Boobies and Beer: Bender's Tavern Hosts Burlesque Hall of Fame Benefit

Forget about 5k's and telethons, bring on the bustiers and nylons! Last Thursday night Bender's Tavern hosted a naughty little affair when some of Colorado's most talented vixens of variety teamed up!  Their goal was to raise money to help send the legends of burlesque to the Burlesque Hall of Fame event in Las Vegas, NV. It is the only gathering of its kind, with the primary goal of preserving Burlesque as an American art form by immortalizing the daring women who embraced it.  Finally!  Strip tease artists are getting their due. What the hell took so long? (We Americans just can't seem to shake those aggravating Puritans who, while settling the country, indelibly set forth sexual conservatism to the extreme. It's astounding, really, that they managed grow the population.)

Cora Vette

The show was presented by Burlycute, a local troupe spearheaded by Miss Cora Vette. Sundry performers, from freshies to established minx types swizzled our sticks! And some gals even traveled several hours to do so. Thank you ladies - you were worth the wait, and we're sure your burlesque goddess-fairies will be appreciative.

Whoopsie Daisy

By the end of the night there was only one thing to say. "Oh baby, baby! We love the way these ladies raise money!" When they wiggle and grin, eyebrows raise... When the audience can't wait another moment, skirts raise... When the dirty joke is a screamer, drinks raise! When it all happens at once - pow! It's sexy philanthropy at its best.

Honey Touche'

Scroll on to enjoy photos of many of the night's "thighlights". Saucy!  Alas, some of our favorite performers are not shown here, because the low light setting made our photos a bit swishy.  But suffice it to say they ALL delivered on the promise of great entertainment. Including three chanteuses who proved that a living, breathing, sexy woman who knows how to sing is still one of the mostly classically arousing performances out there. In fact, any breathy, glowing lass who struts her stuff on stage without apology is sexier than a magazine model or MTV pop star any day of the week.  At least in our opinion.  Which is the only opinion that counts here because this is Denver Subculture and we do what we want!

F$%# the mainstream!
   

Holly DeLite of the Cupcake Cabaret

Vivienne Vavoom

The Haute Toddies

Cholita Bang Bang

Lily D'Lovley

Fanny Fitztightlee

Midnite Martini

Bang Bang Von Loola of the Cupcake Cabaret

Veronica VanTassel

Ava L'amour of Peaks & Pasties

June and Rose
Show attendees &
Graduates of Vivienne Vavoom's School of Burlesque

 A fan of the show - dressed to the nines!

Preshow panache with Veronica, Honey and Fanny

2 of the treats from the Cupcake Cabaret

Luke - Ornery yet generous Bender's Mastermind who showed his
support by providing the stage for the crazy (nearly) naked ladies!
He's also part of the kickass band King Rat.
Check'em out - unless you're a sissy bitch.
This band has balls.

Mama - Gracious Head Mistress of Benders who showed
her support by providing the crazy (almost) naked ladies
with the perfect venue for their show.

Click here to gawk at Bender's Tavern event calendar.  And if you enjoyed this display of subculture at its sexiest, subscribe to the Denver Subculture feed and Like us on Facebook.  We'd love it if you shared this with your friends too!  When possible we've included links to the various web pages that are associated with these performers.  Click their names to be zipped away to their sites where you can learn more.

And if you stand out in a crowd in an ostentatious way - drop us a line at denversubculture@gmail.com.  We're always looking for people and passions to feature.

F$%# the mainstream!

Vendors, Performance Artists and Attendees Shine At Cirque Voltaire

The Mad Tatters:  Brandan Styles and Ellie Rusinova
Local artists and creators of Cirque Voltaire
Photo courtesy of Brandan's FB profile

Last Friday night, two well regarded, local artists known as the Mad Tatters hosted Cirque Voltaire - Denver's first surreal circus art event.  Denver Subculture attended and not only were we impressed by the success of the show, we also had a damn good time!

Salon style display of some of the 30 artists featured
at the event. Photo courtesy of Klint Krenzke.
See more of Klint's event photos on Facebook.

The Mad Tatters, Ellie Rusinova and Brandan Styles, greeted their guests in character as Dr. B. Zurk and Madame Madness.  They delighted everyone with art and entertainment that was whimsical, mysterious, bizarre, even shocking. They also provided something which heretofore did not exist in Denver - an opportunity for unusual artists such as themselves to experience community with each other. Harkening back to the Dada movement in Europe nearly a hundred years ago, The Mad Tatters sought to create a haven where the modern world’s lack of meaning and depth is conquered by artistic collaboration. Cirque Voltaire was so-named as a tribute to Café Voltaire, where many of the Dada artists met to express themselves without risk of oppression.

Local act Tovio and Kalliope.
Photo courtesy of Klint Krenzke.

There were greater than 30 artists showing impressive work, as well as numerous live performances that were highly entertaining.  But we have to admit that we were rather taken with with the vendors and the costumed crowd (some of whom were perfomers as well - but they were working the crowd and we were digging it!). Vendors displayed remarkable talent in crafted items that were both anachronisitic and macabre. We delighted in getting to know their creators.  Without a doubt, they were jovial, charming people who were genuinely pleased about the positive response to their work.

We LOVE this.
Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

To our pleasent surprise, after the event, we also discovered a few striking black and white photos of Cirque Voltaire. While stalking everyone on Facebook (sketchy? maybe. creepers? for sure!), we encountered local photographer Dave Wood who gave us his permission to feature his work here as well.

Below, you will find some of our favorite encounters from the night.  Hopefully you get an opportunity to seek out these people around Denver, and find out for yourself that they are as strange as they look.  Which is why we here at Denver Subculture love all of them!

Keile Ament Altair and Stephinity Salazar
Owners/Artists:  Boutique Alchemystique

Our favorite item of the night.
Stunning top hat embellished with numerous vintage items.
By Boutique Alchemystique.   

Gorgeous vintage style hat.
All headpieces by Boutique Alchmystique are
adorned with authentic antique items such as watches.

Xavia Schmidt
Owner/Designer: Discerpo Necto Decrepitus

Among items such as miniature hats and bloomers, Xavia
also designs the lovely chokers shown above.

Rin Stewart-Thomas and friends support the event
by donning original designs by Xavia and gorgeous
makeup fit for surreal circus.

We don't have the artist's name but this piece
really caught our eye!

Local burlesque performer Tata Tatiana.

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Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

Handmade dolls by Hope Morgan of Haunted Sparrow.

Maximilian Shiffman - Drummer for Narwal Birdskull.

Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com.

Professor Phelyx - A fine Mentalist Magician!
Flanked on either side by unknown,
yet equally silly cohorts.

Ammy Whiteunicorn Gione.
Snakecharmer. 

Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

Dylan Johnson of Cerrious Design,
with Katelin Stagliano.
Offering iPhone covers and usb drives
a la Steampunk inspiration.

Event attendee Aimee L. Matheny wowed us with
her gorgeous getup.

Last but not least, the obligatory Kiss costume.
Worn by George Peele
Baritone Tunesmith and Custom Singing Telegream artiste!

We hope you liked our freak show!  To see more of Denver's rebellious-best, subscribe to our feed.  Like our Denver Subculture Facebook page too. Or we'll find you and kill you.

The long link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denver-Subculture/204833952880524?ref=ts

F#$! the mainstream!

Pole Stars: Studio 3sixT and Star Bar Team Up

Partner Jen West & Instructor Allison Meine
of Studio 3sixT

Denver Subculture loves the provoctive and we are firm supporters of all things sexy - including good strip clubs.  "Yes, waitress, please bring a shot of voyeurism with a sexy back." Thankfully there are strippers out there who do what they do because they love it, not because they have to, and we take great joy in watching.  Furthermore, we are quick to admit that we know what it is to fantasize about getting up on the stage to experience the eroticism of spinning around a pole, mostly naked, while admiring eyes twinkle.  Let's face it, it's fucking hot.

Allison demonstrating athletic
aspect of pole fitness.

For years, only the bold and daring knew the thrill of such things, but these days anyone can give the pole a try thanks to the recent proliferation of pole fitness studios.  New to the scene is Studio 3sixT, who opened their doors mere weeks ago.  Last Thursday night they made a stellar effort to get the word out by setting up a pole at the Star Bar and showing patrons how to spin their way to hotness and health.  Basic spins such as the 'Fireman' and the simple but slick 'Pole Around' offered brave souls the basis for the more advanced moves they can learn in classes.  Studio partner Jen West and instructor Allison Meine also demonstrated several levels of highly advanced pole technique.

3sixT student Brynmar Bland
showing off her sexy. 

To the surprise of some, many of the moves showcased an impressive combination of strength and grace more commonly seen in gymnastics and ballet.  As it turns out, dancing on the pole can fulfill more than one sort of goal.  Want to prove your athleticism and compete?  Grab the pole.  Want to have a killer body and love getting it?  Grab the pole.  Want to grind your hips, flip your hair, spin to the bottom and roll around on the floor like a slut?  Grab the pole.  That's what it's for and we'll be happy to watch no matter which one you pick. If you let us.
Click to learn more about Studio 3sixT.
F#$! the mainstream!

Denver Nail Lounge - The Nordstrom Of Nail Salons?

Photo courtesy of:
flickr/negativityabundant

 A few weeks ago I was buzzing around the Denver Pavilions shopping area in search of a hot little number to wear out that night. As I passed the Denver Nail Lounge I glanced inside and noticed a sign indicating a discount. Seeing three Asian women standing behind the counter, I was suddenly hopeful ownership had changed. When I’d tried to schedule an appointment under the previous ownership the bitch who answered the phone was so hateful and nasty that I never even considered paying their exorbitant prices. As a downtown resident this pissed me off because I really wanted the option of getting my nails done in such a lovely little salon. The interior is full of light and color.

I walked in the door and the new owner of the salon, Puna Javzandolgor, greeted me right away. She clearly and POLITELY answered my questions, including the cost of services. Not only were her prices better, but when I asked her about the bubble tea that was part of the previous owner’s offering, she stated, “No. We don’t do bubble tea. We do nails.” I liked her right away. Satisfied with my assessment of the changes at Denver Nail Lounge, I decided to give the salon a try the following day.

Tommy Lee and Sofi Toufa
Photo courtesy of: TommyLee.com

At 10:45 the next morning I officially became a huge pain in Puna’s ass. I hate to admit the following but I must do so in order to give her the credit she deserves. My appointment was to begin at 11:00 a.m. and I called her to say that I wouldn’t be coming as I had overestimated that time slot. We rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. In the meantime I still hadn’t found an outfit that was befitting of the long night of dancing that lay ahead. Tommy Lee was brining DJ Aero and Sofi to Beta and it was certain to be a hell of a show. (When else can you mashup your rocker heart with your dancing body?) I wanted to look sultry because experience has shown that Tommy likes to ...

Denver Nail Lounge - Mongolian Dynamo Ditches Master's Degree For Manicures

Photo courtesy of: denver.metromix.com

The Denver Nail Lounge changed ownership recently and the woman who is now in charge has serious cojones. We are impressed by her here at Denver Subculture because she is doing things HER way!  Her name is Puna Javzandolgor and she's a wicked smart, goal oriented, driven woman who is bound for success.  What makes her courage evident?  She took the entrepreneurial plunge in a big way when she decided to buy the Denver Nail Lounge.  It is located in the Denver Pavilions shopping center, on the 16th Street Mall, in downtown’s Central Business District.  Low rent it is not!  A lot of pretty fingers and toes will have to march out her doors to cover costs, but she doesn’t seem fazed.

So, you're asking yourself, with a location as mainstream as the Denver Pavilions, how is Puna fit to be part of Denver's Subculture?  It's all in the approach.  She is originally from Mongolia.  After the borders were finally opened in the 90’s, she traveled to America.  She entered the country with nothing less than a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. Unfortunately, she quickly found that the job market was too competitive; particularly because she was competing with U.S. citizens who were also seeking steady employment.  Rather than piss and moan about what some people would view as misfortune, she made no hesitation in ditching her degree in favor of something more lucrative.  Humble and hardworking, she decided that a steady income could best be had doing nails.  So, she went to work in Korean owned salons, learning bit by bit what everyone was doing right, and more importantly, what they were doing wrong.  Seeing that the shop owners were finding success in spite of their poor business management skills, she determined that she could certainly find even greater success utilizing her sharp intellect, natural business savvy and superior English speaking skills. 



Photo courtesy of: kmgh.cityvoter.com

We have to admit that her English speaking skills go a long way.  It’s a breeze to make appointments, express likes and gripes and, shoot the shit with her.  (If our willingness to note the annoyance of communication problems in nail salons offends you, you're reading the wrong blog.  We embrace every walk of life, but we tell it like it is.) We also love the way she’s smartly taking advantage of the immediate benefits that are inherent in her adoption of the Denver Nail Lounge.  Such as the existing interior design concept.  With her few added tweaks the Denver Nail Lounge reminds us of Twister meets ...