The Velvet Hammer Burlesque – Modern Pinup Girls in All Shapes and Sizes
The Velvet Hammer Burlesque troupe was founded in Los Angeles by curvy visionary Michelle Carr, in 1995, and is one of the most famous modern burlesque shows in the world. It has featured appearances by guest pinup models and screen supervixens Kitten Natividad and Tura Satana, of Russ Meyer fame, and Mamie Van Doren.
This modern burlesque troupe has been greatly shaped by vintage burlesque and the vintage erotic, and its burlesque dancers have been an assortment of modern pinups who run the gamut of all shapes and sizes. It has been observed that their burlesque striptease, which “puts the tease back in striptease”, has more in common with vaudeville than the sleazy table dancing of today.
And their cast of burlesque comics, and the burlesque music that provides the backdrop for their bump and grind, is varied and historically accurate. The burlesque girls which have made up the troupe in the past have included tattooed girls, goth girls, punk rock girls, and the aesthetic vibrancy that goes along with that whole package.
I was fortunate enough to have appeared briefly on stage in a colorful vignette during the 2001 Velvet Hammer show at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, and it is one of my fondest memories. In a nod to the Irving Klaw/Bettie Page films of the 1950’s, yours truly was wearing vintage lingerie and getting a cute “John Willie” style spanking while draped over the lap of Lucha VaVoom founder Liz Fairbairn.
Founder Michelle Carr published an amazing coffee table book in 2008 of this great historic burlesque troupe. These modern burlesque girls, these assorted beauties, are today’s modern pinup models, in this post feminist tribute to vintage burlesque.
Stacy Lande is a Los Angeles based artist, and her pin up art is most often placed in the lowbrow catagory. Her book, THE RED BOX, from Last Gasp press, features introductions from Robert Williams and Frank Kozik. Stacy has had a lifelong obsession with pin up girls, and her erotic paintings explore the more allegorical side of pinups. Her subjects are femme fatales and devil girls, and her fascination with the succubus has prompted her work to be described as “predatory pinups.” Stacy’s paintings have been featured in magazine articles, notably Juxtapoz, Detour, and Hot Rod Deluxe; films, notably Gone in 60 Seconds starring Angelina Jolie and Nicholas cage; and art books, such as Weirdo Deluxe, from Chronicle Books, and Vicious, Delcious, and Ambitious, from Schiffer Books.
Her new website [http://www.i-love-pin-up-girls.com] is devoted to all things pinup: pin up art, pinup photography, pinup tattoos, hot rod pinups, and burlesque.
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