HAMP Fest

That’s HAMP, which stands for “HIV Awareness Music Project”. The New Orleans Society for Infectious Disease Awareness has put together its second annual awareness event. Never has getting STD testing been so much fun. 9pm. $15. One-Eyed Jacks.

Fringe, Day a Million

Alright, it’s the last day of my Fringe picks.

5pm: Lead Paint Libretto (I saw a bit of this at the free tent and it’s really cute)

7pm: Something’s Gone Wrong in the Dream House

9pm: Mind Control: A Psychotic Self-Help Seminar at the Marigny Theatre

11pm: Tale of Mephisto

More Fringe…

So, a lot of people I know, out of hand, dismiss the concept of experimental theater. And, it is true that you have to wade though a lot of proverbial poo to find the gems. I find this to be true in all art forms. But, if you are willing to take a chance, occasionally you find something truly extraordinary, and that makes it all worth it. Last night, I got to see Home Made by the Portland, Oregon-based tEEth, at the spectacular church on St. Ferdinand.

Go. Seriously.

So now, with my faith restored in experimental performance, here are my picks for today:

1pm and 3pm: Clamlump and Hunter’s Blind at The Mudlark

5pm: All Aboard

7pm: Port/Architect

9pm: The Truck Project

11pm: Burying Barbie

So sayeth me.

 

Fringe–Day 3

Last night I was dragging my good sport of a husband–who was exhausted from consecutive graveyard shifts–around the neighborhood to see Fringe shows. We went to Architects Alley in pursuit of seeing one show, but accidentally ended up at another show in what felt akin to an alien abduction. Somehow we ended up at Port/Architect by the local Skinhorse Theater company. We debated the show for the rest of the night, which is what art is supposed to make you do, right?

But now I think I’m in need of some laughs with The Liar Show at 7pm, and then back to some more heavy stuff at 9pm with Home Made—which looks truly lovely, and then, depending on my mood, at 11pm: either more heavy, movement-based stuff with lie, lay, laid or a funny solo show with 52 Man Pick-Up.

BTW: The husband says I have to go with him to an Ultimate Fighting match next week as payback for all this.

Fringe Festival–Day 2

Wow, I had some fun last night at the Fringe Festival. I went and bought passes at the Fringe Box Office and then sipped a free NOLA Brown Ale, as I sat in the Fringe tent and watched about an hour of excerpts from upcoming Fringe shows. Later I saw Du Fu, Mississippi, which was simply fantastic, as has been the case for everything I’ve seen by the ArtSpot Productions folks. There are previews again this evening, from 5-7.

So here’s the show schedule.

My picks for this evening are…

7pm: Bombs, Babes and Bingo from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Playing at Den of Muses.

9pm: Vespers from Portland, Maine. Playing at Party World.

and at 11pm the BYOV show: Snow and Flames (Mother/Daughter puppet theater) at Michalopoulos Studio.

New Orleans Fringe Festival

I am so excited about Fringe Festival! It’s a little known fact that Good Liver, here, loves theater, did a turn in an experimental theater group back in the day, and pens plays these days. TMI?

Anywho, last year’s Fringe was such a wonderful time, and this year looks like it’s gonna blow last year away. Over the next 5 days, there are about 30 “Fringe managed” shows at venues pretty much all in the Marigny and Bywater. There are also about 30 more at BYOV’s (Bring Your Own Venue) throughout the city.

The deal is you buy a Fringe button for $3, and then tickets are $8/show. Or you can buy bundles of 5 passes for $30. And you can do all of this on-line through today only! And pre-sales get priority seating. So, I’ll be doing that.

Also, today and tomorrow they are offering free Fringe Peep Shows:

“Can’t decide what to see? Come to our free Fringe Peep Shows, Wednesday November 17 and Thursday November 18 from 5-7 pm to see previews of many of the shows at the Fringe. Free NOLA Brew and Old New Orleans Rum! (wow) At the Free-For-All Tent.”

So, the problem is what to choose! Tonight’s show times are 7 and 9. And there are BYOV shows at 7, 9 and 11. Here’s the schedule.

Todays picks are *drumroll*…. 7pm:  Du Fu, Mississippi. 9pm: The Trail of Tears–I mean Butoh from Birmingham, Alabama about the Native American experience? And at 11pm, round out the night with a little comedy with: Assh*les on the Brink of Limited Epiphanies.

 

All Hallows Eve-Eve

There’s so much going on in town this weekend, you really can’t go wrong. I mean we have Ozzy (!) at VooDoo today. There are also Dax Riggs and the Lost Bayou Ramblers (a strange combo, but both bands I love) at One-Eyed Jacks. But, I’m putting my money on The Mudlark Halloween Cabaret Grotesque.–I predict lots of creepy baby dolls and taxidermed animals, and what else says Halloween, really? They’re promising: Unnatural acts of Puppetry, Horror Theatre, Monster Burlesque, Delicious Treats and Cheap Booze, and The Callers (Brooklyn). Doors at 8pm.

MC Sweet Tea and Da Tastee Hotz

Rapper/performance artist MC Sweet Tea used to live in New Orleans, and performed at some insanely fun shows back in the day. I heard of her the same time I heard of Peaches, and to me, at the time, they had sort of a similar aesthetic. It sounds like her vision has evolved over the years into something called honkytonkpunkrockhiphop-burlesque. She’s back in town to perform at the Voodoo Experience this weekend. Tonight Preservation Hall will be hosting a special midnight performance of MC Sweet Tea and Da Tastee Hotz (her dancers).

Here’s more from Pres Hall:
Currently based out of Austin Texas, Tiana Hux performs/directs musical theatre under the stage moniker MC Sweet Tea. These performances span Burlesque, Puppet Theatre, Hip Hop and Performance Art. Musically, the shows blend Rap/Spoken Word, with elements of rock, electronic, pop and classical music genres. Her 2005 release, Story, remains and underground classic while her much anticipated new work, Animal Ball, will find it’s world premiere at Preservation Hall and Voodoo Fest in New Orleans this Halloween, 2010.

Cordelia Was the Fool

It’s the first day of Fall! Get out that trunk full of sweaters and turtlenecks and long underwear! Psych. It’s still crazy hot, and will be for, like, ever. So just stay indoors all day and come out later on tonight for the return of Cordelia Was the Fool, at the AllWays Lounge.

Cordelia is a weekly women’s performance revue . Here’s what its creators have to say about it:

This successful revue of women in solo performance returns to its regular Tuesday night slot at the AllWays with a renewed emphasis on original material. The lineup changes every week, but regulars in the ensemble includes queerlesque queen ACE FALCOR, performance painter BRITAIN VALENTI, dancer CARMEN TORRES, performance artist AMY WOODRUFF, and poet RAPHAELLE O’NEIL.
Musical guests include MAMA GOGO, OLGA, NATTIE, and SAMANTHA BEAULIEU. Other special guests schedule to appear include OTTER, JESSICA HALEM, and poet JOY SPAULDING.

WHAT: Cordelia was The Fool, new women’s performance revue
WHO: Produced by Clove Productions.
WHERE: The AllWays Lounge, 2240 St Claude.
WHEN: Tuesdays at 8pm, September 21-October 26.
HOW: $5 plus drink, at the door, general admission.

Rex Presley Benefit Variety Show

Years ago there was an event called the, ahem, Gash Bash, in which a bunch of folks here in NOLA got together in order to raise some money to help our friend complete her gender reassignment surgery. Well, it seems a certain Mr. Rex Presley also has some very good friends who are helping him fund the completion of his reassignment. The Rex Presley Benefit Variety Show continues tonight at the Mudlark Theatre.

Here’s what the Mudlark folks have to say about it:

This weekend will feature a brand new passion play in shadow puppetry about the life and legacy of Saint Liberata, the bearded lady to whom Italian women pray when threatened by unhappy marriages.

The performances will also include gender-fuck royalty, uncommon burlesque, live music by local-to-the-neighborhood bohemians, and so much more.

So there!

$10 suggested donation. Doors at 9pm. All proceeds from bar go to Rex Presley fund.