What better way to spend Valentine’s weekend than a trip to a burlesque show. (Warning: While this post is safe for work, no promises that the links are. Click at your own risk and enjoyment.) Burlesque is an old school variety show filled with music, bawdy jokes, and sexy stripteases. The City Winery in Nashville is home to Wasabassco Burlesque, which is one of the best burlesque shows in the world. Lucky us!

Vintage Burlesque Costumes

The evening started with a number by the funny and campy host for the evening, GiGi La Femme. After her sassy striptease, she explained to the audience that Tennessee has specific laws regarding how much a performer can show at an establishment that serves alcohol. Essentially, in addition to pasties, women have to cover the “underboob” and “the vortex,” which GiGi LaFemme described as “where the flower meets the goods.” (It’s true, being a lawyer/nerd I looked up the statute when I got home.) This is the buckle of the Bible-belt, so I can’t say I am surprised.

There were 8 stripteases, with each dancer doing 1-2 retro-fabulous songs. The female performers for night were Gidget Bardot, Turvy Trollop, Diletta Delight, Marie Merlot, and special guest from NYC, Gal Friday. We also got the added unexpected special treat of some “manlesque” with a performance from Masterblaster. (Yes, Masterblaster had pasties and his underboobs covered as well.)

I don’t know if something can simultaneously be tasteful and crude, but if it is possible, the result would be burlesque. The evening was filled with much tassel twirling and booty bouncing, and it was not for the prudish or faint of heart.

Vintage Burlesque

In addition to being totally jealous of their amazing hair and makeup, there were two things I loved about the evening. One, the dancers came in all shapes and sizes (all of whom were perfect and beautiful), and two, the audience was about 60% women. In fact, the majority of the cat calls came from women. It was definitely an evening of girl power. (Seriously though, Gidget Bardot is also a scientist which is pretty damn cool.)

If you want to enter the world of burlesque, believe it or not you can take lessons! I learned that you can take a variety of awesome burlesque classes at Delinquent Debutantes—which I am sure will be the setting for a future New Thing.

If you want a sample of what to expect, here is GiGi La Femme dancing to Elvis Presley’s “Tying to Get to You.”