Pan y Cafe

Recent conversation with a friend made me think about how many of the most memorable performances or works I’ve seen have had an undeniable creepy quality to them. I don’t just mean haunting, I mean CREEPY. The word “creep” when used to describe a person, has a negative connotation associated with someone who is undesirable, deranged or out of place. In art I feel creepyness takes on a new positive connotation of being captivating, memorable, dream-like. Rather than being out of place, the creep is precisely in step with your subconscious or the seemingly intangible threads floating just above your head.

All this reminds me of the freak show.

Fire breathers, sword swallowers, deformations, magic! Why do we crave and enjoy being weirded out?

I think it’s safe to say that none of the artists below created or performed these works with the sole purpose of weirding us out. Upon first viewing, I was struck by the artistry, creativity, and general rockness of these pieces. It was only later that I realized they share the commonality of being beautifully creepy.

1) La Lupe
Creepy category: Bewitching

2) Betty Boop, Max Fleisher and Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher”
Creepy category: Heebie Jeebies

3) Marina Abramović, The Artist is Present
Creepy category: Beautiful, Haunting

I was tickled to have performed last weekend at Bushwick Open Studios Cabaret at 319 Scholes, really cool space with one of the most genuinely free-spirited and laid back cats I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

It was an awesome show in which I somewhat successfully played my first ever solo set including a new song sketch. Nobuko Hori joined me with her amazingly bright and dreamy video art and also tried out a brand new live animation using a shoebox diorama. This was my most enthusiastic, sexy (seriously, some FIIIIINE looking men and ladies), and spanish-speaking ny audience yet! We had a blast seeing everyone’s work and hanging with the BOS cabaret team. Big shout outs to Manda, Danielle, Moises, Sebastian for being so inclusive and friendly. Looking forward to getting back to sexyland Bushwick soon for more art shows and accordion contortionists!

More photos of the cabaret are up here.

This is my pan y cafe blog: bread and coffee plain and simple. Music, art, cultural happenings and updates about my work. Hope to see you here often!
riki tiki tiki tan, x.