Tag: Musical ensemble

10 Days to Dragon*Con: Band Profile, Warchild

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I’m too tired from the work week (I write these things ahead of time, it is currently Saturday and I am still recovering from a sixteen hour day yesterday) to think of anything witty to start with for Warchild, so I’ll just give you their Dragon*Con profile:

“Warchild is an Atlanta based rock band with a new sound and new idea. Fronted by Steven Warchild who has been quoted as saying “We have something to say not just something to show.” Warchild has a sound that stays with you and a devoted cult following with fans from all around the world.  With two full length CD‘s out that have sold over 12,000 copies and a third on the way it’s easy to see why fans are excited for future. For more information on the band, visit http://www.officialwarchild.com.”

Man, I hope they are a heavy metal band.  Their lead singer, Steven Warchild, totally looks like he’d be a metalhead.  Shall we see?

Eh, kind of metal?  Kind of emo?  Very music video set in New Orleans.

Sort of um, a less interesting, less good version of A Perfect Circle, maybe?  I only have one of their albums by the way, so maybe that isn’t the best comparison.

All the other hits when I search “war child” on youtube are like, sad documentaries of people from Sudan.   And I’m not really digging the music (OR THE LONG HAIR I just don’t get long hair on guys.  Keep it like, Thor or Loki length or shorter people for serious).

Talking points:

–Warchild is a band, not a documentary about Sudanese child soldiers.

–Sort of sounds like A Perfect Circle.

–Lead singer has long hair.

No thumbs.  Don’t think I’ll be tracking them down at Dragon*Con.

 

11 Days to Dragon*Con: Band Profile, Aurelio Voltaire

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Does anyone not know who Voltaire is?  I mean, anyone reading this Dragon*Con countdown?  I feel like Voltaire is one of those Dragon*Con staples, like the Crüxshadows, or Emerald Rose.  He’s sort of a folksy-macabre-storyteller singer (and he also does movies and comics and TV and toys, he’s pretty busy).  I guess, to me, he’s sort of like Marc Gunn in that I can see his appeal, but I don’t really get it?  I went to Voltaire’s show in 2010 and it was certainly entertaining enough, he’s very charismatic and puts on a great live show, but I wasn’t inspired to go out and buy a CD afterward.  But props to him for having a great stage name (shout out to 10th grade English!), and great website image  (on a flaming unicorn!) and also for being Cuban American. Diversity in the house, right?  I feel like most of the previous bands I’ve profiled have been extremely white.  Also, why is there no Dragon*Con hip hop group?  This is Atlanta, how has no one crossed into sci-fi hip hop yet?  That’d be amazing.

Also, I like his top hat.  Top hats are cool.

Music time!

Everyone knows the “Brains!” song, right?

So this song is called “Riding a Black Unicorn,” which is a wonderful song title, truly.   Actually, I sort of love this song.  Voltaire has just risen in my esteem a bit.

So that’s another one of his classics.  Y’all get the idea.

I’d like to point out here that one of my friends declared “I can’t stand that guy,” when I told him that I was profiling Voltaire.  So that makes me feel a bit better about not being head over heels regarding Voltaire–although that “Riding a Black Unicorn” song is still phenomenal and I love it.

Talking points:

–Macabre-folksy singer-songwriter in a top hat

–Brains!!! (Aka Dragon*Con staple)

–RIDING A BLACK UNICORN.
One thumb up.  For the black unicorn song.

12 Days to Dragon*Con: Band Profile, Valentine Wolfe

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Valentine Wolfe is an awesomely gothy looking band composed of Lady Sarah Black and Braxton Ballew.

Awesomely gothy, right?

Valentine Wolfe describes itself as “Purveyors, Performers, and Composers of the finest Gothic Cabaret music for Voice, Double Bass, and Electronics. Proudly providing macabre entertainment for Living, Dead, and Otherwise, since 2006….Valentine Wolfe is an electronic music group that features operatic female vocals, solo double bass, and electronica driven beats. You’ll hear elements of metal, industrial, goth, trip-hop, j-rock, and classical blended together in a divine cocktail we call Steampunk Macabre.  We like to think if you enjoy artists like Emilie Autumn, Rasputina, Nightwish, and Nine Inch Nails, you’ll like us.”  Steampunk electronica, let us hear it!

Here’s a fan-video made to their song “Snow Queen.”

Oh man I really like that–love the sort of drivey electronica strings in the background, and also the opera-lady vocals.

This is their song, “A Thousand Little Deaths.”

Sixteen-year old me would have been all over this band.  I love it.  Check out Braxton Ballew rocking out on that bass!

So, that’s “The Darkest Night of Winter.”  They lose some points for the Steampunk goggles, but overall I like it.

Talking points:

–Lady Sarah Black and Braxton Ballew

–Gothy Steampunk Electronica

–Stand-up bass, operatic lady vocals.

Two thumbs up, I like it!

14 Days to Dragon*Con: A Quick Costume Update

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Hi guys!  We are TWO WEEKS OUT (WHAT?! YAY!) and  that means it is costume update time!

All my Melisandre components are coming together incredibly well!  My wig, necklace, and belt are all here, and the dress is coming along splendidly.  I met with my seamstress on Sunday and she has the underlayer more or less completed, and is now working on the overlayer.  I’ll be seeing her again this Sunday to try on the double-layered dress so that she can make final adjustments, and then it should be almost ready!  The necklace and belt are also incredible (thanks Valerie–you’re getting your own post later on in the countdown!) and I threw the necklace on with my wig (which still needs styling!) and a red shirt just to get an idea of what the completed package would look like:

Not too shabby right?  I need to fit the necklace to me a little better, and there is SO MUCH WIG happening, oh man.  I need to style it like whoa.  But I’m super excited, I think it is going to be great!

I also did some work on my Portal Companion Cube costume this past weekend, adding some additions to an existing gray dress I own–so far, so good.  And my adorable pink wig came!  Check it out:

I LOOOVVVEEE IT.  I never thought I’d love me with pink hair, but I do.  I think my little Companion Cube costume is going to be super-adorable.

How are your Dragon*Con costume preparations coming along?  Can’t wait to see everyone in their finest!

 

15 Days to Dragon*Con: Band Profile, This Way to the Egress

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First off–what a great band name.  This Way to the Egress, I can get behind that name.  This is another Steampunk band–or, according to their Dragon*Con profile, “an Ole Tymey Gypsypunk- Cabaret.”  The band is Philadelphia-based and is composed primarily of ‘Tyrant” Taylor Galassi, “Saddle Sarah Shown,” and Mischief M@ Verderosa.  The band also includes a rotating number of guest performers to supplement the main trio.

Here’s a little clip from their website bio:  “This Way to the Egress is an Ole Tymey – Gypsypunk- Cabaret. With a valiant effort to “bring the show back to the people” they are a revolving door of musical mayhem, sideshow, burlesque, and comedy leaving a modern twist on the good old days of Vaudeville. Like a renegade theater of sorts, they weave visual antics with eclectic sounds creating an experience unlike any other in their genre.”

So many Steampunk bands guys!  How on earth are we ever going to tell them apart?!  Oh well, let us listen to some music:

So that’s a video that shows lots of clips from their performances–yep, it looks like they have lots of live, circus-y act components to their shows, specifically components including attractive ladies during shimmy-ish things.

This video has a nine-year old kid in it!  Not entirely sure why.

Ack!  A Steampunk band in the daylight!

Oh hey, they played this one in Chapel Hill! Funsies.

Talking points:

–Steampunk band from Philadelphia

–Three main members

–Lots of circus-y components and shimmy-shimmy ladies.

Two thumbs up, because they sort of sound like aspects of the Decemberists that I like, and also like Beirut, and also who doesn’t love a fire-breather?