The Inaugural Flight of San Diego’s First Steampunk Convention: The Gaslight Gathering

Recently San Diego played host to its first steampunk dedicated convention, the Gaslight Gathering at the Town & Country Resort, from May 6th to the 8th. Attendees had a wide array of activities, panels, and sights to see in the three days the convention ran. There were everything from an art salon filled with contraptions and curiosities, gaming with airship miniatures, and much much more. Panels and workshops included the Bartitsu Demonstration and Lecture, The Victorian Era as a Fantasy Setting,Girl Genius Radio Theater, Edison Phonograph demonstration, Beyond the Anglosphere: Steampunk Worldwide, A Steampunk Writer’s Guide to Eminent Victorian Occultists, and Facial Hair Appliance Demonstration just to name a few. And as it was the weekend that Mother’s Day fell upon the convention also hosted a special Mother’s Day Victorian Fashion Show and Ice Cream/Sweet Social which was emceed by the fabulous Cindi Piselli which was both entertaining and informative.

Guests of honor for the convention included Literature Guest of Honor Kim Newman (The Original Dr. Shade andAnno Dracula) and Maker Guest of Honor Nick Baumann (The League of S.T.E.A.M.). Also on hand were Druann Pgaliassotti (Clockwork Heart), Christian Lorenz Scheurer (Fifth Element and theMaxtrix), Leslie Klinger (The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes), and Gavin Scott (The Secret Advantures of Jules Verne). Performing at the big steampunk concert on Saturday were the amazing line up of 6 String Samurai, Steam Powered Giraffe, Jon Magnificent, andVernian Process with Unwoman. Chrononaut, San Deigo’s first steampunk club night’s resident DJ Professor J.S. Greyshade spun the tunes during theTime Traveler’s Mask Ball on Friday night. Roving entertainers were also wandering about the labyrinth like hotel floor such as Dino Staats with magic and fire juggling, Salomé and Saleemawith their Persian and Arabic dances from the Silk Road, Zoe Tantrum as Angelique the Living Music Box, theBete Noir Dance Company with their compilation of various dances, Tasha Dabek the mechanical music box ballerina, and the Zarya Bellydancers a trio of delightful dancers with their unique take on steampunk hoop dancing. But that’s not all there were also featured magicians William Draven the Master of the Macabre and Paul DraperAnthropologist and Mentalist.

And if you think that’s all there was to it, guess again! There were a whole lot more but to tell the whole tale would take way to long and I very much doubt you’ll sit though it all. So the rest of the story will be told through the photos and videos taken at the convention. Enjoy and we hope to see you there next year!

[via Nerd Reactor]

More photos at Mad Calamity Photos.

More videos at Mad Calamity Productions.

- Captain Wong Wei -

Voyages Extraordinaires Featuring Abney Park

Prepare yourselves for an evening of spectacular amusements in San Diego this weekend! Queen Bee's proudly presents the Voyages Extraordinaires with Steam Powered Giraffe, Tragic Tantrum Cabaret, Shovelman, and headlining the evening will be widely acclaimed steampunk band Abney Park in their first San Diego performance. The evening will be hosted by the Weird Val herself Veronique Chevalier.

Also featured will be steampunk art, embodhi fire dancers, belly dancers, vendors galore, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres, and an assortment of wines and beers. Awards will be given to the best dressed of the night. Keep the evening going afterwards with a special $5.00 steampunk performance of REPO! The Genetic Opera with the Elective Surgery Shadowcast.

Saturday, February 12th

Doors Open 7pm

Queen Bee's

3925 Ohio Street, San Diego

Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets

- Captain Wong Wei -

Photos and Videos from the Concert For Sepiachord

Full gallery of photos here.

Full series of videos here.

- Captain Wong Wei -

Chrononaut: A Concert For Sepiachord

The genre of steampunk music is unusual in that there is not one word that could be used to describe it. Instead it's a network of performers who have come to recognize that indefinable yesterday-meets-tomorrow 'spark' which we as steampunks have come to recognize. But that network did not just spout from the æther , someone had to define a 'genre that doesn't exist'. And that someone is Jordan Bodewell, the visionary behind Sepiachord.

Mr. Bodewell is often times hard at work writing record reviews of new finds. He posts a song of the day on multiple Internet forums every day. And he has put together two extraordinary compilation CDs and has pulled artists together who otherwise might not have known one another existed. But now here does the stitch, the Bodewell family has been hit with medical bills so far beyond what their insurance covers that it will take years of careful budgeting to recover. And as part of that budgeting Mr. Bodewell has felt that he neeed to cut his internet connection (in this day and age? ouch!), server his web hosting, and his music budget. Doing so would've killed off Sepiachord. But the steampunk community has pulled together and donated funds including the proceeds from Chrononaut's Jule Fest to hold off on that dreadful day. But more is still needed for both Sepiachord and the Bodewell family.

So Chrononaut is doing their part and brought together an assembly of Los Angeles musicians to donate their talents to this good cause. This is a rare opportunity for Chrononaut to host so many performers under her roof. The line up includes Eliza Rickman, Flip Cassidy and the Junkyard Gospel, Jon Magnificent, and the 'Weird Val' of dark cabaret herself Veronique Chevalier.

$10 at the door (Additional Donations Welcomed!)

All Ages

Beer & Wine with ID

Queen Bee's

3925 Ohio Street

San Diego, CA 92104

(619) 255-5147

Anime Los Angeles 2011

The weekend of January 7-9 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriot is Anime Los Angeles and while we're not having a panel this year we will be having a steampunk gathering. Due to the big success it was last year the gathering will be at the same place as last year which will be by the pool on Sunday at 3:00pm. So slap on your steampunk finest and join us for a grand ol' time!

- Captain Wong Wei -

Happy Holidays

We here at the Manticore Society would like to wish you and yours a very Happy Holidays!

- Captain Wong Wei -

San Diego Comic-Con Photos & Videos

Took a while but we here at the main offices have finally have everything from Comic-Con uploaded. From photos and videos of the convention to the special Chrononaut: League of Temporal Adventurers First Society Gala concert where performers included Veronque Chevalier, The Slow Poisoner, The Unextraordinary Gentlemen, The League of S.T.E.A.M., The Hoop Unit, and Voltaire. Also here is the award list of the 2010 Starburner Awards.

Full gallery of the convention here.

Full gallery of Scoundrels Alley: San Diego Steampunk Collection here.

Mad Calamity Productions Videos of Comic-Con are here.

- Captain Wong Wei -