BMP (Buffalo Music Players) Episode 46: Madina

The BMP podcast team convened on Allen Street to talk to a familiar face in the Buffalo scene. Madina currently works as a local bartender, but also is a performer with the Stripteasers, a local burlesque group.

She talked about the value of burlesque, as well as participation in the scene. Madina said everyone should be starting a band and expressing themselves, and the sentiment is echoed all over Buffalo, at least in our algorithm.

Take a listen and see if you can relate. Thanks for listening to the BMP podcast.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:08

This is BMP podcast. If you are just no matter this player, we'll help you welcome believing gatekeeping. We all gotta eat and this is our way of helping Avengers. So there we go. Wait, why you gotta podcast? Everybody got dogs. To be quite honest, I don't got a job. Look in there, prospects like one going wrong. Thank you, Joe, for the park. I'm not designed to cry. I'm too pretty for present. But talking off the dome. I'm finna make a kill. If your rogue can do it, I sure can. I've never fucked the stall, so I've got the upper hand. If your rogue can do it, I sure can. I've never fucked a stool, so I got the upper hand. Man, the life just isn't running out of the way. I feel like the walls are closing in, and I don't have a way to stop it. I wish there was somewhere I could go. Some place where I could just get away from everything. And just be creative.

SPEAKER_03 1:44

Creative workshop. Who said that? I heard you're playing. Okay in the Great Arrow building on Elmwood Avenue. Use our space, our art supplies and equipment to your heart's content. Let us hope you beat back the stress and feel centered again.

SPEAKER_04 2:05

Wow, that sounds great. I'll check it out.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

Always remember, if the world has your creative spirits in a rut, come to the Buffalo Creative Workshop for a pick-me-up. More about Buffalo Creative Workshop can be found at Buffalo.creativeWorkshop on Instagram.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Hello, BMP listeners. This is the Buffalo Music Players Podcast. I'm your host, Benjamin Joe. And I'm Max. And with us today is a great guest. Her name is Megan or Medina as her character name in Burlesque, which is what we're gonna be talking about here. Burlesque and Buffalo. Again, like Megan, what what would you like to introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_06 2:45

Yeah, hi. I am Medina. Medina Medise. Some people know me as Megan or Meg from Nietzsche's, um, bartender burlesque performer with the strip teasers burlesque group. Uh it's something that I've been a part of for the last uh 20, almost two years.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

22 years? Wow, we're gonna.

SPEAKER_06 3:15

Yeah, we started off um in 2004. Maybe uh yeah. And uh we were performing at a lesbian club called Roxy's, and it was on Main Street, and we had a weekly gig, which was pretty much a midnight show on a mini put-together stage, and then a bar show, um, which meant we danced on top of the bar.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 3:50

So the first show would go on about midnight. Our format really kind of changed. We used to do a lot of uh skits, and you know, we would write every week for it, and a lot of the time our skits and the effort, you know, weren't really heard or sought, you know, people just talked over us. So they'd show up, but then they were like kind of there for maybe the second show, and they just didn't know what to do with us, you know. So there would be like, you know, commentary, storyline, plot, yeah, you know, a lot of satire.

SPEAKER_04 4:32

It was almost like an improv show, sort of a lot of times.

SPEAKER_06 4:37

Um yes. Uh, but there was always like a structure of like some kind of skit, but but it you know, time it just at time it just got really like hard. Oh yeah, pushing like all sorts of boundaries for people, um, and what they were comfortable with. I mean, but we were doing it, I don't think there was another burlesque group in town at that time. There was maybe like pole dancing, but people really always affiliated it with like stripping, and um it's not really the case.

SPEAKER_04 5:22

It's more of like a performance art.

SPEAKER_06 5:24

Correct. Yeah. It's seen, you know, however anyone wants to interpret it, but uh, you know, you can it can be a dance, it could be a skit, it could be a satire. A lot of it does end up in dance form or striptease form. And, you know, it's you know, some people don't always understand it, but I really encourage people to check it out and see what it's about.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

Um how did you get involved in that?

SPEAKER_06 6:02

I was a lonely lesbian. I walked into Roxy's and I saw what was like a performance group at the time um with my good friend Miss J. Kiss, who is J.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Kiss.

SPEAKER_06 6:20

Yeah, Miss J. Kiss, she's the mom and I'm the dad of the burlesque troop. We both were in it in the beginning. Um, but I walked in to see. This is funny, we just talked about this, a performance of her reading the little engine that could, pretty much in a sheer dress, while you know, reading this while there was somebody on their hands walking back and forth on the bar, like doing like very interesting, you know, uh showcasing their abilities. Um and you know, it was a a theater group more like a experimental theater group, like that was kind of getting birthed at that moment, and it was led by someone who kind of left town and left us with a decision do we form something? We like kind of hanging out on Thursdays, you know, but I was invited in through, you know, just showing up on that day and showing interest, but I mean I then got a job working at that bar and you know, and uh having a 10-year gig there. Oh wow and then we moved here after that bar shut down after Roxy's closed and uh did our thing here on this bar, which works, but you know, we do do skits and like more like put together shows that have um, you know, dialogue and sometimes satire of like a either a pop culture event or yeah, but uh oh yeah, what was I talking about? I also am known for my other name is um uh L S D, which is Stoner Lesbian Dad. Oh, really? If I have like a few brain pauses, um I'm gonna blame all my drug use.

SPEAKER_05 8:32

That's a creative acronym for sure.

SPEAKER_06 8:35

Yeah, we put it together one day. Not even long ago. But yeah, it just adds to the f family dynamic.

SPEAKER_04 8:43

Gotcha. Did you call your the the group the strip teasers to kind of tell people like exactly what they were gonna get?

SPEAKER_06 8:50

Yeah, it's kind of like we never close.

SPEAKER_04 8:52

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 8:52

You know. Like what are the hours? We never close. The strip teasers, yeah, it's it's a very um strip tease is an an older art form. Um Buffalo was very popular, um, a very popular place for dancers and the circuits to run through. Like uh, you know, there was many burlesque houses and theaters, and now I think troops just operate within already established bars. So it's not like there is a house of it.

SPEAKER_04 9:27

Yeah, it's like your Milkies.

SPEAKER_06 9:29

Right, but they will I would talk to some of my like old regulars who remember coming in to a burlesque show, sneaking into a burlesque show when they were like younger. Yeah. And uh they would start in the afternoon. There would be about you know, you would like I think he said you would like dot like dodge the people looking um to clear the place out, but yeah, they would it would start in the afternoon. There'd be like three, maybe I don't know how many shows, I would guess probably all through the night.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Yeah, yeah. Wow, gosh. Sounds like it's like a lot of fun. It's it involves a lot of creativity, a lot of uh like your storytelling.

SPEAKER_06 10:09

Absolutely. You can go any direction, really. I mean, you could go political, you could tell a story about heartbreak, you know, it's like very interpretive dance-ish, with you know, a lot of strip strip teasing involved in it. Um, yeah, it's like using it's like still playing house or still playing with your imagination as an older person, I think is probably a really good move for anyone to do.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

That's crazy. That I mean it's new every week every every show. Like that's literally.

SPEAKER_06 10:45

Well, at least here, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

At least here, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:48

Um, yeah, I try to always have a new number every week. There I do recycle some, but uh, you know, there's always so much inspiration out there. You think about how much music exists and like, oh, those are so many opportunities or ideas that go along with them.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

What have been some uh really good shows lately? These kids are uh the Mardi Gras one. The Mardi Gras?

SPEAKER_06 11:14

Oh yeah, yeah, Max. That was fun. One of my favorites was we did uh Pee-Wee Herman's Gay House.

SPEAKER_05 11:21

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 11:22

And that was instead of Playhouse. It was so fun. Um, I got to be one of the like what do they call them? There's like this little band. Have you watched Pee-Wee Herman or Pee Wee's?

SPEAKER_02 11:37

I I used to watch it, you know. I mean the movie more so than the show.

SPEAKER_06 11:41

Okay, then that's not gonna make a difference. Well, whatever. I was a one of the characters of the show, and I had a very good time doing and creating for that. We made like a lot of the set pieces that are in the show. Like my favorite medium is cardboard. Okay. I want to make whatever I can. Oh yeah, we did one act recently, two um it was like a cyber truck, uh, like a riot girl sort of thing where we took down a cyber truck. Nice. I started as a raccoon thinking it was a dumpster in the beginning, and then uh had a quick change of the wheel, took bats to it. I don't know. That's kind of destructive. But that was a fun one.

SPEAKER_04 12:26

Yeah, it's cool. So it's like it's almost like no holds barred, like you can it's kind of just like an open space for ideas all the time.

SPEAKER_06 12:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:34

That's awesome. Well, yeah, I mean I mean I guess like you guys have some sort of limits at certain points, but like Well, we gotta cover up the nipple because that that's illegal.

SPEAKER_06 12:44

So don't wanna break the law because everyone follows it.

SPEAKER_05 12:48

So well, so well.

SPEAKER_06 12:50

So well. Um we're honored to have you.

SPEAKER_04 12:58

Yeah, we're honored.

SPEAKER_06 12:59

Oh my gosh, I I'm a big fan of podcasts, so I I'm nervous as heck, but I'm very flattered to be asked, and uh, you know.

SPEAKER_04 13:10

You're our ambassador into a whole new world, you know.

SPEAKER_06 13:14

Heck yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:14

So we're happy to have you.

SPEAKER_06 13:16

Oh, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yeah, absolutely. So, um, yeah, so you you started burlesque probably about 20 years ago. Like I think that's probably when we first met, it was probably around that time, actually.

SPEAKER_06 13:28

I knew you from Food Not Bombs.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Yeah, Food Not Bombs, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:31

I was probably at that time in my early 20s.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Right, I was also in my early twenties. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:37

Oh, so we're like the old guys that look young.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

Yeah, yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. Just just um just to go and give the listener a bit of uh of a of a look at what what's going on here, like all three of us look like we are basically teenagers. Maybe not Max. Max looks a little bit older. Oh yeah. I'm more distinguished. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:57

It's the pipe.

SPEAKER_04 13:58

Yeah, it's the pipe. Do you ever get a little frustrated that um the burlesque kind of gets conflated as like oversexualized with like scribbing and stuff? Like it's more of an artsy art form and people really see it that way.

SPEAKER_06 14:13

Uh, sure, but I can't really try to understand where people are coming from.

SPEAKER_05 14:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 14:18

I can present something that might give them an aha moment where it's like, oh, it's not like you know, disrespectful for women or anyone. You know, all genders take part. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Yeah. That's very cool. I mean, I just like I I um I just love the idea of like satire, like like new satire every single week, a whole different like um like Saturday Live or something like that.

SPEAKER_06 14:46

But more it'd be more like a monologue. Because we do a lot of the dancing on every week, and then we do like comedy kind of in between, like we introduce people or just you know be funny on the microphone. But like when we do bigger stage shows, so what you saw, you didn't we didn't really do anything but uh just like a Mardi Gras theme type of show, yeah, yeah. But yeah, I mean there's always things to talk about or dance about, even if you're not speaking of it, you can use you know, issue with political climate for your influence.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

What what are your biggest influences? Do you um is there any burlesque dancers in the past that you kind of emulate or try to emulate or like um you know what is the character, Medina?

SPEAKER_06 15:38

Inspiring to me, I find the legendary Josephine Baker. Um she was a singer and a dancer, she was very famous for her banana dance, but she really didn't feel like a part of this country, so she moved to France.

SPEAKER_04 15:56

Okay. Uh yeah, that's where uh we talked about Mike. I thought that's where like burlesco originated for a random reason. I don't have anything to back that up.

SPEAKER_06 16:04

Yeah, uh it's like everything. Like whoever puts the history out there and makes it stamped in somehow gets credit, but that's not always the case.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

Yeah, like Thomas Edison, right?

SPEAKER_06 16:16

Oh, like Nicola.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:19

Tesla, yeah, you know, like who a guy who wanted free electricity for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

Yeah. They said he was taken over like a whole shenanigan, he was taken over by a brilliant capitalist.

SPEAKER_06 16:32

And he died penniless, apparently.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Did he really?

SPEAKER_06 16:35

I heard that he I don't know. Okay, I'm not gonna say that. I hope he died rich in heart and well off, I guess. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

Buried it with him in his coffin.

SPEAKER_06 16:49

Yeah. Alright, Nicola.

SPEAKER_04 16:52

Do you feel that the that burlesque in the city is in a good place?

SPEAKER_06 16:56

Yeah, there's a ton of groups. Uh there is um I you know drag and burlesque kind of intertwining two, where there's, you know, either queens or kings and burlesque, so that's happening. Yeah. It's uh it's definitely a scene or as far as like people involved. It went from like one troop to I don't know how many there are now, but there seems to always be new troops forming. The dogs.

SPEAKER_04 17:29

You ever feel like, um are you happy with the way things are growing, or are you ever like back in my day it was way better where we'd had this and that, or are you just like I really like the direction that this stuff was going? Or is it kind of like a mix of both?

SPEAKER_06 17:42

I think what I struggle with is um social media stuff and trying to be like because it you know, back in my day, they didn't have that shit. And I never was in Facebook like or about it, or I don't think I've ever even been on it. Like, I didn't never have an account at least. Yeah, but like it used to be like we have to, you know, design our own posters without a computer, or like we would do kind of like zine style, like however we can make it happen and then make a ton of posters and put them everywhere, like or hand them out to your people.

SPEAKER_04 18:26

Or you know, talk to people. You're like the people's psychologist because you're a bartender, so yeah, they're like, well, I don't know what to do. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Come here on Tuesday, and you will find out what you need to do. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 18:40

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 18:41

What do you think of it is about Buffalo that like has uh like encouraged the burlesque movement? Um I mean I know it was here back in the day with burlesque houses, but like you know, present day, like maybe Allentown specifically, but Buffalo in general, like I mean this isn't happening in every single city across the world, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 18:58

Well, I think it's happening in a lot of places.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Maybe it's just in major spots though, like maybe Chicago and Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:05

I mean Well yeah, major cities, obviously.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

I mean you gotta get what you get in New York, so Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:12

Not like New York City. We've I've we've I've had a show in New York before, a couple of them. Um but you know, I wasn't anything I put together, it was just like a guest performer. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

That kid you can go far with or less. You can travel all the way to New York City. Absolutely, you can travel the world. Travel the world.

SPEAKER_06 19:32

We've I've done shows in like Florida, uh not trying to frag. Um probably other places. I'm trying to think where else we went. Toronto. Um yeah, probably, I don't know. It's just, you know, with having a weekly gig, it's kind of an a fun thing, but you're tied to it, you know, or at least I don't mind this for doing it this long. I like to probably, I don't know. I haven't really invented myself or reinvented myself, so maybe that'll be my next thing. Uh maybe I'll change my name or something. Retire the character and then like Well, I have this idea that I want to rename myself Helena Medina Hellbasket.

SPEAKER_04 20:23

Hey yeah. Instead of LSD you knew MDMA.

SPEAKER_06 20:27

Oh my god. Yeah, the MDMA for Lesk. Oh I'm always taking suggestions. You know what? That's what it's it it keeps it interesting. Oh, what are you gonna do? Uh yeah, it gives me inspiration, helps me entertain the child in me. Yeah. And hopefully I find less reasons to be frustrated with anything.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

No, no. Now, just to give the listeners more perspective, we're actually sitting upstairs from Nietzsche's right now in uh the green room. Are we in the green room?

SPEAKER_06 21:10

Yeah, it's green.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

It is green. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 21:13

Um no, but it is the green room for the musicians.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. This is this place has been the home, the uh the home for night or or show for many different musical acts throughout the country, like throughout the world even. I was just wondering, uh, is there any like local bands or local arts that we should be on the lookout for? Is there any songs that you've been hearing like your Nietzsche's?

SPEAKER_06 21:33

Well, my favorite performer slash band is Spud.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 21:38

Um I'm a huge fan of Spud always is um part of our show too. Right, yeah, I was like there's like a Spud Part one where you know they usually play like sometimes oh covers but original stuff, and then they open up after the burlesque set to People wanting to sing karaoke along with. So it's like a live karaoke.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Live karaoke band. So you're cool.

SPEAKER_06 22:07

You know, Spad's that kind of like performer, teacher, where they can really just like help you if you're having a karaoke moment of like, what can you mind or whatever? Like they jump in and help it make it's a it's a fun experience.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

That's great.

SPEAKER_06 22:25

Because that's like, you know, karaoke is always fun, but it makes it a little different.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Yeah, when it's like a band and like they're like working with you, like playing with you.

SPEAKER_06 22:36

Correct, correct. And maybe that is somebody's like inspiration to actually go and get a band together. Or like, you know, the more you see other people do it, the more you're like, that looks like fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

We should all start punk rock bands, as they say. Or booze bands.

SPEAKER_06 22:54

Like right now. I guess you guys said in the band.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

And let's pause as listeners as we show you a sample of our dear friend's bud.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Keeps me awake even though it hasn't happened yet. I'm feeling stuck. I've been so lucky.

SPEAKER_04 23:50

After a long day, it's hard to turn off. That's why I go to Mammoth Cannabis on two hundred twelve Ohio Street. Their stuff I'll have you laid out flatter than a mammoth's foot. From flour to pre-rolls, vaporizers to concentrate. You can rest assured that something big is waiting for you at Mammoth Dispensary. Just keep in mind, if you smell cereal from the General Mills factory nearby, they can't help you. You have to go home and get a bowl yourself. It's a dispensary, not an eatery after all.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

And we're back. That was Spud Listeners. Bit definitely somebody that you should check out if you guys have the chance to go and come to Nietzsche's. And um, we're gonna go talk a little bit about Nietzsche's and uh all the great shows that you can experience uh here when you come.

SPEAKER_06 24:37

Yeah, so just to go down the days of the week, because I happen to know. Uh Monday is open mic. Um before open mic starts, there's always a singer-songwriter showcase where there's a brilliant showcase. You've probably you've been there. I've been.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

No, I've never been showcased, but I've been there, obviously. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:56

Well, you're about to, you know, our band will be performing there soon. Not you. Um so and you know about Tuesdays. Um strip teasers. Strip teasers, but before strip teasers, there's a band called the Steam Donkeys. They play every week at six, and they really bring them in. They there's like a a following to that band that it's beautiful to see. It's like, you know, everybody's in their 50s, 60s, whatever. But like they're all still have a place to make meet up. Like it's just kind of cute. Like, not everybody.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

That's kind of the great thing about Nietzsche's in Alentine in general, is that like we didn't go away. Like, we're still here and we're still doing our thing.

SPEAKER_06 25:42

Yeah, you can't burn us down, right? Oh, you're well, yeah, I guess that's not anything to joke about, but it sucks. Um, okay, Wednesday. Uh Tyler Westcott, he is part of the Folk Faces.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

Oh, okay. Yeah. Um He just came out with a new album a little while ago, Blue Ribbon or something.

SPEAKER_06 26:05

Yeah, yes, yes. Uh he he pretty much runs Wednesdays. Either he's playing or he books. Thursdays, I believe, is more of an up open, sometimes there's like record night final nights. Um, but a lot of times too, if bands are booking, they can book a Thursday. Friday and Saturday are just like all day.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Insane.

SPEAKER_06 26:33

Um Saturday particularly is because you got Celtic sessions, sometimes a middle show, and sometimes a late show.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

So all pretty good for like the 10-15 bucks it takes to get into the show.

SPEAKER_06 26:45

And that goes to the performers, you know, and operations to run in this place, so it's you're really putting your money into a good place.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

Is there uh one show that you can describe to us before we get going? Give the listeners a treat of like what they would see.

SPEAKER_06 27:03

Okay. Recently, in the last, I don't know, I guess it's been a while, but Slea's Ball, that is actually coming up this Saturday.

SPEAKER_04 27:13

You're doing Slea's cello, right?

SPEAKER_06 27:15

Oh, they're doing yes.

SPEAKER_04 27:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 27:17

I always love, I see you repost so many max, so many people's events, but I always notice that.

SPEAKER_04 27:26

Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_06 27:27

Yeah, heck yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:28

You can do what you're doing.

SPEAKER_06 27:29

Well, absolutely. So yeah, I'm gonna I I want to dress up for that too, but yeah, go ahead. I don't uh yeah, they've never done this type of show, but it made it seem like it's gonna be Coachella-ish, like a festival.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Well, like themed Coachella themed, and each.

SPEAKER_06 27:52

Yeah, and you know, these kids, they're all hanging out, it's a very young generation, and they're doing throwbacks to the odds.

SPEAKER_05 28:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 28:02

So to me, I'm like, oh, I know a lot about those.

SPEAKER_04 28:07

You got that in your child, so you're internally young, so you're you're gonna always be able to fit around them, you know?

SPEAKER_05 28:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 28:13

Oh, that's nice to see you. Those early on. I'll check back with you.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Alright, well, uh, that's all the time we've got for today. Um, thank you, Marina. Megan, it's good to see you. It's all always a pleasure. Yeah, please. Thank you, Max. Yeah, thanks for setting this up, Max. And uh yeah, well, peace, everybody. I hope I hope you guys have a nice day.

SPEAKER_04 28:37

May the sauce be with you guys. Alright. The bringer of life, the bringer of unimaginable joy, the cause of catastrophic destruction. Knowing that you have something so powerful, wouldn't you want the best to take care of it? Pardon me for saying this, I am just a humble announcer. But if I had a coochie, I'd probably get it waxed at Cheyenne's waxing studio on 830 Elmwood Ave. You have power in between your legs. So why not have it taken care of by the best? It's the B and P podcast. If you were artist, no matter discipline, we'll help you out. Don't believe in gatekeeping, we all gotta eat, and this is our way of helping out. Ben Joe's the host, Ben Max the cult. We try our best, so here we go. Like, why you got a podcast? Everybody got dog. To be quite honest, I don't got a job. Looking at prospects like one going rock. Thank Joe for the pot. I'm not designed for crime, I'm too pretty for present. But talking off the dome, I'm finna make a killer. If Joe Rogan can do it, I sure can. I've never fucked a stool, so I've got the upper hand. If Joe Rogan can do it, I sure can. I've never fucked a stool, so I've got the upper hand.