It hasn’t happened since 2006, and we all really need a good party, don’t we? So it’s time to resurrect the fantastic, mythical, unlike any other party in San Diego Red Ball.
We’ll hold the party at the Sushi space. Expect unusual entertainment from the likes of the Balkan gypsy band Wolfgang von Cope and his Orkestra Moustachio, along with members of Burners without Borders and a couple of fantastic DJs. We’re still working on the list (some cool stuff planned) so check back regularly.
We will be holding the legendary art auction, with a fun twist. There will be food, booze, photos, and a generally Steampunk Cabaret/Vaudeville Cirque feeling to the whole affair. Yes, you will need to dress in costume (I know some of you are smiling right now and some are probably thinking – uh oh) or in very festive RED attire.
Tickets are $75 per person or $125 per couple. We will have a limited number of tickets for students at $35 (ID required).
So save the date – Saturday, June 13th from 7 – midnight. Tickets will go on sale through the Sushi website on Monday, April 27th.
It’s been a tough month at Sushi. As everyone knows, arts organizations all over
the country are suffering and we’re no different. And as I pointed out in my last post about PWYC, the revenue at the door is not covering our costs. So, what’s an organization to do?
Here are the steps we have taken thus far:
1. Cut every expense possible. There is no fat in that budget at all.
2. Let interim Executive Director Lynn Schuette go as we couldn’t afford to pay her. John Warner, our operations manager, was an old friend of Lynn’s and decided it was time for him to go as well.
3. Continue seeking out and applying for grants.
4. Launched our space rental program. Sushi is a great space and we need to start covering some of our overhead by renting the space when we are not using it. Click here for more space rental details.
5. We are resurrecting the Red Ball. This was Sushi’s largest fundraiser in the past and we know it can be again. I will be posting more information about this soon.
6. We are focused on growing the Sushi board. Sushi needs help in every way and new board members will help with fund- and friend-raising.
Of course, letting Lynn go was very difficult. She is Sushi’s founder. But ultimately we couldn’t ask her to work without pay. Her position was always supposed to be interim and we all knew she was going to leave, we just didn’t expect it to be so quickly.
Notwithstanding our financial issues, Sushi continues to operate on a day-to-day basis thanks largely to our two part-time staffers, Fran and Jackie, who fill every gap that shows up. One or both of them are at the office everyday between 10 am and 3 pm. We’ve also been lucky to get our former tech wizard Geronimo back with us, and he’s taking on all the operation responsibilities.
And how can you help? Sushi is an organization that exists for artists and those who love art that touches boundaries. Can you help us rent the space? Do you know someone who would donate a piece of art to the Red Ball for the auction? Can you bring more people to the shows? Have you become a member, at whatever level you can afford?
Sushi will only thrive with the support of the entire community. It does remind me of that worn out expression about raising children – it takes a village. And folks, that village is us.
I have been so remiss in my posts lately. Guess that’s what happens when the New Year sneaks up on you, the economy is in the tank and the days speed by faster than a banker with a government bailout check.
Well, here’s what I know and want to share with you -
The first Fresh Sounds concert with Nels Cline & Alex Cline was a huge success! About 250 people, most of whom had never been to SUSHI before, packed in to hear the acoustic sounds of these unpredictable artists. Hope to see those folks regularly at SUSHI.
Next up at Fresh Sounds is Blevin Blectum, costumed live electronics performance with video by Ryan Junell. Here’s the description – Gular Flutter is slow-mo sunspots, high contrast hydraulics, Cascaded Integrator-Combing, and negative acceleration, epic sound for distressed ifrit. Now, just in case you don’t know what ifrit means (I’m sure you understand all the rest of it), ifrit are a kind of Jinn mentioned in the Qur’an. Hope that helps…The show is Tuesday, February 10 at 8 pm. I’m pretty sure I’m a distressed ifrit; think I’ll have to stop by and check it out.
This weekend, the incomparable Karen Finley will perform her latest work – Impulse to Suck. The show is a West Coast premiere and runs Thursday – Saturday 1/29-31. The admission is Pay What You Can. I must tell you what this Pay What You Can really means to SUSHI. It’s important that you know. SUSHI received a couple of grants that require performances be Pay What You Can – a noble concept that doesn’t really translate in reality.
Based on the number of seats that will fit in the space and the number of nights the show is running, the Finley show costs about $150 per seat. The underwriting of the show covers about $100 per seat. So how will SUSHI make up that additional $50 per seat? I have the feeling that with Pay What You Can, it ain’t gonna happen with cash receipts at the door. See where I’m headed with this folks? SUSHI gets kinda screwed in this scenario.
So it’s up to all us SUSHI lovers to give until it hurts. Not $10, not even the suggested $20 minimum. MORE. Even a little more will help. If you want this quality of artist in San Diego, we’re all going to have to open up our hurting little wallets and make it so.
Sorry it’s been so long, those pesky holidays got in the way of all things Sushi. But I’m back and have some cool stuff to share. This is a busy week coming up at SUSHI. On Tuesday night, Nels Cline (lead guitarist for Wilco) and his twin brother Alex Cline are playing the first of the Fresh Sounds series. There was a great write up about the brothers and Bonnie Wright who curates Fresh Sounds in last Thursday’s Night & Day.
leslie seiters little known dance photo by Tim Richards
Then starting Thursday we have leslie seiters little known dance theater with Lux Boreal. Due to a busy life (yeah, you got one of those too?) and travel to SF for the Fancy Food Show (anyone else going?) I will miss the performance. But, I was lucky enough to attend a rehearsal yesterday afternoon so that I could get a feel for the show and share my impressions. Now, there were a lot of pieces missing – costume, lighting and full set design, but it was still really cool to watch the dancers run through the entire show.
The performance is a mash up of the Lux Boreal dance company with several of the dancers that Leslie likes to work with, plus the sounds of Margaret Noble. I had forgotten the name of the piece, which was kind of interesting when I looked at my notes as they seemed to reflect, at least a bit, what I think Leslie had in mind.
Six women and five men perform for a little over an hour and my big impressions were the sense of measuring the space around and between us; trying to get comfortable when there are objects or obstacles in our way; counting and the limitations or freedoms that can bring and groups versus individuality. I really have no idea if those were some of the ideas that Leslie was trying to convey with the piece but that’s what I got. I brought my 8-year old son with me and his comment was “they like doing antics with tables.” Very true.
I suppose the other takeaway was that I enjoyed the show, and unlike La Pocha Nostra which left me with mixed feelings about the performance, I walked away happy to have seen the dancing.
I hope that you will share your impressions. Do you agree with me? Not at all? Did you find other things that
little known dance theater with Lux Boreal photo by Tim Richards
I missed entirely. Perhaps our choreographer will weigh in at some point and give her perspective. I’d love to read that!
Oh and the name of the show? Incidental Fear of Numbers….
Thanks to Tim Richards for sharing the photos – they’re way better than mine.
Saturday night was a big night at SUSHI. About 150 people, many in wild costume, came out to support the grand opening event with La Pocha Nostra. We gathered at Jsix Bar for drinks and food. When the performers came to fetch us, the weirdness began.
We paraded down the street behind a lit up Cinderella carriage through the Gaslamp. No, we didn’t have a permit, and yes the police did finally see us and ask us to move to the sidewalk. But we were already at Sushi, so mission accomplished. It was a busy night in the Gaslamp so there were lots of people asking who we were and what was happening. It was obviously a happening.
Upon entering the SUSHI space there were a few vignettes set up with the performers for audience interaction. So I grabbed a glass of two buck chuck and interacted. And my husband caught it on his camera. So here, for the first time on the world wide web, a short spontaneous interpretive dance by Indra Gardiner. A real first. And no doubt, last.
When the show began, Guillermo presided at the top of the catwalk, with the deejay behind draped in an American flag. And then the procession onto the catwalk began. I won’t go into all the details. Because there were many. Too many for me, but we were up at 5 am that day as hubby went dirt bike riding, so my attention span was limited. There was a dance sequence that I loved, some symbolism with people’s clothing and juxtapositions that I found powerful and lots of nudity. When I commented to my husband that I thought there was too much nudity, that it kind of lost its power after a while he looked at me sideways and said “Oh come on, that was the best part.” I guess there was something for everyone.
I didn’t understand everything he said, but I enjoyed Guillermo’s short manifestos the most. “We, who make wearable art from your trash.” “No homeland; no fear; no borders; no patriotism; no nation-state; no ideology; no censorship. We are committed to presenting a different face of America.” “We will not stop talking back.”
You can read media reviews at signonsandiego and Culture Lust (check out her great photos, they really give a feel for the evening).
My biggest takeaway was the incredible enthusiasm in the air for SUSHI. Such a diverse San Diego crowd all happy to be part of welcoming SUSHI back home. This art may not be entirely comprehensible by people like me, but we can still appreciate that it deserves a place and now, SUSHI is that place again.
What did you think? I would love to read your impressions.
This just in – groups of 4 or more can buy tickets for La Pocha Nostra at a discounted rate of $75 per. That’s $100 in savings – enough to go out after and have a really good time. So round up a few friends and see this season’s holiday alternative – you know you’ll already be getting sick of all the ho,ho,ho by this Saturday. This will definitely take your mind off the holidays (or whatever else is bugging) for a few hours.
You need to call this special number for this special price – 619-235-8466.
Well, the one we’ve been waiting for is now less than a week away – La Pocha Nostra performs the New Barbarian Collection Winter 08 next Saturday, Dec. 6th – one performance only for Sushi’s big Grand Opening. I’m hoping to get some face time with Guillermo Gomez Pena this week to shoot a video interview to share with you, so stay tuned.
New Barbarians. Zach Gross, 2007
The scope of the evening has expanded, so I’m going to let you know what I know at this point. The guests (who should be dressed glamorously or creatively – I guess that means anything goes, right?) will be gathering at Jsix for food fit for barbarians. I’m thinking large turkey legs and hunks of meat. But Jsix always does such a great job that I’m sure they will put a delicious and humorous twist on the menu (I’ll see if I can nab that for an early preview). Following drinking and dining, the whole crowd, including the troupe of La Pocha Nostra will parade down J St. to Sushi. Everyone will walk the red carpet and head into the new space where there will be a no-host bar (I think) and mingling with the performers. The most fashionable, outrageous, creative in the crowd will be hand-picked by the performers to sit in the front row of the catwalk. So if you want front row, you know what you need to do.
The show, which I believe has a couple of acts will then commence. Following the performance (which has me most nervous – well, have you seen the photos? This is the stuff that could potentially make me fidget or worse, faint) the crowd will carry back to Jsix Bar for cocktails and no doubt a debrief on what the hell they just saw. Am I making it sound crazy? I expect no less from La Pocha Nostra. Are you in? It will be THE most incredible night in San Diego in the month of December, I guarantee it. I am definitely there. Ambivalance and all.
BTW, did you see the article about Sushi on the front page of the SDUnion-Tribune Arts section. Take a read. It tells the story well.
Last weekend we celebrated the pre-opening of the visual art space at Sushi with a multi-media installation by a group of eight Serbians who were in residence in San Diego for about a week. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and I was happily surprised. Some of the art was really engaging and I understood what the hell they were trying to convey. Of course, some I did not. But that is to be expected. That’s what this blog’s about, right?
One of my favorite pieces was Death Anniversary by Vladimir Nikolic who was running a video of a women singing at the gravesite of Marcel Duchamp (incredibly, I found a clip of it). Here’s what Vladimir told me “I paid a Balkan woman to compose a song and sing at the grave of Marcel Duchamp….this is something we do all the time where I come from…but artists will take photos of these kinds of things and because it is exotic to Westerners, they say it is art.” He’s got something on his mind. “I call this false ready made, because it is not art, it is not contemporary.” See? He’s kinda pissed. It was good.
The images here show another section of the visual art space that had cloths printed with quotes about art. It was a maze. In a corner was another video with Vladimir sitting on the floor, tossing a ring onto a cone, while two British art critics discussed what was happening. These Serbians don’t have a very high opinion of the British art scene, or of much contemporary art. They’re a pretty intellectual bunch.
There was more, about the positioning of pictures, and how all the stories have already been told and nothing is original. Some of it went over my head, but all in all, the experience of being at Sushi, experiencing art in the space and seeing people who supported it all, was encouraging.
Here’s one of the quotes that was in the maze – Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take the risks. (Adolph Gottlieb, Mark Rothko & Barnett Newman). I think that’s what we’re going to see at Sushi this season.
I was upset when I realized I was going to miss the first pre-opening performance at Sushi. But it was my 10th wedding anniversary and we had plans to go out of town, and I love Sushi and all, but…well, I think you get my drift.
From all reports, the weekend was great. The audience was enthusiastic and the show went off without a hitch (at least none that the audience knew of). Since I couldn’t be there, I am linking to a post by Francis, the designer who has done so much wonderful new work for Sushi, who was. If you attended, please share your impressions. Would love to know what you thought.
Had the opportunity to speak with Jordan Fuchs today about his upcoming performance at Sushi, called Thicket. I just realized I didn’t ask him where the title came from, but as I think about his descriptions, it’s making sense to me.
This performance is set in the round and is the second evening length project he has done in this setting. Jordan said that in our lives, we perceive information from all directions at the same time, not just what’s right in front of us. He is interested in exploring this idea in performance – having all the channels open not just focusing straight ahead.
The dancers move among the audience and this has to do with his study of kinesthetic empathy. Now this starts getting kinda deep, but stay with me. He made it understandable. Jordan says “Our bodies empathetically respond when they are near other bodies. Our reactions are different if the artist is near you as opposed to far away on a proscenium stage.” He believes that we learn from being near other bodies in a way that we don’t when they are far away.
If you are feeling the bodies flying through the air right next to you, it makes sense that your experience of the show will be quite different than if they are yards and yards away from you on a stage.
Jordan wants to move contemporary dance away from just being a visual phenomenon. He wants to communicate the actual experience of moving through time and space. He calls it “near space relationships.”
One of the coolest aspects of the show is that each audience member wears their own headset. Music composer, Andy Russ, has different mics set up to record different sounds during the show. For example, the parabolic mic will pick up individual sounds like breathing or a grunt. The boom mic will share the larger collective sounds. Andy then samples the sounds the performers are making in real time and layers that with pre-recorded piano music.
Here’s where it gets even more interesting…he has also pre-recorded the dance movements in different environments and with different numbers of people. So you may be watching them jump in front of you, but hearing it as if it were on grass. Or you’re watching 4 people but only hear the footsteps of one. It’s a hyper real experience.
And what’s also very interesting is that the performers only hear the music. They don’t hear all the other stuff that the audience does. So the performer’s experience is entirely different from the audiences’. He is trying to challenge the notions of what a communal performance is about. He wants to create disorientation within a dance performance.
I call it parallel realities (I mean aren’t we each hearing a different voice and tune from one another all the time anyway?). This really highlights that experience, doesn’t it?
Oh and the name? Well, I envision all the bodies and the breathing representing a thicket of trees. But maybe I’m way off here and Jordan will set me straight.
It hasn’t happened since 2006, and we all really need a good party, don’t we? So it’s time to resurrect the fantastic, mythical, unlike any other party in San Diego Red Ball.
