MISS JUNE 2008

INGA KABOOM

The name Inga is of Scandinavian and Old Norse origin, and means God of peace and prosperity. It seems quite the appropriate name for someone that runs a bar; somebody’s got to keep the peace when customers get out of hand and somebody’s got to keep their creative cap on for the place to thrive. Inga Kaboom does just that and then some for the Surly Wench Pub in Tucson, Arizona. The co-owner of the joint also co-founded Black Cherry Burlesque, which often performs there. Inga also manages, directs and performs in the burlesque troupe. Inga talks about the pub, burlesque, how both came about, as well as co-founding Skwid Inc. Photography & Design in this hotter than hell June edition of Polly’s Pinups.

CREATING A MONSTER

CCF: Tell me a bit about the Surly Wench. Having never been there, it looks like the kind of bar people would go to in either a Rob Zombie or Robert Rodriguez movie - loud, dark, sexy and dangerous. Is that a fair assessment?

IK: Wow! That’s one of the most accurate descriptions I’ve ever heard! Add a bucket of sarcasm, velvet Elvis and a “Christmas Story” leg lamp and you’ve got yourself a Surly Wench pub.

CCF: What made a nice girl like yourself decide to open such a bar? (LOL)

IK: My partner, Stephanie has worked in the industry for over a decade and has always wanted to own her own bar. I actually wasn’t even of age when we opened, but when we put our minds to it, it just came together.

CCF: And this venue was actually an old run downed building that was revamped, right? Tell me a bit about that.

IK: Well the building was built in the 1800’s, like most of downtown Tucson, so we expected a lot of work. I have experience in construction, remodeling and tiling so I know how to get my hands dirty, but I had no idea how dirty! The previous owners had allowed the cranberry syrup for the soda guns to literally flood the basement. They had just laid boards over the mess to walk! The building is finally in the hands of a couple of responsible adults who actually care about Tucson’s history and preserving its original architecture.

CCF: Now coming up is the Surly Wench’s fourth year anniversary, how’s the business been treating you?

IK: We had no idea how good our first couple of years were! We got hit with a triple whammy in early 2007: Sucky economy, downtown construction and a city wide smoking ban. But we are continually impressed with the loyalty of our customers. We have regulars that call the Wench a home, so we are really blessed and lucky. It’s one big drunken family.

CCF: Any big plans for the Surly Wench Pub birthday party?

IK: Heck yes! Four years is a really big deal, Black Cherry Burlesque is performing!

CCF: That was something I wanted to get to with you - Black Cherry Burlesque. I understand the troupe sort of evolved out of a drunken night messing around on Myspace. Is that right?

IK: Well, I had always wanted to bring burlesque to Tucson. When we first opened I brought a touring troupe called Fluffgirl Burlesque from Toronto. I was really fascinated with the feeling of the crowd. At the time we were doing a lot of punk shows, and I had never seen so many relaxed, smiling faces in my bar as when we had the burlesque show. I wanted to supply the demand on a monthly basis, but when I decided to create Black Cherry, it was never my intention to perform. My partner and I were drinking, and we were like “Dude, let’s just do it!” So we created the Myspace page and started adding our friends from our Surly Wench page. The response was immediate and completely overwhelming. People wanted to join, be involved; people were asking when the first show was so we were like “Shit! Now we really have to do this!”

CCF: That’s a great story. It’s funny how things snowball sometimes. For those that don’t know what burlesque is, why don’t you give a brief explanation of what that means?

IK: Um...how much time you got?

CCF: (LOL)

IK: Burlesque started hundreds of years ago in the theaters, it was a genre that combined acting, singing, dancing and satire. Showing some skin was a way of poking fun at the stiff upper class, but eventually the men were just buying tickets for the skin, and striptease became a genre all on its own. Burlesque became increasingly popular in the 20’s through the 50’s. Burlesque stars competed for stardom with increasingly elaborate costumes, sets, props and gimmicks. Striptease became an artform, but the art of it all faded as laws gradually loosened around nudity, modern strip clubs were born and pornography became more readily available. There is a whole world wide revolution of women as well as men who are fighting to keep real burlesque alive and Black Cherry is part of that world.

CCF: As far as your troupe are the Black Cherries more old school teasearama or more modern?

IK: We replicate and pay homage to the burlesque legends of the past as well as incorporate modern twists to our shows. We have such a balance of classic and modern and plenty in between. We have fan dancers and hula hoopers, we have Marilyn Monroe and Marilyn Manson. We have a torch singer and a dominatrix. We keep everyone interested and leave everyone wanting more.

CCF: The Black Cherry Burlesque shows sound like a lot of fun. I was reading a review and it mentioned little skits with “Alice in Wonderland” and “Star Wars” references, so you sort of pull influences from all over the place. Essentially this is a variety show, right?

IK: A variety show is more along the lines of burlesque mixed with a comedian, a magician, belly dancers etc., whereas we do a full show of burlesque. But there is a vast variety between the types of acts within one show. I’ve been a 60’s stewardess, an aztec princess, Marie Antoinette, the Queen of Hearts, a Living Dead Girl, Little Red Riding Hood, Oscar the Grouch, a military dominatrix, and an Easter Bunny. We definitely pull inspiration from the most random things from a song we love to a Barbie doll we had as a kid.

CCF: Cool. Do you ever get any “creepy guys” in the audience that are there thinking they are going to see “lap dance” strippers? If so do any ever get out of hand or complain?

IK: When we first started, I was mortified at how few people knew what burlesque was. But even if you don't know it by name, it’s familiar, and people get it. For example: I was watching an old cartoon the other night where a wolf chased a chicken into a small pipe, and when it came out the other side it had lost all of it's feathers. The chicken frantically tried to cover itself at first but then it picked the feathers up and did a little fandance. The image of burlesque is just engrained in our culture whether you know what it’s about or not. But I’ve been standing outside my bar when some dude was like “Why pay a cover here when I can just go to a strip club?" and his friend was like “Noooo, maaaan, it’s different. It’s not about sex. It’s about entertainment." I was so proud, I think I shed a tear.

CCF: (LOL)

IK: People are generally really respectful though. Friends of mine in the audience have reported a few crude comments but the only person that ever tried molesting any of us was a drunk chick in the bathroom.

CCF: And out of necessity for the group, Skwid Inc. was born, which you co-founded and serve as a photographer for?

IK: Yeah. We needed pictures for the Black Cherry Myspace page to look legit, so I grabbed this military hat that I had just found at an antique store and my partner took some drunken camera phone pictures. It was our first Skwid Inc. photo shoot and being drunk was the only way it was gonna happen.

CCF: (LOL)

IK: I was so shy and self conscious back then but the response I got from those pictures really gave me some confidence. I created a burlesque/pinup monster! Bwahahahahaha!

CCF: Yeah, but a sexy monster. More “Bride of Frankenstein” than “Frankenstein.” (LOL) Prior to this did you have much experience in photography?

IK: Stephanie and I have always been passionate about photography, but the extent of my education was in high school, and those memories are a little… um... blurry.

CCF: (LOL)

IK: So, I have definitely had to relearn some things and we are still learning but I am so proud of what we have done so far.

CCF: Well, good job with it. Keep at it. Did you have any prior experience modeling, dancing, managing or any of these things you are now involved in?

IK: I remember taking ballet and jazz in high school, but I also remember filling my water bottle with vodka. As far as managing, I had zero experience, but it came pretty naturally. I’ve learned everything the hard way, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I’m sure I’ll make more. I’m pretty impatient; when I want something, I just do it. So I’m sure my future endeavors will be all stabs in the dark as well, because that’s just how I roll.

CCF: Well, that’s great. You’re energy and ambition is an inspiration. What’s your secret and would you advise others to take the same “jump in head first” approach in following dreams?

IK: Hmmm. That’s a good question. I’d like to advise people to educate themselves on their goals but I just think the system is bullshit. I received scholarships to two different schools when I graduated high school, but I was so young, I had no idea what I wanted to do with them. I worked so hard towards a degree and yet I had no clue what I was working for. When we started the bar, I still felt a little lost and as it was Stephanie’s dream. But I really became passionate about it, especially with having a creative outlet attached such as Black Cherry Burlesque and Skwid Inc. to keep me balanced. Plus, I get to do whatever the hell I want. If your dream is to become a business owner and you’ve got a vision, I say “Hell yeah, dive right in.” I’d say my secret is (and please don’t repeat this, because it’s a secret) rolling with the punches, embracing trends while sticking to your roots. Never think you’re above your staff or customers. Never ever ever ever ever think you know everything. Always be willing to learn. And for Christ’s sake, don’t name your business something like Surly Wench because the city council will give you dirty looks.

CCF: (LOL) Good advice. Okay, well, I think that is about it. Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. It was a pleasure. Good luck with all your endeavors.

IK: The pleasure was mine, thank you so much!

- CCF, June 2008