March's Automatons and Alchemical Aberrations at Chrononaut

This March's Chrononaut was a very special one for a few members of the Manticore Society indeed! Both Ms. Merci and the good Captain are cast members in the San Diego Repo! shadowcast entitled Elective Surgery. The Captain is the shemp of all trades (doing the parts of lead GENcop, mustache driver, band leader and reporter to name a few) and Ms. Merci brings to life the part of operatic sensation Blind Mag. And this night Elective Surgery performed a small preview of their upcoming shadowcast. Despite a few early technical difficulties, the number was performed with high acclaim and attention from the audience! It was great to see the hard work of the cast come to life!

At the Elective Surgery booth there was a delicious blood-stain designed cake available per slice per donation as well as the usual stickers and posters. There was also a lovely welded gear necklace up for raffle! And after the performance, there were many pictures taken of the cast in various poses by Jerry Abuan.

Everything seemed to come to a halt when those magnificent pantomime performers, the Steam Powered Giraffe, took to the stage! Hardly anyone moved from their spot! For those who are not familiar, Steam Powered Giraffe is a comedic performance troupe whom dress as steam powered robots and mimic the movements and sounds of the beings they dress as. And what an exciting show it was! A whole night's worth of comedy, songs, and entertainment to watch. If you've never seen the wonder that is Steam Powered Giraffe, we urge you to do so at least once! You shalt not be disappointed!
http://www.steampoweredgiraffe.com/

Everyone was very very happy after they performed and Ms. Merci had the pleasure of talking to some of the people who ran their merchandise booth (as they were right next to the Obscure Discoveries table). The Captain bought one of their albums and Ms. Merci a sticker, and one of the gentlemen went over the beautiful artwork in the sleeve of the album.

At the end of the night, Elective Surgery raffled off the necklace and the lucky winner was Ms. Merci herself! The necklace was made and donated by Mr. Paris, another merchant at Chrononaut. It was a terrific night where people let go of the ordinary, took in the extraordinary and were delighted all night!

The pictures Captain Wong Wei took of the night can be found on Mad Calamity Photos.














- Report by Ms. Merc & Photos by Captain Wong Wei -

An Evening with the Obscure

This Saturday (3-27-10) the League of S.T.E.A.M. is proud to host 'An Evening with the Obscure' at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, California from 10:00pm to 2:00am. Twisted Gypsy joins the League of S.T.E.A.M. as Sir Conrad Wright’s freshly caught vampiric beauties. There will also be a special premiere of a new League of S.T..E.A.M. episode for the first time ever as part of the ambient entertainment. This event is 18+ with a special $5.00 offer at the door if you're in Steampunk attire or $10.00 before midnight, dress code is enforced. Hope to see you there!


http://leagueofsteam.com/
http://www.barsinister.net/

Bar Sinister is located at:
1652 N. Cherokee Ave
Hollywood, CA

- Captain Wong Wei -

Cogs & Petals: A Steampunk Hanami Picnic

Hanami (lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms, sakura).

On Saturday March 13th Manticore members Ms. Sheyne and Mr. Glenn shall be hosting a Steampunk Hanami Picnic at Anthony C. Beilenson Park Park (aka Lake Balboa) in Van Nuys CA. This is a pot luck all ages picnic where everyone is encouraged to bring food and drinks. Also don't forget to bring your blankets or chairs to sit on. Steampunk is not required but highly encouraged, though remember we will be sitting out in the sun on the ground, so make sure you are comfortable. Also due to the nature that it is a public park it's suggested to those in attendance to leave any 'convincing' weapons at home. Also since this park usually fills up fairly quickly on weekends do not expect optimal parking so please wear shoes accordingly as you maybe doing a bit of walking.

Saturday March 13th Noon
Lake Balboa (Anthony C. Beilenson Park - Formerly Balboa Park)
6300 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406

Here is a list of areas where the event may take place...


Spot A: First choice to host the picnic but as it is one of the more desirable areas we may not be able to get it.
Spot B: Second choice, it's up on a hill behind a man made waterfall.
Spot C: Closer to parking and has a few cherry blossom trees.

- Captain Wong Wei -

Chrononaut Presents Automatons & Alchemical Aberrations

On Thursday, March 11th Chrononaut presents an evening of Automatons and Alchemical Aberrations. A night where mad science runs rampant blurring the boundaries between the soft flesh and hard metal. With this in mind Chrononaut presents a grand exhibition celebrating the publication of a wondrous book penned by Dexter Palmer, The Dream of Perpetual Motion, telling the tale of prisoner aboard an airship crewed entirely by a clockwork creatures and a disembodied voice. Free copies of the novel and posters will be given away.

Special musical guests of the night will be an overdue appearance by Colonel P. A. Walter I’s remarkable mechanical creations; the musical singing comedic troupe known collectively as Steam Powered Giraffe. They are either the most sophisticated fusion of steam and artificial intelligence technology produced in the late Victorian era or one of the most original musical and theatrical acts to be associated with the steampunk movement. You decide.

Opening for the musical mechanicals are Elective Surgery, San Diego’s Repo! The Genetic Opera shadowcast who will be performing selected scenes from the only musical film ever made about the horrors of overpriced internal organs.

Also in attendance will be various vendors showcasing new and exciting creations fresh from their labs such as Obscure Discoveries. And as always the musical selections of house DJ Professor Greyshade.

Join us, Thursday, March 11th from 7 pm to 11 pm. Entry is $8 and is all ages, at Queen Bee's 3925 Ohio Street, San Diego, CA 92104

- Captain Wong Wei -

Chrononaut: Lace & Brass Ball

This February Chrononaut had a romantic flair with the theme Lace & Brass Ball. All in attendance were encourage to grace the dace floor with their most elegant garb and encouraged to partake in the one-step dance lesson given by a local dance teacher. Manticore Society's Obscure Discoveries wing was there once again to display items of fancy, as well as promote more for Elective Surgery, the Repo! Genetic Opera shadowcast we participate in.

Capt. Wong Wei did not participate in the dance but did take lots of pictures of those who did. I did enjoy myself as I learned the dance and was delighted to see all the smiles and laughter from those who attempted this dance. The instructor and her partner where both patient and wonderful!

Ingred walked the crowds to present roses to all the lady patrons as her other lovely half delighted us with the music styling of what transformed every five minutes into another place & time. The silent film being played had my attention while I took care of the booth. Jerry's photo booth made record of all the lovely couples who came out of this event of grace and romance!

The Elective Surgery booth, headed by our lovely directors Amy and Amanda, was the most sweetest of all, having cake to gain in exchange of a $1 or more donation! We also had a raffle for a beautiful picture album and Valentine's Day candle. The generous crowd contributed enough for us to open an official cast account. A very great step into our future!

After all the songs were played, the photos snapped, the rose basket empty, and the cake was gone, we said our goodbyes and left with a great feeling of togetherness and accomplishment.

For more photos and videos please visit our myspace.


- Report by Merci/Photos by Captain Wong Wei -

Dickens Festival 2010

This was a first for Manticore Society to attend: the annual Dickens Festival in Riverside, CA. Unsure of what to expect, we got together in our best attempts at 19th Century dress and headed over on a rainy day to Downtown Riverside. The captain dressed in his best "hobo" wear and I as a reformed tart dressed as a nun! The first thing Capt. Wong Wei and I noticed about this area was that it was incredibly beautiful and had really interesting architecture. The fair was set up of vendor booths, exhibits, teas, dances and shows. Minstrels and carolers traveled through the crowd, actors read scenes from A Christmas Carol, and musicians performed in the Chinese pavilion.

Along with the period appropriate dressed patrons and visitors in present day attire, steampunks made their marks and gave those who were not familiar with the genre many questions as to why were were wearing goggles with our costumes! Eventually Capt. Wong Wei and I found our friends Cindy and Jerry along with their friends from the sewing circle. Cindy made her debut in a dress that she had labored over for a long while and it was amazing!

After wandering around the grounds, snapping many pictures around the little hidden corners and seeing a gatling gun exhibit (that was VERY loud!) Capt. Wong Wei and I stood about and talked to our friends, some he knew already and those I met and immediately liked! We even got interviewed for an internet Mediocre Minds concerning the festival and steampunk. (And yes, we did give a shout out to our Manticore Society members!) We could have stood much longer speaking about or different ideas and experiences but the cold was taking over and I was starting to become sick. We did have a wonderful time at this new-to-us festival, will definitely come back next year, and come back just to have another look at everything and take more pictures!

For more pictures and videos please visit our myspace.


- Report by Merci/Photos by Captain Wong Wei -

17th Annual Riverside Dickens Festival

The 2010 Riverside Dickens Festival will be on February 5th, 6th, and 7th in historic downtown Riverside, California. The theme for this year is 'A Visit to the Old Curiosity Shop'. Activities and events range from plays, street performers, food vendors, educational workshops, musical performances, and exhibits. Come enjoy the street bazaar and the free educational family-oriented entertainment for all ages. Funded in part by the City of Riverside and the Riverside Arts Foundation.

http://www.dickensfest.com/

- Captain Wong Wei -