Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adrienne LaVey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Adrienne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Absinthe is something that has been very deliberately mischaracterized for over a century; first by wine lobbyists looking to demonize absinthe to eliminate it as its main competition, and later by unscrupulous brand owners capitalizing on a twisted version of those myths and misconceptions to sell a subpar product.

I’ve found that breaking down and unveiling the history of how these mischaracterizations came to be is one of the most effective ways of educating people as to the truth. My most recent example of this was my recent video exposing an absinthe brand for perpetuating misinformation to sell their inauthentic, subpar product.

Adrienne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a woman of many passions and interests. I’m an independently performing opera singer, an absinthe specialist, and a goth who enjoys educating others about the cultural aspects of the gothic subculture.

I started my operatic journey when I first started taking voice lessons at the age of 15, discovered the captivating and spellbinding music of Bel Canto composer Gaetano Donizetti, and fell head over heels in love with opera. Donizetti is a criminally underrated composer in the history of classical music and opera. Many in the classical world regard him as a “one-hit-wonder”, but many are in dispute of what his “one hit” was. As of yet, I have not joined an opera company, but I very much enjoy putting on self-produced concerts in the Seattle Area. I’m a mezzo-soprano who adheres to the operatic technique of the 19th century and prior, and I place much importance on expressiveness and acting as well as the execution of the music on the written page. My voice teacher’s friend (a singer and keyboardist), who attended my first sold-out concert in June of 2024, said “You know, I hear singers who have no soul and they are just regurgitating notes on a page, and Adrienne was so soulful, and real, and so passionate”. I believe perfect technique in and of itself is boring, but being able to express what the piece is all about is what captivates the audience. Because of this ongoing trend of expressionless opera singers that people believe opera is boring. I want to bring back the excitement that opera is supposed to be all about. Believing in expressing the love, the passion, the drama, the whimsy, and the drama of opera and incorporating it in to my performances is what sets me apart as an opera singer.

I became fascinated with absinthe when I was 11 years old, when I first saw it featured in a scene in the 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula, researched it and fell in love with it when I became of drinking age. I noticed that there weren’t many factual videos or reviews of absinthe brands on YouTube, so I decided to start reviewing absinthe brands and educating the public about absinthe – the truth about absinthe. I have reviewed almost a hundred brands of absinthe on my YouTube channel, some of which are over a century old, thus disproving the myths of its hallucinogenic properties. My belief is that by demystifying absinthe and destigmatizing it, it will become more readily available in the United States and make a comeback. I love making reviews to support absinthe distillers’ businesses. I set myself apart from other content creators in the alcohol industry by flourishing in this specific niche of absinthe.

In the online Goth community, there wasn’t much discussion about current goth bands or about gothic literature. If people were discussing goth music, they were only droning on about the 5 staple goth bands and heavily implying that if you didn’t like those bands, you weren’t a real goth. I was happy to fill in the gap by featuring the work of wonderful bands like The Awakening, Wisborg, Palace of Tears, Her Despaire, Hante, Sweet Ermengarde, and many others, as well as highlighting 90’s goth bands that were forgotten but are still making music. I was also happy to feature gothic literature on my channel since whatever minimal discussion about gothic literature only revolved around vampire stories and the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. As much as goths enjoy both of those things, I really wanted to showcase the off-the-beaten-path forgotten and neglected treasures of gothic literature that make up the genre.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was that voice competitions actually mattered.

When I was younger, my voice teacher constantly pushed me to go into voice competitions and said that it was the only way to “get anywhere” in the world of opera and classical music. I’m glad I stopped wasting my energy and my vocal stamina on voice competitions and started getting my name out there when I moved closer to Seattle within the last year. I became tired of constructing and manufacturing my voice to please judges at voice competitions. I’ve found so much more confidence and power in finding my natural singing voice, which in turn allowed me to be less fatigued by singing and to enjoy my craft as a singer. I’m much more empowered by the newfound power and strength in my singing voice, no longer feeling so much anxiety and fear of judgment. Their opinions of me have never mattered and I’m glad I no longer give them my time and energy.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being an artist or creative is being an outsider and finding my own audience. While I have not been accepted into an opera company as of yet, I have gathered a significant following in both my journey as an opera singer. People will take notice of a non-established opera singer bringing in crowds.
Similar to my involvement in the absinthe world. Most of the alcohol industry is very male-dominated, but I’m happy to be an outlier as a young woman of color displaying a great deal of expertise in a niche category of spirit. One of my followers once told me that if I was “just another middle-aged white guy” talking about absinthe, she wouldn’t have been as interested, but she felt represented and seen when she saw my content as a woman talking about absinthe online. You’ll find your fans and supporters and grow exponentially with people who matter.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ligeias-curious-shoppe.creator-spring.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriennelavey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LigeiaResurrectedFanPage
• Twitter: https://x.com/adriennelavey
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdrienneLaVey
• Other: https://adriennelavey.bandcamp.com/album/goddess-in-a-glass

Image Credits

Images by Priya Alain Photography and Rowan & Elle Studio