Ghoul About Townare monthly adventures of all the haunted, spooky, and horrific events in and around Los Angeles. At the helm of such a macabre journey isMiss Sandy Satan
In the month of everything spooky, eerie, and macabre, Miss Sandy Satan heads out to North Hollywood and the CIA (California Institute of Abnormalarts), for a night of gaudy and bombastic fun. Her experiences are chronicled here on We are Indie Horror in her monthly column Ghoul About Town as she spends her evening at one of the finest and weirdest events around: FreakShow. Freak Show is a dark variety show, hosted at the wonderfully strange oddity that is the CIA. On this particular night we witnessed a whole slew and line-up of talented and diverse acts and unique performances presented by Tuesday Thomas and Cyrus Naderpour.
What is Freak Show!?
Hosted, and co-produced (along with comic Cyrus Naderpour) by comedic actress and stand-up comic, Tuesday Thomas, (AKA, “The Punk Rock Dolly Parton”) Freak Show is a celebration of everything weird and off-center. Inspired by the “anything goes” attitude of New Wave Performance Art, the NYC raised Tuesday, is a lover of everything weird and strange, hence her Freak Show. What begun in DTLA at The Clown House, soon expanding as the event grew, Freak Show features performance art, character and musical comedy, stand-up, and musical bands. Tuesday refers to the show as a Gothic “Sonny and Cher show.”
What can one expect at Freak Show?
Although the line-up for Freak Show changes from show to show its purpose is to entertain by promoting strangeness and what it offers to the art of performing on stage. This past weekend, Miss Sandy was invited to a jam packed evening of varying acts, each more entertaining than the next. The evening begun with the synth-electronica-pop of Disasterina an excitingly tawdry and eccentric artist featuring visual musical numbers that are as funny as they are outlandish and over the top. Besides Tuesday Thomas, the comic line-up featured an array of diverse comics such as: Cyrus Naderpour, Hal Rudnick, Cindy Leibman, Mike Schmidt, Sarafina Rodriguez, and Ron Bush.
Dakota the Bearded Lady stopped by to show us her nasal talents, painting a picture with just her nose and a brush. If you’ve wondered what walking on glass looks like live, Dakota is your lady, and she makes it look so easy. For fans of American Horror Story: Freak Show, actress Erika Ervin stopped by to read what appeared to be an autobiographical piece that was an honest and pained, yet darkly comic, bit. Don’t recognize the name Erika Ervin? She plays Amazon Eve on the aforementioned American Horror Story, the incredibly tall woman on that show (somehow she’s even taller in person). The night crescendoed with the out-of-this-world The Cosmic Jetties, a B-52s style rock band, who play science fiction inspired tunes while dancing one-eyed aliens and robots invade the stage during their cosmic set.
We are Indie Horror’s very own Miss Sandy Satan had a chance to talk to both Amazon Eve and Dakota the Bearded Lady before the show. Check out the exclusive interviews with both performers below.
Miss Sandy Satan: What are you performing tonight?
Amazon Eve: I will be performing a dark piece possibly a little audience participation and if I feel frisky and if they’ll let me, I’ll pick up a guy. And if they’re really sweet I’ll swing them around. It depends on how I feel.
MSS: How did you get involved in Freak Show?
AE: I auditioned, walked into the office and I saw a whole room full of men, and Oh my God, I was dressed as butch as you can get. I was trying to look like a guy and I had a flannel shirt, boobs bound, hair back in a ponytail so my hair looks masculine, put a sock in my pants, wore some tennis shoes and blue jeans. I’m walking down and I nail the audition. I couldn’t even wait so I reach underneath my shirt and you can hear the Velcro snap, my boobs went BOOM!
Oh, God… then I pulled my hair out and let it go “flowing and flowing.” I had some lip gloss so I went back into that room and said, “okay guys, top that shit bitches!”
MSS: Can we talk a little about American Horror Story?
AE: If we talk about American Horror Story I would have to go back to my CIA roots and kill you. I can tell you but I’d have to kill you, it’s a top secret show guys! No secrets will be revealed. Watch the show!
MSS: No secrets, but how was it working on that show?
AE: I love Ryan Murphy he’s an absolute genius and some of the cast and crew I really became friends with, all very talented people. Guess I’m going to focus on Michael Goi and James Chressanthis the cinematographers, are incredibly talented and put the visual roots of the show together. You can see some of it on the stage performances, because James Chressanthis directed “Chicago” (Play) and you can feel that old classic stage performance there. It was surreal and watching myself sit there on that spotlight as Jyoti [Amge] comes out on stage and my heart just soars and I clap. She is such my soulmate. “I love you Jyoti, this is a call-out to India, my little five kilos going on six kilos, bitch you’re gaining weight stop eating, okay?”
Let me tell you something I have made one of the most beautiful friendships…the world’s smallest woman is my best friend. Jyoti Amge is my best friend in the whole world. She understands me.
MSS: Do you have any advice or any words of wisdom for anyone else who’s different and wants to be somebody?
AE: There’s two things you need to study in life: law and kung fu… [Editor’s Note: Much later after many distractions and laughs]. Everybody you all have a special gift. Hey, we’re are all freaks your goal in life is to exploit that aspect of yourself that is unique and special and really have gratitude for the gifts you’re given.
Miss Sandy Satan: What are you performing tonight?
Dakota the Bearded Lady: Tonight I am doing what is called the human blockhead and I will be walking on glass.
MSS: Oh! I cannot wait to see that!
DTBL: It’s going to be fun.
MSS: How did you get involved in Freak Show?
DTBL: Obviously, I’m a bearded lady. About, almost two years ago, I ran into a friend of mine and for 10 years I kept my beard a secret. I kept it shaved, I was very, very ashamed of it. So, I ran into a friend at a party and I was, “oh, you work in side show, I should grow out my beard, so I could join you, haha.” And she was, “Oh, yeah, as if. I wish! “No, actually I can grow a beard, and she was like, “What why don’t you?”
It was the first time anyone had reacted positively. I started to think about it, “yeah, why don’t I.” I started growing it out and she started training me and now I’m performing. it’s been almost two years now.
MSS: I love that, I’m definitely digging being here, the atmosphere, and I like what you said about the first time someone mentioned [your beard] and it was a positive thing. Lastly, Any words of wisdom, any advice?
DTBL: If you’re at a point in your life where you can, grow it out. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s just hair! Al women have hair, all women have body hair. There’s no reason to be ashamed of that, it doesn’t matter where it is.
For only $10 (as of this writing) you can check out Freak Show on the first Saturday of every month at CIA in North Hollywood. Every monthly show is different so definitely check out as many as you can, with the entire programming running about two hours. On November 5th Freak Show returns and will be headlined by Rupaul’s Drag Race’s very own Pandora Boxx and from the top side show in America, Auzy Blood!
Visit Freak Show’s Facebook Page for all the latest and information on their coming shows.
You can follow all of Miss Sandy Satan’s shenanigans on Twitter and Instagram: @misssandysatan
Check out exclusive photos below from our photographer Jacklyn Ruacho below. You can check out her other work on her official site and follow all the latest on Facebook
