May 29 – 31, The Brass Screw Confederacy, Port Townsend’s Steampunk festival, aims to rock you back on your boot heels and steam up your goggles.
The Brass Screw Confederacy brings together the regions finest Steampunk artists and entertainers for a weekend of the extraordinary. Authors, panels, music, art, gritty history and whimsical flights of fantasy. Experience the mechanical contrivances of Tactical Croquet – miniature golf meets croquet, plus oddities and entertainments for all ages. An entire day of Steampunk authors speak their pieces in the Readings Room, plus a panel on the state of the art. The Bazaar of the Bizarre vendor faire brings artisans and creators from across the country. The Brass Screw Chautauqua lecture series comingles Victorian history and culture with all the fantastical whimsy that has come to embody Steampunk, culminating in the annual firing of a magnificent brass reproduction Gatling gun! Friday night you can belly up to the bar of the Steampunk Saloon to catch the return of Hot Damn Scandal.
Saturday evening, join us at historical Fort Worden for the Steampunk Hootenanny. This year’s lineup features Steampunk sensation Marquis de Vaudeville, a Texas-based, steam-themed band in their exclusive Washington state appearance. They’re joined by Jody Ellen, and Nathaniel Johnstone Band, or you step over and catch the exceptional spin of our own Steampunk DJ. Indulge your senses in a unique Coin-Op Burlesque Show, absinthe bars, and the Steampunk mysticism of Master Payne, Steampunk Sorcerer Supreme.
“What is Steampunk?” you may be asking. It’s a comingling of 19th Century aesthetics and technology with whimsical fancy and speculative fiction. You might think Jules Verne or some post-apocalyptic world where we’ve reverted to steam power to keep the gears turning. Many adherents enhance their modern lives with Victorian touches unencumbered by that era’s repressive prescriptions.
“But what is the Brass Screw?” First, the Brass Screw ain’t no Con. It breaks the tradition of historical event in a modern convention center. Instead it turns up the everyday experience of
life in Port Townsend, artistic nexus of the Northwest and one of just three Victorian seaports in the US recognized by the National LandmarkTrust. The Brass Screw Crew transforms Port Townsend into a unique vision of what a Steampunk Extravaganza should be: vintage aesthetics comingled with edgy century art, music, and tech – all strapped together with brass. We’ve got something to steam up ingénues and aficionados alike. You’ll wonder why you didn’t come sooner!
When: May 29-31, 2015
Where: Port Townsend, Washington
Who: Absolutely everyone from Steampunk devotees and adventurous souls curious to discover new arts and experiences
How: Information and tickets available at http://www.brass-screw.org
Starts Friday 5/29 1pm
Ends Sunday 5/31 2pm
Email: info@brass-screw.org
Phone: 360-301-5884
Steam Man illustration by Nyk Fury