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Reply to "Wigstock 2003 and post-Wigstock events"

Sweetie- I think you're right. We may be experiencing a lull. That may be part of the lesson- or maybe even the point- of the HOWL festival as a whole.
But still – I saw so much cool shit!!
It was kind of amazing that for day after day you could just walk around the East Village and see all this legendary underground art. But legendary and underground are basically contradictory, right? Or are they? Think about it- how many of us in the underground really think of our ˜underground period' as something that happens before some sort of a rise to prominence- whatever that may be? Is that radical? At all?

But when it actually happens to people- especially now that seven years seems to constitute a generation of art- when people actually get ˜prominent,' they often seem to spend their prominence looking backward to their more authentic days in the underground- six or seven long years ago. (All of which is really silly- a stage is a stage is a stage, right?) I saw a little of that at Wigstock I guess. But I still did get to see some REALLY COOL SHIT! "It's fun to think about it!"

There were some important and glaring exceptions to the rule on the day's bill. Taboo was deeply satiric psychedelic brilliance with a piece that was PURE "self promotion." She even returned to the stage after the curtain call to present an endless looping (and drunken) "promotion" of the fest's Webster Hall after party -with "Little Kiss!?" The Dueling Bankheads chided the possibly underdressed crowd, calling them "Pride Part 1." Murry Hill was concise and articulate as ever, enduring Lady's repeated pronoun flubs with class and restraint (like the gentleman he is.) And Sweetie- who I gather has never rested on a laurel in her whole life- turned it out in a new number with dancing and theater and live miracle healings, and most importantly a big gang of freaks and artists from her parties. The symbolism was not lost on me.

So take heart Sweetie. As long as we have creativity and magic, and inspiration from the likes of you, then I think there'll always be more noise to come.
Bohemia always rises again.

Overall, I think this whole conversation is fascinating and awesome- and I invite everyone to come engage further this Friday at never never Party with VIDEO footage including Wigshots from the 23rd. (How's that for self-promo? Hallow!)
Hope to see you there!

Peace & love,
Pumpkin

[This message was edited by Pumpkin on 08-28-03 at 10:21 PM.]

[This message was edited by Pumpkin on 08-28-03 at 10:23 PM.]

[This message was edited by Pumpkin on 08-29-03 at 01:38 PM.]
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