So I went to my first steampunk event on Sunday: The Second Anachronism: Steampunk Expedition To Candyland at Webster Hall in NYC. The bellydancer in me felt at home admiring the costumes - everything from full Victorian get-ups to folks dressed as clowns and fairies, as well as people like myself who threw a few things together that looked "period" (although what period exactly would be difficult to determine). There were also a few vendors selling pretty baubles, which I regretfully passed up in a vain attempt to save a few bucks - although I did buy some absinthe-flavored fudge in a glass for $4 (non-alcoholic, of course - I tried the real thing once and it was waaaay to strong for me!)
My main complaint concerns the poor scheduling of events - the performances ran so late that I didn't get to see some of the acts I had wanted to. Of what I did see, the highlight had to be Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band. They played a set of Balkan/Gypsy music that had my friend and I busting bellydance moves on the dance floor (where my friend discovered it's hard to bellydance in a corset!) The other band I got to see in full was This Way to the Egress, who have a Gothic/"dark cabaret" sound. During their two sets, a number of acts performed to the music, including (despite my prediction in my last post) a steampunk bellydancer, as well as a couple of fire dancers, a woman who stripped to her underwear while hula-hooping (a pretty neat trick) and a guy who danced with fan veils, which have become a popular bellydance prop.
Would I go again? Definitely. Am I ready to become a full-time steampunker? Probably not, at least for now. I already have a hobby that requires monetary outlay for classes, costumes, music, etc. and time to set aside for practice, performances, events, etc. So, until the next steampunk event, I'll just put away my lace gloves and pick up my zills ...
