When it comes to nightlife, there are some evenings when the stars align in crooked patterns to create unforgettable experiences. Last week, I experienced three in a row.
It started Thursday with the Subterranean Cirqus show at JJ’s Bohemia. Given that they feature burlesque dancing, feats of strength and balloons popped with a whip, it’s pretty much a given that a Cirqus gig won’t be run-of-the-mill.
As the openers for Asheville, N.C.-based punk cabaret trio Hellblinki, the Cirqus cast was a few rings short of full-on crazy, but even a subdued sideshow is pretty out of the ordinary.
Things only got stranger Friday at Hallowcon, a fantasy/horror convention in Dalton, Ga., at which my band was scheduled to perform.
About an hour before downbeat, the lights started flickering, the fire alarm went off and everyone was evacuated as the room filled with the acrid smell of smoke. Within minutes, a fleet of fire trucks arrived to tend to a man who was severely burned after an unfortunate encounter with the building’s breaker board.