Perpetual Change — Scotty The Blue Bunny

Every now and then, my wife comes across something interesting that she thinks I can use in my column. Some things aren’t always applicable, but then there are the real gems. This month’s featured artist, Scotty The Blue Bunny is such a find.

Scotty The Blue Bunny is one of the most unique and original entertainers I’ve ever come across. He has a background in circus, and has also worked in drag in New York. His chosen Blue Bunny character is where he has found his niche, and it’s quite an entertaining one at that. So without any more fanfare, TGForum/Perpetual Change takes pride in introducing Scotty The Blue Bunny to our dear readers.

TGForum: Where are you from originally? From reading some of your interviews, I got the impression it might be San Francisco or L.A.

Scotty The Blue Bunny: I’m originally from New York. I was born in the borough, suffered adolescence in the suburbs and moved to Manhattan to finish college when I was 21 and left for good when I was 40. I’m proud to say my last address was in Brooklyn! Now I live in Berlin, Germany.

TGF: Do you have any professional music or theatrical training?

SBB: I had the standard public school music education with private lessons for violin and piano, but it never claimed my soul.

TGF: You stated in one interview that you had run away to join the circus at one time. Was that your first influence? How old were you and what did you do in the circus?

SBB: Well…I never had to run away with a circus. There was just one nearby and I wanted to. I properly joined the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus after a period of fanatic adoration in 1996. It was a collision of nightlife — where I was performing in drag and then they were coming to eat fire or light bulbs and such. I got to know the original duo Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson and I just got absorbed. That is where the Bunny came from. The circus offered me a way to be a gay performer, and when drag didn’t work out, I had this entire other fantasy world to explore and a crazy community of anarchists and Coney Island carnies encouraging me to explore. Hallelujah!

TGF: You also mentioned something about your time in New York and doing drag. You said in one interview that your drag “…was a mess.” This was in 1996, correct?

SBB: Well, as much as I look like a real rabbit to you now, is how much I looked like a real woman. I was pretty much a monster failure, but I was having a lot of fun working and playing in the NYC nightclubs. I just realized I would never, and was not interested in, achieving the level of female impersonation of my drag peers in New York. Even if it wasn’t completely passing drag, there was such a commitment to the makeup and wigs and hair removal. It wasn’t me. I’m happy being an effeminate male WITH eyebrows and arm hair during the day. But my drag days were part of the decision to keep the high heels as part of the leotard design of the bunny suit.

TGF: Several questions about the Bunny, so I’ll put them all into one. Why a bunny, why blue, and why heels?

SBB: Again, the heels just look so f*****g good with the leotard and offered a nice contrast to boy face. I really was a man in a bunny suit. I could keep my makeup mild and sport a bit of a beard, but the heels kept it weird and kept it GAY. That was important to me. I didn’t want anyone to look at the character and have to discover it was gay. those classic clear lucite heels were a clear symbol of where it all came from — NYC queer crazy nightlife.

TGF: Did you experiment with the costume? Who designed and made it for you?

SBB: The first bunny suit was made by Combustible Kiva of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.

TGF: I saw some kind of a commercial you did for what looked like an Oriental product of some kind?

SBB: As an artist, I am always looking for contrast. Everyone told me I would be big in Japan, so I did a fake Ramen Noodle commercial. My fabulous super fan Castle Searcy put a crew together and helped make that dream come true. It’s the opener to my music video for I’m The Bunny that she produced. It’s not a real commercial, but I would love it to be.

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TGF: Is the baton twirling a regular part of the show as well?

SBB: Hell yeah! Who the hell else is going to lead the parade?

TGF: You have one rap video out. Plan on doing any more? Any future recording plans? Also, have any of your shows been recorded for possible DVD release?

SBB: My big project now is actually not for the stage. I’m dong a portrait project of gay performers I work with. It’s a visibility project in response to the raging homophobia coming out of Russian and other places. I’m creating a safe place to look at the images of gay people. I’m just gathering portraits now as I travel. Hopefully by spring, in time for Pride, I will be able to start showing the project.

TGF: What kind of advice would you offer to any young entertainer just starting out?

SBB: Never forget the audience. The eyeballs of the public are on you! Indulge them!

TGF: In closing, and final thoughts?

SBB: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Check Scotty’s web site at www.scottybunny.com. The rap single he mentioned is available through iTunes as well.

ALSO THIS MONTH

Jodi Jolt and The Volt

Jodi Jolt and The Volt have issued a calendar for 2015. While I haven’t seen it, I’m guessing  each month has a great new photo of either the entire band or individual members. At any rate, what a great wall decoration for the new year, especially for all you cubical dwellers out there. ( For more information, www.jodijoltandthe volt.com)

Calpernia Addams

Calpernia has a new YouTube video of a live performance of her singing Come Up And See My Diamonds, which is a Mae West/Shirley Bassey medley. As with anything Cal releases, it’s very well done and her singing voice is amazing. Also check out www.calpernia.com.

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NEW MUSIC

Sucker by Charlie XCX

When I first got this CD, I sort of thought it would be another project that was heavy on the dance tracks, without much deviation from that genre’. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The project is actually more techno rock than anything else. The only real dance tracks are the CD’s title cut, Sucker, and the other dance/techno material is Boom Clap (one of the current radio tunes from the project), and Doing It.

 The real surprises were the tunes that ventured into areas I wasn’t expecting. London Queen has an old school punk/new wave groove. (Don’t let the title fool you…it’s not what you think.) Caught In The Middle is an excellent, laid back R&B tune, which really allows Charlie XCX to show off her vocal chops.

 The one total surprise for me was the project’s last tune, Need Ur Luv. If Phil Specter produced a 1960s girl group with a slight techno groove, it would sound like this. I was certainly not expecting to hear anything like this. This one tune alone shows that Charlie XCX is willing to take some chances.

Charlie XCX shares song writing credits with several other writers on each tune. You’ll have to check out the CD insert for proper production, programing and musician credits. For more information, www.charliexcxmusic.com; also on Facebook, Twittter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, YouTube and Spotify.

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Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart? by K. Michelle

K. Michelle has an incredible, old school R&B voice, that wails even on the laid back material. And quite truthfully, Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart? is THE MOST laid back project I’ve heard in a long time. I listen to a lot of ambient type New Age and jazz music, and this project could almost fit into those categories, it’s that toned down.

 Now, before you think that’s an out-and-out put down of the project, it’s not. The laid back material really allows K. Michelle to utilize her amazing voice more effectively. The best examples of this is when her voice is the main focus, such as on the piano/vocal only track, How Do You Know.

Other outstanding tracks are the jazz influenced Something About The Night; Build A Man Intro/Build A Man (piano/voice to start, which leads into a full band feel); and Judge Me (probably her most intense vocal on the project.)

The one tune that I wasn’t expecting to hear was God I Get It. It’s a weird hybrid of R&B with a kind of country groove. It really makes you pay attention to the song as a whole.

K. Michelle shares song writing credits with other writers throughout the project. Check out the CD insert for proper production and musician credits. Check out www.thekmichelle.com; also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.