June '05 - June '07
*Note: This was written in June, I found it in my "drafts" box. It marks some reflection on 2 years of involvement with Nightlight and Nightlighters.
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I've been attending and/or performing shows at Nightlight for the past two years now and have to say WOW, what a haven.
Seriously, more power more intimacy more originality more unknowns and unheard of's
less money less crowd less bullshit more fun less predictable etc. and so on and so forth,
you know what I'm talking about. it has had more juicy punctured consistently inconsistent soul (albeit white mostly)
than any other "established" arena(!) in the area. Attracting all sorts of open-eyed people, drunks, crazies, artistic nobodies,
and even several trubies (true love artist rubies). Sure there's the riff raff, the nay-sayers, the look-downers, but who cares? get POSI-CORE.
I guess I'm writing this because I love Nightlight and the people who have helped make it the space it has been and has become. I now feel the need to comment on what it has become. I've heard a few people say, "it's not the same" and well duh, it's never the same, and that "everyone is leaving" or whatever. I mean. PLATFORM hello? I just have to quell those sentiments right now. One person mentioned to me how it has gotten "too formal" with the events of wristbands at No Future Fest or Soundscape or something else. But what's the big deal? I wear wristbands all the time. I even have a permanent one til death due us part. and I know that Alexis has been kick ass organizing the underside of the business (money/licenses/etc) in order to keep it clean enough to STAY OPEN. Fuck. Inevitably everything changes. The shows recently have been out-fucking rageous. If you are not on the Nightlight newsletter, get on it. I am bombarded with info on ball-licking shows weekly and, unfortunately, only get my aural balls licked once every couple of weeks or so because I don't live in the Chapel Harrboro anymore.
I suppose this is an Announcement. Is that what a blog is? and commentary. please comment back.
Now I propose to myself to comment on the "scene" as it were is everywhere in places like Nightlight. Nightlight is a venue. A place for PERFORMANCE-EXPRESSION-EXPERIMENTATION-ANNOUNCEMENT-COMING OUT-EXPLOSION-DEFILING-A PERPETUAL WITCHHUNT. How far can we get? HOW FAR? How FAR WILL YOU GET?!?
As for the fact that "ownership" has changed hands and "people are leaving" PLEASE GET OVER THIS. This happens all the time. What happens now is better than what came before. It is up to people like you reading this blog right now, artists, musicians, fans, listeners, audience, and those who want to be such, TO BE SUCH. DO SOMETHING. ASK around, play with your friends, dress up in garbage, ring around the rosie, start fires, bring mirrors, BREAK MIRRORS, enjoy yourself, Scrape your face on the floor, Yell wow when you have no idea what just happened. thank them when they fuck you just right.
and tell them that was "really interesting" when you thought they sucked, or "do ya'll practice?" and then remember it's all performance and it's ok if they suck cause it was only 3 dollars and maybe you really like shitty bands.
But seriously, play with your friends if you want and do whatever you want and get people hype and be indignant and have integrity and blow up the fucking spot.
Oh yeah and tell Alexis or Jenks or Ryan or whoever is tearing up the NL structure these days your dissaprovals and approvals and come up with questions or with positive suggestions for change if there is something you don't like. For instance:
"Dear Alexis: why'd you take the old beer banner down? I liked it better than the new one. do you still have it? Can we put it back up? No? Ok. Fine. Fuck you."
Otherwise shut the fuck up, get over it and make something. Inevitably everything changes.
Ok. All that said.
Now I'll piggy back that with a quick couple of questions.
Is tea and treason still happening? How come it's so uncool and trendy to not talk about race and political issues within the realm of performance? Do ya'll ever think about this? This is something I've struggled with for a while. I think I know. It's because people want to fucking have fun and forget all the complicated bureaucratic bullshit that accompnies the state of the nation and public policy and general ignorance of privileged white kids. and i love fun and it's certainly a better way to spend your time than a lot of other things, which i won't go into. Can't we throw ourselves into some serious shit also, inside or outside performance? I think that if we do, shows and crowds will be that much more effervescent and deliberate, choking and emotional, HOTT and sweatty. So This is ME encouraging ME and YOU TOO to start getting active. Support people who need help. Don't know where to start? Read. Volunteer. Visit Internationalist. Listen to words. Walk asking. get arrested. share music, skills, tools, and information. cynicism will kill you and your love for the beauty of Nightlight and everything else. watch cynicism. go to Nightlight. lose your ego. fuel your passion. turn gay. research consent. keep a journal. start sewing. How far can we get?
By the way, if you're reading this you are priveleged (in that you have access to the internet) and most likely white. which, according to the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond makes you a racist. What do we do about that?
--------
I've been attending and/or performing shows at Nightlight for the past two years now and have to say WOW, what a haven.
Seriously, more power more intimacy more originality more unknowns and unheard of's
less money less crowd less bullshit more fun less predictable etc. and so on and so forth,
you know what I'm talking about. it has had more juicy punctured consistently inconsistent soul (albeit white mostly)
than any other "established" arena(!) in the area. Attracting all sorts of open-eyed people, drunks, crazies, artistic nobodies,
and even several trubies (true love artist rubies). Sure there's the riff raff, the nay-sayers, the look-downers, but who cares? get POSI-CORE.
I guess I'm writing this because I love Nightlight and the people who have helped make it the space it has been and has become. I now feel the need to comment on what it has become. I've heard a few people say, "it's not the same" and well duh, it's never the same, and that "everyone is leaving" or whatever. I mean. PLATFORM hello? I just have to quell those sentiments right now. One person mentioned to me how it has gotten "too formal" with the events of wristbands at No Future Fest or Soundscape or something else. But what's the big deal? I wear wristbands all the time. I even have a permanent one til death due us part. and I know that Alexis has been kick ass organizing the underside of the business (money/licenses/etc) in order to keep it clean enough to STAY OPEN. Fuck. Inevitably everything changes. The shows recently have been out-fucking rageous. If you are not on the Nightlight newsletter, get on it. I am bombarded with info on ball-licking shows weekly and, unfortunately, only get my aural balls licked once every couple of weeks or so because I don't live in the Chapel Harrboro anymore.
I suppose this is an Announcement. Is that what a blog is? and commentary. please comment back.
Now I propose to myself to comment on the "scene" as it were is everywhere in places like Nightlight. Nightlight is a venue. A place for PERFORMANCE-EXPRESSION-EXPERIMENTATION-ANNOUNCEMENT-COMING OUT-EXPLOSION-DEFILING-A PERPETUAL WITCHHUNT. How far can we get? HOW FAR? How FAR WILL YOU GET?!?
As for the fact that "ownership" has changed hands and "people are leaving" PLEASE GET OVER THIS. This happens all the time. What happens now is better than what came before. It is up to people like you reading this blog right now, artists, musicians, fans, listeners, audience, and those who want to be such, TO BE SUCH. DO SOMETHING. ASK around, play with your friends, dress up in garbage, ring around the rosie, start fires, bring mirrors, BREAK MIRRORS, enjoy yourself, Scrape your face on the floor, Yell wow when you have no idea what just happened. thank them when they fuck you just right.
and tell them that was "really interesting" when you thought they sucked, or "do ya'll practice?" and then remember it's all performance and it's ok if they suck cause it was only 3 dollars and maybe you really like shitty bands.
But seriously, play with your friends if you want and do whatever you want and get people hype and be indignant and have integrity and blow up the fucking spot.
Oh yeah and tell Alexis or Jenks or Ryan or whoever is tearing up the NL structure these days your dissaprovals and approvals and come up with questions or with positive suggestions for change if there is something you don't like. For instance:
"Dear Alexis: why'd you take the old beer banner down? I liked it better than the new one. do you still have it? Can we put it back up? No? Ok. Fine. Fuck you."
Otherwise shut the fuck up, get over it and make something. Inevitably everything changes.
Ok. All that said.
Now I'll piggy back that with a quick couple of questions.
Is tea and treason still happening? How come it's so uncool and trendy to not talk about race and political issues within the realm of performance? Do ya'll ever think about this? This is something I've struggled with for a while. I think I know. It's because people want to fucking have fun and forget all the complicated bureaucratic bullshit that accompnies the state of the nation and public policy and general ignorance of privileged white kids. and i love fun and it's certainly a better way to spend your time than a lot of other things, which i won't go into. Can't we throw ourselves into some serious shit also, inside or outside performance? I think that if we do, shows and crowds will be that much more effervescent and deliberate, choking and emotional, HOTT and sweatty. So This is ME encouraging ME and YOU TOO to start getting active. Support people who need help. Don't know where to start? Read. Volunteer. Visit Internationalist. Listen to words. Walk asking. get arrested. share music, skills, tools, and information. cynicism will kill you and your love for the beauty of Nightlight and everything else. watch cynicism. go to Nightlight. lose your ego. fuel your passion. turn gay. research consent. keep a journal. start sewing. How far can we get?
By the way, if you're reading this you are priveleged (in that you have access to the internet) and most likely white. which, according to the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond makes you a racist. What do we do about that?
posted by abortion distortion at
2:11 PM
1 Comments:
First blog post by someone besides myself in over a year - cheers to Joshua for bringing the goods - next step - smash your toilet pipes with stumps and logs. Huzzah folx, and lick the dogs back next time they sniff your 'weather-maker'
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