Sponsor spotlight: Burlesque!

Legions of people worship me, of course, and those folks may be aware that I occasionally find myself in the company of burlesque types. That wonderfully resurgent art form all about suggestive dancing, boobs, showmanship, boobs, fantastic costumes and boobs. What I like most about burlesque is that the women involved in are of various and many shapes and sizes, but almost without exception, they go out there and shake it with confidence and flair, giving 80 million percent. It's a philosophy that I share—who cares if I'm a dork, I'm going all out for a fucking trivia show—and, naturally, admire.

Through my burly-q connections, I've found myself hosting and/or appearing in a number of said events (this, this, and this), and I called in favors for this Monday's NYC Clash of the Trivia Champions: We got show tickets.

The eighth annual New York Burlesque Festival begins this Thursday, September 30, running through October 3 at a whole mess of venues. Nobody puts on a show like this people. It culminates on the 3rd at the soon-to-be-familiar Highline Ballroom for the spectacular Golden Pastie Awards. (Vote now! And no, I'm not nominated for anything, and while I've worn many odd things in my life, I've never put on a pastie.) We've got two passes to the opening-night party, Thursday the 30th at Brooklyn Bowl (which, by the way, is an awesome venue, even though a proposed plan to bring the BQT there fell through).

Plus, later in the burlesque season (I think I just invented that concept), get ready for Hussies from Hell, a spooktastic show on Sunday, October 31, also at Highline Ballroom. Details for this are sketchy at the moment, but I put that amazing poster at the top of the post, and I do think I will be blowing it up, framing it, and hanging it over my bed. (The ladies love me.) We got two passes for this as well.

All this and more, Monday night. Reg. Is. Ter.

The Third Annual Menorah Horah

Your quizmaster is back on the variety-show tip, in December. Check this out…

Ah, yes, the Schlep Sisters. On the right that's burlesque performer Minnie Tonka, co-originator of the long-ago Big Jewish Quiz Thing, and one of my coperformers at last spring's "You Bet Your Ass: The Rock & Roll Variety Quiz Show." She's asked me to take part in this season's Menorah Horah, as part of an impressive roster. (I meant to go to see Kiki & Herb on Broadway, I swear.)
What will I be doing? A couple of brief guest spots, featuring some Hebraic trivia with audience volunteers. On Friday, December 11, we'll be taking it up to the Two Boots in Bridgeport, one of Connecticut's most trivially intriguing cities: Not only is it CT's most populous town, P.T. Barnum was once the mayor, and the Frisbee was invented there. Then on the 12th, it's to Brooklyn for a gig at Southpaw on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope.

And hey, a promo video!

Betting your ass, New York style

Rock! As mentioned at last Monday's quiz, Saturday May 16 sees the NYC premiere of my rock & roll–themed traveling quiz-burlesque-variety show, You Bet Your Ass ("Where Q Gets You A"). I'll be digging up some of the old, fun rock-related BQT hits, like the Pop Music Thesaurus and Sloooow Songs, challenging both select members of the crowd (you, quite possibly) as well as my fellow scintillating performers, including…

* Shelly "The Singing Siren" Watson (rock star, used to be a Gorgeous Lady of Wrestling)
* The Lady Aye (awesome female sword swallower—don't joke or she will spit fire on you)
* And burlesque beauties Minnie Tonka (juicy Jewish gyration queen) and Fleur de Lys (hottest beignets in town), plus special guest Fem Appeal.

And hey! It's at the BQT's old home base, The Slipper Room, and DJ GB will be on the decks, so this'll be as comforting as coming back to Mom's house…provided Mom likes to gyrate half naked to Kiss songs (that used to be my mom, until the hip replacement).

The show gets going at 7:30pm, and will cost you a mere $5, hotshots. And be sure not to miss the wild post-show after-party, taking place in your deepest fantasies.