It’s getting hot in the ‘Burgh, and not just because we’ve entered the dog days of summer – the Velvet Hearts! are bringing their premiere burlesque arts to the city of bridges!
Since being founded in 2008 by Viva Valezz!, the Velvet Hearts! have brought their spicy, dazzling performances to Columbus, Cleveland, and now Pittsburgh. All across the Rust Belt, the Velvet Hearts! features artists who perform queer burlesque, drag, and sideshow performances in bars, music halls, performance venues, and even big festivals like the New York Burlesque Festival and the Fierce! International Queer Burlesque Festival.
“We love glitter, we love performing, and most of all we love our fans,” the group writes on their website, and their fanbase in Pittsburgh is about to get bigger!
Some of the members of the troupe from Pittsburgh territory are performers Rose Maywood, Leah Nightingale, Olympia, Alana Trinity, Bettie Wylde, Luscious D, Maehem Galaxie, Moon Beam, Olivia Lyfe, Vesper Lamarr, Brute Scandal, Demogorgeous, Desdemona Lott, Ravae Chainsaw, and Venus Doom.
Recently, the Velvet Hearts! teamed up with Pittsburgh-based gender performance troupe Hot Metal Hardware for Queer Pittsburgh Unite, a fundraiser to raise money for Planned Parenthood of Western PA. Since then, Yinzer burlesque fans have been begging for more!
One of the next events to feature the Pittsburgh crew of the Velvet Hearts! is their Everything Goes! brunch party and burlesque variety show. Their first performance will take place on September 4th at noon at the new Bridge Music Bar in East Liberty and will continue on the first Sunday of every month.
Tickets are just $10 per person and are available solo or in groups of two and four, and all brunch items are available a la carte. You can choose from The Bridge’s menu of tasty entrees, apps, and sides as well as an impressive list of seasonal and classic cocktails!
The Velvet Hearts! are also popping up at the Storyville Lounge, a turn-of-the-century New Orleans-inspired and Parisian-style speakeasy space located in the back of Dr. Tumblety’s Time-Inspired Specialty Shop in Allentown. The future home of the new distilling company Inspired by Spirits, this space is currently only hosting private and/or ticketed events, so if you want to take a peek, check out the Velvet Hearts! at one of their upcoming shows!
On September 16th, the group will present “Blackbeards & Treasure Chests: Classic Burlesque & Variety Show” in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day! After you purchase tickets, you’ll be sent a secret password to access the event, where you can enjoy complimentary Prohibition-era cocktails and other beverages – just be sure to wear your best pirate-themed apparel.
In October, the “Raising the Dead Seance” will present a spooky-themed variety and burlesque show for all the “bois and ghouls” in the ‘Burgh. Expect a fresh password, even fresher drinks, and guests dressed as their favorite dead celebrities!
