This week, Lexi did some loop singing about two lines, Nancy and Ian spent quality time with a bag of Chex Mix, Pete from Hell's waiting room came out for his once a century display, Lexi imagined a world where things go right, and on Friday, we did an anti-performance performance.
Monday May 8th
Title: "two lines"
Instructions: Vocally improvise with the loop pedal Peter Lee gave/loaned the studio using the phrase "two lines."
Why? I discovered I was pregnant.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Every time I use Peter's loaned loop pedal, I don't trust it to be precise about time, and it makes me slightly uncomfortable. I think I did a quick tester to suss it out. I probably tried to do a few vocal exercises, hopefully.
Performance Write Up: I didn't admit my pregnancy to anyone that day, but I did put the title on the board as well as, at one point during the performance, make the statement, "If you don't make a decision, you made one" or something like that.
Much of the harmony was train of thought exploration. I'm not sure how emotions played a role in the musical decision making. I think most of my thought process was musical and not deeply wrapped up in emotions.
I recall feeling undecided about whether or not to proceed with remaining pregnant. This was the first time I've gotten pregnant. It is now July 2023, and I am not pregnant. Planned Parenthood is a great place, and I love being a woman in California.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/rnT6_fxU_Qw
Tuesday May 9th
Title: "Sorting out my thoughts" Feat Nancy Ross and Ian Harland
Nancy and Ian poured out a bag of Chex mix and sorted the pieces into separate piles of the same bits. Before the show, they created an audio track made of quotes from Ian's cousin's facebook page. I'm not sure if he knows they did this. I'm not sure how he would feel about it. Better question, how do you feel about it? Take a listen to the track below because there's no video. They did not remember to record the video. They do have the track, however.
Listen to the audio track AND view a small clip of the view from outside here--->> https://www.patreon.com/posts/sorting-out-my-86672979?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Wednesday May 10th
Title: "Hell's Waiting Room" Feat Nancy Ross
Pete is the front desk worker at hell's waiting room, a noisy place with an incessant warning alarm going. Pete is pretty amicable and casual when his first visitor arrives, Tony. Tony lives a life of performance art and is brilliantly interesting, and it seems he has been invited to interview by the front desk worker asking questions like "What is your relationship with your mother?" and "Did you get in trouble much?" It's fairly difficult to make out what they are saying from the video, but an earnest listener would be able to decipher a solid 90%.
Pete goes on to interview the next Hell's waiting room visitor, Lucy, sharing hell's greatest activities like monopoly, staring at walls, and lots of farts. Also, Saturday and Sunday don't exist. The producers are satisfied.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/7h5-kvVy86k
Thursday May 11th
Title: "The opposite of catastrophizing"
Instructions: Make up scenarios that are the opposite of catastrophizing, i.e. betting on a good future outcome.
Why? Seemed like a positive concept in which to dig.
Rehearsal Discoveries: As far as I can recall, and I am writing this July 22 2023, I did not rehearse. I just set up a mic and planned to conceive of an awesome future for the world by thinking in terms of categories.
Performance Write Up: My time management was poor, and I recall feeling as though I never got to many of the ideas I imagined for this piece. I got stuck talking about the super intelligent street floor concept and lost in that idea's potential. A few friends of the space whom I respect deeply were in attendance. This caused nervousness which caused poor performance. Typical.
The concept of spiraling into a hole and getting stuck is always a possibility at an improvised show. How does one usually get out of the spiral? Realize its existence, collect energetic flow in order to make a transition. Got stuck somewhere in the reorganization of energetic flow process.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/BmQ48PtSBP0
Friday May 12th
Title: "No Thanks" Feat. Lexi Pulido and Sergey Kolivayko
Instructions: Tape paper to the sliding glass doors in order to black out the doors with the words "No Thanks." Play keyboard to accompany the wordlessness.
Why? The original title for today was "Welcome Home." Sergey and I went to Ensenada Mon afternoon to Wednesday evening, and I think I was just thinking in terms of returning with a performance in alignment with these truths. The day of this show, the last think I wanted to do was perform, so I said "No Thanks."
Rehearsal Discoveries: Decided on the "No Thanks" concept on the drive over, I think. I ripped paper off the screen door that I've used for other performances like "49 29" and "Wow upside down." I'm pretty sure the last that paper was used was for the WOW performance. Sergey arrived a few minutes before 10, and I assigned him the duty of covering the rest of the sliding glass doors while I played keyboard.
Performance Write Up: Anti-performance performance is quite a cough-laugh kind of joke-sigh. Despite energetically displaying the force of "turning away," the performance remains invitational by existing. Those in attendance found the music and display to be peaceful. There is peace in understanding. That all makes sense.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/v-0ann2Gkzw
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