The big leap.

I performed at Salon Con 2007 as well as Wicked Faire 2008. I performed Closer again as well as a comedy act with a friend of mine where I'm a man and she's a sexy bellydancer and we switch clothes and it was silly fun. At Wicked Faire I debuted a new act (that was only done that one time) with a guy friend of mine to the Foo Fighters' Cover of Darling Nikki. But I wanted to perform more. Every few months wasn't cutting it, and I was obsessing over Richard Cheese at the time.

I was dating a guy at that time as well named Simon. I was head over heels for him. And he... was not a fan of this new obsession with burlesque. He pretended to be. Hell, he even helped stage manage for the White Elephant show at Wicked Faire. And after that, he wanted me to have none of this business. While I wanted all of it.

In late April, WEBS had a bunch of shows lined up for that Summer. But I was still itching to perform! I couldn't get enough of it. I started talking to Simon about it, and it started a gigantic blowout fight. I don't even remember the details of the fight but in the end he challenged me, "Why don't you try doing it in NYC?" He thought it would shut me up. I went home that night and googled message boards. And found the Luvely Rae.

She gave me a spot in her show "The Luvely Rae's One Night Stand". And I pulled out a nurse uniform I used when I performed in Shock Treatment and all of my leopard print undergarments (I have no idea why but this whole outfit made total sense at the time...) and a good friend did my hair for me before the show. Everyone piled into my little yellow Beetle and I told my mom that we were off to the city for a night of fun (more to come on this later) and we were off.

I was terrified. That night it was myself, Sizzle Dizzle, Rae, and a young man named Lo Hung performing. I sat at the bar with my friends, not really talking. And Sizzle Dizzle walked up to me, and introduced herself. I was still terrified. She saw my Hello Kitty bag then told me that the most popular Hello Kitty item is the Hello Kitty vibrator. I relaxed, and we went backstage to change. I mostly kept to myself, or tried to. But I ended up talking with Sizzle and Rae here and there, and making friends with Lo Hung as well. Sizzle gave me makeup tips (that I still use to this day) and then... came my big NYC debut.

Cringe-Inducing

I hope I've gotten better than that. I know the costume has at least... But there I am. In big bad New York City making my big burlesque debut. 

And it was only going to get more crazy.