My friend Craig Daniels is the coolest. Ever since I saw him at the ‘North doors’ in high school with dentures hanging off his leather jacket, I just knew. He’s responsible for some of my favorite bands like The Leather Uppers and The Tijuana Bibles and now he’s got a new band New Horizzzons whom you can see below. He also has a celebrated artist partner Fiona Smyth who’s work you will likely recognize if you go here. So when Craig messaged me to say his bandmate Robert Dayton would be in L.A. for a while working with Ann Magnuson, I was immediately on board.
Behold New Horizzzons! That’s Craig on the left, and Robert in the middle. That’s Michael Comeau on the right, who is also a comic, mural and poster artist.
Turns out Mr. Dayton is also known as the ‘Canadian Romantic’ and was operating a roving one-man kissing booth at Ann Magnuson’s ‘Bachannal’ this past Sunday, an artfully twisted carnival of songs, performances and general weirdness paying homage to artist Mike Kelley, who is occupying the entire Geffen Contemporary at MOCA right now.
The ‘Canadian Romantic’ kissing booth! Richard and me were kiss #2 and #3. Violet wasn’t so into kissing Robert….
It seems I’m drawn to all things Mike Kelley, as I recently enjoyed another event at this retrospective, my friend Anita Pace’s dance collaboration called Pansy Metal Clovered Hoof, a ‘runway model’ subversion piece set to Motörhead’s Orgasmatron. Anita was at the Bachannal of course, with hubby and twins.
These Mike Kelley events are also kid-friendly – sort of. Glen Meadmore‘s band which features Dean Opseth and Dave Kendrick, is “pure unadulterated corn-hole and hillbilly homo-punk” with sing-alongs that the kids loved.
Glen Meadmore
Then there was Squeaky Blonde‘s Corn Hole where the kids threw balls through a hole and got to pick out a stuffed animal from a huge pile. This was Violet’s favorite part.
But she also really liked the dance performance by these two, Cher-noble and a gentleman who’s name I didn’t catch…
Next, performance artist Sean DeLear performed the theme song from the 1974 John Waters film Female Trouble.
The Psyche-Out Dada Go-Go Dancers had a booth where they did many things, including mostly naked twister, and cavorting with the stuffed animal guy who I think was Stephen Holman?? Please someone correct me if I’m wrong.
The Psyche-Out Dada Go-Go Dancers – Gregory Barnett, Diamondback Annie, Nick Duran and Meg Wolfe
Stephen Holman’s booth.
Marc Plainguet (‘Your Pal Satan’) According to Plainguet, “your Pal Satan goes to and fro in the world and walks up and down in it playing his damned accordion to help you see the darkness.”
A maypole made from stuffed animals.
The piece de resistance for me was watching the one and only Ann Magnuson perform with her band including Kristian Hoffman, Joe Berardi, Pierre Smith and Kim Serene. Violet was mesmerized by this version of the Bongwater song, Talent is a Vampire.
What does Mike Kelley have in store for me and my family next?
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