Art. Zombies. Rock ‘n’ roll. Catching Up with Lara Hope

Greetings, Crypt Dwellers! This is B-Sol of The Vault of Horror making a very special appearance to tell you all about one very special woman whose band will be headlining Captain Cruella’s 4^th annual Village Invasion on October 19 in Saugerties, New York. The woman is Lara Hope, and the band is Tigeriss. Lara was on hand and tore it up last year, and knowing her as well as we do, it’s a lock that she’ll be tearing it up once again.

But as if one band isn’t enough, the overachieving Ms. Hope happens to be a member of several rockin’ ensembles. Her rockabilly band Lara Hope and the Arktones is prepared to launch an ambitious fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to help them record their very first full-length album—a project they’ve been dedicating a lot of hard work to as of late. On top of that, Lara is gearing up yet another group, the Misfits tribute band known as the Miss-Tits (!!), to make a boobalicious debut at her very own Rosendale Zombie Festival.

Yes, you heard that right. In addition to her musical endeavors, Lara is also the brains behind the Hudson Valley’s other undead extravaganza, the Rosendale Zombie Festival, which will also be celebrating its fourth year on Saturday, September 28! This one will be used as a fundraiser for the Rosendale Food Pantry. Check out the official Facebook page right here!

In addition to this, as part of the Gold Hope Duo, Ms. Hope had the opportunity to be a part of the northeast leg of the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, in which she opened for Dave Chappelle and Flight of the Conchords. After Halloween, both the Gold Hope Duo and Tigeriss will be embarking on a northeast tour along with fellow New York band S.S. Web.

And as if the whole music and zombies thing wasn’t enough, did I mention that Lara Hope is an artist as well? Recently, she has begun focusing on up-cycled, functional artwork, which includes turning cigar boxes into mini coffins, as well as painting picture frames, mirrors and other items. On Friday, September 13, she had her very first show opening at the Ark Riot in Kingston, New York. Her work will continue to be on display for the rest of the month. For more info, check out the official Facebook event page.

There’s no doubt about it—Lara Hope is a true renaissance woman and a match for even Captain Cruella herself in the events and arts departments. Be sure to check out the Rosendale Zombie Festival later this month, and then we “hope” (heh) to see you on hand to watch Lara and Tigeriss perform at Village Invasion IV!

Village Invasion IV-Carnival of the Dead in Saugerties, NY this October 19th!

The 4^th Annual Village Invasion Zombie Crawl Comes to Saugerties, New York
Captain Cruella and Company Return This Year with a Carnival of the Dead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAUGERTIES, NY – Oct 19, 2013 – For the fourth year running, the Village of Saugerties will be the site of the East Coast’s ultimate zombie-themed event. The brainchild of Captain Cruella—a.k.a. Saugerties’ own Jaimee Moxham--the Village Invasion is bigger and better than ever, and poised to take the Hudson Valley by storm on Saturday night, October 19. Over the past three years, thousands of zombie fans from all over have outfitted themselves in their undead best to take to Partition and Main Streets in the heart of town, share their mutual love of ghoulish goodness, and enjoy local pubs, restaurants, shops and other businesses.

Just like last year, the event is officially sponsored by the Village Apothecary. Neal Smoller of the Apothecary has helped raise the Invasion to higher levels than ever before. Admission to the event is $2—and this year, like last year, a portion of the proceeds will be directed toward rebuilding and revamping A Small World Playground, a local spot frequented by children from the Boys & Girls Club and from the surrounding vicinity.

“This is a real labor of love for me,” says Captain Cruella. “I can’t believe that the idea I had just three years ago, to see if I could create a Saugerties Village wide zombie event that would really be something worth coming to, has turned into all this. With the help of the Village Apothecary, we’ve made it into an annual happening that everyone looks forward to. The Carnival of the Dead theme this year will make it spookier and more fun than ever!”

In addition to the Village Apothecary, sponsors this year include Lucky Chocolates, the Dutch Alehouse, Main Street Restaurant and Brine Barrel Pickle Co., just to name a few. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor, or one of the many vendors that will be on hand, should contact captaincruella@gmail.com or visit http://villageinvasion.com to download a vendor form.

Nearby hotels are booking up, as Cruella gets the word out across a multitude of social media platforms including Facebook (http://facebook.com/CaptainCruella), Twitter (http://twitter.com/captaincruella) and Blogger (http://cruellascrypt.blogspot.com). The event kicks off promptly at 6 p.m. along Main and Partition Streets, with many businesses staying open late to take part in the festivities.

Much like years past, this year’s event will offer many reasons for folks to show up and have a good time. Once again, Palenville-based funk-rock band Voodelic will be playing at Dave’s Wine & Coffee House and Tigeriss hailing from New Paltz out at the outdoor staging area on the corners of Main and Partitions Streets. And what would the Village Invasion be without the annual costume contest? Awards will be presented in a variety of categories, and patrons are encouraged to get creative. Given this year’s theme, there are sure to be a plethora of evil zombie clowns and other dark denizens of the carnie world.

Over the course of the past decade, zombies have infiltrated pop culture as never before, with movies such as Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead and World War Z gaining cult followings. And AMC’s The Walking Dead TV series has become one of the most popular shows on the air—further proof that the zombie has hit the mainstream. Part of the phenomenon has been the rise of a colorful and devoted subculture of zombie-lovers that has helped popularize public zombie walks worldwide.

Those interested in participating in this year’s Village Invasion are encouraged to visit http://www.facebook.com/VillageInvasion of http://villageinvasion.com for more information.