Notes from the underground

By eric anderson Catalyst

Send comments to: catalyst@wildcat.arizona.edu

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Fire Alarm: Local fire act Flam-Chen will be among the freaks, weirdos, artists and costumed drag queens comprising "Le Freak Show/Carnivale!," to be held this Saturday night at the Mat Bevel Institute. Music from Pork Torta, Womb, Whatever and others will provide musical entertainment, while the surrealistic backdrop of the Institute will serve as a suitable setting for the evening of local arts entertainment.

by eric anderson

Drag queens, vaude villian comedians, musicians, puppets, and even kung-fu tap dancing. One thing is for sure - this ain't your grandmother's art festival.

In fact, it's "Le Freak Show/Carnivale!," a celebration of Tucson's eclectic underground arts scene featuring music, dance, film and performance art, being held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave.

A benefit for the Mat Bevel Institute and Flower Fresh Co., this multi-media, multi-cultural showcase will provide three stages (two outdoor, one indoor) of entertainment with multiple sideshow acts including music, dance, puppet shows, performance art, film, comedy, and fire shows,

"It's a festival that supports artists that don't necessarily fit into conventional venues," said Jerry Murtagh, Flower Fresh production director.

Put on by Flower Fresh, a newly formed downtown arts collective dedicated to promoting original, underground transformative art, and co-hosted by Flower Fresh artistic director M.C. Rev. Fun Yung Moon and the "Goddess of Burlesque" the Divine Miss M, "Le Freak Show/Carnivale!" is guaranteed to offer a virtual smorgasbord of eye candy.

Among the featured acts will be an Ashtanga Yoga exhibition by Darren Rhodes; spectacular fire performances by Tucson Fire Society with Flam Chen; kung-fu tap dancing by The Retainer Club; a puppet show by Poppets Presents; vaudevillian comedy by the Mat Bevel Co.; and Ajia Simone, who M.C. Rev. Fun Yung Moon describes as "hands down the best drag queen in town."

Nearly a dozen bands will also offer their support. Headlined by Whatever, performances will also be given by Womb, a three-piece female folk band, and Cortex Bomb, an esoteric visual and aural experimental experience. DJ Sumkid, Pork Torta, Willis, and Stephaudrey will also perform.

Proceeds from the event will be used to try and set up a fund to establish a permanent venue for underground transformative art.

"We want to create a fund for ongoing representational art," said Murtagh, adding that most acts will be performing for free.

The Mat Bevel Institute, which M.C. Rev. Fun Yung Moon describes as "Pee Wee's Playhouse, only better," has long been dedicated to helping local slightly non-conventional artists have a forum to express themselves. According to founder, Ned Schraper, aka Mat Bevel, it is "a home to the surrealistic pop-science theater, as well as the school of intuition and is a venue for the visionary arts dedicated to the purpose of artistic inspiration."

Bevel also said that while the title "Le Freak Show/Carnivale!" may be appropriate, it may be a bit misleading.

"It's called a freak show, but they're not freaks, they're just artists," said Schaper who added that often the "freak" label can come from just having the guts to express one's self, something a lot of people are scared to do.

"I'm not a freak," proclaimed Schaper. "I'm just gutsy."

Admission to "Le Freak Show/Carnivale!" is $5 at the door. However, M.C. Rev. Fun Yung Moon did say that there will be a sliding scale for kids, seniors, students, starving artists, and anyone who shows up in costume.