I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kitten on the Keys at Tease-O-Rama and Exotic World many times, and she is one of the most endearing people on the scene. She’s fierce and funny, and has incredible glamour and style. I’m performing with her this coming weekend at Tease-o-Rama, and I can’t wait!
How and when did you come up with the name “Kitten on the Keys”?
Kitten on the Keys is the name of a 1922 Novelty Ragtime Song by composer Zev Confrey. The song emulates dozens of furry footed creatures running over a piano keyboard. I sometimes feel I have Many small furry animals running around in my brain PLUS I started in the cabaret world as a Tin Pan Alley Flapper Rock Betty Boopish gal so the era of the song was perfect. I am still very obsessed with the 1920’s flapper era of freedom-bob your hair, raise your skirts, smoke and drink and WEEEE..throw away that corset!
I came up with the name sometime in the 1990’s while working in a vintage clothing store. People always ask-when you play the ukulele who are you then? When you just sing who are you then? When you MC who are you? Damn it-stop confusing me…I barely know who I am. I am just Kitten on the Keys.
How would you describe yourself–performer? MC? Musician? You have a unique place in burlesque!
I am quite the goody bundle of kitsh. I started with Harvest Moon and the Cantakerous Lollies and Fisherman’s Famous Burlesque Orchestra in SF. That is where I started singing and everything-I was a lowly pianist who needed to BUST OUT!I just got lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I was unique and could “fill in” while the pretty girls changed their outfits!
I am a multi tasker-the ol ADD that the meds are always trying to wrangle and curtail ….a blessing and a curse. I do not know why I fit in but I am glad I do! I think it is my naughty sensibility and passion for playing dress up. Besides the early girlie music scene I was involved in and playing piano in resthomes , this is the first group of folks that seem to “get me” and appreciate my eccentricities.
How long have you been performing?
I started very young-3 as a Christmas Angel in a Church Pageant I was a total brat-I remember giving myself crazy updoos with lots of bobby pins and then getting all pissy and sitting under the cross and singing LOUDER than anyone-jeeze I should be embarrassed but it is pretty funny. -I did TONS of performing in the church-I had a VERY religious mom and a musician pop who was never home.
I was obsessed with rock and roll but was told only JAZZ and JESUS mattered.
I was even in an interpretive dance troupe in church called the Earthen Vessels-we wore brown ’70s Danskin leotards and skirts and the air conditioning was on full blast out nubile nipples would show through and POOF! That was then end of the Earthen Vessels….. I went on to do theater at American Conservatory Theater’s Young Conservatory where all my pals were super Punk Rock and I just stopped coming home. My mom just thought I went to all night parties all the time — if she only knew.
I played in the ultra-hip high school rock band with all the music nerds who could not go out to play because they had to practice their violins and cellos. Then there was Rocky Horror Picture Show …… I then got into many all girl bands and made some records. The White Stains, named for an Allister Crowley book was fueled by the singers meth addiction and made it into the top 10 on college radio.
We played at all of the old cool punk/art rock haunts –- sometimes I get asked to do these reunions and it his great to see who is still alive! I was into theater at college, was the music director of a radio station, made avant garde music in the electronic music department, did tons of crazy performance pieces, and worked in art galleries-all while chemically impaired.
Speaking of chemicals — I hooked up with Courtney Love, Kat Bjelland, and Jennifer Finch and made a pretty famous pre Hole, Babes in toyland, and L7 demo…it is really super funny and not what you would think at all.… The band was called Sugar Babydoll and then Sugar Babylon…I quit the music scene after that bundle of hooey, got my BA in Performance Art from San Francisco State, worked in the coolest Vintage Clothing Stores for YEARS and listened to 1920s and 1930s rarities on a Victrola and collected a bundle of naughty flapper sheet music. All of these experiences molded me into who I am today — a mouthy flapper with an edge who just happens to be an attention whore.