Charming Disaster
Charming Disaster is a goth-folk musical duo based in Brooklyn, NY, formed in 2012 by Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris. Inspired by the macabre humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the murder ballads of the Americana tradition, and the dramatic flair of the cabaret, they write songs that tell stories about death, crime, myth, magic, folklore, science, and the occult.
In their critically acclaimed albums Love, Crime & Other Trouble (2015), Cautionary Tales (2017), SPELLS + RITUALS (2019), Our Lady of Radium (2022), and Super Natural History (2023), Charming Disaster has explored love, death, crime, folklore, mythology, magic, science, and the occult. TheirIn Charming Disaster’s theatrical live performances, they combine vocal harmonies and clever lyrics with ukulele, guitar, and virtuosic foot percussion, drawing listeners into a spooky, offbeat universe of paranormal romance, con artists, circus performers, and ancient mythology, playing out against a backdrop of nightclubs, car chases, circus tents, the afterlife, and beyond.
Charming Disaster’s music has been featured on the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, they have opened for legendary cello-rock ensemble Rasputina, goth icon Voltaire, and punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls, and their theatrical, entertaining live performances have captivated audiences across the United States. They have played festivals, bars and clubs, museums and art galleries, bookstores and libraries, and the occasional historic cemetery. They have appeared alongside storytellers, comedians, fire eaters, puppets, burlesque artists, poets, and circus performers. Recent appearances include Joe's Pub at The Public Theater in NYC, Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery, the Rochester Fringe Festival, Philadelphia’s Science History Institute, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, VA, Cleveland’s Wizbang Circus Theatre, the Coney Island Sideshow stage, and in 2025 the Chicago Steampunk Exposition.
Learn more about the band at CharmingDisaster.com
Bellhead
Post-punk male-female duo band. Two basses and a drum machine. No Guitar, No BS. MADE IN CHICAGO
Bellhead is a post-punk, goth, and industrial duo from Chicago, Illinois who perfectly capture the frantic descent into madness that will be rampant at the Exposition with the “Curse of Cthulhu.” The duo is made up of Karen Righeimer (low bass, vocals) and
Ivan Russia (high bass, vocals, drum programming).
“Bellhead literally rumble, causing your speakers to buzz at times, in a very good way. Having the two bass married to a drum machine makes for an ever so tight rhythm section, also giving you the melodies as well. This definitely gives the music a dirty post-punk groove to each track, and this new EP leans more into pop rock. The Good Intentions of Bellhead is fun, nostalgic and rocking… in that fabulously gloomy way.” (Adele Sinnamon – Onyx Music Reviews)
Learn more about the band at bellheadband.com
We are currently looking for new acts to perform at the 2025 Exposition 🙂
If you have a performance act that you would like to have considered for the Exposition, please submit your details via our Performer Applicaiton Form.
