It just made sense in the natural progression of my self evolution to push myself to be a more visually empowered individual and to use performance art as another medium for activism.

Aurora: I joined a community choir in the spring of 2011 where I met the photographer for the Bombshells, and he knew they were looking for a singer! Secretly, I had ALWAYS wanted to get into burlesque, so long story short, I auditioned and I am now a Bombshell!

Trixie: …I auditioned? I think they thought I was another Milwaukee performer’s cousin or something.

Sugar: I have been friends with members of the Dead Man's Carnival for a few years now, and I was introduced to burlesque via one of their shows. From then on, I was hooked! Actually, I was living with a lady who also became a WI burlesque performer, Lady Ambrosia. She and I just went crazy with movies, costume ideas, and history books. When I heard that the troupe (then Alley Cat Revue) was having auditions, I put together a number and jumped right in.

JNC: For those who know better, burlesque is very different than exotic dancing. However many people hear the term "burlesque" and think “stripper.” What happens when someone makes this mistake with a Bombshell?

Vee: Ass kicking time! Just kidding. I politely explain that Burlesque is more about the tease than the strip. Also, burlesque does not equate clothing removal. If I'm not feeling the audience's love, I can choose to stop removing clothes whenever I want - that's the fun!

Trixie: Haha!! Nobody thinks I’m a stripper, or refers to me as a stripper... anymore. [winking]. But seriously, I have been treated with respect about [my] being a burlesque dancer.

Raven: I simply explain and invite them to see a show for themselves. Yes, there are similarities, like the fact that both disrobe. Generally. To me the difference is that we have a bit more creative freedom. Some of our costumes are quite lavish, and some of our performances involve skits or extensive stage props. There is definitely a theatrical element to what we do. Some burlesque performers do not even go down to pasties, and some don't take anything off at all. Some start in panties and pasties and dress themselves on stage, often referred to as "reverse burlesque." I do not get upset if someone mistakenly calls me a stripper; it's not necessarily their fault that they don't know or understand. Perhaps they were never exposed to burlesque. Perhaps they were misinformed. Usually after we explain the difference, or after they see a show, most people are pretty supportive.

Jezabella: I'm a supporter of sex work and the sex industry. While what I do is very different than stripping, I also don't find it "insulting" to be mistaken as such. Strippers are hard workers and often brilliant, talented people - I just think that my idea of burlesque is more art than sex work. While yes, being a sexual being and tantalizing the crowd with undressing is seen as a sexual act, I have a message in what I do, and often that takes more of an importance than the revelation of my tits.

Sugar: You know what, I would face this problem quite frequently when I was living in France, actually. To tell someone you do strip-tease is to basically say you're a stripper in a club. I usually just explain the historical aspect of my performances to people but without a doubt, what I do is meant to be sexy. Plus, even the great stripper Gypsy Rose Lee was okay with the term "stripper." There are far worse insults, in my opinion.

JNC: What is it about burlesque that you find so attractive?

Kandi: Burlesque is a celebration of beauty and sexuality. It's playful, not dirty. It' fun and exciting and when you watch it, you feel like part of a community.

Raven: On a basic level, I love the colors, the boas, the glitter, etc. I love that I can take those basic elements and create awesome costumes and props. It's really satisfying when I put my idea on stage, knowing that I made everything. To me it's like breathing life into my ideas. I love that I can do a traditional, sexy striptease, but have enough creative freedom to do silly or grotesque numbers. I love that I have control over the audience; if they are not into it, I shimmy a little more. And if they still aren't, I simply do not take an article of clothing off. I think most of all I love how much burlesque has changed me. It put me in touch with my womanhood, and really helped with my self-esteem.

Jezabella: Sexual inequality is still so prevalent in today's society, so getting a chance to be the one in control of the sexuality I want to project onto the crowd gives me such a sense of empowerment, and also healing. I can project my spirit into my dancing. My feminism believes that women are strong, women are sisters, women are lovers.

JNC: Do you have any personal goal you hope to achieve when you walk out on stage? What makes a performance successful for you?

Raven: Haha! To not freak out! Seriously, I've been doing this for almost 4 years and STILL, every time I get on stage I tremble, I have to pee, I get nauseous, I break out in a cold sweat, I think I'm forgetting costume pieces, I'm afraid of tripping over my feet and looking like a drunk. It's why I will rarely choreograph anything. I get so nervous that I forget everything and end up doing improv anyways. I absolutely love doing this, but I get nervous every single time. So I guess my personal goal for every show is to get through each number without the audience knowing how freaked out I actually am.

Jezabella: If I inspire even one woman to love her body more, or feel sexy - then I've achieved my goal.

Trixie: My personal goals are realized and made, usually when they are about to happen. I don’t really set goals for myself but rather think about how friggin sweet something is as it’s about to happen. For instance, I have a bird number I do to the Grateful Dead’s "China Cat Sunflower". I had the chance to perform it at the old Circus Club in a birdcage. When I was about to go on, I was holding my bird wings and wearing this ridiculous mask listening to this uber professional drag queen announce me thinking, “Holy shit, I am actually in a bird cage right now being announced to do my weird ass bird dance in this out-of-control, awesome club. This can be written on and checked off the ‘Goals in Life" list.

Kandi: Burlesque started in vaudeville, so I try to bring that feeling back. Every time I walk on stage I have 3 goals: Keep the show high energy, keep the crowd entertained, and introduce each performer with the respect they deserve.

JNC: Crowds at these types of shows can be pretty rowdy, and to some extent, it’s even encouraged to get the crowd excited. What’s the strangest, wildest thing that’s happened while you were dancing?

Trixie: Weird and wild are a natural occurrence in my personal performance. I’ll replace “weird” with “awkward”. I’d say something awkward happens almost every time… maybe Jesus interrupts my number to give me a high five. But if there is one thing that has stuck out in my head as for what NOT to do, its getting drunk before going on stage... especially if I’m going to be using a hula hoop.

Jezabella: Someone once yelled, during a very intense and emotional number, "Yeah girl! You get that armpit!"

Vee: Besides "pasty malfunctions"... I've gotten a lot of unconventional cat calls, such as "I want to pay your bills" and "Will you marry me?"

Sugar: Honestly, our audiences have always been very kind and respectful towards me. I've had my flubs, for sure, but the best thing they could possibly do is cheer! My very first fire eating act, I couldn't light my torch. I lucked out however, that someone was nice enough to light my torch with a better lighter, I just couldn't have asked for a better crowd!

JNC: Where do you get the costumes you wear? Is there a particular shop you frequent, or is a lot of it do-it-yourself?

Raven: I do a lot of DIY costuming. Usually I get basic bras and panties and sequin the hell out of them. I get a lot of pieces at thrift stores and estate sales as well. Even if we buy something ready-made, it usually needs to be rigged with velcro or snaps to make removal easier. (like button-down shirts and tear-away pants) Antique shops are good for vintage accessories such as jewelry, hats, and gloves.

Sugar: I've always sewn the vast majority of my own costumes. Even if I buy a "base" bra, it always comes out as a far more fabulous, unrecognizable incarnation of its former self! I've been expanding my sewing lately, however, and really doing most of it by hand. I've always sequined my own pasties by hand, but now I'm learning how to make my own lingerie. It's tough but extremely rewarding. My craft space right now is nothing but feathers, sequins, rhinestones and satin. It's crazy!

Trixie: My costumes are partially store bought, and by store bought I mean Ebay. Then I jazz it up. Or get in a fight with a bedazzler... whatever comes first. But for monstrous projects I usually get by with a little help from my friends. As of lately, Sugar St. Clair has been so gracious to create a mermaid fin for me. It looks so good; it brings a tear to my eye. So, I am extremely lucky to have such awesome friends who are passionate about burlesque and costume making!

JNC: I feel obligated to ask a cheesy personal question for all those office chair lotharios out there, but I don’t really want to because it’s so cliché. I’ll just ask this: Is there anything you want the guys (or gals) out there know about you personally?

Sugar: Hmm...well, I'm bilingual in French so when I've had a drink, I suddenly have a certain je ne sais quoi and am compelled to parle français with practically tout le monde!

JNC: Is there anything in particular you want the world to know about the Bombshells?

Kandi: This group has exceptionally high standards and ideals. This is an incredibly talented, accepting group of women who promote the ideals that all women are beautiful, and that it is ok to celebrate your feminity. It is an honor to be part of this troupe.

Raven: One thing that is really important in our group is that we have a strict no-diva policy. In any area of performance it can be really easy to develop an inflated ego but we keep each other in check.

Sugar: The Bombshells are an amazing group of women. We're all so diverse in our personas and talents that as a whole, I feel we're a really well-rounded group.

Vee: I mostly want people to really know how much love, care, time, and heart goes into each of our shows. Burlesque pretty much consumes all of our lives, and most of our extra cash, too. Each of our numbers are meticulously planned, we put so much of ourselves into them. This isn't just ladies taking their clothes off, this is women pouring themselves out to you. Appreciate every shimmy.

Aurora: The Bombshells are the GREATEST group of women I know! Every single one of them is sweet, genuine, and excepting of everyone. A group without a solid core won't last. The Bombshells will be around a LONG TIME!

Vee: It isn't a hobby - it's a way of life.

Follow the Brew City Bombshells on Facebook for upcoming performances and other events right here.

I recently had a chance to conduct an online interview with J.R. Turner. A fitting avenue considering her newest dark fantasy novel “Redemption” is available exclusively in e-book form. JR is an award winning writer, editor, and the current executive director of the Wisconsin Writer’s Association.

JNC: Your newest e-book "Redemption" is full of resurrection, demons, and mutants. What do you do in preparation for writing a dark fantasy of this type?

JRT: I wrote this book in 2009. At the time, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a few months to live. Of course this was devastating to me and as usual, I turned to writing to explore my feelings. I always wanted to do a straight up paranormal book and considering the life and death issues I was dealing with, the themes of heaven and hell, good and evil, choices and their consequences seemed the natural go-to elements for this book. Plus, I was having confidence issues with my writing ability and I thought "redemption" was a great personal motto to work with. Eventually, this became the title of the book as both Savannah and I sought our redemption on those pages.

JNC: It sounds like this project started as a very personal adventure. I know for myself writing is a superb way of exploring yourself (like all forms of art). Did you take away anything lasting from writing this book?

JRT: My personal transformation over the course of writing Redemption was dramatic. I was very dedicated to exploring my own morality. Savannah's secret guilt, the reason she has a chance to earn her redemption, worked directly off my secrets and guilt, something we all have. By working to convey a heroine who did something so terrible, so awful, in a sympathetic way, it forced me to look at the darkness inside of myself and embrace everything I feared facing. I came out of this book a lot less self-condemning and with a lot more self-esteem. In other words, I found myself at peace with my own fallibilities. It's okay to not be perfect, to make mistakes, to be human—something I surprisingly never allowed myself before.

JNC: There are mutant creatures in the book called "revenants" with a taste for human. Are these creatures that will seem familiar to my fellow zombie fanatics or are they something else entirely?

JRT: Oh, I  am such a zombie-holic! While there are direct references to some of my more favorite directors, writers, and films throughout the book–the revenants are more mutants than zombies. Think “I Am Legend” with Will Smith and “Priest” with Paul Bettany and you'll be closer to my vision. These creatures were never really human, but descendants of those immune humans who survived the bio-toxin bombing that destroyed the world.

JNC: It sounds like you, much like myself, consume a lot of horror related entertainment. Is there anyone or anything out there in the genre that's had a particular influence on your career?

JRT: George A. Romero! This guy takes horror to an intimate level by exploring societal issues within his movies and scripts. There's a fantastic underlying element of class distinction, of good people forced to make bad choices because there are no good ones. This is fascinating to me. What if in order to save yourself you had to watch many people die horribly? These sorts of questions are often touched on in the horror genre, but Romero does an excellent job of making it the focal point of many of his stories. He rocks!

JNC: You mentioned earlier you wanted to write a "straight up paranormal book." Have you ever experienced anything on the supernatural side?

JRT: I'd love to say yes because the few moments in my life that 'felt' supernatural are important to me. For example, shortly after my brother died in a car accident, I was overcome with grief as I did my daily cleaning. I remember closing my eyes and sobbing from the sudden agony of his passing. Then, the scent of him and warmth, like a hug, surrounded me and the pain became immediately bearable. Part of me wishes my brother came back for a brief moment to comfort me. Another part of me believes it was my brain's way of dealing with the grief. Who knows for sure? In the end, I prefer having a visit from brother.

JNC: You've several books available in e-book form. The ease of digital publishing is changing the literary world completely. Anyone with an idea, the drive, and a small amount of capital can publish their book. It's given rise to a sort of underground punk rock sort of writer. People who are by-passing more traditional publishing routes. Do you have any advice for any of these D.I.Y. writers out there?

JRT: While I'm not self-published—there are times I really wish I was! When I began in 1999, the publishing industry was very, very different. We were taught by the alumni in the field that self-publishing was career suicide. Of course that's no longer the case and I encourage every single author out there to self-publish at least a portion of their work. Today, the alumni (and me!) are saying: Self-publishing badly edited books is career suicide. So if you do decide to go this route, either invest in a great editor, or find some highly skilled people to polish your book.

JNC: For any of these "Literary Ramones" out there could you elaborate on what sort of "highly skilled" people?

JRT: It can be hard to find professionals who have time to help a new author. However, there are ways to offer your support to up and coming professionals who will, if personalities click and friendships develop, offer their (or their friend's) expertise. Writing groups and organizations were designed for exactly this purpose–just choose one in the genre you write.

When it comes to purchasing the opinion of professionals, do your homework. There's nothing more disheartening for a romance author than to get feedback from a skilled person who thinks the genre is beneath his or her respect. Find someone who is an expert in the genre you write. Think small at first. You may get a lot more help (and spend a lot less money) if you choose to get feedback on a single chapter, rather than a whole novel. Don't waste time (and money) having the expert read something other than the very, very best you have to offer.

JNC: Lots of people want to be writers and the first step is always the hardest. What would you like to say to any aspiring writers who are reading this now?

JRT: If you don't have discipline, you're going to have a very long road ahead of you. As with anyone who is self-employed, you must be determined to set and meet your own deadlines–even if it means giving up your birthday or forgoing a concert you wanted to attend. My advice is to first determine if you love writing more than a social life, and then work on discovering what it is you're actually meant to write.

JNC: There's a cliche I'm fond of; "writer's write." Would you like to tell us about any projects your working on for the future?

JRT: Oh goodness! I have the last three books in my Delbert Dallas series (middle-grade fantasy for reluctant readers) to complete. I have the fourth novel in the Extreme Hauntings series (my YA horror books) to finish–I'm sort of excited about this one because I get to do a haunted boot camp. I have a nanotechnology/paranormal thriller in the research stages, a nearly finished final draft of a romantic suspense titled “Still Life in Death” about a female artist who is being stalked by a serial killer. In 2012, Echelon Press will release another horror novel, this one about werewolves. So lots to do on the personal side of my writing life!

Visit J.R. Turner here: www.jennifer-turner.com

Her book “Redemption” can be found at Amazon, Smashwords, or Omnilit

In the first half of this interview Sir Pinkerton Xyloma talked about the genesis of Dead Man’s Carnival, a “Circus Inspired Vaudeville Variety show” which rose up from the streets of Milwaukee’s River West. In the second and final installment of the interview we learn about the dangers of playing with fire, and the foreseeable future of DMC.

JNC: Given the nature of your performances what’s the craziest, wildest, maybe even scariest thing that’s ever happened at a DMC show?

SPX: We’ve had a lot of really interesting experiences because part of our artistic goal is to challenge ourselves, challenge the audience to put on a bigger and better show. Some people want to limit the spectrum of what you can experience because they want to do something that’s time-tested and true and sure. We’ve done some stuff that’s a little more on the wild side, a little more unexpected, so we’ve experienced some interesting things. We’ve had a lot of near misses with serious injury. Once I saw Erik Bang, one of my performance partners, on fire at a show. He does a glass act. I can say without a doubt he has the absolute best glass act I have ever seen. He takes a five-gallon bucket of broken beer and wine bottles he dumps out on a tarp. He proceeds to remove his shoes and get the crowd real amped up — and that’s the most important part. It’s the theatrical timing, figuring out how to put a pretty little frame around it to make something that’s an oddity the type of experience that you’ll be telling people about for 20 years to come. He’s a master at that particular art form—so he then proceeds to jump into the pile of broken glass barefoot. But that’s just the overture. By the end of the performance he’s butt-naked, done a belly flop into this pile of broken glass…

JNC: A completely naked belly flop?

SPX: A completely bare-butt naked belly flop. Then he rolls over and pulls out the pieces of glass that haven’t actually cut him, but are still gauged into his scrotum, chest, wherever else. Then he has people stand on top of him. The big, big finale, the edge-of-your-seat-even-the-people-in-the-troop-don’t-like-to-watch-it-type finale. He has an audience member stand on a chair, hold a bowling ball above their [own] head and he puts a pile of flaming dinner plates onto his belly and has them drop the ball, shattering the plates sending flames and glass everywhere [laughs].

When we did this act in Phoenix once he had too much fuel on the plates. Generally what would happen is the impact of the bowling ball would completely or almost completely snuff out the flames. Instead he was showered with a napalm-like explosion. As every elementary school kid knows, when you find yourself on fire you stop, drop, and roll. You can’t do that laying in a pile of broken glass. Long story short: basically a photographer named Lindsey Nack we had on tour with us captured this moment where I’m in a sprint away from the piano I was playing. The emcee is jaw dropped. The burlesque dancers and the volunteer from the audience have no idea this isn’t supposed to happen so they’re laughing their asses off like it’s the funniest thing they’ve ever seen. [Erik] jumps up and punches himself in the scrotum to put out the fire [laughing].

JNC: N-i-i-ice. That’s definitely wild.

SPX: He had a burn but nothing serious, nothing on the genitalia. It was just one of those close call types of things. It was a lot scarier than it was dangerous.

JNC: Definitely unexpected.

SPX: We always have fire safety stuff on hand. Despite years of doing really, really, crazy shit we’ve never had a real injury. He had a small burn on his hip, and we gave the audience exactly what they wanted. He still did another finale after that where he went out into the parking lot and set off a homemade flamethrower, put a fireball 75 feet into the air, and then had the entire circus crew ride tall bikes, unicycles, rollers skates, you name it, across him while he had a board across his chest.

JNC: Pretty good considering his testicles had just been on fire.

SPX: Oh yeah. We had to air out the room because of the smell of burnt pubic hair.

JNC: You don’t get that sort of thing at most shows [laughs]

SPX: No. But when I tell this story, I stress we’re not one of those Tijuana blood, piss, and vomit shock value shows. When he presents something like that he puts enough comic relief and charisma into it. The crowd likes him and they want him to succeed. He’s a showman. And while we do some insane circus sideshow to continue the legacy and tradition we’re not a one trick pony. We have some of the best jazz musicians in [Milwaukee]. We have opera singers and break dancers; people who can balance on top of stuff and juggle objects and do things that are awe inspiring. A wide-array of different skill sets. That separates us from a lot of these groups doing similar things around the country. We want to take you as many places as we can during the performance.

JNC: In American pop culture circuses and carnivals are often given a nightmarish quality. A lot of people are terrified of clowns. You see all these comic book super villains with circus gimmicks. Does DMC embrace this scary image, or attempt to tear it down?

SPX: It’s just like say, zombies. It’s something that’s captured the universal consciousness of people. It’s something that’s really appealing or ridiculous I guess. There’s an absurdity to it. But there’s definitely an angle to that in our shows being the Dead Man’s carnival. We don’t particularly go out of our way to be overly stylized in that sense. I think one of the things that separates us on a national scale from many of these other groups on the West Coast, a lot of these other Burning Man-type circus groups is that they have a convoluted absurdity to them. They’re not themselves. They go back to L.A. and they have whatever their day job is, but on the weekend they put the masquerade stuff on, and there’s nothing wrong with that, I don’t want to put that down. I have no intention to. I love to go to those kinds of events. But our approach is much more heartfelt. We might be goofy sometimes but we don’t get out there and talk like we think a carnival person would talk; “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…” sort of clichés like that. We’re not a theater troop pretending to be a bunch of carnies. We’re a bunch of carnies. We don’t go out of our way to pigeon hole ourselves into some sort of typecast archetypes.

We will reference that stuff. We’ve had some spooky, darker themes. The first group bit we ever wrote, we were trying to come up with a narrative storyline for the skillsets that we had. We had a clown bit about a drunken hobo that actually turned out to be a brain surgeon who was operating on an insane patient who ends up getting killed during surgery because the surgeon is drunk. He ends up becoming a zombie, escaping from a straitjacket, and killing everyone [laughs]. So we’re definitely playing with that darker them there. My favorite joke in the whole bit is after everyone is killed including myself, the narrator, the only one left is the saxophone player. He’s looking around trying to find something to protect himself with. He doesn’t know what to do. He grabs whatever he can find and puts it in front of him like a shield. It ends up being a pamphlet for PETA. The zombie is going “brains, brains!” then he reads it and goes “grains, grains!” and runs off stage. Since then we’ve been trying to find more ways just to be ourselves.

JNC: Is there any advice you’d give someone who’s going to see a DMC show for the first time?

SPX: The thing that makes it a show is we’re all gathered together. It’s an event. There are very few places in life where you’re given permission to create the situation that you want. You’re given the tools, your encouraged to be a participant. We also leave it open-ended enough where suddenly if the show turned into a dance party I wouldn’t be offended. It’s a “Live at the Apollo” type feel. It’s an electric atmosphere. The more enegry people bring to it, the better it will be. I encourage people to come armed (mentally).

JNC: And wear some asbesto underwear just in case.

SPX: Exactly.

JNC: Is there anything else you’d like to cover, before I run out of space on my recorder?

SPX: We are currently recruiting. We have a very ambitious goal for next season. We are changing the format of our show. We’re going to have one every month instead of every other month, or third month. We’ll be at the Miramar Theatre [in Milwaukee] the first Friday of every month starting in April [2012]. We have an open cast call not only for performers, but street crew, tech people. What we’re doing with this show is we’re going to be documenting it with a camera crew. And depending on how long it takes we’re boiling it down into a web-show. We’re going to be bringing a lot more national superstars from this particular scene. Veteran West Coast, East Coast, whatever. Our main focus is to connect the dots between all the mid-sized Midwest cities. Kind of like Minneapolis, to Chicago, to St. Louis, to Detroit to everything in between—Indianapolis, where ever. We want to make something worthy of the history books instead of “oh, that was a good time.” The web show will be a montage similar to some of these questions you’ve asked. “You guys do all this yourself? From making the graphics to building the sets?” Something to help people learn. This isn’t something we own. This is something we hope passes on to another generation of performers.

JNC: Sort of spread the sickness if you will?

SPX: Exactly.

Following the interview Pinkerton informed me that the Dead Man’s Carnival is interested in bringing their unique brand of entertainment to small towns. If you’d like to bring the DMC to your venue, or you’d like to assist as a street team member call Pinkerton at (414)-364-4796 or e-mail him at [email protected]

The DMC’s 2011 season finale will be December 31st, 2011 at the Miramar Theatre in Milwaukee - facebook.com/events/103758963075411

Life is full of surreal experiences that’ll stay with you for the rest of your life. I recently enjoyed one when I sat down with the Dead Man’s Carnival’s Sir Pinkerton Xyloma. Since labels are often a necessity in journalism, Pinkerton is what I’d call an alternative renaissance man: a jazz musician, break dancer, magician, even a human blockhead capable of driving an icepick through his own nostril. I sat in a down town West Bend café. A hot cup of apple cider sat cooling beside me. Christmas was a mere three weeks away and Bing Crosby crooned out sentimental holiday tunes as we discussed Milwaukee’s underground art scene, the revival of Vaudeville Variety Shows and rooms being evacuated due to the smell of burnt pubic hair.

JNC: Your website describes your act as a "Circus Inspired Vaudeville Variety Show", what should people expect from a DMC show?

SPX: We perform in a very versatile fashion. We have an ambitious scale; a full huge Cab Calloway style band stand for our 8 piece house band. We have huge theatrical sets. We have 10’ x 8’ hand painted circus side show banners. We have a cast of 30 people doing a wide array of variety acts. You’ll see one or two burlesque performances, a contortionist, a sword swallower, a yodeling yo-yo’er. We have a handful of human oddities—midgets, tattooed strongmen.

Someone like myself, I do a lot of freaky things but I’m someone who would be historically referred to as a “working act.” I wasn’t born a freak I’m just someone who’s learned to do something freaky as opposed to someone who’s born with no lower torso on their body. Whether they decide to perform or not attention will also be projected upon them. Naturally people will always be curious about something so drastically different from what they presume is the only way a human body can look.

JNC: So exactly how does a unique troop like DMC form? How did all of you get together?

SPX: Well huh; there certainly is a different vibration people have to live under to understand it. It’s much more of a lifestyle than a hobby for most [troop members].

To me that sort of question can be interpreted in two ways. Where does the inspiration for that sort of aesthetic come from, or the more literal “where did you guys meet?” I’ll answer both.

JNC: Okay

SPX: I come from the same school of thought in performance theory as Martha Graham or Picasso and many, many other artists who had this idea that you are a vessel the creativity works through. It’s not something you personally manufacture. It’s something you’re born with and sort of have the drive for. You couldn’t not be doing it if you wanted to. It’s stronger than you. It controls you like some sort of voodoo doll. I feel for a lot of people in the group, beyond logic, beyond reason, beyond any form of human intelligence, that they should have quit but they didn’t and as a result now they’re successful.

We met through another group that pre-existed us called “Karnalville”—people who were doing a Goth-electro night at Club Anything [in Milwaukee]. They were very much Burning Man-inspired. They wanted to bring in visual stimulus. They wanted to bring in some of that Burning Man spirit. That very sort of bohemian, steam-punk, Vaudeville aesthetic but they were not performers themselves. They were DJs. So they sought out a handful of people. We did these shows for a while until [the DJs] developed other interests, moved on to different things in their lives. And we as variety performers took what we liked best about performing in this format and wanted to improve upon it and that’s where the Dead Man’s Carnival came from; doing a more traditional Vaudeville performance, something that has live music. Not doing something that has some kind of weird modern twist, like “oh let’s put house music behind it” or whatever. It’s kind of more about how art was better back then and continuing that legacy instead of having some kind of weird malformed hybrid.

Most of us lived in the River West neighborhood as street performers, circus artists, magicians, whatever, for a handful of years and we eventually found ourselves in the same room because of this DJ group. I wish I had a cooler story, like we all met in lock-up or something [laughs].

JNC: Well the truth is the truth and that’s what I’m certain people are interested to know. The fact that there’s a lifestyle out there that lets enough of you come together to form a troop like DMC is interesting in-and-of itself. I didn’t know there was this type of performance going on in Milwaukee when I lived there.

SPX: We were born without a doubt from the D.I.Y. punk rock community; this secret society. A cult-like existence that’s both incredibly incestuous but also unfortunately strangely exclusive. A majority of the group comes from this sort of punk rock anarchistic background. Not everyone in the troop necessarily subscribes to an anarchist political viewpoint, but definitely we’re exposed to the ideas of mutual-aid and contributing to a community because it’s good for everyone without a self-centered “well when do I get paid” sort of Van Halen rockstar attitude. Basically you get a bunch of people sitting around saying “God, [Milwaukee] SUCKS! If we could be doing anything right now, what would we be doing? Well, let’s do that!” Then figuring out how to accomplish it through a gruelingly painful, slow process.

JNC: Exactly. You want to get out there and do what you want to do but you have to figure how to do it while promoting yourself. It’s a lot more interesting that way though than if it’s some sort of manufactured thing.

SPX: The largest lesson I’ve learned from running the troop and learning as we go—you know, we didn’t understudy for it, we didn’t go to school for it, we basically taught ourselves everything with a very true, do-it-yourself attitude—is there’s an amazing distortion between your artistic vision and the actualization of it. I’ve become less interested in writing or coming up with this really great idea because I feel like every person I meet has this really cool idea but the x-factor that’s hard to define is the wisdom to facilitate it being born. That’s sort of become my focus over the last couple of years. To help people take an idea—using my coaching and wisdom and production experience—to get it where they want it to be within a reasonable period of time. The idea can be solid from the get go but the ability to get everyone else on the same page can be a hard-to-teach skill set.

JNC: You have to develop that intangible that will execute the idea properly.

SPX: The most important emphasis of what we’ve been trying to accomplish is creating a place and a time for things that aren’t allowed to exist because they’re displaced. Like traditional circus acts, like you know, why don’t people do a wider array of expression? There is nowhere for [it] to exist. When people go to a punk show, or a metal show, or a country-bluegrass/streetgrass show, they emulate what they see. When people cease to see something it becomes more and more rare. That’s why I like what the burlesque girls are doing because they’ve inspired a few different waves of people to say “you know I’ve found that idea interesting but why bother getting into it, because where the hell would I do it?”

[EDITOR INTERRUPTION: For a homegrown example check out the Brew City Bombshells].

They’re inspiring people. They’re opening the stage. You know they didn’t go to school and take six years of jazz and do this and this and that. They’re not showgirls and burlesque dancers in the traditional sense. It’s post-feministic, do-it-yourself. To me it’s very similar to punk rock bands. You’re not going [to the show] because you’re going to see the most amazing tap dancer you’ve ever seen. You’re going there to see someone with the Flamenco spirit; in-the-moment real. Someone who’s not ripping off someone else’s dance moves, it’s something they’re coming up with themselves and it has this really humanistic quality as a result.

JNC: And it provides an alternative from just going down to a rock concert or going to the bar. Milwaukee seems a much more interesting place with all this burlesque and Vaudevillian stuff going on.

SPX: Certainly, certainly. In the same sense we’re really interested in progressing the art; writing the next page in Milwaukee and the Midwest’s contribution to the variety show and the circus. We’re not like the renaissance fair where we’re sort of stuck in a bubble. We’re not trying to make a weird mutant that’s stuck between what’s [the past] and what’s happening currently. We’re not pigeon holed into that. What I was saying earlier, one of the major downfalls for me in the underground art scene and the underground shows is they’re completely inaccessible. A part of what we try to do is break down that barrier that exists in shows. In the theater world it’s called the “fourth wall”. That wall between the crowd and the actor. We want to completely obliterate that wall. And in the same sense the concept of a circus group; people want to own it. They want to own it and no one else is allowed to be interested in it. I’ve worked in a handful of groups over the years that would prefer to play to 15 or 16 of their peers than perform at Lollapalooza like Jim Rose is doing. I don’t really subscribe to that mindset.

TO BE CONTINUED…

***In part two of the Pinkerton interview we discuss testicles catching on fire on stage and the future of the troop.***

Check out Dead Man's Carnival here: www.deadmanscarnival.com