Coney Island's got talent

Fire breathers and vaudeville-esque dancers will be put to the test this Saturday in the first annual Coney Island Talent Show.

“I’ve wanted to do this event for a couple of years. I was surprised there wasn’t a Coney Island talent show already, it seemed like a natural thing to do,” said Jen Gapay, the producer of the talent show, to be held on the Boardwalk.

With burlesque notables as Miss Saturn and The World Famous Bob leading the festivities as the hostesses, participants will compete in such categories as Best Drag Performance of Celebrity Impersonator; Dance Your Pants Off (not literally — but then again…); creative kids ages 9-12; and, for those on the opposite spectrum, sassy seniors (the latter two are open to anything from magic acts to jokes).

And this wouldn’t be a Coney Island-based talent show without a Circus Freaks and Sideshow Geeks category.

“Anything goes in this one,” said Gapay. “We have everything from sword swallowers to magicians to a contortionist.”

The Bushwick-based Minsky Sisters (pictured) will be showing off their 1920s-inspired dance act in the Dance Your Pants Off category.

“We’ve never performed in Coney Island and figured why not, we love Coney Island,” said Jen Minsky, who, along with her sister, Kristen, make up the duo, which has been tap dancing across Brooklyn in flapper dresses at places like Williamsburg’s Public Assembly, Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO and the Montauk Club in Park Slope.

The sisters hope to hold their own against the evening’s other acts, which include step teams and break-dancers.

“We will certainly be unique,” said Jen, who plans on doing the duo’s fan dance, which involves the use of two large white feather fans, for the performance. “Especially in New York nightlife, tap dancing is a little bit of a rarity.”

The Minsky Sisters and other contestants are vying for $200, a season pass to the amusement park, and future performance opportunities in Coney Island if placing first in their category. Deciding in that will be judges Dick Zigun, who’s seen it all as the man behind Coney Island USA, burlesque performer Ms. Ghost Hole and musician Don Undeen.

“They’ll be judging on who has the most talent, and also what’s the most entertaining act,” said Gapay. “Somebody can be a great singer and have no stage personality.”

Because in Coney Island, it’s all about the personality.

The Coney Island Talent Show on the Boardwalk (between W. 10th and W. 11th streets), July 31 from 4-8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.thirstygirlproductions.com.

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Get lost in this cabaret circus

Ringling Bros. is for kids; for a real circus experience this summer, Littlefield’s got you covered.

On July 31, party people Gemini and Scorpio throw “The Lost Circus,” a late-night extravaganza at the Gowanus space where the big top and cabaret collide.

There’s no wheel of death or magic acts here, but aerial dance courtesy of Madeline Hoak, tribal fusion bellydance by Lauren Robbinai, and a fire show by Ali Luminescent. Kai Altair will even read your fortune.

Electronica outfit Copal (pictured) will provide the tunes in between the acts, playing a dark string fusion, while Vagabond Opera will entertain with bohemian cabaret in 13 different languages. Transforming the space into a dusty circus will be an art installation by Molly Crabapple and Kathleen Green.

As if that’s not enough, a few surprise guests are also planned, which you’ll only find out by going.

And don’t be lame; costumes are required, so think steampunk Victorian, the macabre of Edward Gorey, the quirkiness of Tim Burton, the futurism of “Mad Max,” the fantastic fairy tale “City of Lost Children,” and, naturally, traveling circus. But please, no red clown wigs.

“The Lost Circus” at Littlefield [622 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, (718) 855-3388], July 31 at midnight. Tickets $15 with RSVP, $20 without. For info, visit www.geminiandscorpio.com.

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Big Takeover, big party

It would take more than one weekend to fully illustrate the 30 years that “The Big Takeover” magazine has been covering the independent music scene. But publisher Jack Rabid’s upcoming July 30-31 party at the Bell House isn’t a bad sampling.

It shouldn't be — he picked the bands himself.

“This is my dream to do something like this,” said Rabid, pictured on the far left in a photo with his band, Springhouse, in 1991. “I just got frustrated that a number of my favorite bands were never going to play here unless I made them, and I’m deeply honored they’d come on an occasion like this.” (Read our extensive interview with the punk journalism godfather here).

Indeed, the festival has some acts playing their first U.S. show ever, including New Zealand’s ex-Mutton Birds member Don McGlashan and Newtown Neurotics frontman Steve Drewett (both on July 31). Others are reuniting just for the show, including the post-punk band Flower, playing its first show in 16 years on July 30.

Rabid’s own band, Springhouse, is playing its first show in nearly 10 years with its original lineup, performing both nights, playing its 1993 shoegaze classic, “Postcards From the Arctic” in its entirety on July 31.

Other post-punk acts playing the fest include The Avengers on July 30, and Mark Burgess, For Against and Paul Collins on July 31.

“It will be an amazing event with all kinds of great artists performing, all bound together by their love of rock ’n’ roll and the whole DIY fanzine ethic,” said Collins, who’ll perform solo acoustic songs from his career and forthcoming album, “King of Power Pop.”

After 30 years in the business, going from a one-page newsletter to a 200-page glossy, “The Big Takeover” hasn’t gone soft. And its readers — both music appreciators and makers — have noticed.

“I personally have been reading the magazine for over 20 years, back in the days when Jack would have punk rock bands sleeping on his floor on Eldridge Street,” said Perry Serpa, of the orchestral pop band The Sharp Things, who play on July 31. “There’s no other music magazine that has that much informative and intelligent text about underground and alternative music and no other person with the tenacity to put it all together. Hail Jack Rabid!”

“The Big Takeover” 30th anniversary festival at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], July 30 at 6 pm and July 31 at 4 pm. Tickets are $25 ($40 for a two-day pass). For info, visit www.bigtakeover.com.

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'Blind' love

By Damian Harris-Hernandez

A beautiful and recently married Italian dame is going blind, but nobody believes her except a nutty inventor. In order to help her overcome her disability, he devises a novel machine: the typewriter.

Passion, adultery and the imagination run naked in “The Blind Contessa’s New Machine,” the first book by Fort Greene author Carey Wallace.

Based loosely on the love affair between Countess Carolina Fantoni and inventor Pelligrino Turri, the story is what the author, who reads from her debut novel tonight at Greenlight Bookstore, located right around the corner from her apartment, describes as “historical fantasy.”

The typewriter’s racy history accidentally fell into Wallace’s lap one day during an unrelated Google search. Instantly, the writer knew she had the makings of a book. She began typing it (yes, on a typewriter) three years ago at a rural Michigan arts retreat, which she founded 10 years ago to bring city artists to the country.

In the story, it first appears that the countess must choose between her husband and the inventor. But “The Blind Contessa” is not your typical bodice-ripper. Wallace allows Carolina to choose beyond the men by finding a place of her own within her imagination.

“It’s about invention of every kind: lies, dreams, technology,” says Wallace. “The triumph of the imagination and the way it fails us.”

Carey Wallace at Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. at S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246-0200], July 29 at 7:30 pm. For info, visit www.abookstoreinbrooklyn.blogspot.com.

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Our Celebrate Brooklyn! pick of the week

Indie rock gods Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have been pushing the rock envelope for three decades as the seminal rock band Sonic Youth, delivering arty, experimental sounds to generations of head-bopping teenagers and cool dads alike.

Sometimes jarring, sometimes soothing, but always epic, Sonic Youth’s longevity and willingness to explore new avenues of noise has earned the group tenure and respect in the contemporary indie scene.

Formed in 1981, the prolific band has released 16 full-length albums, eight EPs and numerous singles, releasing their latest album, “The Eternal,” in 2009, less than a year after the duo gave fans a free sneak preview at the last McCarren Park Pool show in 2008.

Fans of the No Wave band or those late to the scene can see Gordon rock out on the bass and Moore shred on the guitar once again on Saturday at the Prospect Park band shell as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn festival.

“As a teen, I was very influenced by Sonic Youth,” said Andrya Ambro, who will open for the veteran noise makers with her band Talk Normal, a noisy Williamsburg pop rock duo. “They were such a wild and new sound for me.”

And for fans used to paying top dollar to see Sonic Youth perform, the free show is certainly something to celebrate.

Sonic Youth at the Prospect Park band shell [Prospect Park West and Ninth Street in Park Slope, (718) 855-7882], July 31 at 7:30 pm. Free. With Talk Normal. For info, visit www.bricartsmedia.org.

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Life is a cabaret

By Alex Rush

How many musical genres can one band incorporate into its sound?

Portland-based sextet Vagabond Opera, a self-proclaimed Bohemian cabaret ensemble, manages to play at least 10. The musically catholic group will bring its fusion of styles and wild theatrics to Kingsborough Community College on Saturday as part of the school’s free outdoor concert series, “Hot Summer Nights.”

“They cover such a broad range of music,” said Anna Becker, executive director of the school’s theater. “And one of the things that excited me so much about them is their stage presence — they’ll run through the aisles singing and even bring out a fire-eating belly dancer.”

Clad in fedoras and other threads fit for a show at the Moulin Rouge, Vagabond Opera draws influences from klezmer, jazz, classical, swing, European folk varieties and of course, opera. Their vocalists include tenors and sopranos who sing in 15 different languages. The band even wrote and performed a full-length opera, “Queen of Knives,” in their home city this past May.

The man behind the musical madness is multi-instrumentalist and operatic tenor Eric Stern. Stern wanted to combine opera with kooky, burlesque-style theatre that could be performed in venues that are much smaller than the typical opera hall. He couldn’t have assembled a more eclectic ensemble to fulfill his vision. Group members include a bassist trained in Armenian music, a jazz drummer, a saxophonist who did time as a circus performer, a folk-rock cellist and another cellist who once took part in a Cirque du Soleil production.

Now that’s what we call a variety show.

Vagabond Opera at Kingsborough Community College [2001 Oriental Blvd. between Decatur Avenue and Quentin Street in Manhattan Beach, (718) 368-5596], July 31 at 8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.kingsborough.edu/performingartscenter.

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Lip service

In an age where a machine can make any noise imaginable, beatboxing hasn’t lost its novelty.

Employed by artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Matisyahu, the quirky, jaw-dropping vocal percussion style, where sounds of drum beats are made using one’s lips, mouth and voice, has seduced musicians all over the world.

There are international beatboxing competitions every year overseas, but Bensonhurst actor and beatboxer Chesney Snow decided it was high time we had our own.

So on July 31, the World Beatbox Association throws its first American Beatbox Championships at Littlefield in Gowanus, where the best of the best here will show off their spitting skills. Throughout the weekend, the venue will also host the Sixth International Human Beatbox Convention, traditionally held in London.

“Overseas, it’s become so huge. I felt there was something that needed to spark the growth of the culture here in the United States,” said Snow. “And it was really important for me for this to happen in Brooklyn. There’s just something about the grassroots style of community here. It would not have felt right for any place else to host the first US championships.”

The first day will feature the competition — eight beatboxers from across the country, whittled down from 65 through months of online judging, battling it out on stage. Over the course of the weekend, there will also be beatboxing workshops, performances from beatboxing masters including Kenny Muhammad, film screenings and panels discussions, all focused on beatboxing as an art form.

“It’s more than just creating and mimicking sounds,” said Snow (who you can watch in action below in a performance at Southpaw). “There is a deeper sense to this, just as there’s a deeper sense to music.”

American Beatbox Championships and International Human Beatbox Convention at Littlefield [622 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, (718) 855-3388], July 31 from 10 am-midnight and August 1 from noon-5 pm. Tickets $35 per day, $85 for weekend pass. Use promo code CourierBOX to get half-priced tickets. For info, visit www.beatboxconvention.com.

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