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.
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