Notes from the (Volunteering) Underground: Mutton Busting

Notes from the (Volunteering) Underground: Mutton Busting Performance Festival, Calgary

A wacky and wonderful time was had by all at the Epcor Centre Saturday, where a new space was christened in the name of Bubonic Tourists-initiate: Motel. A smallish room that somehow gets bigger and bigger the more people you fit into it, it hosted physical theatre troupe RED2BLUE's Faire (1+1) Tu, a trance-inducing smorgasborg of lighted umbrellas, suitcases converted to mirrors and record players, and a love story both in shadow puppetry and person. A mobile of books became a library, a coloured-light disco ball, the night sky; a screen projected an artful film of the credits. This is theatre?

Next came local songwriter/playwright/multitasker extrodinaire, Ethan Cole, playing oddly chosen covers that worked so well in acoustic style it took awhile to recognize even the most popular (or least popular) of his choices: Beach Boys, Depeche Mode and (*gasp*) Milli Vanilli!

Mike Angus was a clear departure, all the way down the Yellowhead in fact as he played songs from his beautiful, nostalgic acoustic CD, The Yellowhead Diaries. This mystery man's CD notes won't tell you how to get your hands on the next album he puts out; one just has to keep one's ear to the ground to hear the train comin' in from Winnipeg.

Later, one of the RED2BLUE narrators lost his black suit for a flame pink cowboy shirt, taking up DJ duties for the Motel launch party while Mutton Busters sipped Warthog and cider and danced like maniac theatre students - this wasn't my usual literary crowd of calm hipsters happening, we're talking people dressed like animals and a naked Bubonic curator, in Equus head, chasing (or being chased by) a naked woman in loincloth and teased-up Blondie. Whoa! This is theatre? And in Calgary, too? Ought to have known these sorts of things were going on somewhere... it all felt oddly natural, dancing like an idiot with a couple of animations artists there in the Motel - was it my high school drama improv days calling me back, or the beer on tap?

Am now very excited about the High Performance Rodeo and it's affiliate festival, Mutton Busting, seeing that the curators of each, Michael Green and Eric Moschopedis respectively, have eclectic and phenomenal taste in performers! Next weekend I'll be taking in The Rheostatics, local bands Summerlad and Woodpigeon, and indie icon Calvin Johnson (when I'm not actually manning the door or doing something otherwise useful, that is :) )

Check out www.bubonictourist.ca and/or www.oyr.org for info before it's too late. Mutton Busting runs from Jan 3-14 and the High Performance Rodeo happens from Jan 3-29. Volunteers are also welcome to apply!

a small gift this day (year 5)

(A New Year's sendout from Gil McElroy to his lit friends - with permission to blog! L.)

Sure Points & Lubricants
for rob mclennan


Irony, be
a giant. Offer me
no more
of the mill. I'll
overlook the
drawer (so
mellow &
straight) &
the gaudy childhood,
too.

I'll
sing (from right
to left) the wit
of impossible
songs, mimicking the style
of Mancini himself (at
the core), or maybe
Bacharach,
beyond high school. Ah,
those were handsome times,
of sure points
& lubricants.

Much gasps.

To pall,
likely.


- Gil McElroy

Irving Layton 1912 - 2006

This, forwarded yesterday by rob mclennan to his email list:

I just got an email from Ottawa poet Seymour Mayne that Montreal poetIrving Layton passed away today, two months shy of his 94th birthday. Information on Layton can be found
at:

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/layton/
http://www.irvinglayton.com/
http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/faculties/HUM/ENGL/canada/poet/i_layton.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Layton
http://www.cbc.ca/lifeandtimes/layton.html
http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol2/no26/layton.html

rob

Please Help Oni - Here's Why / How!

from an email I received, forwarded by rob mclennan:

On December 20th Ottawa poet "Oni the Haitian Sensation" was in a serious car accident involving a commercial snow clearing vehicule in the City of Ottawa. Oni and her three young children were hit from behind and the car was damaged beyond repair. The police officer dealing with Oni's case told her that the driver of the snow clearing vehicule was under investigation and will be charged. All occupants suffered from whiplash, Oni suffered a concussion, and continues to suffer from chronic pain.

Oni is an internationally recognized artist who has given much to Ottawa. She tells us that she and her children are in need of help from the community, and can be contacted at (780) 247-9285.

resolve

this year to colour-coordinate
your Christmas tree ornaments

is the better replace
before a hair-blower fire

this year to subvert the tactics
of charitable organizations

is the grocery in-door slam
trying to out

this year to commit to avoiding
ridiculousness

is the keep teeth shut
and gone into hiding

this year to snowblow
all 3 cm at 8 am

is the overwater houseplants
til black-thumb

is the put together Ikea bookshelf
not inside-out

is the to this year
this to year is the

the this is to year
year the this to is

A Comment on Comments --

To those who have attempted so far to post comments: sorry! While I want to read comments, I don't necessarily want to post them (just to keep things simple for the casual browser). When moderating, Blogger only gives me the option of posting or rejecting a comment, but not replying to it. If you would like a reply from me please include your email address in your comment. Thank you to those who have commented so far.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! My resolutions: Time to quit smoking all smokeables and go into hibernation for a period of intense reading and profuse writing. (Except when I have to come out to work, eat, pee, forage for berries, and volunteer at Mark Hopkins' Mutton Busting performance art fest here in Calgary). May your 2006 inspire art and awe.