I caught an early (and very short - 45 minutes!) show by EMA at the Mercury Lounge a couple nights ago. It was my first live show in more than a month. I'm not including the Journey tribute band1 that played my town's Family Night a couple weeks ago.

I was anticipating big things from EMA live after reading about the review her previous band (Gowns) got for their live show2, and I got pretty big things at the gig - including an EMA tote bag (thanks, H!). I had a feeling earlier that day that the coming night was going to bring some adventure, and since the show ended at 9p, we had plenty of time to find some.

We ended up at the bar where we had started a couple hours previously, my home away from home, Nurse Bettie. Our arrival happened to coincide with the arrival of that night's entertainment: five burlesque dancers, each with her own colorful entourage. Adventure found! The most striking was the goth/dominatrix in full goth/dominatrix gear carrying black roses and wearing a slight, sorta creepy, goth man3 on her arm.

We had randomly and serendipitously caught the weekly burlesque show called "Spanking the LES" hosted by NYC darling Honi Harlow. The spanker's name was Diety Delgado. But the best name of the night goes to a dancer named Stormy Leather. Rawr!

Thoroughly enjoyable show. Like many women, I find burlesque joyous and liberating. Watching a real woman with cellulite, curves in a few of the wrong places, and natural breasts celebrate her body with song, dance, spankings, and pasties is absolutely beautiful. Not to mention a load of fun.

What started out as a little tease of a show by EMA, ended as a series of teases by NYC burlesque dancers. Or as a guy I met at the bar summarized the night, "Only in New York, baby."

EMA closed the show with California, best seen in video form.

1 called, I'm delighted to say, Separate Ways
2"Holy fucking fuck." by the Village Voice
3 pretty sure