Maurice Chevalier said, "Thank Heaven for little girls," & Veronique Chevalier says, "Thank Hell for La Moi!"
She's a twisted Edith Piaf from an alternate reality; Parodist; Creatrix of Gothic Polka,
& Inventrix of Steampunk Haiku, aka "Steamku."


Monday, December 13, 2010

* "The Steampunk Chronicle" Reviews "A Sepiachord Passport"

Travels With the Sepiachord Passport
by DoctorQ

For those who are unfamiliar, I must take a moment to tell you all of the wonderful folks of Sepiachord. Cpt. Jordan Bodewell (aka Jordan Block) and his crew of fellow musicians on this collection scour the length and breadth of the ether and broadcast the strange and wonderful findings to all who visit their port of call, www.sepiachord.com

As an arranger of musical oddities myself, I must say that this place is a regular travel destination for me, and so when they produced the Sepiachord Companion anthology last year, I grabbed it and was delighted. Thus, I have eagerly awaited this year’s audio collection – A Sepiachord Passport – and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. 

Some artists on the collection I was well familiar with. Others only from Cpt. Bodewell’s website, making this compilation one of the few ways I knew to acquire such new and unique sounds. So while the album is billed a passport, my only real criticism is that it still felt decidedly like the travels were simply around America, with the occasional jaunt to the U.K. for a few tracks. Though after opening the cover, I have to say I was very impressed with the interior design and look of the CD as a whole. Very clever, and with that I was ready to disembark.

It opens with “Roll Up” by the Tiger Lilies, which is notable as the band is rarely ever on compilations. Walter Sickert and His Army of Broken Toys’ addition of “Off With Her Head!” informs the ear of the quirky, enjoyable, and sometimes spooky songs to come. Bakelite 78’s slow tempo “Aurora Ave Motel” was a quick visit from this band I’ve heard so much about, and it simply made me wish for a more extended stay. Next, Bat Country’s “Knockin’ On My Coffin” picked up the pace and was easily among my favorite selections on the compilation. “Thief Song” by Miss Mammie Lavona The Exotic Mulatta and her White Boy Band was one part torch song, one part humorous toe-tapping delight.

As the travels continue, Nathaniel Johnstone and the Brazilian Surf Mafia take us along the “Scarlet Carpet Interstate, Part One.” I should note that Nathaniel’s musical work is often heard on Abney Park; so having his solo band featured on this compilation was a treat. I own this whole album, and I regret to say I have still not heard Part Two to this piece. Next, Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau’s “Early Chill” is an enjoyable, but still down-tempo, vaudevillian affair.

Now, I must pause to relate that hearing “If I Told You Once” was a real treat. Circus Contraption is among one of my favorite bands, and so this compilation’s release gives us one of the last releases from the band, and did not disappoint. Following it, we have Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band’s “Kibosh On Your Scene,” which is one of my favorite tracks from the band’s debut release and I was pleased to see it featured here. I should note, in passing, that many of the bands on this passport require two stamps to spell.

The next two tracks give us two female vocal artists, Veronique Chevalier’s “The Dance Master” and The Clockwork Dolls’ “The Ballad of Black Jack Jezebel” were excellent additions to round out the midway point on this twenty track trip. Turning the ship back home, the somber sounds of the Blackbird Orchestra’s “Hollowland,” broken up briefly by the American debut of the famed U.K. steampunk band The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing’s “Charlie” (another favorite of mine, and am happy to see on this compilation), and then returning to the dark sounds of Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s “Rotten Zurich Cafe.” Nicki Jane’s vocals make it a song that really resonates for those who love the dark cabaret sounds Projekt Records are so famed for. 

Jaunting back across the pond for another American debut, Professor Elemental gave us “Sweet Cold Consolation,” a track if you needed just one reason to add this CD to your collection – the Professor is it. And following it is Sxip Shirey’s “Mehenatta,” a song so toe-tappingly eclectic I think its instrumental oddity will be floating in my head for days… in a good way. The infectious beat continues with The Peculiar Pretzelmen’s “Hammer Nails” track… there’s something about woodwinds and banjo that I just can’t get enough of.

We slow down to the end of our trip with the final two tracks. “Lilacs from Canada” by Rhubarb Whiskey and “The Last Waltz” by The Magnificent Seven match the pace back to the album’s earlier slower rhythms, with the “Waltz” track being among the best of the slower songs on the compilation. Closing out the journey is Toy Box Trio with their usual ephemeral toy piano tones to bring this strange voyage to a close. 

Overall, this compilation was a solid addition to Cpt. Bodewell’s prior release, and I can easily recommend it to any who love the music so well embraced by the vaudevillian, neo-burlesque, and steampunk communities.

Were I to have a bit of input on it, I would only comment as to the high amount of slower songs over high energy pieces. While great music, it just seemed the energy of the album as a whole was more down than up. I also would have advised about song placement – I feel that “Hollowland” flowing into “Rotten Zurich Cafe” and “Charlie” preceding “Sweet Cold Consolation” would have a better aural progression than as it was. But, outside those details, Passport is easily a CD I would recommend to anyone that shares the musical malady for fresh, innovative sounds using old musical parts. All in all, Kudos to Cpt. Bodewell and the staff of Sepiachord.  

Doctor Q is the Media Editor for Steampunk Chronicle. He fancies himself an acoustic arranger of music and founder of the Artifice Club

Saturday, December 11, 2010

* Repost from "Trial By Steam": Please Help Keep Sepiachord.com Online

Help Keep Sepiachord.com Online

In an outpouring of generosity from the Steampunk community, a number of musicians who have been touched by Mr. Bodewell’s outstanding talent and generous spirit have offered up their music as a means to support him. This is a real win-win for everyone. You can get some great new music for yourself or for friends. The musicians can support Jordan through the medium they know best, and perhaps gain a few new fans along the way. And it all goes to support an incredibly giving member of our little community.

Below are all the offers I’ve been made of aware of to date to help Mr. Bodewell through his trying times.



Veronique Chevalier

Horrific music is NOT just for HELLoween any more!  Add “Polka Haunt Us: A Spook-tacular Compilation” to your playlist for the HORRORdaze! Give the CD to yourself, or to the top ‘fiends’ on your “chopping” list! Regularly $13, but until Dec. 31st, Only $10, including shipping! 20% ($2) per CD will be donated to Sepiachord.com, in your name (or a name of your choice) (All tracks also available on iTunes, but discount & donation offer applies only to the CD)

Learn more about “Polka Haunt Us here”: http://PolkaHaunt.Us/

Put SEPIACHORD in the subject line to get the discount, & donation in your name, by emailing: PolkaHauntUs AT gmail DOT com



Eli August

I am having a sale on my website http://www.eliaugust.com/music/where from now until Sunday I will donate half of the sales of all music and merchandise directly to Jordan at Sepiachord. In the spirit of the season, help him keep this much needed resource alive.




You can also buy either (or both!) of the Sepiachord compilations to support Sepiachord. Both collections have received positive reviews here at Trial By Steam. Click on the covers to head to the respective websites to purchase these great musical collections.

If you are a musician who has set up an offer to help Jordan and you are not listed above, please get in contact through me through Facebook as soon as possible and tell me about the offer you have going on. I’ll be updating this post regularly as I learn about more bands reaching out to help.

And, if you have all these albums and don’t particularly want to buy more, please consider making a straight, financial gift to Sepiachord. Visit their website and click the Help Support button to make your gift.

Let’s stand together and keep Sepiachord alive!

Friday, December 10, 2010

* Veronique's Page on LastFm.com

Dear 'fiends' & fan(g)s - Please feel free to dress up my musician page on LastFM.com with videos, photos and other ephemera! With great eSTEAM, Mad Veronique

http://www.last.fm/music/Veronique+CheVALier

* Veronique's WikiPedia Page (& Related Community Page On Facebook)

Here is the Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronique_Chevalier

And the community page for my Wiki entry on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronique-Chevalier/130711810306307

The wonderful photo on both pages of moi is by Michael Pao of Mad Calamity. It was taken at The First Temporal Adventurers Society Gala Steampunk after party at Queen Bee's Art Center, during San Diego Comic Con, July 24th, 2010.

* Mad Veronique Confirmed To Perform At Nova Albion 2011!

Save the date: March 25, 26, & 27, 2011. Join Mad Veronique and a cast(e) of characters to remember at Nova Albion. The theme? The Wild Wild East!

http://www.steampunkexhibition.com/

* "Overbury Ink" Reviews "A Sepiachord Passport"

"Steampunk as a musical genre has as many variations as it does in film and literary styles. Vaudeville, cabaret, waltz are common as well as brass and acoustic instruments – but this is hardly a definition of the style. Often the lyrics take on a macabre, darkly humorous or grim storyline – to the swell of an accordion or waltz tempo.

Singer/comedian Veronique Chevalier tackles the issue of white slavery with “The Dance Master”'

Read more here:

http://overburyink.com/?p=1307


Nancy Overbury

* "The Big Takeover" Reviews "A Sepiachord Passport"

"Things take a darker turn on the same smoky stage with Circus Contraption‘s “If I Told You Once,” as a Gene Austin-style crooner liltingly tells the tale of a Bluebeard-esque serial killer who blames his victims’ unfortunate fates on not knowing any better than to get involved with him. Singer/comedian Veronique Chevalier weaves a similar story on “The Dance Master,” adding white slavery and other unsavory activities to the mix, while the Magnificent Seven cuts out the middleman and goes straight to the grave with “The Last Waltz.”'

Read the entire thing here:

http://www.bigtakeover.com/recordings/various-artists-a-sepiachord-passport-projekt

* "Zombo's Closet Of Horror" Interviews Veronique!

Veronique's Halloween 2010 interview on "Zombo's Closet Of Horrors"! Learn more than vous ever wanted to about Mad V's spooktacular odd-itory adventures and childhood influences. Plus, find out who she deems to be the most terrifying woman on the planet!

http://www.zomboscloset.com/zombos_closet_of_horror_b/2010/09/my-halloween--1.html

      

* The Two "V's" - Voltaire & Veronique - Captured On Film By Mad Calamity Photo

Here is a fine example of the Madcap MADemoiselle Veronique & Monsieur Voltaire in action at The First Temporal Adventurers League Gala Ball, at Queen Bee's Art Center. It was the Official after party for the Steampunks who attended San Diego Comic Convention, on July 24th, 2010. A good time was had by ALL!!!

* Trial By Steam Reviews of "A Sepiachord Passport" Recording!

Yet another lovely review of "A Sepiachord Passport", with a kind mention of my track "The Dance Master". Merci to Ms. A. E. Flint for her review. Read on...

http://trialbysteam.com/2010/10/17/a-sepiachord-passport-review/


Audelia Flint

* "Internet Date" Video Screened At The Seattle International Cabaret Festival!

Miss Oblivious has to graciously invited Mad V to screen her latest vidiocy- "Internet Date". Many other exciting goings-on that night as well, Hosted by Jackie HELL!

* Geek Girls Rule Review of "A Sepiachord Passport" Recording!

"The tag line for the Sepiachord site is “Music for a Past that Never was.” Many of the songs on this compilation (and the other Sepiachord CD) have strong vaudevillian and cabaret influences. Jangly pianos and accordions feature strongly, as does the occasional theremin. Everything on this CD is more than listenable, but there are a few standouts.

“The Dance Master” by Veronique Chevalier is hands down the best song on this CD. It tells the story of an evil Dance Master who seduces girls into a life of prostitution. She has a throaty voice, with a French accent. The first time I heard the song, I texted Mr. Bodewell immediately to tell him how incredible I thought it was..."

Read the entire review here:

http://geekgirlsrule.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/geek-girls-rule-137-review-sepiachord-passport/

* Steampunk Canada Review of "A Sepiachord Passport" Recording!

"The whole collection left a good taste in my mouth – like absinthe flavoured cotton candy..." with songs by the likes of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys and The Tiger Lillies and Veronique Chevalier and Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band and many many more!

http://www.steampunkcanada.ca/apps/blog/show/5020429-review-of-a-sepiachord-passport-cd

* "A Sepiachord Passport" Compilation Released By Projekt Records!


Forget the tricks this year, and just go for a treat: "A Sepiachord Passport" compilation recording. Dark Cabaret at its finest! 20 tracks & 20 artistes (including La Moi on Track # 10!) for only less than $10!

Featuring cover art by Jamie B. Wolcott!

Order it NOW from the Projekt Records website:
http://projekt.com/projekt/product.asp?sku=PRO00250


* "Vampire Surprise" Played on "Out Of The Coffin" Podcast!

Huzzah! Monsieur Dan Shaurette, creator of the "Out Of The Coffin" podcast, has chosen Mad Veronique's "Vampire Surprise" as the closing musical number for his latest episode. Please do drop in and give it a listen! >:-)

http://outofthecoffin.com/ep63



.

* Letter of Support To Veronique & From Dr. Grymm Laboratories!

What a great honour (as well as rare artifact- Dated "Dec. 1, 1889") that Dr. Grymm has paid moi in this, a letter written to thank moi for performing at his Steampunk Bizarre- "The Experiment" in 2010.


^ CLICK ^ on the image to see a full size view of the letter

Friday, September 3, 2010

Geek Girls Rule! Reviews "Sepiachord Passport Compilation" & Commends Veronique's Song!

Permalink: http://geekgirlsrule.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/geek-girls-rule-137-review-sepiachord-passport

Posted by geekgirlsrule on September 3, 2010

I need to start off this review by stating that I’ve known Mr. Bodewell, the curator of Sepiachord for a very long time.  He is a good friend. I also know members of several of the bands on this compilation.  But, as I’ve said before, if something doesn’t work, I’ll be honest about it.


A Sepiachord Passport compilation CD.

Now, I’m not a huge Steampunk fan.  I enjoy the esthetic on others, but it’s not a style I favor for myself.  However, much of the music on this CD touches the part of me that winds up humming, “Mein Herr” from Cabaret for months on end every time I see it.

The tagline for the Sepiachord site is “Music for a Past that Never was.”  Many of the songs on this compilation (and the other Sepiachord CD) have strong vaudevillian and cabaret influences.  Jangly pianos and accordions feature strongly, as does the occasional theremin.  Everything on this CD is more than listenable, but there are a few standouts.

“The Dance Master” by Veronique Chevalier is hands down the best song on this CD. It tells the story of an evil Dance Master who seduces girls into a life of prostitution.  She has a throaty voice, with a French accent.  The first time I heard the song, I texted Mr. Bodewell immediately to tell him how incredible I thought it was.

“Hollowland” by Blackbird Orchestra is also a great song, but it doesn’t fit.  The others songs feature jangly vaudeville-sounding instruments, and Blackbird Orchestra has a very lush, full sound.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the song!  It reminds me a bit of Sisters of Mercy with some elements of the Killers thrown in.  It’s fantastic, but I just don’t think it really fits.

My other favorites on this compiliation are Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys‘ “Off With Her Head,” and Miss Mamie Lavona the Exotic Mulatta and Her White Boy Band doing “Thief Song.”

“Rotten Zurich Cafe” by Black Tape for a Blue Girl is probably the weakest song on the CD.  It’s ok, but not quite as good as the rest. I think her Tallulah Bankhead impersonation was just a bit much for me.   And at first listen I didn’t think I’d like the Tiger Lillies song, “Roll Up,” but his voice grew on me after a couple of listenings, and I quickly grew quite fond of it. I’m also pretty fond of Sxip Shirey’s “Mehenatta.”

The majority of songs on this album tell stories, good ones, interesting stories, and with the exception of “Hollowland” they all fit together very well.  They’re incredibly evocative, and I could probably give you a paragraph or more about each if pressed, but I’d like to go finish getting ready for PAX now.

You can buy the Sepiachord Passport on the site (or you will be able to soon), or if you happen to meet Mr. Bodewell while out and about.


ETA:  You can buy the Passport now on Projekt’s website.

.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Veronique Photos From LA County Museum of Art's "Muse 'til Midnight" Event



On August 21, Muse hosted its annual summer event, Muse ‘til Los Angeles—The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) Muse program presented its fourteenth annual Muse ‘til Midnight on Saturday, August 21, 2010, from 8:15 pm — 12 am.

Muse ‘til Midnight featured live music, drinks, and food that celebrates the exhibitions currently on display at LACMA.

This year’s theme is derived from Manly Pursuits: The Sporting Images of Thomas Eakins and will featured an atmosphere to match Eakins’ late nineteenth-century paintings. Live music, video projections, vaudeville performers, and steampunk-inspired crafts enhanced the scene to create a truly unique and spectacular environment.  Presented in two acts, the first half of the night welcomed guests to “The Eakins Arena” in the Los Angeles Times Central Courtyard and featured exclusive after-hours access to Manly Pursuits and Catherine Opie: Figure and Landscape, plus a live performance by Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, a circus of vaudeville activities, and Opie-inspired photo stations.

For the second half of the evening, the action switched to the penthouse of LACMA West, where Steampunk props, recently featured in the annual Labyrinth of Jareth Masquarade, were on display. There were also elaborately-garbed stiltwalkers, and live music by Unextraordinary Genlemen, replete with Victorian (un)garbed burlesque dancers!


















Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Veronique featured in The LA Weekly Online coverage of Comic Con!

It was a true delight to participate in The Steampunk Meet Up & Official Guinness Book Of World Records shoot to document the largest group photo of steampunks on the planet! The official from TGBOWR took a census as we assembled for the photo, but did not share his tally with us. We'll have to wait until the "real" photo is published. For now, here is one shot by Jerry Abuan:


(I am the woman in red & black, wearing a feathered neck piece & with goggles on my hat, who appears just over the right shoulder of the grinning gent in the tan-colored vest, who is holding the blue and white framed certificate of authenticity along with the woman in the fabulous steampunked wheelchair!)


I also received notice in The LA Weekly, for my role as MC and performer in The League of Temporal Adventurers First Society Gala @ Queen Bee's, on the Saturday night of Comic Con. Featuring Voltaire, UXG, The Hoop Unity & The Slow Poisoner. Members of The League of STEAM (who are in the front row on the right side of the railing in the above photo) were on hand to mix and mingle, as were the four members of Steam Powered Giraffe.

All in all, it was an excellent foray for my first-ever Comic Con!

Here is the link to The LA Weekly coverage of Comic Con Day 3 (Saturday):
http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/san-diego-comic-con-2010-day-3-30647156/26/

.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Production Stills from Veronique's First Animated Music Video "Internet Date"



Here are a few stills from my new original animated music video "Internet Date" that will be posted on YouTube, at 12:01 am, July 19th! Art & Direction by: Kyle A. Carrozza; Animated by: John Berry; Sound Design by: Jann Castor




Opening Credits- Spoof of my portrait by Justice Howard





Still # 1- Me with The Man In The Moon





Still # 2- Checking "HIM" out on Google





Still # 3- Uh oh!





Still # 4- Unwinding after all my misadventures





Still # 5- Oui! That is The Coin Operated Boy!



 All Images © Veronique Chevalier 2010.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

World Premiere of Veronique's New Music Video @ Steampunk Bizarre on July 11th!



Greetings Dear 'Fiends' & Fan(g)s!

New excitement has been added to the froth that's already being generated around The Steampunk Bizarre! Behold the Official Press Release:

Internet Dating with a Comedic Twist, Weird Val Croons a New 'Toon!

The new animated comedy music video by Veronique Chevalier (aka Weird Val) is a lively lampoon of contemporary courtship. Part social satire, and part homage to her Dark Cabaret & Steampunk roots, her original song "Internet Date" is a cleverly packaged tour of the netherworld that is "Cyberian" (online) dating.

Los Angeles, CA - July 3, 2010 -- Veronique Chevalier, the quirky, aristocratic French-American cabaret artist whose Halloween record "Polka Haunt Us" was an Official Entry on the 51st Annual Grammy Ballot, is at it again this time with a new, animated cartoon music video, created for her humorous original song "Internet Date." With online dating already a well-entrenched method of modern courtship, Ms. Chevalier's cheeky wit serves her well, as she skewers the practice.

The narrative commences as a lament, and ends with one woman's triumphant solution to her earlier dating travails. Chevalier openly acknowledges the video is also an homage to the song "Coin-Operated Boy" by one of her favorite Dark Cabaret musical duos, Dresden Dolls.

"Internet Date" features the cartoon artistry of director Kyle A. Carrozza (a storyboard revisionist on Nickelodeon's "Fan Boy and Chum Chum"), whom she initially met online, via TheMadMusicArchive.com. It was their mutual love of demented music (not of each other) that brought them together.

Animator on the project was John Berry, who co-creates "Frog Raccoon Strawberry" strips with Carrozza for DummComics.com. ARIA (Australian Grammy) nominee, Jann Castor, who was chief recording engineer, sound designer and producer for "Polka Haunt Us," contributed foley and sound design for "Internet Date" as well. Castor and Chevalier also met online, via an ad she placed on Craigslist, seeking music collaborators.

The “Internet Date” video will premiere on Sunday, July 11th, 2010, at The Second Annual Steampunk Bizarre, at ArtSpace in Hartford, Connecticut, and will be available on YouTube one week after the live premiere. The Steampunk Bizarre, curated by Joey Marsocci, and presented by DrGrymmLaboratories.net, is a week-long exhibition, running July 9th - 16th, exploring various aspects of Steampunk, which is a term that has been coined for "The Scholar's Science Fiction."

Born from the imaginations of H.G. Welles, Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, Nikola Tesla and others, Steampunk offers a melding of late 1800's aesthetic with scientific discovery and other-worldly technology. Though Steampunk reached a tipping point recently, it is not just a current trend. The Steampunk aesthetic has been woven through our media and consciousness for more than a century in books, film, music, fashion, and art. Today, the Steampunk movement is alive with artistic creation and ideas to bring “a world that never happened” into reality.

The Steampunk Bizarre Exhibit will be alive with sights and sounds of ingenious and strange contraptions set in a themed atmosphere. Dr. Grymm's EXPERIMENT is to bring together 23 international artists, some from the Steampunk community, some professional artists trying their hand at Steampunk for the first time.

Chevalier, who also found Marsocci online, is the only performance artist who has been invited to participate in The Steampunk Bizarre, and in addition to screening the "Internet Date" video, she has written two song new parodies and a spoken word piece entitled "I Am Steampunk" that she will perform live.

Highlights of the exhibition will be filmed for a documentary by Neurotic Films, tentatively entitled “I Am Steampunk: The Making Of A Bizarre World,” which will premiere in the Fall of 2010.

When asked if any of the narrative in "Internet Date" is based on her personal experiences, Chevalier will only say that she prefers to focus on how effective a tool the Internet has been for locating people with whom to work in a professional capacity.

"Internet Date"producer/writer/singer Veronique Chevalier is known as The "Weird Val" of Cabaret, for her hilarious parodies and side-splitting covers. (Imagine if Jim Morrison and Elvira had a twisted, Edith Piaf-like love child). She is the recipient of The Unanimous Choice Award for Best Independent Cabaret Artist by the Los Angeles Music Awards for her benefit recording Cabaret4Choice. Deemed "too extreme for Simon" she was gonged off the first season of America's Got Talent, after only 20 seconds, proving that her gifts are wasted on the masses.

WEBSITE
http://www.WeirdVal.com

YouTube (The video will be uploaded to YouTube on July 16th)
http://www.youtube.com/user/VeroniqueChevalier

PHOTOS
Veronique Chevalier Red Velvet Curtains Photo by Justice Howard
http://WeirdVal.com/PR/VeroRedVelvetNOcrosses.jpg

Veronique Chevalier as "Hell-ga The Devil's Beer Maid" Photo by Justice Howard
http://WeirdVal.com/PR/BeerMaidinHell-final.jpg

###

What: Steampunk immersion experience for all ages, July 9-16th
Veronique's Appearance: Sunday, July 11th (Steampunk Meet Up)
Time: 5 to 9 pm
Venue: Hartford ArtSpace
Address: 555 Asylum Avenue, Hartford CT, 06103
Telephony: 860 - 548 - 9975
Event URL: http://www.drgrymmlaboratories.net/Steampunk-Bizarre.html

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

* Gearing up for Steampunk Bizarre, July 11, 2010, Hartford, CT

Dr. Grymm Laboratories Presents: THE STEAMPUNK BIZARRE

Greetings Dear Ones!

I have been specially-commissioned by Dr. Grymm, and shall be premiering a site-specific performance piece on the occasion of The 2nd Annual Steampunk Bizarre!

What: Steampunk immersion experience for all ages, July 9-16th
Veronique's Appearance: Sunday, July 11th (Steampunk Meet Up)
Time: 5 to 9 pm
Venue: Hartford ArtSpace
Address: 555 Asylum Avenue, Hartford CT, 06103
Telephony: 860 - 548 - 9975
Event URL: http://www.drgrymmlaboratories.net/Steampunk-Bizarre.html

+ + + What follows is directly from Dr. Grymm himself:

"...I have been knee deep in the production and curating for the 2010 Steampunk Bizarre. A production of this scale does not happen overnight and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it!

So for now just a quick post to discuss some of the fine points of what I have been up to:

1. I have created an brand new website for Dr. Grymm Laboratories! It will showcase my work, merchandise, media gallery, the Steampug Adventures and of course the Steampunk Bizarre 2010 along with it's own journal.

http://www.drgrymmlaboratories.net/ is the new homepage so visit often for updates!



2. The STEAMPUNK BIZARRE will be featuring 23 International artists from CA, NY, PA, CT, and the UK!



3. A STEAMPUNK MEET-UP is planned for July 11th 5:00PM to 10:00PM at the Steampunk Bizarre. And I am honored to have the lovely and talented Steampunk songtress, Veronique Chevalier performing that night!



4. A Documentory Film is being produced about the Exhibit through Neurotic Films!



5. I am colaborating with a few artists in the show, including the amazingly talented James Muscarello on a piece of my design inspired by the legend of John Henry. I will be posting a process blog on it's creation in the next few weeks, but here is a rough concept sketch..."

Monday, May 10, 2010

* Veronique's Shows @ The Steampunk World's Fair, May 14-16th!



Greetings Dear 'Fiends' & Fan(g)s!

I have just been informed that I shall be performing four (4)
sets over the course of the three days of SPWF.

Programmes will be distributed at the event, and things may change,
so please take the following information as tentative only. I would
hate for vous to miss out on La Moi, but I did want to share the
breaking news, so that vous would have at least some idea of when
I shall appear.

PLEASE NOTE: I have TWO shows on Saturday night & The Really Big
Showis on Saturday Night @ 8 pm as part of "The Gaslight Cabaret",
so please try to make that, if vous can only come to one of my sets!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(1) Friday, May 14th-
Midnight-12:30am - Veronique - Miracle Room

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

# # BIG SHOW!!! BIG SHOW!!! BIG SHOW!!! # #

(2) Saturday, May 15th- 8-10pm -Main Stage
Act 1 of "The Gaslamp Cabaret"
- with Prof. Elemental, Matt DeBlass,
Veronique Chevalier, and Psyche Corp,

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(3) Saturday, May 15th-
11-11:30pm Veronique- Courtyard Tent

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(4) Sunday, May 16th, 5-530 pm -
Veronique -Embassy Suites Ballroom

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And there vous have it! I do so look forward to regaling vous, and
meeting and mingling as well!

With great eSTEAM,

MADemoiselle Veronique, Mad Sonictist

Monday, April 5, 2010

* An Evening Of Steampunkery, Sunday May 2nd

Veronique Chevalier, GildedAgeRecords.com & Sepiachord.com Present:

A Red Velvet Evening of Steampunkery & Veronique's Natal Date Celebration
A Vaudeville Extravaganza in Two Acts

Who: All Ages!
Cover: $8
Date: Sunday, May 2nd
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Echo Curio
Address: 1519 Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90029
URL: http://echocurio.com

For your edification and entertainment, I am proud to feature:

* Erica "Unwoman" Mulkey, Cellist, SF, who has toured with Votaire and Rusputina, among others
http://www.youtube.com/user/unwoman/

* Markham The Miracle Man, Sword Swallower & Vaudevillian Extraordinaire, LA
http://www.laffpro.com/video.html

* Weasels Exist, Marauding Lunatic Cabaret Music, LA
http://www.youtube.com/user/weaselsexist

* Dr. Steel's Toy Soldiers, screening The Doctor's short propaganda films & recruiting for his World Domination Campaign
http://www.worlddominationtoys.com/drsteel/enter.html

* Vixen Magdelene - Steamy Burlesque to Dr. Steel's Theme Song- http://MySpace.com/vixen_magdalene

* Lavendar La Rue - Saucy Victorian Burlesque- http://MySpace.com/LillianLassen

* Tales Of The Extraordinary - Live In Studio Pulp Serial Dramatization- http://emptysea.net/tote/index.html

* Veronique Chevalier, AKA The "Weird Val" of Dark Cabaret, LA
http://www.youtube.com/user/VeroniqueChevalier

And, of course, moi! Oh and this will be my Official Natal Date Celebration, so there will be cake and bubbly (sparkling cider for non-imbibers and young folk) for all attendees!

Friday, March 26, 2010

* The Dance Master, a new Tango by Veronique, slated for the Sepiachord.com Passport compilation

Sepiachord.com has invited moi to submit a track to their upcoming "Passport" compilation.

I am in the process of recording my contribution, a new tango that I created just for this project. It is the tale of a very wicked dance instructor who teaches unwary young women much more than they ever bargained for.

I wrote some of my most twisted, and darkest lyrics to date, for this, and even composed the melody- my first tango ever- yay!

In addition to my vocals, instrumentation consists of accordion, contrabass, and some gorgeous solo violin work by a wonderfully accomplished guest player, who shall remain nameless for the moment.

I won't say anything more, as I wish to tease and entice vous into frothing, lustful madness, so that vous will immediately acquire a copy of the recording when it is released later this Spring.

There will be tracks by a number of Sepiachord favorite artists included on the upcoming "Passport" compilation as well, including my dear sometime collaborator Seth Bedford. Other artists to be announced...

However, the first compilation volume, "The Sepiachord Companion" which was released last year, has the following track list (And it is sonic Heaven to listen, I might add, and copies are still available for purchase through Sepiachord.com):


1. Sepia Theme (Toy Box Trio)
2. The Industrial Revolution (Voltaire)
3. Heroin Pig (Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys)
4. Until the Day I Die (Abney Park)
5. Raymond Dog Boy (The Scarring Party)
6. Long Red Hair (Vermillion Lies)
7. The Keys (Unwoman)
8. Torture (Jill Tracy)
9. Just Four Weeks (The Bad Things)
10. Sweatshop Fire (Curtis Eller's American Circus)
11. Rivolta Silenziosa (HUMANWINE)
12. Unsought (Harlequin Jones)
13. Permission Withdrawn: Broken Time Machine Mix (The Fog People)
14. The Last Express (Vernian Process)
15. Hobo Girl Blues (One Beer Prophet)

* Veronique to be interviewed for the film GOTH:insideOUT!

Film maker David Sloma has invited La Veronique to be interviewed for his forthcoming documentary, "Goth:insideOUT". His blog entry on the subject is as follows:





Veronique Chevalier AKA The “Weird Val” of Cabaret has graciously agreed to be interviewed for the film GOTH:insideOUT!



She is very talented and unique in what she does, with her cabaret performances and also music (both on her own and with projects such as Polka Haunt Us). I’ve never seen or heard anything like it – and I like it!



Her work on “Polka Haunt Us: A Spook-tacular Compilation” was an official selection on the 51st Annual Grammy ballot,  and continues to gain more popularity and airplay every Halloween.  She writes and performs original cabaret songs, and also covers of rock songs as Edith Piaf might have done them. In addition, “Weird Val” writes parodies of well-known songs, in the same spirit of “Weird Al” Yankovic.



From her bio: “Being gonged off the premiere season of America’s Got Talent was irrefutable proof her gifts are wasted on the masses.”



We’ll get her take on what she does, sample some of her live performances, and hear about her observations on Goth and its evolutions.



Her Website is http://weirdval.com and also check out http://polkahaunt.us



I’m very happy to have her aboard!
-David



Permalink: New interview to be added: Veronique Chevalier AKA The “Weird Val” of Cabaret!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

* Rare sighting of "V" The Steampunk Gunslingeress!

Hans Meier of PH Factor Designs created the one-of-a-kind bejeweled gun & Valkyrie goggles that give Veronique's elusive Doppelgänger, "V" The Steampunk Gunslingeress, her superhuman powers! March 5th, 2010, at the opening reception of the Group Show @ La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Hollywood. Photos © Carol Jahshan



Who IS that masked woman?


"V" takes her job as Protectress to The eSTEAMed Doll Artiste Sheri DeBow very seriously.


"V" with eSTEAMed Photographress Carol Jahnshan.


"V" can be a bit unpredictable at times. She's part of an series of experimental Steambots that sometimes tries shooting at things at inappropriate moments when they become over-stimulated, such as prolonged immersion within large gatherings . Luckily they have a built-in override circuit for such contingencies...