Huge Archival Project AKA Life.

Oh Life. You can get old or die trying. When I see a post online where someone is declaring " Live life to the fullest because you never know!" I wonder what had them so lulled to sleep that they thought this life was forever. I used to be lulled too, but a day in 2010 and the subsequent events changed that, and I have been wide awake since.

Pre 2010, I thought I knew where my life was going. I was newly married, helping to raise two children,  and daydreaming about my own kids and house. I was over trying to make it as an actor and ready to do the family thing. I don't look at it as settling, because I was so happy. Life changed in a blink of an eye. I blinked and it was different. Forever. Everything I was a part of was taken from me. It continued to change until I didn't even recognize it anymore. I was also fading away fast. That wasn't going to happen. I still felt the need to build. To create. To live (and to essentially run from the reality thrust upon me.)

The stage welcomed me back for that. My old friend and enemy. The art form that got me through -and yet created for me -some very dark years. I can't cradle my art form. I can't make the moments last, it's live performance after all. You can't really hold a child forever or make those moments last either. It's life performance after all.

But hey scrapbooks are cool right?

So, I sat down the other day and typed out a list of every number I have created since I started performing as Trulie. 26 solos at least. Lots of duets and group numbers. Most of my work involves building something in order to destroy it so I don't have any professional stills or videos of my work. Some great live performance shots and cell phone videos but nothing planned out. I approached Taryn of Columbus Pinup Studio to try and get some of this stuff captured. A scrapbook of my babies so to speak.

It's going to be an interesting project. I am going to make each costume, then get the numbers on video and have some professional pictures taken. I think I will record me making each costume too. With the sound off so you can't hear me cussing.

It is interesting to work in ephemera. The whole point is that it doesn't last. I am still susceptible to the need to preserve. I fought it up until I started to apply for festivals and people wanted to see my work. I do wonder if I will make it to an old age where I will watch these and smile, or if it's all pointless because I will be a lonely old lady and probably not even remember I did all of these things. Maybe someone will find it and roll their eyes or be inspired. Maybe no one will ever see it. Who knows? Really who cares!? I have to do this for myself because I want to. Sometimes you don't ask why, you just do it.

New Post Now With Hashtags

DRAUMA 2016 is May 26th at The Bluestone. This year, Trulie Awesome Show is teaming up with Label Yourself again only this time it is Bowie themed so Label Yourself is taking the lead. It's an interesting set up this year. 14 designers choose from 14 albums and present their collection. The audience is encouraged to dress up as well. It's also not a competition this year so it's very different.

I am very lucky to be considered as a designer. My first collection was The Paper Pasties Parade where I made all paper costumes and wigs and the performers ended up in paper pasties. The year after I focused on codpieces since it was water themed and fish cod seemed to go with piece cod. :) I have some ideas on how to incorporate paper into the show which I hope adds a nice quirk to the show.

We don't know which album we will be representing yet but we know which one we hope for! In the meantime here's the link with last year's entertainment listed. DRAUMA


#asseenincolumbus #columbusmakesart #artmakescolumbus #614 #fashion

ECC On The Radio

Monday night ElectroCult Circus got to play on the radio. We were playing live from CD12.5's Big Room Bar. It's a neat bar located in the station and they have great sandwiches and drinks. I've seen some really good bands there that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. CD102/5 is a great perk to living in Columbus.

We were all so excited. Once Tom Butler came upstairs and told us 60 seconds everyone said "get your swearing out now" and proceeded to shock me with the amount of expletives they could lace together in once sentence. When 30 seconds passed, they got quiet but every now and then an f bomb would slip and we would giggle like little kids. The count down started and you could feel everyone in the band hold their breath.

We played two new songs from our new album and people who were listening said they really liked it and wanted a CD when they came out. I look forward to owning one myself.

We played a great set and the people in the audience were very happy so it was a great night. When I hung the poster I took from the bathroom with the schedule for the Big Room on it I looked at all of the posters and flyers from my shows over the past four years and I thought to myself that I am so very lucky because I have gotten to do some pretty neat things in my life. What a great ending to 2015! Go ECC!

The Start of Monthly Shows.

On Saturday we performed an hour of our comedy and dance for Varietease, an Ooh La La Burlesque production. They are going for more variety in their shows. We had a good sized crowd and they seemed to really enjoy what we were doing.

We had to switch out a video last minute, because I felt it was too insensitive to play it at the moment, so we played a video from our Trulie Awesome Online Show. It was Button Le Bouton's sandwich interview. The experience was cool because I could hear people's response to the video in real time instead of seeing a thumbs up.

I really enjoy a live audience because we are all experiencing something together and I get feedback in real time. We are already working on new material for the next show in December. The show is December 11th at Ruby Tuesday Live on Summit and starts at 10:30pm. For $5 you get a lot of entertainment in a cool place.

The Trulie Awesome Blanket Show

On Saturday November 7th Feverhead opened it's doors at 5pm for The Trulie Awesome Blanket Show! The admission price was a blanket or $10 to go toward the purchase of a new blanket and they were donated to Faith Mission. Besides, comedy with me, Maulie, and Totalie, we got Nick Glaser and his daughter Lily to do stand up, Erik Tait to do our magic sketch show with us, and Electro Cult Circus to play some Michael Jackson songs. Shawn Schulte brought tea for everyone too! The crowd had a good time and they are all good people for joining us to collect donations.

We dropped the blankets off last night and the Faith Mission is a very busy place. Right now they are asking for monetary donations to go toward a Thanksgiving meal for people. They say $2.40 can feed one person so your money can go a long way. Faith Mission

They also have lists of items needed if you would rather donate items and not money. The need is real.

The Most Exciting Weekend in Columbus

Trauma starts today! The months of hard work are about to pay off in a few hours. The Bluestone, is transformed into a mysterious place with sexy experiences and outrageous performers. Everywhere you look there is something shocking or sensuous to see.

Button LeBouton, owner of Button and Her Notions has a fire show prepared for this evening. She has shot stop motion animation for months and handmade all of her props. The choreography is challenging and fun and the music will stick with you. She invites audience participation in the end, so come prepared to burn baby!

Electro Cult Circus has put together a compilation of music from their album Come On/In. I get to spin fire for this one, along with two very talented fire tamers who I can't name because, it is called The Mystery Box, after all. I am so proud of Casey Oddfellow Ward for this show. It is something he has wanted to do for a long time.

Friday is The Trulie Awesome Show: Live From the Kingdom of Bounce. This show features two numbers that I have been wanting to create for awhile. Twinkle by Girls Generation and Good Boy By GD X Taeyang. Both numbers have been a joy to work on and I can not wait to present it to the audience! The costumes for Good Boy are my version of paper doll clothes. I had so much fun decorating those.  Then of course there is Crazy Bounce by PapaB Chozen Lee and I-van. This number has trampolines, inflatables, and cupcake pasties. It is a real treat!

Then Saturday night Button and Snap, Trulie and Maulie perform as our real selves. Secret identities revealed at Trauma 2015!

You wont be able to see this anywhere else because they do not allow photography or video for this event so come on out to The Bluestone for Trauma 10/29-10/31!

On with the show!

Trauma Season!

Trauma is a halloween fetish party that occurs every October in Columbus. It's more of an entire season for performers. Trauma season starts months before the actual even and ramps up in October leading up the the three days of strange and unusual bliss. It's October 29th-31st at The Bluestone and we just had another rehearsal last night. I get to perform with Button and Her Notions as Snap La Snap for Thursday's show. The Theme is fire and she is doing The Evolution of Fire. She works tirelessly on stop motion videos and I can't wait to see them. The rocket ship animation she did last year was magical. We danced last night and I just love it when she choreographs. It's a challenging series of movements but after last night I think I am getting it more.

We also rehearsed for the final number for The Trulie Awesome Show last night. We perform at Friday's Show. This is a song and number I have had in my head for at least a year and seeing it on the performers it's a dream come true! They are making me so proud! I can't wait for them to be in full costume. There are several moving parts to this 11 minute show. The hardest part we start on Saturday and since it will be the opening number I am very nervous.

Tonight though, Trulie Awesome Show performs at Wild Goose Creative as part of the Best of The Underground series. Anime Cosplay and Gaming. We will do our comedy then zoom off to KDB at Easton for a CD102.5 Battle of The Bands. Our band ElectroCult Circus is in round two!

ElectroCult Circus is in Trauma too, also performing Thursday evening. I will be twirling fire!! I've been twirling since I was 7 or so. My mom was a majorette. It's one of those skills I am forever grateful to my mother for forcing me to learn. I started to twirl fire a few years ago and I am in love with it. I rarely get to do it because permits and insurance are so hard to get for it.

Saturday is the last day of Trauma and Button and I will be performing as our true selves. No wigs no costumes no props. Talk about terrifying. I trust her though, I am in good hands and it will be a moving piece. This one is actually starting to be the one I most look forward too because it is something I have not done before.

Trauma tickets are available: Tickets! This is also a charity event. Costumes are required, the theme is not. Thursday is FIRE Friday is KINGS AND QUEENS and Saturday is DYSTOPIA

No cellphones or photographs allowed so leave your phone at home!