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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
februa/y !. 2 ûû 2 j l J m » I out 39 CULTURE B will thrill to the aby, it’s cold outside— but it’s gonna be hot, n keeping troupe’s breath hot, hot inside Roseland Theater when the with the powerful Goddess Severina and her able taking work. festive, associate Mistress Ember Bums unleash on Rumor has it preholiday Portland the Fetish Masquerade Ball 4. the night will “masquerade” find six mem What the heck is a fetish hall? Odds are it’s mood, the not something to which you’d want to bring bers suspended dress code is BY DARKLADY from their your church-lady grandmother, hut it’s possibly fetish attire, hacks. Should something you’d love to attend with your which can he intense. favorite someone on your arm (or leash). range from Girl-Scout-uniform preppy to The ball is a pansexual celebration of some Somewhat lighter, although doubtlessly leather/PVC-sexy to gender-bending/cross- weird in its own way, will he Cirkus Pandemo of the wilder things in life. And this year’s will dressing/androgyny to frothy-ball-gown-or- he Portland’s biggest yet. nium, a cabaret that, according to Severina, tuxedo classy. FMB4 boasts two floors of entertainment features performers “like dolls dressed up doing Ornamentation, whether fetish ball including six hands, a Human Petting Zoo, male B/D/S/M and fetish scenes.” T-shirts or soft, supple feathers, is important to Jell-O wrestlers, extreme body piercing perform Mistress Ember’s personal pride and joy is the create a magical ambiance for the affair, and ance art, fire spinners, belly dancers, a attendees are strongly encouraged to variety of vendors with wares of “spe get creative with their approach to gar cial appeal” and opportunities to hook ment selection. Fetish halls in other up with any of the living eye candy states and countries often have strin that captures your attention during the gent garb requirements, hut Portland’s evening. It is the weekend before is a bit less demanding, open to stylish Valentine’s Day, after all. black clothes or even blue jeans under Although there’s a definite kink leather chaps (“a beautiful way to frame element to the festivities, vanilla a nice bottom,” Ember observes). alternative music lovers will find plen Ember feels strongly about the issue ty to keep them interested. Each floor of dress. “I want people to want to at the Roseland will feature three come to Portland in the same way hands as well as three cabaret acts. [they) will fly to New York to attend Written in Ashes is the familiar the Black and Blue Ball, the same musical favorite, returning for a way.. .that they’ll go to Europe for the fourth fetish hall. Joining them will EuroPerv. I want to have the environ he Sumerland Torture Cookies, ment where Portland is there on the Omnibox, Surviving Desire and the map for fetish as much as those are.” supercool performance art hand Spanking Machine. In the pauses lways popular, the ball has grown between, go-go dancers will shake progressively since Severina The colorful performance ensemble Spanking Machine will their grixwe thangs to the industrial, returned from Seattle in 1994. At tickle your fancy during the festivities darkwave, house and techno heats of that time, Portland had little in the DJs Drue and On Revolution. evening’s Human Petting Zoo, which should he a way of a public fetish scene. treat for a multitude of senses. “We’ve got a very She and Deacon X hooked up to help com or the more daring, the hall will include a beautiful winged and feathered hirdlike creature. bat the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s virulently— Nxxh staffed by Tiger We’re hoping for some pup and ultimately unsuccessful— anti-gay ballot Lily Tittoos, where ink pies and ponies and some measures. The pair concocted the Sextacy Ball, can he added to the fleshly kittens and cats." If that featuring touring musical acts Thrill Kill Kult canvas. Metro B»xly Pierc sounds a little too tame, the and Lords of Acid. ing and Clothing will fur Mistress reveals she’s “still Having been bitten by the event bug while ther expand ornamenta looking for a couple of wild Severina toured with her performance group tion options by delicately animals for our zoo.” the Daughters of Dionysus, the Fetish Masquer puncturing skin and carti The fetish experience is ade Ball was bom. Tushell of Bad Attitude lage on site as well as hav rounded out by a variety of Boutique fame participated by providing atten ing garments for sale. informative vendor dees dressed in professionally made fetish attire. The evening continues booths, including popular Initially housed at Moody’s, the ball lacked the neoprimitive theme downtown bookseller sponsors but had tremendous participation with performance act Counter Media, sex work interest. “Everybody wanted to perform and just tranceSend, which Severi er nonprofit organization make something happen,” Severina explains. na cautions is “not for the Danzine and B/D/S/M and The next year it relocated to the larger meek or the mild or the vanilla sex toy manufac Roseland Theater, gaining sponsors and ven weak of stomach.” How turer Devious Toys. The dors as well as drag queens and both male and ever, those with an interest in rruxlification of evening also is being sponsored by Portland’s female go-go dancers. The third year found the physique and pushing the Uxly’s boundaries oldest free adult publication, Exotic Magazine. Severina a bit overwhelmed with the growing Fetish, anyone? Annual masquerade ball just keeps getting better "We've got a very beautiful winged and feathered birdlike creature. Were hoping for some puppies and ponies and some kittens and cats." —Mistress Ember Burns Mistrei Severin absolu tel insists vo attend th Fetis Masquerad Ball event and not in a position to organize the ball on such a large scale, so it moved back to Moody’s, which since had become Polly Esther’s. Now, having partnered professionally with Ember, Severina has brought her big, bad extravaganza back to Roseland Theater. That’s definitely a step in the right direction, Ember concludes. “It’s going to be very festive, very busy, with lots of eye candy, exhibitionism and voyeurism throughout the whole night.” JH If you are 21 or older, you too can attend the F etish M a sq u e r a d e B a ll 4 from 8p.m. to 2 a m. Feb. 9 at Rosebnd Theater, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $23 from Fastixx, 503-224-8499. Don't know what to wear? Visit www.fetishmasqueradeball.com or call Metro Clothing at 503-234-9667 for assistance. DARKLADY is a gonzo Portland sex writer who specializes in B/D/S/M, poly and pom. Find her at www.darklady. com. B are — is— B ack ! VOU KNOW IT! IV e KNOW it ! G ET TESTED & C ards L otions & P otions O f M assage O ils O f M en ’ s & W om en ’ s L ingerie O f S ex T oys O f N ovelties O f A dult C andies & G ames W 20% O ft S elected L ong G owns Of A dult G ifts Of ANONYMOUS HIV TESTIN6 OFFERED FREE walk-in HIV testing Monday nights 6pm to at Washington County Health Clinie-Beaverton 12550 SW 2nd (Between Hall and Watson) For more information, f lease eall ( 5 0 3 ) 8 4 6 - 4 7 3 4 Open Mon-Sat 1720 SE 122nd Avenue • Portland OR 503-252-2017 • www.lboubque.com
