Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Gardner.
Hi Todd, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hot Todd Lincoln! The old Jewish man trapped… in the old Jewish body!
I moved to Washington, DC, and had a plan for my life that didn’t quite work out. I was married, and then after 4 1/2 years, I suddenly wasn’t. I didn’t have roots in the area or a lot of friends. I wound up going to the now-defunct Palace of Wonders, a bar that featured burlesque, sideshow, and a variety of acts of all kinds. I found my people. I became a regular attendant and became “Mayor of the Palace” according to an app called Foursquare. As to the shows, I earned the moniker of “Default” as I was called up as an audience volunteer on several occasions.
Eventually, I was asked to say a few words when the venue was merging with the bar next door, and that appearance changed everything. As “Mayor” I urged people to vote with their feet and to come to the shows and keep the variety alive. After that, I was asked to be the emcee of a new troupe called “Twisted Knickers Burlesque”. We did a number of shows and I realized that things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes a costume needs a last-minute repair, or the music doesn’t start up due to a technical glitch, so I began seeking out something to do in those moments. I sought out stunts/ small tricks to fill those moments.
What I found, however, was that I became fascinated with sideshow feats. The human blockhead, walking on broken glass, laying on a bed of nails… that was just the beginning. I realized that I enjoyed challenging myself and learning new ways of performing. I started eating fire, escaping straight jackets, and even doing some sword swallowing.
More recently, I’ve added old-time strength feats into the mix. I am tearing decks of cards with my bare hands and bending horseshoes into hearts. I’m also bending 60d nails, and levering a weighted axe to my forehead without the luxury of bending my elbow. All of the sideshow stunts, strength feats, and an occasional magic trick here and there have blurred lines. and work in harmony to create compelling narratives and audience engagement. The stunts, feats, and tricks are the vocabulary, while the physical props are merely toys in the sandbox that allow all of us to play together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been the smoothest road. There’s always the will vs. skill dilemma.
You can have ideas, but you need the know how to make them a reality. I’ve also encountered gatekeepers and personalities that haven’t been the most supportive along the way. It does make you assess how badly you want to grow as a performer and as a person. It also teaches you to pivot and find new avenues to success and adds to your story.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m likely best known as an old-time strongman and a sideshow performer. I’m also a painter, a photographer, a playwright, and even a wedding officiant. I can’t really say which I’m proudest of in that I’m proud of my desire to learn more and to challenge myself physically and intellectually. To answer what sets me apart, I think that I’ve come to the performance and to making art as a conduit for connection.
I don’t punch down. I like to celebrate volunteers and to make the audience feel a sense of wonder, I want to create an experience with an audience that is best characterized by the word “we” as opposed to “me” just performing for “them”. I also think that my terrible puns, and the willingness to travel miles for a punchline make me unique, and (hopefully) entertaining.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think that the industry will grow in unexpected ways. New technology usually means that someone is going to find a way to bring something new into a show. I also think that the growth of social media and the making of short videos is going to change the perception of how feats are viewed. The CGI vs. real-life gap is going to grow as AI improves, and people get more editing technology in their hands to create effects that rival professionals.
All of this will add value to a live performance. I would also like to think that there will be a revival of tent shows and traveling circuses. People can only look at a screen for so long. We all need to smell the sawdust and experience the bizarre, the beautiful, and the sublime together.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @hottoddlincoln
Image Credits
Shane Gardner, Devon Rowland Shadow, Angelina Starkey, Dylan Weller, and Melissa Heemer
