A Night With Voltaire

Finally, July 13th had arrived and I was on my way to see Voltaire's performance. As I generally do when going to Dickson Street, which is the heart our entertainment district, I left my vehicle on the Square and walked the rest of the way to the venue; this, in spite of the fact that my foot was killing me. The thing is, after I had almost reached the venue I realized that I had left my ticket in the car and had to walk all the way back to retrieve it before making the trek a second time. Believe me, I had a few choice words for myself after having to walk the distance twice!

After gaining entrance and being greeted by friends, I sat at the bar and ordered my first Guiness for the evening. As I sat there, I noticed a rather tall fellow moving around and mixing with the crowd. Hmm, I thought to myself, I don't remember seeing this guy around before, but he looks a bit like Voltaire. Well, it didn't take very long before I figured ,out that it was indeed the star of the night's show and I was happy to see that he actually seemed to enjoy mixing and socializing with the crowd. It's not every performer who actually tries to get to know his or her audience but Voltaire seems to thrive on it. The night was off to a good start.

Although Voltaire wasn't scheduled to perform until 11:00 pm, the fun began much earlier with DJ Durandal and company providing us with some great tunes designed to inspire the growing crowd to the dance floor. Although I kept reminding myself that I should stay try to stay off my sore foot, I found myself out on the floor doing what I shouldn't have been doing that night. It was just too hard to resist.

George's Majestic Lounge has a rather sizable beer garden out back with a recently expanded stage. With this new development the venue has been able to attract bigger national and international acts such as Lacuna Coil, which I saw there last winter. Since Voltaire came without any supporting musicians and would therefore, be playing solo, the management decided to have him perform inside the lounge area. Even though the local Goths and other fans managed to pretty much pack the room, it was assured that the show would be up close and intimate.

I was upstairs (if you want to call it that) visiting at a table when I noticed that people were beginning to gather around the stage. Yes! Voltaire was up there! The show was about to begin!

In all honesty, I cannot say that I am familiar enough with Voltaire's songs to tell you which one he started out with or to mention those he performed by name. What I will say however, is that I'm actually glad that he performed for us solo. His spontaneity was both wonderful and infectious as he would very often stop midstream in a song, as if the lyrics had suddenly given him an idea, and then talk and interact with the audience. A couple of minutes later, he would pick up right where he left off. It would probably be hard to do that with a band and this way he could make everyone feel as though they were a part of the show.

At one point during his performance Voltaire told us that he has been working on a new, soon-to-be-released album called BiTREKtual, a compilation of songs about both Star Trek and Star Wars. In his jovial way he apologized to the many Doctor Who fans present for not including any songs our favorite Doctor. Still, he had a song prepared for us and it was about the Tardis. Now this was a wonderful piece that stayed right on theme with an emphasis on how it's "bigger on the inside." Now, just ponder that for a few moments!

When it came time to conclude the show he called the ladies up to the stage and the entire group did the last number together, as further proof of his love of interaction with his fans. So what else can I say? Voltaire is personable, funny, creative, a good musician, Goth; and most of all, a great guy!

Of course, he had items for sale, so I can say that I am now the proud owner of his novel entitled The Call of the Jersey Devil,  which he autographed for me, and his Riding a Black Unicorn CD. A friend, who has already read the book, can't wait to hear what I think of it. She says that it's funny but yet horrifying. I can't wait to dig into it. Voltaire also brought some strange animals to the event. His Ponies of Doom were a big hit.

After the performance the sounds of recorded music once again filled the air. There was more dancing and socializing for awhile even though folks slowly began to trickle out. It was a great night and Voltaire's show was fantastic! The only things that could have made the night better would have been if my foot were feeling better and if...okay, I've got to say it, Voltaire had played If I Only Were A Goth.  I do have one regret though, and that is I wish I had brought the camera instead of relying upon my phone, which has no flash and apparently, no zoom. So, even though I took quite a few photos, only a couple came out well enough for me too put up here.

Eventually, I said my goodbyes, stepped out into the darkness and made my way back toward the Square and my vehicle.