Dieselpunk + Steampunk Culture
INTERVIEW - Jeff Mach of The Steampunk World's Fair
Jeff Mach of The Steampunk World's Fair
Reporting from behind the Big Top of this year's biggest steampunk event
Less than a month from now, New Jersey will be the nexus for all things steampunk thanks to The Steampunk World's Fair. So watch out Seattle, we know how to party. We have eye protection, leather & brass armor, and more striped bustles than you can shake a stick at.
Here to give us a behind the scenes look at what we can expect at this year's Steampunk World's Fair (May 14-16 in Piscataway, NJ) is co-planner Jeff Mach.
Jeff is a home grown Jersey boy like myself, which means two things: he knows how to throw a party, and he can glow in the dark. Let's learn a bit more...
Hi Jeff and welcome to Dieselpunks. Despite our name, we like to cover everything *punk, including an event I'm really excited about; this year's Steampunk World's Fair. Since it's our first date together and most of the crowd hasn't met you yet, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in lovely Teaneck, New Jersey. We had the first integrated school in the United States, which was slightly before even my father went to Teaneck High. We had a race riot while I was there. It was a complicated growing-up.
I live in Hackensack now, but I call all of New Jersey home. There are other states I like a lot more, but I am perpetually in love with the crazy variety of this state - industry, corporations large and small, seashores, farmland, and running through it like a vein, the ol' New Jersey Turnpike, which features what my good friend David Chosid called "the most Cyberpunk power plant next to any highway anywhere" - and, of course, independently owned 24-hour diners, where the strange people gather late at night.
Can you give us an overview of what to expect at the Steampunk World's Fair?
It's better to say that I can and I can't, for two reasons.
One, the event has grown so large that it is, in some ways, out of our hands. The event is very clearly going to be made by the spirits of those who attend. It's the first time we're doing this event, and in many ways, the first time anyone in the world is doing an event like this. The event is truly going to be built by those who attend; their thoughts, hopes, desires and attitudes will make the event. If they're open-minded, if they're excited, if they come with a desire to enjoy themselves - and the kind understanding that we'll make a few mistakes - then this is going to be a spectacular thing.
Second, as far as I know, this is the first attempt to create a fully immersive Steampunk festival (not convention!*) on this scale in the United States. There's so much going on, so much happening, that even we aren't sure exactly how it will work out.
We do know this: Our philosophy is that we want to be a friendly, open, welcoming event. We'd rather have some genuinely curious people show up in totally ordinary clothes and have them make new friends and enjoy the event than have an event full of the best-dressed Steampunks in the world and have nobody talk to each other.
Where did the idea start and who do we have to thank for getting the idea off the ground?
The idea started when more and more Steampunks began showing up to Wicked Faire, and I began to realize how much I loved it. But the idea really got off the ground when I started talking to my partners. It was meeting up with the Penny Dreadfuls that really got me excited to do an event, and it was having Josh Marks, formerly of SalonCon, come out of retirement and agree to be a partner which really made us feel like we could do it.
And oddly enough, part of it was the hotel! The Radisson of Piscataway loves this idea, and is really excited to play host!
What kind of location do we have for the Fair this year?
I realize that people usually say that they're happy to be working with their venues, but that's really very true here. Our primary venue is run by people I've worked with for many years, and that's sometimes rare in this business. It's a lovely midsized Radisson hotel, with just a bit more brass than usual, and a few very nice individual touches. They are incredibly friendly to us, and really dedicated to making this a good event; which is great, because the event's gotten so complex. They've actually done work on the hotel courtyard because we needed the space.
Our secondary hotel, the Embassy Suites, is a beautiful hotel, and we're using their Grand Ballroom as much as possible. Embassy Suites are known for having a light, airy, fun atmosphere.
Have you tried to assemble anything this large before?
Yes and no. The fifth Wicked Faire, which happened this past February, had over 3,000 people. But I have to admit that events of this size are still fairly new for me - and this event is definitely larger in scope and ambition than any first-time event I've ever done. Right now, it's looking larger than the first two Wicked Faires put together.
And the challenge of trying to assemble an event that would show as many sides of Steampunk as possible - that's been no small feat. We have four major simultaneous stages just for entertainment alone - and that's before we got to any discussions, workshops, or talks, and that's not counting the stage shows, and the gaming.
What will we see when we arrive?
A whole heck of a lot of Steampunks! The basic thought is that when you arrive at the Radisson, you'll have at least a half-dozen different options for different things to do, all within a minute's walk. The entire first floor of hotel rooms is devoted to our Vending Bazaar; but literally everywhere you turn, you'll have something new to do, something to try, something to play with, something to learn about, and people to meet!
Here's a partial list of some of our entertainment:
I actually had this discussion, over at BrassGoggles, about the difference between a "Festival" (as we are) and a "Convention." Obviously, we have a lot of convention elements, and Steampunk conventions have elements which are a lot like our festival. But we feel there's this difference - and I'm quoting right from freedictionary.com:
If you would like to contrast it with "convention" - and we love conventions -
What will set the Steampunk World's Fair apart from other conventions?
Flat-out insane devotion to providing a sensory overload of entertainment. Also, LEGOs.
Is it a one day event, or has it spilled over into the rest of the weekend already?
Three days! Three days filled to the very bursting point and brim!
Take your vitamins! Get plenty of rest beforehand! I'm not kidding in the slightest. Unless you run marathons, this event is likely to leave you exhausted. Delighted, we hope, but exhausted!
Will there be workshops or other educational events during the day?
Yes! All through all three days!
Will there be plenty of zeppelin parking available?
There's a pretty good amount of zeppelin' parking - we have the parking lots of two hotels, plus the business next door. Hopefully that will be enough. Hopefully...
Are tickets still available? If so, how can people get in touch?
Absolutely - they can get advance tickets at www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com. Though our Tea and Dinner are sold out - we actually sold 5x as many Tea tickets and twice as many Dinner tickets as we'd originally planned.
Will it be a one-shot, or are there already plans in motion for a 2011 World's Fair?
There are definitely plans for 2011. For one thing, the response for this has been fantastic, and we're amazed and humbled by the talent that's coming out. And furthermore - we'd really love to keep to our mission of providing an immersive and fun home for Steampunks of all kinds. We'd like to keep doing that!
How can Dieselpunks help?
You know, that's an excellent question. May I throw a curveball at you?
After Wicked Faire this year, we realized that we had some of the problems of success: Too many people trying to get into a ballroom that could only fit 1,200 people, and less socializing between people because the event had gotten larger.
I wanted to form a volunteer organization made of people who would like to help the events they go to - a League of Attendees, or something - this was specifically patterned for SPWF, but it could work in a lot of places. I'm wondering if this might be something you folks might be into.
The guidelines I had brainstormed were:
That sounds like a smart plan. Be considerate, and everyone will have a great time!
Thanks a ton for the info, Jeff, and thanks a lot for your time!
I'll be there representing Dieselpunks, so let everyone know that the first round in the Casablanca Room is on me.
It is quite possible that you would find a great deal of enjoyment in www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com, May 14-16, Piscataway, New Jersey - whether or not you're an aficionado of steampunk. The good times to be had are really quite extraordinary.
*That would be Steampowered: The California Steam Convention
Reporting from behind the Big Top of this year's biggest steampunk event
Less than a month from now, New Jersey will be the nexus for all things steampunk thanks to The Steampunk World's Fair. So watch out Seattle, we know how to party. We have eye protection, leather & brass armor, and more striped bustles than you can shake a stick at.
Here to give us a behind the scenes look at what we can expect at this year's Steampunk World's Fair (May 14-16 in Piscataway, NJ) is co-planner Jeff Mach.
Jeff is a home grown Jersey boy like myself, which means two things: he knows how to throw a party, and he can glow in the dark. Let's learn a bit more...
Hi Jeff and welcome to Dieselpunks. Despite our name, we like to cover everything *punk, including an event I'm really excited about; this year's Steampunk World's Fair. Since it's our first date together and most of the crowd hasn't met you yet, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in lovely Teaneck, New Jersey. We had the first integrated school in the United States, which was slightly before even my father went to Teaneck High. We had a race riot while I was there. It was a complicated growing-up.
I live in Hackensack now, but I call all of New Jersey home. There are other states I like a lot more, but I am perpetually in love with the crazy variety of this state - industry, corporations large and small, seashores, farmland, and running through it like a vein, the ol' New Jersey Turnpike, which features what my good friend David Chosid called "the most Cyberpunk power plant next to any highway anywhere" - and, of course, independently owned 24-hour diners, where the strange people gather late at night.
Can you give us an overview of what to expect at the Steampunk World's Fair?
It's better to say that I can and I can't, for two reasons.
One, the event has grown so large that it is, in some ways, out of our hands. The event is very clearly going to be made by the spirits of those who attend. It's the first time we're doing this event, and in many ways, the first time anyone in the world is doing an event like this. The event is truly going to be built by those who attend; their thoughts, hopes, desires and attitudes will make the event. If they're open-minded, if they're excited, if they come with a desire to enjoy themselves - and the kind understanding that we'll make a few mistakes - then this is going to be a spectacular thing.
Second, as far as I know, this is the first attempt to create a fully immersive Steampunk festival (not convention!*) on this scale in the United States. There's so much going on, so much happening, that even we aren't sure exactly how it will work out.
We do know this: Our philosophy is that we want to be a friendly, open, welcoming event. We'd rather have some genuinely curious people show up in totally ordinary clothes and have them make new friends and enjoy the event than have an event full of the best-dressed Steampunks in the world and have nobody talk to each other.
Where did the idea start and who do we have to thank for getting the idea off the ground?
The idea started when more and more Steampunks began showing up to Wicked Faire, and I began to realize how much I loved it. But the idea really got off the ground when I started talking to my partners. It was meeting up with the Penny Dreadfuls that really got me excited to do an event, and it was having Josh Marks, formerly of SalonCon, come out of retirement and agree to be a partner which really made us feel like we could do it.
And oddly enough, part of it was the hotel! The Radisson of Piscataway loves this idea, and is really excited to play host!
What kind of location do we have for the Fair this year?
I realize that people usually say that they're happy to be working with their venues, but that's really very true here. Our primary venue is run by people I've worked with for many years, and that's sometimes rare in this business. It's a lovely midsized Radisson hotel, with just a bit more brass than usual, and a few very nice individual touches. They are incredibly friendly to us, and really dedicated to making this a good event; which is great, because the event's gotten so complex. They've actually done work on the hotel courtyard because we needed the space.
Our secondary hotel, the Embassy Suites, is a beautiful hotel, and we're using their Grand Ballroom as much as possible. Embassy Suites are known for having a light, airy, fun atmosphere.
Have you tried to assemble anything this large before?
Yes and no. The fifth Wicked Faire, which happened this past February, had over 3,000 people. But I have to admit that events of this size are still fairly new for me - and this event is definitely larger in scope and ambition than any first-time event I've ever done. Right now, it's looking larger than the first two Wicked Faires put together.
And the challenge of trying to assemble an event that would show as many sides of Steampunk as possible - that's been no small feat. We have four major simultaneous stages just for entertainment alone - and that's before we got to any discussions, workshops, or talks, and that's not counting the stage shows, and the gaming.
What will we see when we arrive?
A whole heck of a lot of Steampunks! The basic thought is that when you arrive at the Radisson, you'll have at least a half-dozen different options for different things to do, all within a minute's walk. The entire first floor of hotel rooms is devoted to our Vending Bazaar; but literally everywhere you turn, you'll have something new to do, something to try, something to play with, something to learn about, and people to meet!
Here's a partial list of some of our entertainment:
- The Absinthe Drinkers
- Adam Smith
aka Phineas Phlensing, Esq. - Amy Blackthorn
- Aubrey Calliope
- Ben H. Winters
- Black Tape for A Blue Girl
- Brigid Ashwood
- CJ Henderson
- Clay and Susan Griffith
- The Clockwork Dolls
- The Comiku Girls
- Dr. Slickshill
- Ekaterina Sedia
- Eli August
- Elizabeth Muise
- Emilie P. Bush
- Emperor Norton's
Stationary Marching Band - Epsilon's Elixers
- Evelyn Kriete
- Felice the Dancing Wench
- G.D. Falksen
- Genevieve Valentine
- Happy Hour Burlesque
- Honor Amongst Thieves
Circus Sideshow - Hubris
- HUMANWINE
- Jake von Slatt
- John Gregory Betancourt
- Katie Kat
- Kyle Cassidy
- Leanna Renee Hieber
- Left Outlet
- Luke Reynolds
- Madame Ximon
- Marah Fellicce
- Matt DeBlass
- The Mission Creeps
- Mr. E
- ModVic
- Olde City Sideshow
- Outland Armour
- Platform One
- Professor Elemental
- Professor E.R. Darclyffe
- Psyche Corporation
- RA Friedman
- Sepiachord
- S.S. Icarus /
The Penny Dreadfuls - SteamSmith
- Stephen Segal
- This Way to the Egress
- Tom Brown
- Tsirkus Fotografika
- Veronique Chevalier
- Violet Haberdasher
- Voltaire
- Walter Sickert
and The Army of Broken Toys - Weird Tales Magazine
I actually had this discussion, over at BrassGoggles, about the difference between a "Festival" (as we are) and a "Convention." Obviously, we have a lot of convention elements, and Steampunk conventions have elements which are a lot like our festival. But we feel there's this difference - and I'm quoting right from freedictionary.com:
- a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance
- any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event
- an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place a festival of drama
- Archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking
- (modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival
If you would like to contrast it with "convention" - and we love conventions -
- formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates, as of a political party, fraternal society, profession, or industry.
- The body of persons attending such an assembly: called the convention to order.
What will set the Steampunk World's Fair apart from other conventions?
Flat-out insane devotion to providing a sensory overload of entertainment. Also, LEGOs.
Is it a one day event, or has it spilled over into the rest of the weekend already?
Three days! Three days filled to the very bursting point and brim!
Take your vitamins! Get plenty of rest beforehand! I'm not kidding in the slightest. Unless you run marathons, this event is likely to leave you exhausted. Delighted, we hope, but exhausted!
Will there be workshops or other educational events during the day?
Yes! All through all three days!
Will there be plenty of zeppelin parking available?
There's a pretty good amount of zeppelin' parking - we have the parking lots of two hotels, plus the business next door. Hopefully that will be enough. Hopefully...
Are tickets still available? If so, how can people get in touch?
Absolutely - they can get advance tickets at www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com. Though our Tea and Dinner are sold out - we actually sold 5x as many Tea tickets and twice as many Dinner tickets as we'd originally planned.
Will it be a one-shot, or are there already plans in motion for a 2011 World's Fair?
There are definitely plans for 2011. For one thing, the response for this has been fantastic, and we're amazed and humbled by the talent that's coming out. And furthermore - we'd really love to keep to our mission of providing an immersive and fun home for Steampunks of all kinds. We'd like to keep doing that!
How can Dieselpunks help?
You know, that's an excellent question. May I throw a curveball at you?
After Wicked Faire this year, we realized that we had some of the problems of success: Too many people trying to get into a ballroom that could only fit 1,200 people, and less socializing between people because the event had gotten larger.
I wanted to form a volunteer organization made of people who would like to help the events they go to - a League of Attendees, or something - this was specifically patterned for SPWF, but it could work in a lot of places. I'm wondering if this might be something you folks might be into.
The guidelines I had brainstormed were:
- I'm here to enjoy an event that everyone enjoys; I want to have fun, and I want those around me to have fun.
- I'm not a member of the League because I think being a member of the League would make me some kind of royalty. If I'm in the League to impress people by being in the League, I'm a nitwit.
- I will aim to help people see the Fair and explore it.
- If somebody has to sacrifice their chance to see some of the entertainment because some things are overcrowded and fire safety says somebody has to go find something else to do, that person might be me.
That sounds like a smart plan. Be considerate, and everyone will have a great time!
Thanks a ton for the info, Jeff, and thanks a lot for your time!
I'll be there representing Dieselpunks, so let everyone know that the first round in the Casablanca Room is on me.
It is quite possible that you would find a great deal of enjoyment in www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com, May 14-16, Piscataway, New Jersey - whether or not you're an aficionado of steampunk. The good times to be had are really quite extraordinary.
*That would be Steampowered: The California Steam Convention
Comment
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Comment by Arctodus Rex on April 25, 2010 at 7:08pm -
Damn being a poor UK student :(
I really, really want to go to this.
-
Comment by Larry on April 16, 2010 at 10:11pm -
Oh how I wish I could go to this.
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