Wednesday, May 29, 2013

End of May update


So, what's new... I moved into my very own studio apartment, here in Berlin. An Accordionista Poptart needs to live alone. I think most performers would agree that rehearsing at home, while someone can hear you in the other room, is a lot like having someone listen to you use the toilet. Maybe you like that kind of thing, and there probably is a scene here in Berlin for that... toilet-listening, hmm kinky. Ya, okay, so I have my own cute place, and I am thrilled.

It turns out Germany is #1 on the poll for the world's most popular countries, and what fun to find that The Local's online newspaper used the photo of me enjoying myself at the 2012 Oktoberfest in Munich: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130523-49867.html

I have a fabulous gig coming up on Friday night, and if you're in Berlin I highly recommend you come check it out. It will be at the Hausungarn (ex Hbc), and is the last party happening at this great venue.


Event:
Modern Noir Soirée

Tickets: 

11€
www.modernnoirsoiree.com

When:
Friday, May 31st
Doors 21:00/Show 23:00 

(Miss Natasha Enquist @ 01:00)

Where:
Hausungarn 

Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 9, 10178 Berlin, Germany


A special thank you to my friend Champagne Sparkles, for emailing me this photo from the u-bahn! Wahoo!


My dear friend Pema aka Dorian aka A Great White Bird aka DecadeSelector, did a remix of a recording of mine, check it:
 



Enough about me, I'm tired of talking about me, you talk about me now... My Mother is going to visit me in Berlin soon. My Mother's side of the family is German. My Grandmother was born in the Ukraine, my Opa was born in Poland - but both were from German families and of course these countries were under German occupation.

They, along with a few of my Grandmother's siblings and on-the-way children, immigrated to Canada after WWII to where there was limitless cheap land, and my Mother and Uncle were raised in Northern British Columbia.

This should be fun and interesting to see her use her German, as it was her first language - and for her to meet my friends, make sure her daughter is doing well, and experience this city that I love so much.

Friday, May 17, 2013

This happened, that happened : Photo blog update


Club of Polish Losers

http://www.wetworks.eu/


City of Thieves from Wetworks on Vimeo.


Backstage the Kookaburra Comedy Club


Jacked up on Club-Mate

Artist - Michael Meadors - http://michaelmeadors.com/

Artist - Michael Meadors - http://michaelmeadors.com/

Such a lovely gift from a good friend, sent all the way from Victoria BC, Canada

Spring brings out my favourite flower :)



Lamb roast - www.zagreus.net



Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Magnus Arrevad - www.arrevad.com 
Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Heinrich von Schimmer -
www.heinrichvonschimmer.de

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

Photo by Paul Green - www.thepaulgreen.com

I'm now an accomplished balloon 'doggy' animal maker









Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Nearly 10 months now...

April 24th is a day I look back upon, as it was the day my German Grandmother, Meta, passed away on back in 2007.

 

This year feels special though. I have gotten myself to Germany, I've been here for nearly 10 months now. I have been discovering my roots, finding out more about where my family had come from. I am using the German language on a daily basis. I am rediscovering what my families heritage has meant to me, and how it's influences on me as a child has shaped who I am now.

I am seeing the eyes, faces, and mannerisms of my relatives in the people here. I'm seeing their history, realizing what their lives might have been like, and getting to fully experience the cultures they once lived.

It's beyond inspiring and enriching for me here :-)



Last Friday night was pretty fun. I went and checked out my friend Josh's band, Socalled, at the Privatclub in Kreuzberg.




Touring around Europe, all the way from Montreal, they put on a very fun show for the Berlin audience.  A man after my own heart, Josh ended the show by stripping down to his underwear and played his accordion in the crowd. I'm always pro-"No Pants Party!" at shows. That, and some tasty Hühnerhaus 36 BBQ chicken at 1am.



I had shared this above photo with a friend, who made a joke about not getting 'yourself' pinched in the bellows. This reminded me how dangerous an accordion can be. 

THIS IS TRUE. The bellows can totally pinch you. Nicer set ups on accordions have a piece of padded matting/cushioning attached to the back, keeping you protected from the bellows. My nice accordion I've got with me here has that, but the beater I used for my time with Mickey Mouse did NOT. 

My costume there was generally restrictive, so I found that I preferred to not wear a bra to be as comfy as possible. My dress was polyester, along with a crinoline under-skirting, that all hung down to my calves, and had large poofy sleeves that gave me an extra workout when pumping my box...

No bra is totally against the costuming code, but I was a naughty little Feminist rebel from a West Coast hippy culture, and did it anyways 90% of the time I performed. Plus, how can you even tell if I was or wasn't???????


I remember a day where I definitely pinched myself hard. It's always been a joke to not play the accordion naked, but wow, now it's dangerous to just be bra-less!

Another factoid, as I know you kids love my Disney stories... there was a day where I ran out of my stash of dry performance panties. "Performance panties" is the nickname for the underwear you bring in to change into because you sweat SO HARD in the summer that you MUST change your underwear. I found I needed to do so at least twice. I'm talking at least 35'C weather, plus humidity, RIVERS of sweat running down the back of your thighs, sunscreen streaking down your face and neck, someone-stick-a-fork-in-my-eye HOT out.

One particular day I realized I only brought one change of underwear. Not wanting to wear wet underwear, for obvious reasons, and nothing to change into, I went commando. Two shows were done this way. It was a strangely comfortable and secretively hilarious moment for me. No bra, no performance panties, no problem :)


Okay, alright. Remembering loved ones, talking about going commando, what else...

Two shows are coming up quick here. If you're in Berlin, please come out!


Event:
Immigrantenstadl - Comedy-Mix-Show Mit Lustigen Einwanderern

Miss Natasha will be performing with Miss LaLaVox
 
Tickets:

When:
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 @ 8:30pm

Where:
Kookaburra Comedy Club
Schönhauser Allee 184, 10119 Berlin, Germany

For more information:

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Event:
LA FÊTE FATALE NO:12 - The Burlesque Underwater Voyage

Miss Natasha's Nautical Naughties (Miss Natasha, Lorelei Vanora & Hedoluxe) will be performing at this upcoming wet and wild adventure :)

Tickets:

When:
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013 @ 10:30pm 

Where:
Schönhauser Allee 176 a, 10119 Berlin, Germany

For more information:


Tschüß!