Charming Disaster

“A goth-cabaret folk vaudeville duo from Brooklyn in the dark cabaret mould of Tiger Lillies and Dresden Dolls.” – Outside Left Charming Disaster was formed by Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris in 2012, inspired by the gothic humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the murder ballads of the American Folk tradition, and the dramatic flair of the cabaret. Together the duo write songs that tell stories, using two voices to explore dark narratives and characters with a playfully macabre sensibility. On 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 explored death, crime, myth, magic, science, nature, and the occult. In their live performances, they combine vocal harmonies and clever lyrics with ukulele, guitar, and virtuosic foot percussion, drawing listeners into a haunting, offbeat universe of paranormal romance, con artists, and ancient gods, playing out against a backdrop of nightclubs, car chases, circus tents, the afterlife, and beyond with great theatricality. Charming Disaster’s music has been featured on the spooky hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale. They have opened for legendary cello-rock ensemble Rasputina, Goth icon Voltaire, Amanda Palmer’s punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. Their concerts have captivated audiences across the United States. They have appeared alongside storytellers, comedians, fire eaters, puppets, burlesque artists, poets, and circus performers. Recent appearances have included Joe's Pub in Manhattan, 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, and the Coney Island Sideshow stage as well as sundry bars, art galleries, bookstores and libraries.