There will be no escape from your shame!

I've just heard that Escape Java Joint, one of my favorite local coffee shops/art galleries/venues, was robbed Wednesday morning of this week. Pretty lame way to celebrate the season. What really pisses me off is that this guy chose to rip off a local, independent shop that probably doesn't make a whole pile of profit anyway. Not that I'd condone robbing a chain store, either, but seriously, have a little heart.

There's a picture of the suspect posted at the counter at Escape, so be sure to stop by, get yourself something to drink (and eat - they serve the very yummy Gotham Bagels now), check out the picture and check your brain for any signs of recognition. Hopefully the police will nab the jerk soon.

I've spent many hours at Escape both playing music, ogling art, having meetings and frantically typing novels, and I'm all about supporting their business. If you haven't been yet, you should definitely consider checking it out now, if for no other reason that to help them recover some of the lost money.

P.S. Please excuse the terrible pun in the title of this post. :)

Support art and nudity this weekend!

A good photographer friend of mine, Colm McCarthy, is having an opening night reception this Friday for his photography collection entitled "Drama." You should check it out, because not only will there be spectacular pictures of actors, dancers, burlesque performers and more, there will also be a performance by The Apologists. Not a bad deal, considering that it's all for free.

Check the specs:

DRAMA
Theatre & Dance Photography 2003-2007
by Colm McCarthy
Escape Gallery, 916 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
Friday Oct 19 through Thurs Oct 25

Opening reception Friday Oct 19, 7pm-10pm
with music by The Apologists
(after drinks at the Weary Traveler).

--------

FRIDAY ONLY: Along with the 25 or so large images included in the exhibit,
there will also be several binders containing approximately 100 signed
color inkjet prints, covering five years of shows. These prints will be
available for a measly $10 each. The binders will only be there on Friday
night though, as it would just be inviting thievery to leave them lying
around.

The larger images on the walls will be for sale for between $25 and $50
(unframed), but only on Friday, so you can ignore the stickered prices.
If you want a matted and framed image, just haggle.

Friday is also the only time you'll be able to catch The Apologists. I
asked them to play 24 hours a day for the duration of the show, but they
weren't into it. So come along and hear some American music. If you're
really lucky they might even do a Handsome Family tune (eh, Marty?).

And, alas, Escape is alcohol free but they do some excellent coffee and
baked thingies. There will also be snacks at hand, and afters drinks
(with or without alcohol) at the Weary Traveler.

Show is in the main gallery in the back. Escape is open 6am (ish) to
midnight, seven days a week.

I should point out that the show might contain images depicting partial
nudity, so those of you with younger children or who have a problem with
such images can consider yourselves warned.

Hope you can make it.

Colm
www.colmmccarthy.net

I'm rather bummed that I'm going to have to miss this (I'll be in Vancouver, so not all is lost), but that doesn't mean you have to, too. Go ogle some art for me!

Life is a Kabaret, old chum

Tonight is the kick-off for the Wis-Kino Fall Kabaret, a 48-hour short film making challenge that's open to anyone and everyone who has any interest whatsoever. It's also Wis-Kino's 5th year anniversary, which is a fairly mighty achievement for a loosely run collective of artists.

If you've never participated in a Kabaret, I highly recommend checking it out. Doesn't matter if you just want to watch the films that get made or if you want to help out but don't think you have any qualifications. Just by showing up at tonight's screening and letting it be known that you're interested in helping, there's a good chance that one of the various teams of film makers will pick you up. You can do anything from acting, editing, location scouting, making music, holding a boom mike or just doing grip work.

Tonight's screening is one of the group's regular monthly meetings at Escape Java Joint where anyone can bring in a short film (5 minutes or under) to show, with an optional theme of "Scary/Halloween." I happen to have the inside scoop on at least one of the films to be screened tonight: a full-length trailer for the upcoming independent horror-musical-comedy, "Massacre: The Musical." Sure, I was involved with the actual project, but I'm being totally objective when I say that it's completely awesome.

At the end of tonight's screening, a "secret ingredient" will be revealed which all film makers have to incorporate into their Kabaret submissions in some way. They then have until 7PM Saturday night to make those films, which will be shown on the big screen over at Westgate Art Cinemas.

I wrote a full preview article about the event over at TDP, and will be keeping a running account of the experience which will also be published there at week's end.

In another piece of very cool local arts news, a group of dancers called Crushin' All Forces, made up of students from all of the area's high schools (and one middle school) just took first place on BET's "106 & Park Wild-Out Wednesdays." It's a competition in hip-hop dancing that airs nationally, and now the Madison group gets to go on to compete in the finals early next year. Many congrats to the group and all their supporters both for creating something amazing and for showing the country a little of what Wisconsin has to offer.