Dead is the new alive. No, seriously.: seanan

Dead is the new alive. No, seriously.

Last night, in an effort to keep me off the Internet on my book release day (you can thank her later; I thanked her already), Our Meg hauled me off to the San Francisco stop on the current Emilie Autumn Asylum Tour. This may make it sound like I wasn't a willing conspirator. I was, to the extent of ordering cupcakes to be delivered to the venue (a brilliant stroke of genius on Meg's part, and one which I was happy to see come to fruition). We had three boxes sent over: one of Mad Tea Party (chai cake, ginger buttercream, and strawberry jam), one of mixed Vanilla and Pretty Pretty Princess, and one of mixed Chocolate and Grasshopper. Yes, we are quite possibly evil.

I get off work before Meg does, so I hied me down to Borderlands, where I hung out with Naamen and Cole, ate a scone, and signed some books. Then Meg collected me, and we went for dinner at Fritz's, where delicious mussels prepared me for the hike ahead. The club Emilie was appearing at, The Bottom of the Hill, was waaaaaaay the hell down 17th Street, in a neighborhood I didn't even know existed. It was a hike and Toby research at the same time!

Because we had VIP tickets, we had been advised to arrive at the venue by 7PM. Because we are, well, us, we arrived at the venue by 5:30PM, and watched as the steampunks, neo-punks, Victorian gaslamp burlesque girls, and other Plague Rats came trickling up. Meg sat on the sidewalk and performed her costume change, because she's awesome that way. I fidgeted and poked at things, because I'm predictable that way.

Eventually, we were let inside, where the stage manager recognized us as the cupcake girls, and made sure the rest of the VIP ticketholders knew who we were. Her pronunciation of my name was epic, and may have actually been one of the secret words which unlocks the walls of the world. We then went back to the little room where the tea and cupcakes had been set up, and there was much nomming, and all was right with the world.

Emilie Autumn is a tiny little thing who can wail on a violin, and I want to see her play with Amy. Just saying.

After the VIP gathering was over, everyone went and lined up to wait for their turn to get a picture and an autograph. Meg called me by name when I went back for a strawberry cupcake, and a woman ahead of us blinked, and asked, "Seanan McGuire?!" I agreed that this was so. She produced a copy of Late Eclipses from her bag. I signed it. Life was good. Meg and I were giggling about the oddity of it all when another girl in the line asked what I wrote. I told her...and shrieking happened.

So, you know. Apparently, I have fanbase overlap with Emilie Autumn. Who knew?

The show itself was, as expected, insane, a mixture of electronica and burlesque, madness, music, and mayhem. Meg and I had seats (yes, actual chairs) toward the back, and we treated them like gymnastic equipment, climbing to watch delighted as Emilie and the Bloody Crumpets owned the stage. Veronica stripped, Captain Maggot hooped, and the Contessa threatened to eat us all. Tea was tossed, audience members were kissed, and Emilie did half the show dressed as a Plague Rat.

Life is good.

loki_dip

March 2 2011, 21:40:58 UTC 6 years ago

New comment

Woot. :) Hooray for the Good life!

seanan_mcguire

March 3 2011, 15:44:02 UTC 6 years ago

Hee. Yay.

ladymondegreen

March 2 2011, 21:41:14 UTC 6 years ago

That sounds awesome! I'm glad you got to see Emilie.

Maybe she'll play a steampunk con one of these days that Amy is also at. That would be epic, especially since the odds of my other blue-haired steampunk-loving fiddler friend (

coraline) being there would be pretty high.

March 3 2011, 15:44:21 UTC 6 years ago

It seems unlikely. She's a bit high-ticket for most steampunk cons.

6 years ago

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March 3 2011, 15:44:30 UTC 6 years ago

It was really amazing.

beccastareyes

March 2 2011, 21:47:47 UTC 6 years ago

Well, I like both you and Emilie's music, so maybe there is a substantial minority of your fans in common.

March 3 2011, 15:44:38 UTC 6 years ago

Which is just plain NEAT.

trialia

March 2 2011, 21:52:40 UTC 6 years ago

*grin* Yes, your fanbase and Emilie's definitely have overlap. I love her poetry pieces.

March 3 2011, 15:44:45 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

kyburg

March 2 2011, 21:53:29 UTC 6 years ago

That sounds awesome!

March 3 2011, 15:44:53 UTC 6 years ago

It was cool.

March 3 2011, 15:45:11 UTC 6 years ago

You totally should. If only because I like selling more books. ;)

semy_of_pearls

March 2 2011, 22:34:04 UTC 6 years ago

I wonder if that balloon is still trapped?

March 3 2011, 15:45:21 UTC 6 years ago

Hopefully it has found its freedom.

yellowblackhaze

March 2 2011, 22:36:24 UTC 6 years ago

What a totally cool sounding night.

March 3 2011, 15:45:30 UTC 6 years ago

It was AWESOME.

vettecat

March 2 2011, 23:14:15 UTC 6 years ago

a woman ahead of us blinked, and asked, "Seanan McGuire?!"
Hee!

March 3 2011, 15:45:40 UTC 6 years ago

I am recognized!

mac_arthur_park

March 2 2011, 23:31:54 UTC 6 years ago

Just checked out her website. I think I'm in love! *fans self*

March 3 2011, 15:46:09 UTC 6 years ago

She's really awesome. I just wish more of the concert merchandise was for sale online; getting to the merch stand at the venue was a nightmare.

catsittingstill

March 2 2011, 23:59:48 UTC 6 years ago

Cool :-)

March 3 2011, 15:46:18 UTC 6 years ago

It was fantastic.

batyatoon

March 3 2011, 00:47:40 UTC 6 years ago

Fanbase overlap with Emilie Autumn! Should not surprise anybody.

Eeeeee. :D

March 3 2011, 15:46:24 UTC 6 years ago

Hee.

sidhefire

March 3 2011, 00:53:44 UTC 6 years ago

That sounds like a wonderful evening!

March 3 2011, 15:46:32 UTC 6 years ago

It really was.

phantomess05

March 3 2011, 00:55:04 UTC 6 years ago

Heck yes overlapping fandoms. :D

March 3 2011, 15:49:21 UTC 6 years ago

It was just awesome to realize.

admnaismith

March 3 2011, 01:37:26 UTC 6 years ago

I've bought my copy.

Guess what I'm reading out loud to The Redhead on the long drive to Consonance from Oregon and back? Go on...begins with an "L"....

March 3 2011, 15:49:27 UTC 6 years ago

spectralbovine

March 3 2011, 01:51:45 UTC 6 years ago

Aw, you got fangirled at a concert! What fun!

March 3 2011, 15:49:42 UTC 6 years ago

Next time Emilie comes to town, you should come to the concert with us.

jenjen4280

March 3 2011, 01:52:29 UTC 6 years ago

that sounds like one unbelievably frakking awesome day!

March 3 2011, 15:49:49 UTC 6 years ago

It rocked.

inkgrrl

March 3 2011, 02:46:58 UTC 6 years ago

Sounds like an all-around faboo evening!

March 3 2011, 15:50:09 UTC 6 years ago

I swear she's an escaped urban fantasy character.

shoebrera

March 3 2011, 03:12:38 UTC 6 years ago

Sounds Fabulous! Of the three choices, despite my adoration of chocolate, the Mad Tea Party offerings really caught my attention.

Thankfully, I don't have any of those available. I still have seven pounds to shed. If I'd been there, it would've been "Weight loss, tonight be damned!"

Glad you had such a delightful evening. You earned it. You deserve it.

March 3 2011, 15:50:17 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you. :)

amazon_syren

March 3 2011, 03:17:59 UTC 6 years ago

We had three boxes sent over: one of Mad Tea Party (chai cake, ginger buttercream, and strawberry jam), one of mixed Vanilla and Pretty Pretty Princess, and one of mixed Chocolate and Grasshopper. Yes, we are quite possibly evil.

No, no. I think that's quite possibly the opposite of evil. Evil would be sending over three boxes of cupcakes and not sharing them with anybody.

Also: Victorian gaslamp burlesque girls.

This I need to see. No really. I can kind of picture asymetrical lacy skirts with tie-on lace/tulle bustles and (duh) corsetry and little tiny top hats and possibly-ripped fishnet stockings and tango shoes and opera-length gloves and choker necklaces. But I don't actually know. (I've tried google, but what I get is (a) a description of Gaslamp Romance and (b) this post so... Is this mental image remotely accurate?)

March 3 2011, 15:50:33 UTC 6 years ago

We would have been MOBBED.

And your mental image is totally accurate.

groblek

March 3 2011, 03:47:19 UTC 6 years ago

*googles Emilie Autumn* *Checks out website* Oooh... I can see how you'd have overlapping fandoms. I think I'll have to check out her music and such in more detail when I have some time. Also, I have to ask where you get your cupcakes - the Mad Tea Party sounds like it may be worth a detour the next time we're out that way.

March 3 2011, 15:50:51 UTC 6 years ago

Cups and Cakes, on 9th and King in San Francisco.

tigertoy

March 3 2011, 04:56:43 UTC 6 years ago

I'd never heard of Emilie Autumn before this post, but I'm intrigued.

Anyway, I just wanted to report that I stopped in at my local Borders, where the nice man confirmed that that store is not closing; they are still in business, including getting new books. And yes, they did have Late Eclipses, so I could buy it, supporting you and the local store with a timely purchase.

March 3 2011, 15:51:01 UTC 6 years ago

Cool!

indilwen

March 3 2011, 05:04:36 UTC 6 years ago

Hey again! I was the girl with the head-eating bow and the copy of Late Eclipses. See, told you I creep your journal :)
Thank you again for being so sweet about signing my book, and for the cupcakes...oh my god, the cupcakes.
Of course I knew the Emilie Autumn show was going to be awesome, but I had no idea HOW awesome. So cool that you were there!