HappyFt Travels

Before the vivid memory kicked in, I was shifting through random worlds, going in and out of unfamiliar places. I end up at this house in the country, and walk outside. I see E. leaning on a gravestone, and walk over to see what you are up to. The gravestone falls over, revealing a tunnel that goes under the green grass and into the ground. We decide to crawl into the tunnel, and wind our way to a larger area that is bathed in light. On the left of us is a white wall with opaque windows, allowing the light to come into the tunnel. Past that wall, we find a door, and open it.

We walk into the large room, which looks like an indoor greenhouse, complete with skylights and well maintained gardens. We walk through the garden towards another door and open it. It leads us into an exquisite apartment with commanding views of a Germanic downtown (more like Salzburg than Wien). The apartment is immaculate, with sparse, modern decor. We snoop around and end up laying on a large couch or bed. At this part of the dream, subliminal erotic images flash, taking me away from the current “moment” in the apartment.

Back on the couch, I am ready to go back to the other world. The place is empty, and nice, so E. decides to stay. I exit the way we came in, and once I go past the white-lit walls in the tunnel, I look over my shoulder. Another portal has opened just under the window, and a well-dressed middle-aged woman appears. She doesn’t notice me and, after straightening her suit, heads into the garden room. “I hope E. won’t get into too much trouble,” I say. Crawling back out of the grave in the other world, I realize that that apartment belonged to the dead man who was under the felled gravestone.

Tags: Dreams
Posted in Dreams | | No Comments »

(thanks to Laura for this pic from Dachau, Germany)

A month or so ago, I photographed a new stencil in Clarion Alley, the funky painted street by Community Thrift on Valencia St. I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to post the image to Stencil Archive, because for the first time in San Francisco, I had captured a White Supremest logo as negative space. Huh? The “New Right”? Why the hell are they tagging a right wing stencil in Clarion Alley? [I posted the stencil, because people need to know what their icons are and deface them whenever they can.]

Before the Clarion Alley block party, a friend buffed the stencils. I don’t blame him, especially since Clarion Alley is a lefty, Anarcho-Radical zone, with murals that make hate-free political statements as well as critique capitalist society. Before the Block Party, I got word that the SFPD were going to crack down on open alcohol containers during the event. I stopped by the alley early to look for stencils and double check that rumor. Sure enough, a volunteer was making a sign telling people to behave that day. (The SFPD harassed participants by riding motorcycles through the party and did issue open container citations.)

(more…)

Tags: murals, Politics, stencils
Posted in Politics | | No Comments »

Cultural Encounters: Friday Nights at the de Young presents Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo, in partnership with Precita Eyes Muralists

5:30 PM - 8:45 PM
November 6, 2009

The HEART of the Mission, a Celebration of Art and Community, including many of the artists, photographers, and writers featured in Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo; live music by Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeno Band; poetry and performances by Lorna Dee Cervantes, Stephen Cervantes, Francisco X, Lori B (Bloustein) and Andrew Voight; talks by the book’s editor, Annice Jacoby, artist and writer Jaime Cortez; projections of thousands of archival and current Mission murals, including a ten-year span of the deAppropriation wall; art activities for people of all ages and MORE! Free for All.

The de Young Museum hosts a year-long series celebrating the just released Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo (Abrams, 2009), edited by Annice Jacoby, with a foreword by Carlos Santana, as part of the museum’s weekly program Cultural Encounters: Friday Nights at the de Young.
(more…)

Tags: book, mission muralismo, murals, stencils
Posted in Creations | | No Comments »

Here’s a great video of an action that I helped organize on Sunday, starring some odd characters (go here for more pics and links and fun)….

Tags: Culture Jamming, politics, video
Posted in Politics | | No Comments »

The YES MEN and GLOBAL EXCHANGE

present a Special Screening of

The Yes Men Fix the World

on its San Francisco debut weekend with Yes Man, Andy Bichlbaum & Global Exchange’s Chevron Program Director, Antonia Juhasz

November 1, 2009
5pm
The Roxie Theater
3117 16th Street, SF

Question and Answer Discussion following the film with Andy Bichlbaum and Antonia Juhasz

Protest Chevron with The Yes Men!
6:45pm

After the Q & A, Andy Bichlbaum will lead the entire theater of moviegoers to the Chevron station at Market and Castro for a colorful, ruckus, creative, protest of the kind only the Yes Men can offer!

Even if you can’t join us for the film, show up afterwards to take on Chevron Yes Men/Global Exchange style! We hope to see you there!!

Tags: Culture Jamming, politics
Posted in Politics | | No Comments »

Sunday at the West Fest, a free concert in Golden Gate Park, I threw a new line in my carny spiel: “Just like the SF Diggers gave it all away in the Summer of Love, our games are free. There ain’t no line, and it don’t cost a dime!” The SF Diggers have inspired me many times over with their mad, creative urge to make the word “free” the real deal. They gave food away to the wayward runaways that flocked to Upper Haight, inspiring the Food Not Bombs campaigns. They hustled landlords to get living space and then crammed in as many homeless teens as possible to get them off the streets, and the Huckleberry Youth Programs is a reminder of their work. The SF Diggers threw free concerts in the Panhandle, the West Fest was a quasi-unsponsored (they did have logos all over things) example of that legacy. Finally, the SF Diggers created free stores, where money wasn’t considered. The Really Really Free Markets and Clothing Swaps stand as 21st Century Examples of this idea.

The SF Diggers, for good or bad, were tied to the San Francisco Mime Troupe. On top of all that free culture listed above, there were also many puppet performances, spontaneous art happenings, and wild, tripped out parties. The Mime Troupe gave their shows away for free in parks across the City, and they had to fight for that right, inspiring the SF Diggers (and bringing on the hilarious arrest of some of their giant puppets). On the East Coast, Peter Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theater also began to throw free performances in New York, Vermont, and beyond. And Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino also began free, radical performance from a Mexi-Cali Latino perspective.

(more…)

Tags: free, Politics, Puppets
Posted in Politics, Puppets, Thoughts | | No Comments »

How often does one have the chance to give a fool a ride back to his house sit in Lower Haight? Before my eyes, in the dark of a sliver moon night in late October, stood Rumpel the Aussie fool. I couldn’t stop staring at his vest, all full of ridiculous shiny things that idiots like me can’t help but look at. I tried to avoid the man’s pointy shoes and the mouse nose that forced Greg Mooney to ask “is that nose your real nose?” Rumpel dodged the answer, saying he has 300 noses, and I believe him.

Poor Rumpel, not from San Francisco and way too stoned to find a direction home (sorry for the Dylan/Hendrix reference, but Jimi Hendrix was the patron saint of West Fest today. His signature even blazoned the label of an energy drink, most likely licensed by the guitar great’s brother. That same sibling was on stage when a rag tag group of guitarists “played” Purple Haze in an attempt to break a world record. I don’t think they pulled it off). Mr. Rumpel was cold, in the dark of Golden Gate Park, and looking for the after party “where some of the bands were going to hang out.” He heard an address and was too high to remember it. Or too foolish to write it down.

But he found me and Greg in the middle of a field chatting. I played with a broken branch and Greg toyed his lit-up unicycle. Rumple showed up and fell in “with the folks you need to meet tonight” (Greg’s words), getting a ride home from Jonathan and the Wonder Truck. We dropped the fool off at the corner of Fillmore and Oak, still unsure about what he was going to stumble into next.
(more…)

Tags: carny
Posted in Thoughts | | No Comments »

AsiaAlive

Burmese Puppet Troupe

Tuesday through Saturday, October 25 through 31

12:00 noon – 4:00 pm

North Court

FREE with general museum admission

Mandalay Marionettes Theatre from Burma demonstrate their culture’s traditional puppet-making process. Watch them manipulate puppets, and create your own artwork to take home. The Mandalay Marionettes Theatre also presents short performances on Target First Free Sunday.

In conjunction with the special exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma.

Performance: Mandalay Marionettes Theatre
Sunday, November 1
12:00 noon and 2:00 pm, Samsung Hall
Free admission sponsored by Target.

Enjoy puppet shows filled with Himalayan adventures, love stories, and dance.

Tags: Puppets
Posted in Puppets | | No Comments »

October 28 - November 8, 2009
8PM, Oct 28 - 30, Nov 4 - 7
2PM, Oct 31, Nov 1 & 8

BRAVA Theater Center
2781 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94110

Ticket Prices
Wed,Thur, Sun: $20; Fri & Sat: $25
*Opening Night (Oct 28): $35 includes performance + post-show reception
*Thursday, Oct 29: Pay-What-You-Wish ($5 min. donation suggested)
*Student, Senior & Group discount available via phone & in person

Box Office: 415 647 2822 | 24/7 Online Box Office

More Info: www.shadowlightghosts.org

Tags: Puppets
Posted in Puppets | | No Comments »

The Treasure Island Music Fest had a good vibe. Not too big (about 10,000 people), not too corporate, and the music was ecclectic enough to not get boring. Only two stages so things didn’t get too loud at Recycle Swish and the GMO Freak Show. Figured out that we had backstage access on Sunday so finally got to find Erminio Pinque of Big Nazo (Providence, RI) and say a quick hello. Wanye from Flaming Lips wandered by me too while I was back there! TIMF did pay a group of artists to create a great, Dust Bowl-era Midway of games for the event, so we got a second-rate placement stuck amongst the vendor tent row. And only had room for one game instead of the contracted two. We made do with what we got and had a good time giving it.

Here’s a pic an official photographer took of me being silly with the Corn Dog. It made it on the festival’s main site!

Tags: carny
Posted in Puppets | | No Comments »

Yoo hoo…. I’ve been working hard this past month, doing sound tech (5 mics and about 25 sound cues) for the Big Tadoo’s “Walk and Roll to School” puppet show for TRANSFORM in Alameda County elementary schools. Just finished week two of the Fall Tour, leaving the kids with the urge to either bike and walk to school (or maybe put on a puppet and sing a great song).

Come visit me and a few events I’ll be participating in for your fall carny/puppet goodness:

The Sustainable Living Roadshow will have two games at Treasure Island Music Fest this weekend. If you stop by during Flaming Lips, you won’t see me there!!!

Big Tadoo will have a public performance of the show on Halloween with for the 3rd Annual Scraper Bike Day in Oakland. Never heard of scraper bikes? Check out this site for more info on a cool, inner-city urban bike movement.

CANCELLED due to permit problems (fingers crossed that we’ll perform for them soon!)

October 31st
Fremont Highschool parking lot
4610 Foothill Blvd. tween 46th and 45th
Oakland, CA 94601

Tags: bikes, carny, Puppets
Posted in Creations, Puppets | | No Comments »

The hitch on the trailer has broken, leaving Jon and I broken down on a Northern California winter’s evening. Not much around by way of lodging so we go to one of the few buildings for a night’s stay. Jon immediately goes into a deep, exhausted sleep, while I start feeling uneasy about the house. The house seems to want me dead, trying a few times to end my life. Getting through these attempts, one of the house’s spirits apparates. He’s angry and reminds me I belonged to them since L. tried to kill me there in the past. I refuse to be killed, and with Jon as no help, I leave the building looking for a solution.

I walk to a neighboring property that holds spiritual retreat. They’re closed for the winter, so I try to find the caretaker, hoping that he’ll help me not get killed. I wake him up, and ask him to help me with the problem. He doesn’t want too be bothered, so I begin to think hard about how to escape and not freeze to death. That’ll be hard to do in the country.

Confused spirits begin to show up. They’re looking for their lost loved ones. I ask them if they died in the house I’d fled and they all say yes. I ask them to help me end the spirit’s murderous ways. As they indicate that they want to help, I visualize spirits battling spirits as the only way out of this mess. Excited to deal with this, the spirits gather aroud me. We begin to organize and rally the masses for this one-shot assault.

Tags: Dreams
Posted in Dreams | | No Comments »