NEWS | FEATURES | PREVIEWS | EVENTS

originally published: 05/19/2022

(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Some of the top steampunk bands in the Northeast will converge on Saturday, June 4th at Vasa Park in Hackettstown for the Freaky Mutant Weirdo Variety Show, a unique, family-friendly geek culture festival. Attendees can look forward to live entertainment, cosplay, artisan vendors, educational presentations, and the unique steampunk competition known as teapot racing.

Steampunk originated as a science fiction subgenre, where the stories are set largely in the 19th century. It has since spawned a geeky subculture with events, cosplay, music, art, gaming, and lots more. Think of it as a whimsical mashup of old-time style and contemporary sensibilities. “Steampunk is...the love child of Hot Topic and a BBC costume drama.” 

The festival is organized by A Halo Called Fred, who will take the stage along with Frenchy and the Punk and This Way to the Egress. The evening will cap off with an all-star jam by all three bands. The entertainment lineup also includes Trio of Madness and The Munchausen Society plus the Karnevil sideshow, billed as “New Jersey’s premiere carnival sideshow experience.”

The festival takes place Saturday, June 4 from 11:00am-6:00pm at Vasa Park (under the pavilion), 1 Vasa Drive, Hackettstown, New Jersey. Tickets: $25 (Adults), $15 (Kids 14-18). Free admission for kids under 14. Tickets are available for purchase online.

A Halo Called Fred describes itself as “the greatest guitar, bass, violin, and Tupperware band in the history of all time and space.” Their 2020 release Go Home Drama You’re Drunk and Other Tales of Going through Hell to Escape the Evil Monkeys was named by New Jersey Stage music columnist Bob Makin as that year’s best independent album from a band in the Garden State.

 

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Frenchy and the Punk consists of singer/percussionist Samantha Stephenson (“Frenchy”) and guitar maestro Scott Helland (“The Punk”). They describe their sound as follows: “Imagine Siouxsie Sioux and Dee Dee Ramone had a duo that was inspired by Django Reinhardt, Edith Piaf, Toulouse Lautrec and Deepak Chopra.” Their seventh album, Zen Ghost, is slated for release this summer.

This Way to the Egress, an “art-punk” band from Bethlehem, Pa., describes their music as “equal parts unruly vaudeville, ebullient world-beat, and three-ring circus.” 

Trio of Madness has been enlightening, sometimes confusing the minds of music lovers everywhere with their strange blend of psychedelic/surf/progressive/space rock.

When you enter Vasa Park, there will be a large parking lot immediately to your left. Overflow parking is located immediately to the right. Please follow any instructions from our volunteer parking attendants.

Once you park, simply follow the path from the main parking lot on the right, which will lead you to the Fair Entry Booth and Drink Gazebo. You will pass a playground with a cool looking Pirate Ship!