A command(er) performance
Roll up for Commander Salamander in Newport
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
Sasquatch sightings are so 2021. Really want to impress someone? Tell them the tale that began the fateful day when a less-than-careful canine slipped over the side of a boat into the Yaquina River. The inky waters where the unfortunate mutt seemingly met her demise had also recently hosted sightings of an enormous squid — one unlike anything that had appeared in the lore of those who’ve farmed oysters in the area waters for generations.
It was a few months hence that a strange creature began to be sighted, pulling itself nimbly along the bayside road with its two front feet and, if approached, slipping into the river and disappearing with amazing speed using its…tail?
Those that got a good look at the creature gave it a name, and that name is Squid Dog.
It didn’t take long for the creature to find the perfect home, one that would appreciate his unique appearance, and that home was with Commander Salamander’s Super Circus Sideshow.
“It’s been so exciting finding an entirely new species,” the Commander said. “I feel like Jacques Cousteau. I’m waiting to see what nature will show me next.”
Beginning this Saturday, July 2, Commander Salamander, along with his lovely performance partner (and wife) Dixie Delish, will present four shows a day, every Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day, with a special group of appearances on Monday, July 4.
The shows are at the Primaltones Community Venue in Newport’s Aquarium Village, where the duo also entertained audiences last summer.
“This time the show is going to be a little more Wild West,” the Commander said. “We’ll invite kids to come up and we’ll teach them how to do the rope tricks and they will get to wear a little outfit and everything.”
The great photo ops and interactiveness of the show are a big draw.
“We definitely have a local following,” the Commander said. “When kids come on their birthday, we put them in the show and make a big deal about it.”
The venue will be serving snacks, pizza, ice cream and microbrews and there will be face painting and even a merchandise table including t-shirts and beautifully decorated oyster shells so that you can bring home some of the circus magic.
And by the way, don’t let the word “circus” in the name fool you.
“I don’t make balloon animals, I’m not a clown and I’m not a juggler,” the Commander said. “What I do is more like the classic sideshow acts that you won’t see anywhere else here at the coast, like sword swallowing, knife throwing and bull-whip cracking. Our act harkens back to a different type of traditional entertainment, but is still very family-friendly.”
If this type of entertainment appeals, Commander Salamander, aka Matt “Molotov” Bouvier, is looking for an apprentice. And Dixie Delish, well she has a thriving career as a burlesque entertainer and also teaches burlesque, as well as general fitness, to people ages “18 to 100” at the Primaltones Venue. The next four-week series of burlesque “boot camps” starts on Tuesday, July 5, and continues weekly at 6 pm.
To really wrap your head around the kind of entertainment they provide, it helps to experience the fantastical world of Commander Salamander, Dixie Delish and their cast of cute curiosities in action.
“We found something else new, it’s a fascinating creature that I’m pretty sure is the fabled Yaquina Bay mermaid,” the Commander said. “It looks to be part otter and part human. And there’s also the giant spider we named Ella — all these fantastic creatures may show up in the act, but you have to show up to find out.”
Showtimes are at noon, 1:30, 3 and 4:30 pm. Tickets are $6 to $10. Primaltones Community Venue is located at 2925 Southeast Ferry Slip Road in Newport. For more information, go to americanamayhem.com.