Momentum. Also nudity.

A very busy summer for Neil O'Fortune (hey, that's me!) has continued in August, with this past weekend hosting the Rhinestone Follies and Kitty Nights, and upcoming as the host of D20 Burlesque's computer games show on Saturday. (I'm warming up all of my Oregon Trail references. You have died...of dysentary.)

And, the final Casino O'Fortune Cookie Production is on September 1st, at Coney Island USA, the appropriately named HASTA LA VISTA, BABY: Schwarzenegger Burlesque. Here's to going out with a bang.

Here's what I'm very excited about: this week the Gameshow Speakeasy celebrates its FIFTH Anniversary! The show where Neil O'Fortune was born. There's a lot of my personal history wrapped up in the story of this show. A whole lot of it has been recorded on this blog, actually, since it coincided with the creation of that show under it's a original name that shall not be used but rhymes with Shmuts Shmy Shmine. And, this is the first installment of which I am the sole producer, following the dissolution of my personal and professional relationship with my former partner. Since this blog has always been intended to be about the life of an independent producer in NYC, well...that's part of the story too. ANYWAY, this week's anniversary show also marks the launch of its new, somewhat experimental move to a new night of the week: the third FRIDAY of every month! We'll see!

Oh, and: I'm very excited to finally return to the most magical place on earth on 9/10/11: Asbury Lanes! Nasty Canasta and Neil O'Fortune present: STRIP, ROCK, BOWL. It's exactly what it says it is.

There's more on the horizon...stay tuned.

Accept no substitutes

This Saturday's Royale With Cheese sets the stage for a great March of out-of-town dates with various of our co-conspirators:

On March 20th, Clams and I return to the site of our January triumph, this time as the guest of our friend L'il Dutch, the Queen of DC Burlesque; I'll be hosting, tent revival style, the 2nd anniversary of the Dutch Oven in Washington!

Then on the 26th, we return to Asbury Lanes, the most wonderful place on Earth, with the Pinchbottom Burlesque team. This time we're bringing Julie Atlas Muz and Ruby Valentine with us!

Got plans after Thanksgiving?

Eat a turkey sandwich, polish off the last of the stuffing, rent a Zipcar and drive to Asbury Park! (click to see more of the great flyer by Nasty Canasta)

Oh, and!

March is gonna be huge! Jackson Family Values: Beat It Burlesque! at Joe's Pub on March 7th, then it's back to Asbury Lanes for our spring show, Tease FM: Rock Block Burlesque! Then Gameshow Speakeasy returns to the Slipper Room on Thursday the 19th!

That time change really messed with me, though. What day is it?

This is a shot of the stage in the middle of the bowling lanes at Asbury Lanes, the vintage bowling alley-show venue two windswept blocks from the oceanside boardwalk in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I took this when we arrived last night, bringing Bump 'n' Grindhouse to the people of this great state. This is, hands down, one of the greatest venues on Earth, a real deal classic bowling alley with a fabulous fried snackbar and a swanky alcohol bar tucked in the corner by the DJ booth, the friendliest, most tattooed staff in the tri-state area, and, oh yeah, a stage right in the middle of the working bowling lanes, where the Reverend Horton Heat and Dick Dale have played. Not a bad place to bring a show, and despite a day of stormy weather and a freezing windy night, the place was packed with enthusiastic fans. We gave 'em a great show, marred only by my having to stretch on the mike for about 15 minutes when their CD walkman-based sound system copped out for no discernible reason during our firs act (fun fact: they had a team of paranormal investigators in the place on Monday, I shit you not. And the guys told them that the ghosts infesting places like that often suck the power out of things. Hmmm.) But their crack team worked it out and the show was a big hit. Afterwards finished up the night with the whole BnG crew playing a round of burlesque bowling, which is just like regular bowling, only with more nudity.

Some very fun pictures of the night are right here! And I can't urge you enough to check out Asbury Lanes, a reason to drive to Jersey.