Squeaky Springs is the founder of the Denver, Colorado-based burlesque troupe Punk Rock Burlesque, who will be celebrating their 5th anniversary on the 3rd of next month at Denver’s Marquis Theater. For those of you in the Denver area, you can catch them sooner than that at the Larimer Lounge on July 14th.
CHRIS CHARLES: Besides being the producer of Punk Rock Burlesque, I understand you’re also the founder?
SQUEAKY SPRINGS: Yes, I founded the the troupe in 2014. I was honestly just trying to form a one-off show and it kind of morphed into something more. I’m very proud of what we became and I feel like we offer a pretty unique experience in the burlesque community.
CHRIS: How many ladies currently preform with Punk Rock Burlesque?
SQUEAKY: There are over 80 performers from across the gender spectrum
CHRIS: Where are some of the most notable venues you have performed at?
SQUEAKY: Performing at Larimer lounge has been a big treat, opening for Hellzapoppin at The Summit was super fun and we’re very excited to do our five-year anniversary at the Marquis on August 3rd!
CHRIS: Before founding Punk Rock Burlesque, did you preform solo or with another troupe?
SQUEAKY: I performed with another troupe.
CHRIS: Other than the ladies in Punk Rock Burlesque, are there any particular burlesque performers, past or present, whom you particularly admire?
SQUEAKY: Too many to name! So many inspiring burlesque performers out there.
CHRIS: Do any of the ladies in your troupe have any specialties, like fire-breathing, snakes, or ….?
SQUEAKY: I mean, lots of the ladies have specialties (laughs). Some of them have done sideshow stuff before, some of them are aerialists and contortionists. We also have several performers who do fire, but it’s always difficult to incorporate that into our shows though because most venues do not allow fire.
CHRIS: Has anyone ever had any mishaps on stage during a performance?
SQUEAKY: Oh, of course! Pasties come off, costuming gets stuck, high heels get tripped over. It’s all par for the course.
CHRIS: Are your performances ever accompanied by live bands?
SQUEAKY: We’re actually about to do our first show with a live band on July 14th at Larimer Lounge.
CHRIS: Are you always on the lookout for new performers to join your troupe?
SQUEAKY: Yes and no. We have a fairly decent waiting list right now of people who are waiting to get trained in Burlesque. Of course we’re always happy to put people on that waiting list and even more excited for people who already have a decent amount of experience, we also just want to be realistic about what’s going on with our training.
CHRIS: How did your stage name come about?
SQUEAKY: Well, I was born with a partial cleft palate which gives my voice a nasal quality and squeaky been a nickname I’ve had since childhood. Squeaky Springs just came to me as a kitschy burlesque name to play off of a nickname I’ve had since I was a kid.
CHRIS: With that, I’ll thank you so much for taking the time to do this impromptu interview with me Squeaky. Oh, one last question: Who is the best tassel twirler in Punk Rock Burlesque and can she do it better than Elvira?
SQUEAKY: Elvira is a goddess and I’m not sure we ever want to compete with her! All of my performers can hold their own though.
This February 2016 promo video gives a good example of what
to expect at a Punk Rock Burlesque show
See more of Squeaky and Punk Rock Burlesque at:
Squeaky’s Facebook Fan Page
Punk Rock Burlesque’s Facebook Fan Page
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
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