Dressing like a Russian vampire countess was my thing even back then – pretty hilarious,
considering that this was in Texas. I wore that fur hat and coat everywhere, despite the mild weather.
Oh, and – this was taken in a Whataburger at 3am. The cereal box was because of my friend
Christopher Daniello, who wrote songs about Raisin Bran, and liked to photograph people holding it.

I got inspired on a gray day to take “post-apocalyptic” gloomy goth photos of my best friend Pandora in my backyard.
I always really loved how this photo of her turned out – it has nice movement to it, despite (or because of)
being taken with a crappy-ass disposable camera. Oh the angst! The torment!
The rusty wreckage & glow-in-the dark rosaries! Oh, and she’s 11 years old here. Ummm…

Pandora, Renee and I being weird and bitchy at some party.

This one was taken by Pandora’s papa, at their dining room table. Note my clever accessorizing with black cat and juice boxes.
Teen goth afterschool special all the way. Also, I love how her dad insisted on having Dali’s Last Supper hanging in there.

I love that my sweet granny took these photos. All four of my grandparents were the most accepting, tolerant and loving
a grandchild could ask for. I was so blessed to have them. No matter how bizarre or dark my ensemble, they were always
able to look beyond it, and just see me. I think you can see the love in these photos. I know it’s there, caught like a lizard in
amber – the memory of my grandparent’s wonderful backyard in Los Angeles, the smell of lemons and oranges from their
trees, spicy roses, ice cream and fir needles. I asked my grandmother what she thought of my outfit, and she said that I’d
be more beautiful without the black lipstick, but that that was just her opinion. She captured me as I was. So much love.

My mom’s beautiful antique rosaries which I destroyed and then lost.
Still regret doing that, dammit! Also, a neon yellow rat, because, you know.

Aw, look – it’s baby’s first pair of Doc Martens! They were oxblood steel-toe
and I bought them on sale. I really wanted 20-hole boots, but these were all I
could afford on my three dollar a week chore-slave allowance. The rest I spent
on clove cigarettes and LSD. Sorry ma + pa! I turned out all right, though!

Dancing for New Bohemia’s first fashion show. I think I’m maybe 14 or 15 here? Jeez.

That was me watching Nick Cave and falling in love before swooning from sunstroke.
Baby vampires + outdoor summer music festivals are a bad combo. Lollapalooza 1994
was my first and last! I fainted on the ground and everyone just thought I was on
drugs and stepped over me. It was pretty rad. At least I made it into the paper, I guess.

Moving into some club kid-isms. Electrical tape bra + kiddie barrettes. Hey there 1990s.

My sweetheart Colin, pre-beard. Who would have known that 18 years later,
I’ve ended up with my perfect sulky goth-boy dreamboat? He’s a lot less sulky
(with way more facial hair!) these days, but he still insists that we have
Skinny Puppy marathons on long road trips and is prone to pensiveness!
Is he not the prettiest goth-boy, ever? Yes, yes he is. Major swoon!

I cannot even handle Amelia’s next level googly eye game. She blows my mind so hard. Dang, girl! She don’t even mess around!

Iana + David

Norah

Katie

Stephana

Sassy + John

Devaki made incredible photo magic once again! This is definitely my favorite
Exquisite Corpse photo set yet! Brilliance. Plus, everyone turned it OUT!

David

So amazing. Can’t handle.

Dustin

Colin

Royal family portrait!

I want to put them in my pocket, please.

Why are all my friends so amazing? But, really!

Fiona + Jonny – copper moon children

Frannie

Charlie’s Angels got nothin’ on us…

Jen + Melissa

Chad

Antony + Cleopatra

DJ Pasht Moon

Pasht + Devi

Jen + Summer

Blue, Ashley and Matt

Lau + Justin

Jackie + Norah – this is how the night always ends…
Hot bitches rollin’ around on the floor!

My look for the evening ended up looking something like if Dark Lily from Legend
had ended up doing it with a cat on the side. Maybe one that had a penchant for KISS?

This scene is definitely at the top of my list of things that made me weird…
Hello! Amazing. This may well have been the birth of my gothness, right here.
If you were a child when this film came out, wasn’t this film just EVERYTHING to you?
I know it was for me. Unicorns, faeries, goblins, Tim Curry as the Devil? I mean!

I was also thinking a lot about the Tarot of the Cat People by Karen Kuykendall
while I was getting ready… I’ve loved this deck since I was a child – it’s so strange and beautiful.

Raven + Monika worked all day on their crazy-amazing cat ensembles!
They were totally mindblowing! I honestly still can’t handle how perfect they were.
I’ve instructed them to both wear these costumes as their everyday clothes, from now on.

Amelia made the perfect mermaid! She was a sequinned sea-treat to tempt all the kitties!
“Do you see that fishy swimming round and round
Maybe we can reaching in and make it drown…
If we sneaking up upon it carefully
There will be head for you a tail for me”

Beware leaping tigers in the jungle!

Gina, Kitty, Devi, and myself gettin’ wild….

Azz everywhere!

Devi!

and with Xander Harris

Casting hexes on my intended! It’s the only way to keep ‘em in line!

Lovely Drew

Rowr!

Summer Lawson

Celeste Chesser

Meow!

Proud parents with their litter.

Oh Norah!

Kittens!

Hairballs!

Lali Ferpecto!

It kind of ended up being that kind of a night…

Exquisite Corpse – Lovecats

To purchase prints go here….

Stray Cats – Stray Cat Strut

Squeeze – Cool For Cats

Drea + I

1.What is Exquisite Corpse all about?
Exquisite Corpse is a night for modern surrealists and old-school goths to dance, socialize and explore.
We take pleasure in creating an elegant temporary autonomous zone where ideas and flirtations can be exchanged.
The name refers to the Surrealist parlour game, (which we always play at the party) and is meant to evoke the gothic
style of dressing beautifully undead. It’s also a reference to a fascinating book by Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss,
which draws connections between the Surrealists and the famous Black Dahlia Murder. Film noir, ghastly crimes, bizarre art,
and a penchant for the macabre all lend themselves well to the theme.

2. What inspired you to create this event?
When I lived in New Orleans, my friends and I decided to start a monthly Dada Ball called Cabaret Revoltaire.
We saw it as a continuation of the movements begun by our disgruntled European forbears – their movement also
came about as a response to the insanity and futility of war and industrialized culture. In post-9/11 America, we
watched with horror the knee-jerk patriotism that presaged the war in Iraq, and knew we needed an outlet for our
feelings of helplessness and frustration. Cabaret Revoltaire was an experimental surrealist extravaganza, a combination
of art opening and intentionally chaotic salon featuring visual and performance art, experimental music and installation,
pranks, invisible theater, inexplicable fashion, participatory painting, and interactive hijinks of all sorts. Inspired by the Dada,
Surrealist and Situationist movements, our goals were to revive and expand on the good work of the artists and writers that
came before us, to achieve consciousness expansion, to engage collaborative art, interactive (rather than passive) social
experiments, full-contact participation and the abolition of the “audience”.

Dougie

3. What is your interest in surrealism, and what is its connection to this event?
I’ve long held a great respect and fondness for the work of the Surrealists and Symbolists.
These artists were delving deep into the human subconscious, and were determined to unearth
and express our strangest dreams, no matter how dark or nonsensical they might seem. They
understood that the most profound wisdom can come from these hidden places.

Davey + Penny

Teddy Baker & pal

David + Iana

Javi + Chia

4. What sort of experiences is Exquisite Corpse trying to engender?
Mainly, we just want people to come and have a lovely time. This event is sort of a low-key continuation
of those giant Dada parties we did back in NOLA, with a healthy helping of darkness and mystery thrown in.
I want people to feel free to participate, and be involved in creating the atmosphere. The concept is basically this:
imagine if David Lynch had a Goth night in the Black Lodge. Except that it’s at the Swan Dive, which is even more
magical, really. It’s such a special venue, and we’re so excited to be doing Exquisite Corpse there – I can’t really
imagine it working anywhere else. The music, and the whole gothic aspect was really thrown in as a mash-up,
because I’ve been wanting to do both nights for a long time, and it seemed like it might work to just toss them in together.
I’ve felt a real lack of the kind of goth/new-wave night like the kind I used to love going to back in the day. That scene kind
of died or faded away, but I feel like the time is ripe to bring it back, and play the kind of music we never really get to here
in clubs anymore. The focus is really on a specific pantheon and era of bands that created a sound that was dark, mysterious
and magical. It was before industrial music and EBM took over, with a much more aggressive, stompy, masculine vibe.
I do enjoy many aspects of that music, but there are also plenty of great nights where you can hear that stuff.
“Music for Witches” does indicate a more feminine leaning, an appreciation for mysticism, dramatics, and romance.
The music has a different tempo – it’s a slower, heavier beat. It’s sexy without being super aggro. It also creates a space
for new music that works beautifully with our theme, like witch-house and drag. Musicians like Karin Dreijer Andersson of
Fever Ray and The Knife, and the mysterious IAMAMIWHOAMI definitely have a place at Exquisite Corpse – they are
both doing really gorgeous and adventurous work. This isn’t a rigid retro night – it’s about creating a certain ambiance,
which might include a Nina Simone song played right after Einstürzende Neubauten. Our patron saint is Siouxsie Sioux –
(or I suppose she’s our queen, since she’s quite alive) a strong, unapologetic, punk sorceress.

Lau of RECSPEC

As far as performers go, I’m really opening the floor to people who want an environment to express themselves –
especially when what they’ve got to share doesn’t really fit in anywhere else. This could be dance, sound installation,
art, writing, a game – but the key is that it must be interactive. There’s no announcer, no stage, no audience. It’s more
of a happening. I love the idea of a salon (not the getting your hair-did kind!), but as a place to exchange ideas, and
even to workshop your creative process. I love performance art when it just happens unexpectedly. Announcing it tends
to kill it. It’s always better when you just catch it happening out of the corner of your eye and wonder if you might be losing
your mind, or dreaming. This is definitely the kind of space where anything might happen. At the debut, recent Austin transplant
Sassy Delure dazzled us with a dance performance that involved her portraying three very different and very strange characters in quick succession. It was truly amazing. Laurel Barickman of RECSPEC does an incredible projection installation that totally creates the tone of the night, as well as providing some pretty bizarre and exciting eye candy. Images from films like “Night of the Hunter” and Japanese cult favorite “Hausu” seemed to sync up perfectly with the set from DJ Pasht who is a powerful witch and goth club turntable veteran. Devaki Knowles of Funloving Photos sets up her photobooth, so we always end up with lots of beautiful photos of our big-haired, eye-linered guests. People dress up extravagantly for this event, and definitely take a lot of delight in digging out and donning their widow’s weeds and pointy boots. It’s fun, and we aren’t taking ourselves (or anything much) too seriously. This isn’t the kind of party where you’re going to get looked up and down for what you’re wearing, and then nobody talks to each other. Thankfully, we live in Texas – where even the goths and art-snobs are super-friendly (and fairly goofy).

Pandora + I
The best part of the last party? In the middle of the night, my very dearest darling Miss Pea
appeared, having just driven pedal to the metal all the way from New Orleans! So happymaking!

Two of Colin’s oldest and dearest friends also came (in full regalia!), so all in all,
it was a night filled with beautiful reunions of beloved friends. So very wonderful.

Some of the music we like to play, just to give you an idea:
Echo and the Bunnymen
The Glove
Gene Loves Jezebel
Love & Rockets
The Legendary Pink Dots
Bauhaus
The Creatures
Die Form
Nina Hagen
Siouxsie & The Banshees
The Cure
XMAL DEUTSCHLAND
Swans
Beach House
Bat for Lashes
The Birthday Party
Fever Ray
The Knife
Lydia Lunch
Nick Cave
Einsturzende Neubauten
COIL
Zola Jesus
L.A. Vampires
Joy Division
oOoOO
Gary Numan
Depeche Mode
Duran Duran
Tones On Tail
Indian Jewelry
Crones
Clan of Xymox
White Ring
Book of Love
Modern Witch
Strawberry Switchblade
//TENSE//
Matthew Dear
Foetus
New Order
Soft Cell
Salem
The Normal
Tuxedomoon

What? Hilarious. Obviously, the night is full of hinjinks,
and no one takes themselves too seriously. We’re not
worried about cracking our white pancake makeup!

Dave Gordon and I gettin’ spooky.

Johna Goldenflame, shot through the heart, golden-eyed, red-caped, resplendent.

Sassy Delure doing a very surreal and wonderful performance that
involved Tom Waits, golden keys, & three costume changes! Bravo!

The fabulous Kitty Buick gettin’ down

Miss Coco Lectric

Raven’s tres leches birthday cake – we celebrated her with surprises, hot ladies, cake and serenades!

Miz R + Kate X Messer

Beau

Cevins McCullah, scary rabbit man!

It was such a magical evening – I can’t wait for the next one!

Me and Darby Rose. I love this one so much.

Colin is the king of my heart.

Now, that’s what I call a mohawk. This girl ain’t messin’ around with no faux-hawks!

Something about this pretty lady reminds me of Natasha Khan. Do you see it?

Miss Vu, the resplendent frittilary.

Francesca, sleek and lovely

La Bella Franziska!

Miss Allyson Garro and her sweet fellow Greg.

Winovino were amazing – when our sound went out, they kept the party
going by playing acoustically until we got it all sorted. Total heroes.

Dominique Vyborny did beautiful aerial dance on the silks!

I love this sad face so much. This is how I feel about the Disko ending!

The Last Gadjo Disko! It’s true, darlings-

Saturday, February 6th
at La Zona Rosa
612 West 4th St.
10pm-4am
18+
$7 – $15
Dress to transgress!

With performances from:
Comintern
Wino Vino
Franziska
Sick
and
DJ Chicken Kiev
spinning 100% recycled culture:
immigrant punk – baile funk – kuduro
slavic hip-hop – disko ethnoteka

Gadjo Disko is ending because one of our glorious triumverate, Mack –
who you all know from his inimitable pizazz and fabulosity at the door,
is moving to SF! We will miss him enormously, and there’s no way it
could happen without him. The three of us (myself, Chesley and Mack)
have worked really hard to make Gadjo Disko what it is, and it’s been
an amazing experience. It breaks our hearts, too – but this is the way
it’s gotta be, at least for the time being. Hopefully we’ll be doing more
events in the future though – I can’t imagine us not putting on parties!

Can we just take a minute to revel in the glory of Mackling’s magical
tiger boots? I really need to somehow find a pair in my size. Stunning.

This was taken kind of late in the evening, after many smushings had
smudged my Peking Opera macquillage and my blue weave had been
ditched. There are fresher versions here and here though, if you prefer!

My friend Steve Brudniak is an amazing artist, as well as being a demon
on the dance-floor! Check his work out – it will blow your mind, promise.

These guys are Computer Jesus Refrigerator, and I love them.

I love this girl’s dark green eyes, and lavender hair and sparkly jewels
and well – pretty much everything about her! Who is she I wonder?

Miss Melanie looking incredible in her balinese mask + feng shui mirror earrings!

Cindy Sparklefingers and Jimmy Jewell = ♥

Miss Nicole Labry on her birthday! I suprised her with a big tray of wee cupcakes
and everyone sang! Earlier in the day, we surprised her with a male stripper
dressed as a cop who tried to bust up her birthday barbecue with his nightstick!

Miss Amelia Valentine looking especially sultry and lovely, oh what a woman!

Um, hello lady. You are real sexy, and I hope you don’t mind me posting
this awesome photo of you despite the wee nip slippage! Hotcha!

Corinne Loperfido + Alisan

Despite what Kangaroo Sexy says, this last Gadjo is no secret!
Spread the word far and wide! We have a fabulous new venue
with room for all, and anyone who’s never had the opportunity
to attend should jump on it! It’s going to be an amazing night!

Oh yes, and – at very long last:
photos from the fashion show!
Mine were not so super, and everybody
else’s are still trickling in, but here are some
of my very favorites, though it’s so hard to choose!
The following seven photos are from Zee Great Wendini!
Many more of her photos can be seen here, and also
lots of good ones from her fella, Flash Barrilleaux.

Ekaterina Konovalova, resplendent in firebird plumage…

Mistress Stephanie was the most fantastic emcee!
She and her Melodic Cat performed a new song that made me blush
right down to my ankles, entitled, “The Lovers of Madame Polacheck”!
There’s not a video for that one, (yet!) so in lieu of that, please enjoy
their latest yummy videos (especially anyone not yet familiar with their oeuvre)

The White Queen, Miss Herr, wearing Jade Rumor

Hello sweethearts! This girl saved my face from disaster (literally!)
and the darling Matty, who made such delicious ensembles…

Hung is wearing LyuRad, with extra long appendages!
Asen is wearing her own designs à la Shi Feticcio/Cross Couture.

Alix and I after the show- he was my model and muse!

This photo of my favorite pair of twins was taken by
Miss Autumn Spadaro, as were the following three.
More of her photos from the night can be found here.

Francesca y Alisan, horned and be-skulled in the lav.

Sweet seahorses! Outfits by the fabulous Hermie Escamilla, modelling with her man.

This last one might really be my favorite – I love the dancing legs (and arms!)

You can see my photos here – just scroll all the way down, yes?
So excited for this next one- I need to dance dance dance very soon!

Yesterday morning, however- I was totally despondent to realize
upon waking that the Bat for Lashes concert here was completely sold out!
Horrors and woe accompanied me to the shop, where I cobbled together
a little box of treasure and good-luck talismans- as a gift of thanks
on the off-chance that Miss Natasha should wander in.
Imagine my amazement when about an hour later she did just that!
What a lovely and kind lady- she hugged me and made me the happiest
creature in the world as she listened to my sad tale and generously
offered to put me on the guestlist! Oh frabjous day- calloo callay!
How incredible is that? Very. What a lucky girl I am!

(photo by Chad Wadsworth)
♡ The show was phenomenal. Excellent sound, a respectful crowd, and
she and her band sounded marvelous. I highly recommend catching them live
if you get the chance- they really do put on a fantastic live show.
Also, her drummer is a bad-ass. I love amazing girl drummers so much.
The new album is just lovely- totally my soundtrack lately.

♡ Lately we’ve been seeing some astoundingly beautiful sunsets-
they stain the world cotton candy grapefruit soda pink and lilac fluff,
and I take a million swirly photos trying to capture their majesty.

♡ I love getting surprise visits from my fairy-godson Sascha and his
lovely maman the elf. We went on a walk, hunting for rainbows.
He is the elfin prince child of my heart and now he can say words! Conversations, ahoy!

♡ I’ve been pretty obsessed with M.A.C. gold eyeshadow, and have been
gilding my eyelids most days. Wearing a vintage gold dress that smells funny,
and jewelry from Lux Revival. This was taken hurriedly before the concert,
so forgive the overexposure, one day I’ll actually buy a low-light lense.
I need some photography equipment guidance! Anyone want to be my tech-sherpa?

Henri Plaat’s short film “I am an old smoking moving Indian Movie Star 1968″
(Danke, meine liebe Elizabeta!)

♡ I saw both Moon and District 9 recently, and both were incredible. Go see!
They showed the 1969 original video for David Bowie’s Space Oddity
at the Alamo before the previews, and I realized I’d never seen it before!
Can you even handle how nerd-sexy he is? Those crooked teeth
make my pants feel funny. I have a thing for dental deformities.

♡ I ordered some goodies from Korres recently, (using the iCiNG discount,
thanks Miss Darling!) and am excited to try everything out.
The company started in an ancient Greek homeopathic pharmacy,
and they don’t use any synthetic components, so I’m very intrigued.

♡ I can’t wait to be cleaning my filth palace and dancing this weekend at
Smack! and the Micro-Nano Party at Cheer Up Charlie’s!

♡ The other night I was laying in the hammock, staring at the moon,
and I saw these big, pale bats flying overhead. They are much larger
than the mexican freetails, and sort of buff colored- I think they’re called
Pallid Bats. I’m so excited that they have made Grackle Grotto their home!

Got woken in the night, by a mystic golden light.
My head soaked in river water.
I had been dressed in a coat of armor.
They called a horse out of the woodland.
“Take her there, through the desert shores.”
They sang to me, “This is yours to wear.
You’re the chosen one, there’s no turning back now.”
The smell of redwood giants. The banquet for the shadows.
Horse and I, we’re dancers in the dark.
Came upon the headdress. It was gilded, dark and golden.
The children sang. I was so afraid- I took it to my head and prayed.
They sang to me, “This is yours to wear.
You’re the chosen one, there’s no turning back.”
They sang to me, “This is yours to wear.
You’re the chosen one, there’s no turning back.”
There is no turning back. There is no turn.
There is no turning back. There is no turn.

Do tell me about any new favorite things of yours, won’t you?
I’ve been hungrily amassing lots of new music, films, books,
friends, opportunities and experiences lately! What’s new for you?

Gadjo Disko Eastern Bloc Party is a throwdown ethnotechno diskoteka dance party
with extravagantly spangled attendees rump-shakin’ to DJ Chicken Kiev
and a bevy of acts including The Amazing Franzsiska,
Mistress Stephanie and Her Melodic Cat, as well as a
Diskostani Glamour + Sickle Fashion Show by local avant-garde designers including:
Shi Feticcio of Cross Couture
Katinka Pinka
Ayers Design
The Fringe Society
Mange la Mode
Matt.com
Sid
Alisan
Lali Ferpecto
Jade Rumour of Amelia’s Retrovogue
Rhythm Method Sparklefingers
A. Flynn
Baron Zubi
Hermie Escamilla
Angeliska
Cicada at Dusk
Ekaterina Konovalova
Lyu Rad

We promise to serve you only 100% recycled culture!
Immigrant Punk – Balkan Beats – Baile Funk
Slavic Hip-Hop – Ghettotech – Diskoteka

It all happens Saturday, August 15th
from 10pm-4am
at the Cockpit, 113 San Jacinto.
Dress to transgress = $7-$15
www.gadjodisko.com

I can’t even express how excited I am about this show-
so many incredible people have come together to make it happen,
it’s really kind of mind-blowing. I can’t wait to see the show!
Please do come, if you are able- and spread the word!