Rey Magdael has been studying several different martial arts for the past four decades. His background in both “hard” and “soft” styles has given him a rich appreciation of the ways that practice has touched his life and the lives of everyone he has the pleasure of practicing with. The War Room gives him the …
Having the ambitious wish to propel the entire world into a melodic vortex, Marquis of Vaudeville emits an extraordinary sound that spirals listeners on an utterly imaginative, musical merry-go-round. Listeners never know what moodswung journey they’ll embark upon once these musical highwaymen hijack their consciousness. With imagination at its core, the theatrical flair and intriguing nature of …
Unwoman (aka Erica Mulkey) is a San Francisco-based solo cellist-singer-songwriter. Her sets feature stand-up electric cello with live looping. She received two Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Awards in 2015, for best solo musician and best album. Unwoman has performed with Amanda Palmer, Voltaire, Abney Park, Rasputina, Stripmall Architecture, Vernian Process, The Nathaniel Johnstone Band, and …
Nathaniel Johnstone is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter who sings about humanity, myth and whimsy. His work includes the transhumanist fantasy The Mother Matrix and the playfully audacious The Dubious Hat and Other Tales of Ineffable Horror. Steampunk-Music.com praises his “technical dexterity and emotional expressiveness” as he blends inspiration from metal, jazz, punk, folk, rock, and blues …
As for Captain Merrill, the mysterious freelancer was born and raised in a small port town along the outskirts of the Sri Vijaya Empire. Born to a Western trader and local woman, Captain Merrill spent a childhood entranced by tales of adventure and exploration. However, the declining empire brought poverty and hardship to Merill’s village. …
David Laudenslager is a National Fight Director and Media Lead of The Saber Legion (TSL), an international LED saber combat organization. David has fought in TSL international tournaments in Minneapolis and Las Vegas, placing every year since 2017. He is currently one of the TSL Tag Team Champions. In addition to LED saber combat, David …
Strangely, the world’s premier goosecore solo artist, has thrice circled the globe with the “genre-busting” [TheWest] solo cabaret Accordion Fight Show. Accordion Fight Show is a rambunctious collection of drinking songs, party games and bawdy stories, mostly for grownups. A quieter show, Seance with Strangely, features a darkly whimsical tale, told through historical narrative and …
Michael Kirkley has been studying martial arts for most of his adult life. At first it started with Kempo, Aikido, Kung fu and Krav Maga. In the early 2000s he started taking his first HEMA (Historic European Martial Artes) classes. From that stemmed wrestling, knife fighting, sword fighting, axes and pugilism. One thing he will …
David Dierks, Co-Chair of the War Room, has studied Bartitsu under Tom Badillo since 2009. He has been part of Tom’s fight team at many venues, including ones in Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; and several Bay Area appearances. He has studied with Tony Wolf, one of the foremost authorities of Bartitsu in the modern …
Maestro Boyer began fencing modern at the age of eight. The Maestro fenced competitively within the US and Europe from 1966 to 1978 and was Coach for the US Navy/Marine Corps Fencing team from 1986 to 1988. He began studying Historical Fencing in 1978 and continues today with interest in rapier, dagger, and sabre. Brooke …
Professor Hans Ingebretsen has been practicing martial arts since 1974, when he began his study of Danzan Ryu Ju Jitsu and Kodokan Judo with Sensei Ben Patterson at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. Continuing to study with Sensei Dale Kahoun, Hans began cross-training in a variety of other styles, eventually falling in love …
Martial Arts has been the focal point of Henry M. Hill IV’s life since the age of 13. He started out using martial arts to escape from street life in Richmond, CA. Once reaching adulthood, he joined Black Swords in Oakland, California. This is where he trained with shanai and earned his first spot as …