This week we are excited to announce that Unwoman will be part of the Entertainment line up for this year’s Exposition!
Unwoman (aka Erica Mulkey) is a San Francisco-based cellist-singer-songwriter. Layered with skillful cello, rich vocals, and beats, her music is a darkly futuristic homage to her classical training. Her song “The Heroine” was the weather in Welcome to Night Vale’s “Triptych” episode. Vintage Tomorrows, a feature documentary about steampunk, includes that song and other footage of Unwoman. Unwoman has performed solo at major steampunk, goth, and sci-fi-related events all over the United States. Most live solo shows use electric cello played standing up, and live-looping accompaniment. She has also collaborated with Amanda Palmer, Abney Park, Stripmall Architecture, Voltaire, Rasputina, Jill Tracy, Vernian Process, Caustic, Anthony Jones, Nathaniel Johnstone Band, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Attrition.
Unwoman’s most recent release, War Stories, is her seventh original album. Fiercely feminist and aggressively feminine, ranging adeptly from rage to sentimentality, the album draws inspiration from real life and literature including Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride, and Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Circling, her sixth original album, received 2015 Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Solo Musician and Best Album, as well as critical acclaim. From Entropic Worlds: “This quality of rich visual and emotional world building can be found in most of the songs on this record, to greater or lesser degrees, and explains why it stands up so well to many, many listenings. It’s one of the things Unwoman does best, but its far from the only thing she does well.” Unwoman has also released three volumes of covers in her Uncovered series and countless other songs for her ongoing Patreon.
Unwoman performs solo throughout the US. She has been featured at Dragon*Con (Atlanta 2013, 2014, 2016), WorldCon (Reno, NV 2011 and San Jose, CA 2018), Steamcon I – IV (Seattle), Wicked Faire and Steampunk World’s Fair (New Jersey), Clockwork Alchemy (San Jose, CA 2012-2018), Teslacon (Madison, WI), Her Royal Majesty’s Steam Symposium (Long Beach, CA 2012-2015), Wild Wild West Con (Tucson, AZ 2015-2016), Emerald City Steampunk Expo (Wichita, KS 2011, 2012, 2014), A-Kon (Dallas, TX 2013), Steampunk Cruise (New Orleans & Caribbean 2013), Victoria Steam Exposition (Victoria, BC), and other major events . . . and now we are thrilled to bring her to Chicago!
To learn more about Unwoman, click on the banner below . . .
Get Involved
There are many ways that you can be a part of the Chicago Steampunk Exposition. We have a few spots left in the vendor hall, Artists’ Alley, and Authors’ Alley; to learn more click HERE. Or perhaps you would like to share your knowledge and present a panel or workshop? In addition to Steampunk programming, we are also looking for experts in Dieselpunk, Victorian Gothic, Doctor Who, Lolita, and other retro-futuristic related topics. If you would like to submit a proposal to present, please click HERE to learn more. And of course, we are always looking for Volunteers to help run the Exposition; a convention is only as strong as its team of volunteers. So if you would like to join the crew, please click HERE to learn more and apply. If you have not done so already, please RSVP to the actual Chicago Steampunk Exposition Event Page HERE to help keep you up to date on all the latest Exposition news.
Hotel Rooms
Staying in Chicago can be expensive, but we have managed to secure discounted rooms at the Westin O’Hare Hotel starting at $129 per night (plus taxes & fees) Suites are also available for $179 per night (plus taxes & fees) Book your rooms by calling (800) 937-8461 or (847) 698-6000 and requesting the Steampunk Block when giving the dates of your reservation. If you are planning on vending at the Exposition, we have a separate block of rooms reserved for you. Upon acceptance to the show and settlement of vendor fees, details and instructions for booking a room in the Vendor Block will be emailed to you.
Upcoming Posts . . .
- Sneak peaks for Special Events
- Tour of the Exposition venue
. . . and more!
