Over the weekend I went to and event called Anachronism for the first time. It is a steampunk event that showcases artists, musicians and performers of darker variety. There is a lot of good music to be heard, good people to talk to, and art to look at. At these steampunk event most of the people in attendance dress up in a steampunk style, which consist pre-dominantly of Victorian era clothing with earthier tones and with interesting gadgets. On this such occasion I myself dressed up, but not in the steampunk fashion, because though it is a steampunk event it caters to those with interests in the macrabe, goth, industrial, victorian, rivetheads and the like. I dressed up as a magician, with a top hat, wand and all. But at this event as I mention I heard a great many musicians, but one that stood out in my mind was a Euro-American duo called Frenchy and the Punk (formerly known as The Gypsy Nomads). This duo consists of a French-born Britain female lead vocalist and percussionist, Samantha Stephonson and American-born guitarist, Scott Helland. Together they are Frenchy and the Punk and they are a very non-traditional pair, at least they defy any single genre. They fall under the scope of cabaret, vaudeville, steampunk, folk, punk, and French roots. The lead vocalist sings in both French and English and she sings a cheeky, whimsical ballad to the guitarists raucous looping. In summation together these two make some very danceable music that is entertaining to listen to and fun to hear. This I know from experience after seeing them perform and vigorously dancing the night away to their music. The beat in which they usually play is lends itself to nearly any dancing style. Whether you are too timid to dance and simply want to tap your foot, or want to swing your dancing partner or stomp your feet or just move your body, it is simple the right beat. Visually they the vocalist dresses in a cross between Victorian and gypsy fashion, while the guitarist dress also in the Victorian fashion, with a bit of a contemporary twist. To me this music means fun, to simply live life and dance the night away, because today will never happen again. Which means that the duo accomplished what they set out to do, since this is very similar to their mission statement. I wouldn’t say that this artwork relates to much of anything that we did in class.
Name of Artists: Samantha Stephonson and Scott Helland
Title of Work: Frenchy and the Punk
Date of Work: December 3, 11
Material/Medium: guitar, vocals, percussion
Duration/Running Time: 2 hours
Genre: cabaret, vaudeville, French, folk, punk
Venue or Location: Webster Hall
Accompaniment?: Henry Kramer, Margo Cruz, Jullian Melnick, Goby
