Go see Sink Sank Sunk tomorrow night at the Transformer Gallery

My pal and esteemed artist D. Billy has a great solo show opening tomorrow night at the Transformer Gallery in Washington, DC.  Sink Sank Sunk look to be a lot of fun, and I hear there’s a lot of interest in buying pieces; his art is a joy to look at and you should get there early and lay your money down.  I’ve seen most of the pieces in his studio, and I would have bought most of them if I had the money.

(link to PDF of press release)

…and what did you do today?

I went to a 19th-Century style variety show on a steamboat, complete with 9-year-old playing the Calliope.  I read about it on one of the New York blogs I check to see what’s going on.

Hosted by Travis S.D.,  the show started with Paradizo Dance performing an “Acro-balance” act that was fun to watch and had a certain “wow” that only an in-person performance of physical feats can give.  They were serenaded by Sorcha Dorcha, an instrumental Irish quartet.  Then Senior Briatico performed very histrionic Shakespeare, thankfully briefly.  Sorcha Dorcha played a decent set after that.  They were followed by a sort-of-funny but mainly overacted selection from “Ten Nights in a Bar-room.”  The show closed with Howard Fishman playing “Minstrel” songs – I kind of jumped every time they said the term, it made me feel funny.  He’s good though, especially about three songs in when his voice warmed up and could be heard over the banjo.

Definitely go support the Waterfront Museum when you can, it has programs an old man like me can enjoy.  (I’m an old man in spirit, dammit.)

Wristcutters: A Love Story

I saw this excellent movie last night, thanks to some guy handing out free promo tickets in Union Square.  I’d read some online reviews pointing out this movie’s flaws, and didn’t plan to see it even if it was still in theaters when I got paid.  Those flaws included: loosely resolved plot points, an unexplained cosmology of the afterlife, and a main character with some initially unexplained motives.

Shows you what I know.  All those flaws are true of the movie, but none of them matter.  This was a great film; by turns funny, mysterious, absurd, poignant,  romantic – but mostly just real.  The metaphysics, while largely unexplained, are just present enough to frame the story in a pleasingly aesthetic and quirky way.  Did I mention Tom Waits and Will Arnett are in it, as great side characters?  With such heady company, I’m impressed that Patrick Fugit and Shannyn Sossamon still stand out and don’t get lost as the main characters.  I’ve noticed them in previous roles, and Patrick especially, but for some reason this was the movie that makes me really conscious of them and look forward to whatever they’re in next.  I can’t close without mentioning Shea Whigham, who was great as the currently trendy world-weary Eastern-European buddy-of-the-main-character.  I haven’t seen him in anything before, but I’ll look out for his next project too.

Basically, just go see it.  I mean, come on, Tom Waits!

Oh Bondage, Up Yours…

X Ray Spex are still my favorite band of the past.

A merry trip through McDonald’s advertising history, and Evil Grimace.

This is an interesting article (with videos of the historical ads) about McDonald’s ads throughout the years (from Stay Free!). I like the unabashed psychedelics early on.

Bonus: Evil Grimace and Ronald’s Daughter (ready for Desperate Housewives?)

Please, please don’t eat there.