Austin is just full of interesting and creative people, with roots set deep into the history and culture of this town. It really is amazing to meet people working on their creative dreams, whose roots are deep in Austin and wound around some truly legendary musical icons. Local burlesque and jazz starlet Jolie 'Ampere' Goodnight is just such a lady, and has a lot going on. As a burlesque performer, a member of The Jigglewatts, and a vocalist, she is constantly popping up in Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago and elsewhere. Her burlesque routines are sultry, classy, and not just a little sexy, combining burlesque choreography with live vocal performance.

In 2011 she was awarded “Best Tease” and “Audience Choice” at the Texas Burlesque Festival, and she is constantly performing. I was lucky enough to be able to ask her a few questions and learn more about this fabulous gal.


Check out her KickStarter campaign and be a part of her debut album - only 8 days left to contribute!

Patrick: Okay, first a little about burlesque...How much time and fuss do you put into your burlesque costumes?

Jolie: I put so much fuss into it that it requires an entire pot of coffee at the start of a sewing day, and a bottle of wine by the end of it. Though I do often remind myself that if the audience is looking at how many rhinestones I do or don’t have, I’m doing something wrong.

P: Your bio on your website mentions that you have an extensive perfume collection. Tell me a little bit more about that. I remember seeing once a little show about one of the fab perfumeries in Paris where they work with you individually to find the perfect scent. I know you've spent time in Paris. Have you ever been?

J: I adore my perfume collection! Perfume sets the tone for my day and the mood for my evenings. Though I have many perfumes, my favorites will always be Chanel Mademoiselle, Dior J’adore, and Bagara by Santa Maria Novella. My newest must-haves though are Chanel Noir and Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. They are both extremely sultry. I have not been to that perfumery, but it sounds like heaven.


P: If you could magically spend some time in another era, what would it be?

J: I would love to spend time in the 40s for a few reasons, one being that jazz and swing were suddenly the emotional support system for a country at war. Jazz was bringing joy to people during extraordinarily hard times and that’s a beautiful thing. Also, I would love to be around in 1947 for the moment when Christian Dior’s “New Look” emerged into the fashion world and created a new silhouette.

P: You have been blessed by the gods with your looks, and I’m curious about your waist. It’s quite an asset. If I may get a little personal, did you get that waist by cinching?

J: Oh my! Thank you! Actually, no I did not get it by cinching. I am pretty sure I must have received it from my Italian great-grandmother, because none of the women in my immediate family are shaped like me.

P: How do you feel about the tension and interplay between female empowerment (feminism) and objectification that is a burlesque performance?

J: Burlesque is theatre to me. It’s the same as any play, any ballet, any other kind of performance. So I don’t really feel as though there is an objectification element in burlesque. I’m simply telling a story, communicating an emotion, and entertaining an audience at the same time. It’s an art form, simple as that. I don’t feel any more objectified doing burlesque than I do performing a monologue from “Much Ado About Nothing.”

P: What are you thinking about just before you step out onto the stage?

J: I am also a theatre actress, so I use the same ritual I use before plays as I do before burlesque. I have a confidence boosting saying I repeat as many times as needed to get into character. And then I just think of bringing joy to every single person in the audience.

P: What is a Jigglewatts audition like? I’ll bet Ruby Joule has an intimidating assessment stare. :) Or maybe Coco?

J: The thing is, I really don’t love auditioning in any circumstance and auditioning with burlesque is my least favorite kind of audition because you are so vulnerable. Luckily, when I auditioned for the Jigglewatts they were actually very sweet and very encouraging. They made me feel wonderful about my audition and took the awkwardness out of the situation. I will admit though, I was shaking.


P: What is your favorite venue to perform at in Austin?

J: Every venue has its attributes and every venue comes with a different audience. So it’s really a pleasure to perform at lots of different venues because I get varying experiences. Thus far though, my best moments in Austin have been at the 29th Street Ballroom, the Beauty Ballroom and the Highball. My DREAM is to perform at the Paramount Theatre.

P: Let’s talk a bit about music. I think it was mentioned that you’ve performed in Paris. How would you describe the energy from the audience and is it different from American audiences?

J: I actually have not yet had the pleasure of performing in Paris. I have, however, performed in the South of France! I’ll tell you the truth, no matter where I’m performing, I notice that great audiences “speak” the same language: love. That’s really all a gal can want.

P: Okay, let's just assume that Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest jazz vocalist ever <wink>. Are there any other vocalists that really reach into your soul?

J: Oh yes of course! I love Blossom Dearie for her adorable and quirky qualities, Billie Holiday because she sounds like a horn section, Chet Baker for his feminine-like smoothness, Tom Waits for his gruffness, Big Mama Thornton for her guttural notes, Dean Martin for his vibrato… the list goes on and on. The bottom line is, the vocalists I admire the most have found their own voices. One may remind us of another, but ultimately they sound like themselves. I find that very valuable.

P: And have you had the thrill of seeing any of them perform?

J: In my imagination and my dreams, yes.


P: You’re having a terrible, stressful, sad and rainy day. What is the first song you want to start singing to an empty house?

J: I have two, which are actually very similar to one another. The first, “Singin’ in the Rain” by Freed and Brown. It cheers me up every time! The other song is “Pennies from Heaven” by Johnston and Burke, because it reminds me to be grateful.

P: Have you ever done any show tunes? I’m not sure if you’ve done musical theater.

J: Musical Theatre is my background! Musical theatre is where all this insanity started for me. I’ve been doing musical theatre since I was a tiny little girl and I miss it terribly. I have included a few show tunes into my burlesque acts for that very reason.

P: Tell me a little more about your album and why you’ve created a Kickstarter campaign.

J: I have this vision of creating a jazz record that pushes the limits in a sense. I want it to behold as much creativity as the musicians, my producer, and I can possibly muster. The thing is, the world already has the jazz greats who came before us to listen to. I don’t want to do what has already been done. So while the album will be made up of jazz standards and old dirty blues tunes, they will be executed in different ways.

I created my Kickstarter campaign because I tried to make this album already on a very limited budget and the final product was disappointing, to say the least. It was beautifully simple, but it wasn’t what I had envisioned. The Kickstarter is a way for the people who believe in me to be a part of this creation. When they listen to it they get to have the pride of knowing that it couldn’t have happened without them. They are essential to my music.


P: And to finish up...Readers may not know that you are an old school Austinite. Your dad was Joe Gracey who was at the epicenter of the Austin music scene in the 70s, and your mom is Kimmie Rhodes, also a musical icon. You left and spent several years in San Diego where you first began performing burlesque. What brought you back home to Austin after those years in San Diego?

J: While I was living in San Diego, my husband deployed to Iraq, my father was diagnosed with cancer, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, and my other grandmother had a stroke and passed away. I knew that while I loved San Diego and the life I had created there, that I needed to be with my family. I am so thankful that my husband and I moved to Austin, because it was a blessing to be able to spend time with my daddy before he passed away last November. Family is everything to us. Also, Austin is my roots, and sometimes you just need to return to your roots!

P: I know you love food. When I was growing up here, we could only dream of the explosion of options we have now in Austin. What are some of the places you love to go to?

J: My absolute favorite restaurant in Austin is Wink. The food is divine and the people are equally divine. I also love BarleySwine, Uchi, Counter Café, Bacon, and Fonda San Miguel.

P: Any words of wisdom to others who are struggling to follow their dreams?

J: Yes, I have a list:
Work. Work hard. Work harder.
Reach out to people you admire.
When you become overwhelmed, surround yourself with your favorite friends.
Social Media is your friend. --So is real life.
Realize = REAL EYES. If you can see it, if you write it on your calendar, if it’s visible on a vision board, if it’s on a post-it, etc. it becomes real. Don’t let your dreams just float around in the air. Ground them.
Take B vitamins (so you’ll stay positive).
Be in the fun business. If you aren’t having fun, then you are no longer in the fun business.
Get some sleep.
Be brave and stupid.

Thank you so much for your time Jolie!

Miss Goodnight needs your help! Check out her KickStarter campaign and be a part of her debut album. Only 8 days left to contribute!

Java’s Big Texas Tiki Tour was a three city show, presented by Bachelor Pad Magazine and hosted by Java, the magazine’s creator. My wife, Beth, & I attended the first of two shows in Austin at The Beauty Ballroom on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 9:00pm. The theme of the show was tiki lounge, a throwback to the post-war fascination with exotic little bars in the South Pacific, full of wild, untamed femme fatales.

Tiki is a great idea for a show theme, and I enjoyed all of the acts, even though I tend to prefer more classic American burlesque. These ladies each got very creative with their costumes and performance, and there were about 15 different numbers in all, so lots to see! I’ll hit the highlights here.

Eva Strangelove
The “Weapon of Mass Distraction,” Eva Strangelove, paid homage to her native New Zealand with her performance set to a funny slow jam song by the Flight of the Concords. Her burlesque costume included a green glitter on black corset, a long swingy cape and a fabulous retro hairdo that looked like it jumped out of a vintage cinema magazine from the 1930s. I wonder if she ever gets tired of being labeled “stunning,” but, well she is, and I really love that she can put together a burlesque piece to a song that is making fun of stunning beauty.

Ruby Lamb
Every time that I’ve seen Ruby Lamb perform, her music choice has been infectiously rhythmic. I love it and I think her selection this time, a rockin’ juke joint song called “Frenzy” by the legendary Screamin’ J. Hawkins really grabbed my attention. She wore a black Spanish Flamenco style dress with ruffle hem and big red roses, which soon came off to reveal a barely there, black fringe baby doll.

Remi Martini
Java introduced Miss Martini by saying, "What happens when a gal is all alone on a tropical island?" She shimmied suggestively, hula style, in her leopard print dress, while the kitschy accompanying song let us know that she enjoyed the “Occasional Man.” Remi played to the crowd, teased with her skirt and eventually revealed a leopard print bikini, then tossed off the bikini top to end with a classic tassel twirl.

 
Ruby Joule
The “Best Debut” and “Most Classic” winner at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend, Ruby Joule is always a delight. Her number this time was slow and sultry. Dressed in a gorgeous black and silver striped, sequined evening gown, her dance included small hand held candles that reminded me of Persian belly dances I’ve seen. The dance featured a middle break where she removed the dress to reveal a bikini and long, but skimpy, hula skirt. The number finished with Ruby removing the hula skirt to reveal a sexy, glittery purple thong with seductive beaded chains. Miss Joule is blessed with such a nice hourglass shape and really knows how to do the burlesque booty shake. She didn’t disappoint here on the Tiki Tour. This piece was graceful and beautiful (just like the lady herself), ending with a nice interplay of pasties and carefully placed candles in each hand. Loved it.

 
Pearl Lux
Pearl Lux has an amazingly flexible body. It’s obvious that she has dance training, but only tonight did I really appreciate her ballet when she performed a ballet inspired fan dance en pointe. She wore beautiful feathery plumage in her hair and her carefully maneuvered red feather fans concealed a skimpy little white bejeweled bikini. The music was sort of a French cabaret type big band song that reminded me of Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther music from the 1960s. Pearl Lux twirled gracefully on her toes shielding herself with the fans until finally giving the audience a tassel twirling finale.

Coco Lectric
Founding Jigglewatts member, Coco Lectric, went big with the show’s theme of wild, exotic jungle adventure. She was an Amazon tribal huntress and, WOW did she fit the role. She is such a powerful and flexible performer, and with her straight, jet black hair and large grinning smile, she was a sexy savage on that stage. She started the number prowling around on all fours, wearing a leopard print cincher, boots and feather adornments. The music was tribal, her look was crazed and she licked her lips to a super slow bump and grind. Then the music turned mysterious and she transitioned to a 1960s snake charmer with a sexy shimmy skirt (and not much else!) to finish the number.

The Ruby Revue
And then came The Ruby Revue from Dallas: a blond, a brunette and a redhead. How perfect is that? This was a lovely trio that really stole the show. Dressed all in blue sparkly corsets with sexy peacock plumage in the back, these girls gave us a classic showgirl style number with a big band music feel. Sort of a chorus line with a naughtier twist, they really captivated the crowd. A little cheesy, a little Vegas and...quite revealing to the end. I really hope to see more of these lovely gals here in Austin.

Goldie Candela
This show was called the Big Texas Tiki Tour for a reason, and Goldie sure had fun with it! She was hand-delivered by lovely stage bunnies behind a tiki screen, to emerge wearing a hot pink dress, green feathers and twirling a parasol. Like many burlesque numbers today, her piece was set to a two song medley. This one started off with a tropical piano vibe and then jumped to more of a bump and grind juke joint song, which Goldie worked in a frilly two-piece swimsuit.

 
Jolie Ampere Goodnight
You do know about Miss Goodnight’s singing career, right? Well she loves to sing live while also performing burlesque, and I’m sure that it takes many weeks to put a piece like this together. Singing the classic Screamin’ J. Hawkins “I Put a Spell On You” with her flirty, sultry growl, she set a great mood for the performance. During the breaks in singing, she twirled and flirted with the crowd, drawing out her burlesque performance with a very good tease. Such a talent, to tease off a pair of stockings while also singing a song like that. She’s amazing!

Missy Lisa (Ruby Revue)
And then a giant beach ball appeared. Wha...? Missy Lisa (Founder of The Ruby Revue) performed a straight up 1960s beach party burlesque number to “Wipe Out,” wearing nothing but a pink bikini. The crowd loved the simple premise, the energy she had, and the smile on her face. By the time she stripped down to her tassels and revealed a surprise ending, the crowd was roaring! I don’t want to give it away, but it involved two pairs of pasties. No wonder she teaches burlesque!

 
Ginger Valentine (Ruby Revue)
Ginger Valentine also did a fan dance, with beautiful emerald green fans. More of that groovy Pink Panther-esque music set a flirty tone. Miss Valentine seductively moved down to the floor, kicking up her luscious legs for much of her routine. This was the first time we’d seen sexy floor moves like that during a fan dance!

Angi B. Lovely (Ruby Revue)
I loved Angi B’s piece, because I just love the more classic styles of burlesque and dance. Angi wore a polka dot Flamenco dress with opera gloves and a fan. The music was a cha-cha and her gorgeous pinup looks combined perfectly with her sexy high kicks and classic glove tease. The final reveal was a cute pasty shimmy to a simple bongo beat. She was pretty fab.

 
Black Mariah (Ruby Revue)
Black Mariah is also with The Ruby Revue. She did a solo dance to lovely retro hula music. Her piece had a classic island feel, complete with her tropical floral dress and grassy green boa adorned with hibiscus flowers. Mariah did a slow reveal with lotsa tease. She certainly looked like she has studied hula - her dancing was graceful and beautiful. When the hula music ended, a new tribal beat busted out & Black Mariah wowed the crowd with some fire dancing!

The Jiggle Bunnies
The stage bunnies were from the Austin Academy of Burlesque (taught by Coco Lectric) and aside from their stage assistance  between acts, performed a great little group number. Beach balls, retro swimsuits, and crazy fast hula made for a cute and campy performance.

 
The Finale
And finishing up the show, the entire Jigglewatts troupe performed a group hula-inspired routine to Elvis’s campy “Rock-A-Hula Baby” number from the movie Blue Hawaii. It was fast and fun, with a nice surprise at the end with smaller pasties hiding underneath the first ones.

Overall it was a good show with a wide variety of acts, some fitting into the Tiki theme more than others. I think the crowd at the early show was a little older and not quite as raucous as some I’ve seen. The clear crowd pleasers were the Ruby Revue group number and Missy Lisa’s beachball bit. Myself, I really prefer a more classic style burlesque than the exotic, tiki, savage thing, so this one just wasn’t produced for the likes of me. But each one of these ladies is a great performer, each with a uniquely developed style, and I love to watch the results of what must be weeks of work. Great job ladies! We’ll see you at the next burlesque show.

-Patrick 

Part of what makes Burlesque so unique is its campiness, and how that campiness is used to effectively communicate a sense of fun, luxury, and even sensuality. This inclusion of the beautiful and the ridiculous combined make modern burlesque inclusive, entertaining, and memorable. So what is camp, and how can you use the aesthetics of camp to enhance your performance in everything from your burlesque costume, to your choreography?

What is Camp?
Simply put, camp is over-the-top. Camp is an aesthetic style that takes everything to excess for the purpose of humor and a ‘more is more’ style of dress, speech, body language, and demeanor. Camp is loud. Camp is kitsch. Most importantly, camp is dramatic; melodramatic, even.

It should be no wonder, then, that the art of camp plays such an enormous role in burlesque. Look at the costumes of Carmen Miranda, and it’s easy to see how camp blends perfectly into the aesthetic of a burlesque costume. Camp can also be communicated through extravagant hand gestures, bold colors, and dramatic choreography.

 
How Camp Found a Home in Modern Burlesque
It should be no surprise that the camp aesthetic is often adopted by drag performers, comedy stars, musicians, and artists, like Andy Warhol. There’s an element of flamboyant joy that has to accompany camp to keep it fun and exciting. Look at the Rocky Horror Picture Show for the perfect example of how camp can be used to control the mood of a piece. That film is so beloved purely for its camp factor, and even the aesthetics of that particular movie have found their place as mainstays of modern burlesque costumes.

As the modern form of burlesque developed, many troupes aimed to be inclusive to a wide audience. They also widened the scope of traditional burlesque to include the aesthetic of drag, Broadway, Vegas Showgirls, and other expressive styles. Of course, burlesque has always included a core of comedy and drama, so it was hardly a stretch to find a perfect home for camp in burlesque. Today, you can see elements of pure camp in the extravagant makeup and false lashes many performers wear, in flashy burlesque costumes with three foot long feather fans, and in increasingly polished choreography that incorporates many elements of exaggerated drama.

 
Incorporating Camp into Your Routine
Take advantage of the fun and expressiveness of camp! While classy, sophisticated routines are entertaining, adding the thrill of the ridiculously exaggerated camp aesthetic can be an exciting addition to any burlesque revue. Start with your burlesque costume. Take whatever you’ve got…and go further. No, further than that. Does it look insane? You’re probably almost in Camp territory. Explore bright colors, sequins, rhinestones and glitter. Look into feathers and elaborate headdresses. Take your makeup to extremes! (These glitter lips are a good start.)

Next, add a bit of camp to your routine. If you’re telling a story, tell it loud, with wide brush strokes. Don’t be subtle. Make an effort to exaggerate your facial expressions and body language. Camp is not about minimalism. Take advantage of color and music, and don’t be shy! I’m pretty sure that wallflowers aren’t allowed in burlesque.

-Rouge Dubonnet 

Take a look at these vintage burlesque pics from the 1890s. These three are my favorites, but you can view more in the original BuzzFeed article. I love using retro corset photos as inspiration for burlesque outfits. Click the images for a modern twist on these classics!

Here's a lovely lady all dolled up in lace and pearls. Get a load of that super fancy headdress!

This next one is also lovely. What a sweet Cupid costume! Love the pretty little hearts on the hem of her outfit and those diaphanous wings.

But this last one is by far the most unique! That's quite the horse costume - so detailed, right down to the hooves! This would make a great themed burlesque outfit idea!

Thanksgiving is upon us, and you know what that means? It's also time for SPANKSgiving! Come on out and support Austin's burlesque dancing talent, and be sure to stop by our booth to say hello! We'll have a delightful array of fun & flirty ruffle burlesque lingerie, hot hosiery and fabulous accessories, with some amazing deals for ya!

We are proud to be sponsoring this fabulous event that boasts over 30 performers of burlesque (& boylesque!), plus aerialists, a 60s-style girl group and more. The amazing lineup includes your faves from Black Widow Burlesque, The Jigglewatts Burlesque, The Bat City Bombshells, and Head over Heels Burlesque, plus a ton of other awesome performers. Your hostess with the mostest for the evening will be the hilarious Nicole Lucas. We were entertained by her comic stylings at The Jigglewatts' Séance de Femme show recently and trust me, she's a hoot!

This burlesque extravaganza is not to be missed! In addition to all of the exciting performers, there will be a fun BASH photobooth and a raffling off of fabulous prizes, with proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Plus, you'll be able to browse tables of goodies from the event sponsors: Cindie's, Dreamers, Gourmet Body Treats, Casa de los Muertos, Austin Academy of Burlesque and of course, Kuhmillion Lingerie.

Get your tickets now - pre-sale tix are going fast! You'll save $5 a pop by buying online. Will we see you there?