Anacortes Brewery 21st Anniversary

Wren and Chipp and I performed at Anacortes Brewery's the Rockfish Grill's 21st birthday/anniversary party. Wren and I juggled and roped, Chipp MC'd and did his hat act, and I sang my moustache song and chair danced.

After our performance we got to eat ribs. They were delicious.

Performing with the Dirty Birds

I was invited to perform with the Dirty Bird Cabaret, a group I used to dance with for a few years around 2009/2010. I performed the Moustache Song, and the Chair Dance. A bunch of peeps from the Quarry and Circus came, Wren and his mom with two awesome ladies came, and the show was a hoot. Here are some of the ladies (Chickadee, Lola Longtail, Amanda, Kolby)backstage at Glow.

Here's the article and photo from the Cascade Weekly:

In their natural habitat, the flock comprising the Dirty Bird Cabaret has been known to show off their colorful plumage—which could include everything from crimson bustiers to purple wigs, fishnet stockings and leopard-print stilettos—and shake their tail feathers.
On Sun., July 19, the aviary to perch at to spot the bevy of birds will be Glow Nightclub, where the longtime neo-burlesque troupe will present “Sunday Dirty Sunday” and share their varied talents—which include, but are not limited to, dance, music and comedy.
“We have a great variety of acts,” says cofounder Kitty Nuthatch, who started the Dirty Bird Cabaret in 2007 with fellow performer Lucy Goosey. “Some are ensemble dances that include such forms as jazz, tap dance and vintage go-go, all with our signature rock ‘n’ roll styling. Some include elements of classic burlesque strip-tease enhanced with our brand of tight comedic choreography. Hilarious vaudeville routines and hot live singing numbers round it all out.”
To execute these feats, Kitty Nuthatch and Lucy Goosey—along with Lola Longtail, Wendy Woodpecker, and Ms. Chickadee—will be joined by Dirty Bird alumnus and Bellingham Circus Guild performer Della Moustachella for vaudevillian fun, and Ms. Fanny Fondue, who will serenade the crowd with sultry songs and share a few of her own sweet dance moves.
While there’s an air of irreverence to be found in Dirty Bird Cabaret shows, don’t be fooled into thinking that means they don’t possess some serious skills. The founders had a decade of shared belly dancing experience with the local group Banat Sahara before starting the cabaret, and the other performers have scads of additional movement and theater training to back up their feather-shaking finesse.
That said, a sense of humor is necessary if one wants to join the flock.  For instance, if Lucy Goosey’s love of “having fun and being a ham” and “getting a workout in fishnets while drinking tall cans” doesn’t necessarily appeal to you, you might want to reconsider your aspirations.
However, those who think they might be shocked by what they see onstage are encouraged to test their boundaries and come to the show. Lucy Goosey points out that the troupe is ultimately inspired by music, another genre of performance that has drawn attention over the years for pushing boundaries and giving people the urge to move their own bodies (often against each other) and dance.
“Puritan types and hellfire-fearing folks generally frown upon all of this business, which of course makes it all the more fun,” she says.
Kitty Nuthatch agrees. “CanCan, vintage jazz, burlesque and go-go all were (or are currently) risque in their time for various reasons usually having to do with their blatant nonobservance of ‘standards of decency,’” she says. “They were kind of shocking and just obviously and unapologetically about fun, enjoyment of the body, and the sensual expression of music. I think that was a sort of version of being ‘sex-positive’ playing out within the scope of a particular era. It’s certainly a goal of mine to keep those saucy dances going.”

Back in 2009 when I was with the Dirty Birds, this was our Cover Photo.

 I love these gals.

And the article here.

My Circus Valentine 2015

This was the 5th (almost) Annual Circus Valentine's Day show.

The last show (2 years ago) Wren and I performed our rope act in wedding attire. This year's show I performed the moustache strip-tease.

My parents came! Jeff Lefferts set up his photo booth so we got some sweet shots.

Wren was there too!

 

So many people were there!

Sometimes when things are so cute, it's just gross.

Wren and I took our time in the booth seriously.

 We had a few differences of opinion.

 But we quickly settled them.

 But didn't know Jeff was still photographing!

 It all worked out in the end though with no one getting (seriously) hurt.

 Cecily snapped this doosey of me trimmin' my 'stache backstage.

 The cast.

Happy Valentine's Day!

October Vaudevillingham 2014

This month I got my Moustache song with bubbles and striptease act finished. It has been a culmination of many things. The song was written with help from RJ. The intro was with help from Chipps. The shave cream was from my class in Maine, along with the bubbles out of the mouth (done brilliantly by the sweetest comedienne Michela). The striptease part came from saying yes to an impromptu burlesque show at the Quarry. There are a few kinks to be worked out, but here's the link to the "final" product so far.

Moustache Song.

Rivers ClownHawk Birthday

This year, River had a ClownHawk bowling party for his birthday. I of course wore Rivers moustache (he gave me his real-fake moustache years ago and is borrowing it for this picture. I'm wearing licorice.), but the name also inspired me to don my favorite clown suite, and make a balloon mohawk to compliment the look. 

 Chipps was there!

Melanie was there and she couldn't get enough of Rivers Moustache.

Who could blame her, really?

 More Moustache-love from Melanie!

Rivers Mom (Joan) couldn't get enough of Santa (Gabriel), even with the evil Krampus in the background (the Dirty Birds in disguise, who swept me away for a brief, random video shoot!)

As a good clown should, I brought a bunch of other balloons for just-in-case. They fit in perfectly at the bowling alley.

 Joan's moustache cake: the hair is made from licorice! Brilliant!

Birthdays, friends, costumes, cake, Santa, bowling, moustaches... thanks River, what an awesome party!

The Inflammable Circus Show!

This Memorial Day/Ski to Sea weekend, I had the privilege of performing in the Inflammable Circus Show! Chipp and Greg asked me to MC, and I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't say no!

It was awesome. I got to MC for my friends, sing my moustache song, and do rope tricks all with the live and lovely accompaniment of Maria in the Shower!

There was Laura...

Pedro...

Chelsea...

Clair, Maxwell and Chipp...

Reby (on her silk/trapeze)...

Strangely and Jeremiah...

Kayla (but as a zombi-ish gal)...

Taylor Lee Werner...

Dream and Anneka...

and Pokey!

Our curtain call!

One of the things about being part of the show is the preparation.

I was so stoked to MC this show, i wrote an "advertising" song for it! It goes like this!...

Come to the Inflammable Circus Show

It's Saturday Ski to Sea weekend

There'll be lots of fire tossed too and fro

And aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, stilters, portapotties and a beer garden.

Come to the Inflammable Circus Show

We're gunna heat you up

we'll get you fired up

Inflammable Circus will burn a lot of awesome into your eyes.

Come to the Inflammable Circus Show

It's gunna be so hot

You could roast a marshmello

Inflammable Circus could be the show that melts your heart.

Spring Colophon Ad

I've been really enjoying creating ads for the Colophon. This ad for spring was pretty fun to put together. It's surprisingly rare that I get to make a moustache out of foamed milk, as I am not a coffee latte drinker. Nonetheless I found myself whipping up a cup from a friends espresso machine, and being quite impressed by the foams staying power.Wren, a bit more disgusted than impressed, did a fine job as photographer.

Dave (Colophon Bossman) suggested the idea of advertising for coffee and a muffin. I was stoked to come up with the "Hot Milk" title as a play on Got Milk. So come on into the Colophon for a latte and a muffin, and help support a wonderful, and also supportive, local business.

Fun with Moustaches!

One of my favorite things to receive is a message asking me to help someone with costuming... particularly facial costuming... most particularly, moustache costuming. Recently, my friend Katie asked if I could help her with a moustache fitting. Here were our nose-neighboring options (the staches I currently had in my stache).

This one here is typically know as the Fu Manchu moustache. A full, straight moustache that grows downward past the lips and on either side of the chin; and often, the tapered, pointed ends of the moustache hang past the jawline. The Fu Manchu is similar to the common horseshoe ("biker") moustache; the difference between the two types of moustache is that the Fu Manchu is grown only from the upper lip, whilst the sides remain clean shaven for the "Handlebar Mustache"

Both of these could be considered a Walrus moustache, which is characterized by whiskers that are thick, bushy, and droop over the mouth. The style resembles the whiskers of a walrus. Two notables are Mark Twain and Friedrich Nietzsche. Or a Chevron Moustache which is thick and wide, usually covering the top of the upper lip. Or the Hungairan Moustache.

A Handlebar Moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy and upwardly curved extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a Spaghetti Moustache, because of its stereotypical association with Italian men. The Handlebar Club humorously describes the style as "a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities". This could also be considered an English moustache. A style that is narrow, beginning at the middle of the upper lip the whiskers are very long and pulled to the side, slightly curled; the ends are pointed slightly upward; areas past the corner of the mouth must be shaved.

Both these could be considered a Natural, Handlebar, English, or Imperial.

The final was the large version of the "Handlebar/English/Natural/Imperial" Moustache. I had no idea how complicated recognizing and categorizing Moustache styles is! This was sure fun to research! And thanks to Katie for the opportunity for fun with Moustaches!