Big thanks to everyone who has come out so far, be it for RUR, the opening festivities, Instinct Gallery’s opening, our impromptu rock show last staurday (what? you missed that, well dammit, that sucks because it was awesome and we plan on having stuff all the time just like it, so maybe once we open every night in April you should come every night because you don’t know what will happen or who will show up) or if you waltzed in randomly off the street while I’m trying to type in the office or mop the floors, and I have my head phones on and you frighten me dearly and I have to come and see who you are and then find Zack to tell him that you’re here to see him or, if he’s not there, tell you that we aren’t actually open for the day yet, but I’m nice so I will show you some of the things we have to offer and then I have to talk you through the art and pretend like I know what their motivation is for their specific peices (sample bit of commentary, “I believe she is photgraphed holding the old Nintendo gun to show the futility of life. You know how when you miss both ducks in Duck Hunt and the dog laughs at you, and then you try to shoot the dog, but you can’t shoot the dog, and that irritates you even more. She is shown holding the gun because shooting the dog is a metaphor for how we have no control over things in life and at some point somebody will laugh at you and you will want to shoot them, but you can’t). (Digression alert: That may be the longest sentence in history, someone call Guinness!) So really thanks to everyone for coming out. Thanks to every artist, politician, Olympian, young professional, casual observer, substitute second grade teacher who has had too much to drink or general vagrant who stopped in and made our opening weekend and string of shows such a success.
We have a show coming up on March 28th. It is the first Subjective Vaudeville in our new home (and thanks to the Mews for supporting us before we had the space) and it will be fun. Music from Chrystal Masters and Brent Houzenga. Comedy from Buck Lee Smalls and Banana Punch. Awesomeness from Rachel Glaza. Beer from Grain Belt and bad puns from our host, Jon E. Des Moines. Should be a blast and you should put it on your calendar, but more on that in a day or two, because I have something else to push today.
Many of you are probably wondering why we have formed a partnership with 3XWrestling. Many of you are probably thinking that professional wrestling is low brow, unintellectual entertainment that should be lumped in with Larry the Cable Guy and Home Improvement, and a legit arts venue should have nothing to do with that sort of product. Many of you think the people who like wrestling are dullards who have never kissed a girl and still live with their parents and you’re way smarter than them. Many of you think wrestling is stupid. Well, I think many of you are stupid, so there.
Professional wrestling, at its core, is as simple a drama as any one performed on stage. Good starts off well, then Evil intervenes and now Good must struggle to overcome and in the end will either triumph or Evil will be too much and lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory. It is simple, but it is the same sort of formula you see captured by such masters as Sophocles, Shakespere, and Simon. It is also captured by such masters as Flair, Funk and Freddie Blassie. Wrestling can be a rollercoaster of emotion and as great as any bit of play you may ever see. And like any great art, when it is done well, you know it, whether you see it or hear it or feel it.
But, wrestling is so much more than drama. It is a showcase of athleticism, it is a showcase of training (seriously, unless you have been trained, you cannot do what they can do. As a man who has tried to do a moonsault or two in his life, it is very hard and when you land on your head it hurts) and it is a showcase of an unappreciated art form. But most importantly, it is just f’ing fun. You are a part of the show as well, it is one of the few arts where you can yell that a performer sucks, and have them hear it and respond to it.
So, I invite everyone to come check it out and enjoy it. This Friday, March 20th at 7pm. 1408 Locust. Come and appreciate the art form. Come and appreciate the athletcism. Come and appreciate the drama. But mostly come and grab a beer, have a good time, and yell stuff at Brady A Dezire, because he deserves your taunts and cat-calls, that filthy cheater.
-Dave
(dmurphy@desmoinessocialclub.org)
