We get our share of interesting characters here at the Gypsy. One of the wildest creatures that comes this way has been busy on a very neat little mission at various gas stations that we thought you might want to know about: The Weird Cents Fuel Face-off.

The concept is strikingly simple: Pay less at the pumps, and do your part to help bring gas prices down. He's not saying "boycott" gas, just simply pay less than you would normally...and never pay in exact increments. Thousands upon thousands of people doing so will reduce gas consumption, decrease demand, and push Oil giants to decrease fuel costs.

"I'm going to help bring the price of gas down to 89cents a gallon. Listen, this Good Humor American way of doing something small will add up. Our habit of throwing down a $20 at the pump makes the whole process too convenient...For you to spend, and for them to receive. There is no thinking in the process. But if you paid in weird cents, Say, $16.41, or $8.32...Increments that don't even include 5's and zeros... its serving a few purposes. Firstly, you're saving money. Secondly, you're not giving it to big Oil. Not to mention,  you remind yourself that you are consuming a commodity at an artificially inflated war-fueled price, and maybe you CAN drive a little less. And it's pretty easy, after all...The collective catalyst on this could be phenomenal..."

Well, It just sounded so odd, and along my lines of humor, that I had to do it. And it's pretty painless. Give it a try, and if you like it, pass the word. 


  
 

Hello Gypsy Misfits!

Witch Baby here. I wanted to send a farewell address along with a brief history of my experience with the Juggling Gypsy, which should be enlightening to all the newbies.
First of all let me say that this place has been such a powerful and influential presence in my life here in Wilmington, and I thank each and every person who was involved in this crazy ass clusterfuck ofcreativity, debauchery, tomfoolery, drama and trancendence of the status quo, even if our encounters were brief or even negative. I can never truly express the evolution of my self in relation to this place, so all I can really say is the Gypsy is capable of changing lives, or at the very least, contributing something seriously unique to a sometimes dreary everyday existence. It really fucking does.
So I started coming to the Gypsy when it opened centuries ago. It was BYOB back in the day and my friends and I used to sneak in a bottle ofCaptain Morgans, unbeknownst to the staff o course ;), and get slammedhammered on fire and drum night. I became somewhat of a regular, and on Halloween 2004 I came to the belly dance/fire show in the back and got super inspired to immerse myself in Juggling Gypsy culture. I had been belly dancing for about two years before that and was sooo glad to see that Marcy was teaching classes. Although I had an inkling that I had found a good niche for myself and I did start taking her classes, I didn't fully join the gypsy crew until the next summer when my boyfriend at the time (Tyler) started working there. It wasn't hard to get a job, I just said hey I'm a regular and need a job and kept going back and bothering them until they put me on the schedule. Angela trained me on my first day and that was when it all started. This was July of 2005.

Tyler was living with me at the time and thus began the merging of mylife at the Gypsy with life at my home of 213 Castle Street.  The two locations became synonymous. To spare you three years worth of history, suffice it to say my house served as somewhat of a crashpad/eventual living space for many a gypsy. At one point I had seven people crashing at my three bedroom, most of whom worked at the gypsy as well. A brief list of 213'ers/ gypsy workers over the years include...
Perry, Justin S., Emmalee, Kathryn, Jordan, Bill, Odin, Liz, Tyler, Lauren, and of course Bob, our old wise pal and a gypsy mainstay. This does not include of course, significant others of 213'ers who are associates of the gypsy including Jasper James, Jeff, Steve, etc... you get the picture. Many of you reading this will fondly (or not so fondly) remember dramatic times concerning one or more of these people. All negativity aside, though, they were craaaaazy times and I learned a lot in those years. Burning clothes, overbearing dance parties, fights, breakups, enlightening conversations, drugs, belligerence, art, music and all that jazz amalgamated into a mass of something we call life. I am a better person because of it.

At the Gypsy, I learned not only the art of fire spinning, but the art of jackassery. I thank Marcy and Bash for that, and for introducing me to burner culture and giving me a space to do my thing with the lovely ladies of Vatra Gitana and Sofa King Naughties. Performance has been my balancing savior. Not only was my desire to entertain nurtured but also my insatiable need to expand my sphere of influence, specifically in the arena of politics and again, the gypsy gave me a space to utilize and share my thoughts and opinions. Whether its through the subversive film series or through coming in to work at 2 oclock in the morning after being kidnapped by Marcy (when I was supposed to show up to work at 8, thanks for covering me Jo) stone drunk and proceeding to tell everyone in the bar on the megaphone that 911 was an inside job. I lovet his place. I realize that more and more everyday, especially after asylum goth night a few weeks ago when the 910 noise boys showed up to the dance party in horse masks joined by Cook and I said to myself....where else but here?

Cape Sphere and Transformus and Mayhem and that damned geodesic dome. I can't imagine my life as a gypsyite without them. God damnit I will miss that.

Some other phrases that come to mind when I think of the gypsy...

Gypsy Hotel
Elvis
Fishing
Firedrums
Psytrance
Downtown Overtaking
Body Massage
The Roof is Leaking
Summer Salad
Best Egg Salad Sandwich Ever
Don't Call Me Sir!
Closed Due To Swampyness
Breast Fest


There's a shitload more, but now I'm getting all nostalgic so I'm going to let it be for now. Now I'll leave people reading this who are fringe gypsyites with a message... take advantage of this place. There's few places in Wilmington that are so welcoming and accepting and freaky. It may seem cliquish, it may seem divish, but if you really look at it and feel it and experience it and fucking APPRECIATE what Marcy and Bashand all the rest of us, including you, have created, then you wil lunderstand what I'm saying to you. This place is capable of changing lives. And if it doesn't change your life then at least you had a funky ass place to hang out and get your ears blasted and brain melted by psytrance. Just kidding Emmit.

Finally.... when I head off into the great unknown (specifically San Francisco) I will seriously not forget what a bitch it is to pick cigarette butts from between the cracks and crevices of all the damn furniture and trinkets we have have here and just as well the young ones who don't tip on hookahs. But they'll learn, especially after I call them out on it.

But even more seriously... I love this place. Everything about it.

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou Juggling Gypsy, you made my life in Wilmington a trillion times cooler.


Laura aka Witch Baby

p.s. My going away and Jo's bday party is Sunday, December 7th at the Gypsy. Come one, come all.

Hey guys & gals! The Gypsy, despite having set root firmly in the fringe arty area of 16th & Castle, still holds true to the ideals of movement and change, though not necessarily in the phsysical sense. So, we're looking for a new logo this time! We have lots of sample sketches, and a general idea of where we want this to go, but its up to YOU with the design skills to rock out a concept that we can run with. 

What's in it for you? $100 tab at the Gypsy, baby!
Anyone else we don't pick, will be considered for one of several art projects happening at the Gypsy including various sweet mural spots on blank walls in, on, and surrounding the Gypsy.

Apply by sending an email to info(AT)jugglinggypsy.com with LOGO in the subject header. Feel free to include liks to you portfolios, galleries, or resumes... No expereince necessary...

Help sweeten up the place you love, by spreading some of that Gypsy Art love this way! We'll make it worth your while, fantastic people!

As most of you already know, the Gypsy hosts monthly Bellydance showcases featuring Wilmington's premier Bellydance troupe, Vatra Gitana. check calendar for details.

But what you may not know, ladies, (guys too!) is that the talented Europamoon also teaches Bellydance in various studios around town.
For more information on Bellydancing for all levels of experience, including total beginner, contact her at marcy(AT)firetalent.com
or by phone at (310) 720-5487. Shimmy on!