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Real Music by Robert Feuer — February 2020

Valentine’s Day is about love and sex, in whichever order you prefer. On Feb. 14, Hopmonk Sebastopol will present Whole Lotta Love, a burlesque Valentine to Led Zeppelin. Strippers and pole dancers will be performing to Zep recordings. An emcee will provide humor and sing the title song.

The fun and excitement will be organized by the ShowGirl Temple, whose creator and high priestess is Eva D’Luscious, a self-avowed dance, holistic living, and fitness nerd. It’s her stage name she says during our phone call from her current home, Portland.

Ten performers, including one male, will perform largely solo acts, with a few group dances. She calls the show “theatrical stripping, neo-burlesque, that often tells a story or makes a point.” Sometimes they’ll wander through the audience, interacting, attempting to break down the “fourth wall” between audience and stage.

“We’re presenting a variety of bodies,” she says. Performers will get down to pasties and G-strings, “but it’s not super-scandalous.”

D’Luscious has been “a lifelong dancer,” beginning at age three. In high school, she progressed to cheerleading, then samba and bellydancing.

Her interest in burlesque began while living in the Bay Area, attending burlesque shows in San Francisco, like the Hubba Bubba Revue, the Velvet Hammer, and Tease-O-Rama at Bimbo’s. She grew to appreciate the glamor, gorgeous costumes, cleverness, tongue-in-cheek humor, and high spirits of the dancers. She took her first lessons from female teachers Satan’s Angel and Bombshell Betty.

“Burlesque is flirting, teasing dance,” D’Luscious says. “It’s a sacred thing.” The shows invite the audience to react, get excited, and teach them new ways to arouse partners in the bedroom.

“There’s a lot of shame around sexuality and that creates problems in our culture,” she says. “It’s important that sexuality is honest and celebrated. It’s our creative life force.”

Why Led Zeppelin? “Zep never gets old to me,” she says. “They have a giant repertoire that appeals to a lot of people.”

D ’Luscious’ personal act will conclude with a fan dance, but no pole dancing for her. “It’s very hard” she says.” “Each time I tried it I got hurt.”

Attendees can win a gift certificate for a burlesque lesson for two. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will run a benefit raffle at the show. She’s had a relationship of mutual admiration with them for years. They dubbed her Saint Bublicious.

Expect much razzle-dazzle on stage. D’Luscious loves all things sparkly – “glitter, rhinestones, shiny things, especially people.” Watch a preview video vy clicking on youtube image to the right >

She also gives classes for both sexes, where many of those attending, often older, have stopped feeling sexy after going through big life changes. “It’s a way to stay young, a form of therapy.”

Asked where her current path will lead her, D’Luscious says “We’re going to take over the world with sexy fun. I’m creating a glitter army.”

If you miss this show, they’ll be back May 16 at 3 Disciples Brewing, Santa Rosa.

For more info and a few sneak peeks, go to:

https://showgirltemple.com OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKUZmXSqOlw

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