Experimental, bro

Miami, bro attended Wednesday night's experimental performance, Tribute: A Summoning, an homage to Joe Meek, music producer. I'm always thrilled when there is something neat I can attend on a week night in my neighborhood, and thankfully, this took place nearby in Wynwood at the Center for Visual Communication. It was choreographed by Ana Mendez, a lovely, lithe, little lady who makes me wish I actually took dance class seriously when I was young, before I remember how much grace I lack and how incredibly clumsy I am. It wsa quite an awesome, well-attended performance with a wonderful soundtrack by sound installation artist Richard Vergez.

On to me for a second. I hate warehouses. I know it's not "cool" to feel this way, but I hate them. Can't anyone knock a window or two into the walls? I get it, the closed spaces are good for performances, but more than once on Wednesday, talk of the Great White ("Once Bitten Twice Shy," anyone?) concert fire in Rhode Island came upon the minds of at least a few attendees.

On topic again, the show started with Ana's hands dancing through what looked like the plastic tape from a cassette. Then the curtain was pulled aside and smoke billowed out onto the seated audience. The six "dancers," boys in suits and sunglasses, performed as a band to a version of the song "Johnny Remember Me." It was a really powerful opening. There were a few more scenes with the boys either coolly walking about or jerking abstracty, resembling people on fire in slow motion. Already a haunting scene, a brief clip of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" added to the mood. The visual movements created a psychedelic feel or if you're from Miami you might say that it was trippy, bro.

Probably the most interesting scene was when the boys paired up and began to hug each other in a way that begins as tender. Then they start to move their arms into different hug positions, the awkwardness and restrant creates a minor struggle which escalates and the boys end up askew on the ground. All I could think of was how well this scene represented so many of my past relationships. Cheers for getting that onstage.

Finally, Mendez came out and danced over the boys. I'm mostly blind, so I couldn't tell what she was wearing, but it was white, diaphanous and satiny, in contrast to the besuited men. Her dance rouses them and they began flingining her around and I kept thinking,"Watch out! Her head!" But all was a success, with her head staying in tact and the audience enchanted.


The other performers included Alex Puentes, Federico Nessi, Liony Garcia, Ricardo Guerrero, Rick Diaz and Sleeper.

A potentially curious Friday

I used to love cassette singles. It's true. When I was in elementary school, very little of the music I wanted to yell along with warranted the purchase of the whole album. I mean, unless you were talking about Poison, because I definitely invested all the way with Brett and the boys. But, I didn't want the whole Paula Abdul tape. Come on. I got the single.

Anyway, this Friday, 8 p.m. at Sweat Records, Roofless Records is releasing two "cassingles" by Miami artists Curious Hair and Flux Forces. My one story here is that I think one of my ex-boyfriends had a Curious Hair t-shirt like a good million years ago. It was green and I really liked it; I always wanted to steal it. Because of this shirt, when someone threw a Curious Hair bumper sticker on my car, I let it stay. You're welcome for the free advertising (and press).

To celebrate the night, performing acts include Little Beard, Curious Hair, Flux Forces and Xela Zaid. Pricing goes like this: $3 cover, $4 cover and a new release of your choosing, $5 cover and both new releases.

Here's some more information on the artists and the record label from the press release:

Through various incarnations, Curious Hair has been a staple of Miami independent and experimental music since the early 90s. Their new tape on Roofless Records, Hair Does Humbert, applies their brand of lo-fi garage folk rock to covers of two songs written by “Hialeah’s Weezer” a.k.a. Humbert

Flux Forces is the new electro solo project from the drummer of experimental punk/noise duo hahahelp! His new cassette on Roofless Records, wetdream, documents a pair of exquisite, hazy pop anthems for all the lonely slackers looking to soften their hangovers in the new decade.

Based in Miami, Florida, Roofless Records promotes experimental music by way of vinyl and cassette releases, live music events, and commentary on the Roofless Rex blog. (http://www.rooflessrex.com/)

Whet your palette, you little piggies

Check out these 2 tantalizing trailer clips of Man v Food and the little slutlettes chosen to represent South Florida on his show this week.

I believe he will be filming here tomorrow. I linked to some sort of schedule last week.

Here's the one clip, and here's the other.


Watch with pride.

Also, if you're not into eating tomorrow, but more into watching something abstract that has been choreographed, check this out.

Show Me Love!

For the love of all things holy, Robin S. is performing on the beach tonight for FREE in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Warsaw at Twist. Doesn't make a ton of sense, but it's Robin S. so who cares? Warsaw was Miami Beach's first gay club that closed down maybe 10 years back and was replaced by the overpriced Jerry's Deli. I hope Miami shows R. some love.

Get all the details here.

Bin Laden praises Noam Chomsky and talks about the environment

Bin Laden released a tape through al Jazeera blaming the industrialized world for global warming. I suppose one thing we can gather is that he’s evolving as an environmentalist. To make the story even juicier, he even gave good ol’ Chomsky a thumbs up. With bin being a true hater of Israel, and Noam a Jewish dude, the irony is strong with this one.

I think the real story here is that bin Laden has learned this lesson from Obama: you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Sure he praised an attempted bombing over Detroit in a tape released a few days back, but now he’s coming forward and buttering us up with reason. Granted, it’s a no-brainer that the developed nations ruined the earth, and yes, we should have signed the Kyoto Protocol, we’re jerks. But to bin Laden, I will say, 1. nice to know what you think, and 2. you are a bit exaggerated in your blanked hatred of U.S. citizens. Many of us are responsible and intelligent, we recycle and conserve energy and water, we walk when we can, and we have sent hundreds, if not thousands of letters to government officials encouraging them to protect the earth over the years. If you are so committed to the environment, I think one thing to consider is that blowing things up is NOT good for the ozone, nor for air quality or plants or animals, etc. I think there’s a gap in logic there somewhere. A huge gap.

Yet another death: JD Salinger

When I was in 6th grade, I first read The Catcher in the Rye. I thought there could be no book written before or ever after that would completely capture my human experience like this one did. In following years, I devoured those few, great published Salinger stories; I even almost made it through Seymour: An Introduction.

There was no human I wanted to meet more in this world. I remember that I would get anxious just thinking that I would never be able to meet or see this brilliant recluse in person. Over the years, my obsession waned. I grew up and Holden Caulfield wasn't as strong a defining presence in my life anymore. No matter how many times I've reread a Salinger book, I still can feel those initial sensations I had as a kid. I daresay that there has never been a more enduring literary character than Holden, with his hunting cap, taking a step off the curb and not knowing if he'll reach the other side.

I guess I'll never see Salinger in this life. May he rest in peace.

Obscene and Amazing

Holy Lord! Vice Magazine has done something brilliant (for a change).
This somewhat subtle fashion spread reveals a certain other side of men. I think the inspiration came from the site "Awkward Boners." After years of watching women sexualized in the media, it's nice to have the switch flipped for a change. Hooray for chubs!

Call me. I respond.

This was sort of an exciting weekend. I mean, not much happened in my world directly, but something kind of awesome did happen. My old roommate and one of my besties, Nathan (Lam) Vuong, flew to DC from LA to exhibit one of his photographs at an art show, Call and Response, co-curated by his wonderful friend Kira Wisniewski.

Nathan and I had spoken about what he was going to do for the show when I visited him in Tampa at Christmas. Each artist was paired with a written piece, the call, and the art is the response. That day he took a bunch of pictures of me soaring through the air - tongue hanging out and glasses awry. I thought they'd be tossed aside, as ugly as I looked. Anyway, I encouraged (forcefully) my brother Jimmy and Leah, my sister-in-law, who live in DC to attend. It was was a great success, and more importantly and unexpectedly they were surprised to see, firsthand, this rad ass picture above. Apparently, Nate's pic was a crowd favorite and Jimmy was able to tell everyone that yes, that was his sister in the photo (we are true, genuine show-offs).

Congrats to Kira for getting a bunch of great press, which you can link to here and see more here. The show will remain up till Feb. 13 at the Hamiltonian Gallery, so if you're in the District, stop by and admire me, Jimmy's sister, and Nathan, who is clearly just inches away from his dream of being photographed on a jet ski.

Cats, bro, two of them

This is ridiculous(ly awesome). It's from this site. First of all, James St. James posted this image and secondly, it's a cat with a cat mark on its back. Too much for words.

Casiotone, bro

Not sure about this, but I think Casiotone for the Painfully Alone will be at the old PS14 tonight. I hope it's not like last time Casiotone was in Miami playing at the NADA preview and only I and maybe 5 others were his audience. There were too many "painfully alone" jokes to made.

ALSO:

On a very exciting note, Kim, formerly of Real Housewives of Atlanta fame, and now of the "hit" single, "Don't Be Tardy for the Party" popularity will be performing tonight in Ft. Lauderdale at Living Room. I just wish I had heard about this earlier and I wish I had a gay best friend still in Miami to force me to go to this. Did you hear that, gays? I'm available.

If I could date this guy, I would

Because all I do is read Flavorwire, I came upon this guy. Apparently, he's 22 years old, jobless, pees outdoors (right on) and lives entirely off of Craig's List ads, whatever that means. He's blogging his experience, which is what you do when you have nothing else going on (hello!). I'm not familiar enough with his writing, but the article's author accuses him of being half boring, half "hilariously dry-witted," if you're writing everyday, most of what you write is going to suck. It's the nature of the big, boring, bipolar writing beast.

Anyway, Jason, hit me up. I also have 2 first names, love driving the country, have a free couch and a hankering for boys with not much going on but a little ambition.

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