Friends Roadshow "Won" The World Cup

International Friends Roadshow (in Amsterdam, Holland) circa 1973. We're ALL Schnozzes NOW!
Well, Jango Edwards lives in Spain, so he has bragging rights if he wants them. Davey Norkett, Gunga Purves, and Justin Hammer are in Holland, where the gin may be flowing for the opposite reason it was ordered. Helena Van Danzig was last spotted in France. Nola Rae is a C.B.E. -- she and Matthew Rideout are still residents of England. Lenny Kovner's in Australia. Dutch Ted Van Zutphen lives not too far away from old Friends Farm in Michigan. Ced Curtis is gigging in the wine country of Napa, and Michael Novotny works in Hollywood -- the group is so spread out most anyone could have had a chance to root for a winning team.
Condolences to African and South American fans -- except for South Africa, who hosted the tournament. The guys in Ladysmith Black Mambazo invited me to stay with them, but they made the same invitation to the WHOLE AUDIENCE.

George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars performed at their old home base of Detroit, Michigan on July 9, 2010. This is a digitized adaptation of an onstage pic by my colleague Caddy Carol.
(From Far Left) LaShonda "Sativa Diva" Clinton, Gene Anderson, Kim Manning, Quaze, and Carlos MacMurray. "Red Hot Mama" Manning re-appears in her roller-skating costume to fill a big gap, and then there's my friend Mike Hampton, plus MC/Singer Michael "Clip" Payne in the 'way back.

Happy Birthday USA & Life On THE ROAD

My friend Michael Hampton, and his REALLY LOUD Flying V guitar, starting P-Funk's Brussels, Belgium concert with the great instrumental Maggot Brain. (I spoke with him on the phone just before writing this post.) Travel safely, Michael!
Short eyewitness review of the concert pictured above:
On a hot summer day in Belgium a day before Garry's funeral the P-Funk played at an open air festival, capacity 28.000 people.
Words can not express the feeling we all got that day.....no tears, just keeping the Groovalliance alive.
They opened with Maggot Brain!!!
Playlist:
-Maggot Brain
-Cosmic Slop
-Red hot Momma
-P-Funk
-Flashlight
-Something Stank
-Dr. Feelgood
-Atomic Dog
-Give up the Funk
-Thumpasaurus people

RIP Garry....unbelievable....Unreal.....Un-clone-able

George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars Current Touring Schedule:

Jul 4 2010 5:00P Oxford Fairgrounds Oxford, ME (That's tonight!)
Jul 5 2010 8:00P Fest. Int’l De Jazz Montreal, Quebec, CA

(It's a HAIL of a drive between Quebec City and anywhere in Maine -- I've done it!)
Later Update: Good thing they weren't going there -- the road runs fairly straight to Montreal.

Jul 7 2010 8:00P Hampton Beach Casino Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, US
Jul 8 2010 8:00P Northern Lights Clifton Park, New York, US
Jul 9 2010 8:00P Chene Park Amphitheatre Detroit, Michigan, US
Jul 10 2010 6:00P All Good Music Festival Masontown, West Virginia, US
Jul 12 2010 8:00P M.L.K. JR. Concert Series Brooklyn, New York, US
Jul 14 2010 8:00P Bottle and Cork Dewey Beach, Delaware, US
Jul 15 2010 8:00P Alive At 5 Stamford, Connecticut, US
Jul 16 2010 8:00P Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey, US
Jul 17 2010 8:00P Trump Taj Mahal Arena Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
Jul 23 2010 8:00P Verizon Wireless Theater Houston, TX

Here's where it gets jet-lag CRAY-ZEE!
Jul 31 2010 8:00P Paradiso Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
(But then they maybe get a day or two off)

Aug 4 2010 La Plage Paris, FRANCE
Aug 5 2010 Sete Theatre de la Mer Montpellier, FRANCE
Aug 6 2010 Festival, Antibes, France
Aug 7 2010 Les Escal St. Nazire Festival, Nantes, France

Back in the USA, but all the way to the West Coast, see jet-lag above:
Aug 13 2010 8:00P San Jose Jazz Fest San Jose, Ca

A week later:
Aug 21 2010 10:00P Mississippi Coliseum Jackson, MS
Aug 28 2010 9:00P Chaifetz Arena St. Louis, MO
Sep 11 2010 9:00P City Hall Main Stage Hampton, Va

A lighter P-Funk moment -- fellow cyber-correspondent "Thumpasaurus" holds the amps steady while Carlos (Sir Nose) McMurray drives the ladies insane with his dancing last month:



Oh yeah, thanks to Nina Cheney -- If you're closer to Chicago, try to hear the Eric Boeren Quartet -- tonight at 10:00PM for Sunday Transmission series held at The Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont Avenue -- Eric Boeren - cornet; Michael Moore - reeds; Wilbert De Joode - bass; Han Bennink - drums

July Is Off To A Sprinting Start in Amsterdam (and Chicago)!

Duck Projects: KIDNAP
A music/dance/film Duck Projects event
July 2-3 Friday and Saturday studio seven Amsterdam 21:00 3 Euros entrance Direction Katie Duck / Music direction Alfredo Genovesi / Film Ilaria Honsinger Dancers: Lee Miri, Kristin Hatleberg, Nayana Bhat, Anne Wilson, Stina Nilsson, Talya Epstein, Laura Witzleben, Luanda Carneiro Jacoel, Giselda Ranieri, Zakia el Abodi, Astarte Athanasiadou, Joel Fritzon, My Grönholdt, Samara Escudero Hernández, Susana Salazar, Sheri Burt Musicians: Alfredo Genovesi (guitar and electronics), Tony Spina (drums), Krista Martynes (clarinets), Santiago Botero Rodriguez (bass)
The digital collage above is from Ilaria Honsinger's Travel video, which is part of the piece. The text below is from Katie's Website, with Ilaria's video and the music too:

A Kidnap I am awake Wakefulness challenged to move. Sleepless slithering past the tongue with a toss of awakening sugar coated efforts. More dry than juicy.
A solo in 2 parts
Film: Travel
Video mix. Speedy chillies winded in a race covered with Bilbao. A sudden appearance of organic figures mysteriously enters the pallet and speaks a tasteless language.
Music: Twin Peeky Souffle: Darkly roasted and sweetened events, coming to fruition every so often. Complete with flies in the soup & bad dreams, Alfredo serves up this mixed dish best with just a little hint of eggy paranoia.

Do any Troupers remember Justin Hammer -- Karen Bishop-Hammer's amazing son? (Besides you, Davy, of course!) His band is performing next week:
JUSTIN HAMMER BAND (live) at Schuim, the same place Davy played recently.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 9:00pm -- 12:00am
Spuistraat 189 Amsterdam,Netherlands. phone:020-6389357

HI FANS -- WE WILL BE PLAYING (LIVE) EVERY TUESDAY at Schuim ... till we go on tour much love ...

Inset: Justin Hammer, as sketched by M.E. in 1974. Main photo: The Justin Hammer Band 2010.

NEW! (Thanks to Nina Cheney)
The Emerging Improvisers Organization Presents:
Eric Boeren Quartet -- Sunday, July 4th 2010 10:00PM
Eric Boeren - cornet
Michael Moore - reeds
Wilbert De Joode - bass
Han Bennink - drums

The Emerging Improvisers Organization, based in Chicago, is a not-for-profit group dedicated to nurturing creativity, experimentation and artistic growth among the city's jazz musicians. Toward this end, we sponsor, organize, and promote live events that showcase local and nationally known talent representing a wide spectrum of jazz styles.

Most prominent of the group's efforts is the Sunday Transmission series held at The Hungry Brain: A Chicago "neighborhood" bar situated at 2319 W Belmont Ave, open every day except Mondays. The Transmission Series happens on Sundays at 10PM
Each week, the series presents jazz artists from Chicago and beyond, reflecting styles that range from improvised folk to free jazz. (Periodically, The Emerging Improvisers Organization stages live performances at other venues in the city.)

Footsbarn in London and Amsterdam -- and Katie Duck in A'Dam too!

London, United Kingdom
25 June to 04 July -- Sorry ! That's Life
at Victoria Park (in the Footsbarn Tent)
presented by Barbican in Association with Tower Hamlets Council



Amsterdam, Netherlands
09 July to 24 July Sorry ! That's Life
at Theater Carré


Sorry! That’s life: crazy, sometimes mysterious, musical, moving or dynamic, and full of humour. Language plays no role here. There are violinists, opera singers, gravediggers, clowns, horses, ducks, gypsies, children, dogs, goats, dead bodies, technical feats, vehicles and a grand finale...
The phenomenal Footsbarn Travelling Theatre, created in the 1970s, has always been a welcome guest in Amsterdam, eg. during the celebrated Festivals of Fools.

Theater Carré is across the "narrow bridge" over the River Amstel, and was most famous during my time in Amsterdam for being the scene of a magical concert by Van Morrison in the early 70's.


Katie Duck (above) and Alfredo Genovesi are doing performances from July 5 through 9 at Studio Seven in Amsterdam: (from her website)
This July 2010 she will collaborate with Alfredo Genovesi (electric guitar + electronics) as a musician and as part of the daily feedback and discussions.
Her warm-up and exercises emphasis how the eyes and the ears work in co ordination with movement, sound and exposure to gathered crowds altering our perception of time, space and emotions. Improvisation sessions revolve around the terms pause, flow, exit and presence as choices with discussions articulating play, memory, intuition and feelings.
Her aim is to provide a situation where artists can practice together and grow in confidence toward public performances with an objective to share her views about improvisation not being the antitheses of choreography or composition but rather the way the choreography and composition can be executed, that the mental connection to this practice can be accessed weather they are doing set or open framed performance pieces ...

Good Fortune for Frankfurters! Mir Caravan 2010

Ton Und Kirschen Wandertheater (Clay and Berries Touring Theater)

Perpetual Motion Machine
A fantastic material and movement Theater:
A wooden stake like a ship's mast rises into the sky.
Steel rings with ropes and two lamps are a simple large face. It moves the jaw to a broad borne aria. Demolished looking uniformed circling the structure at a run, call in foreign languages, and bring small and large figures into the game. In this production unfolds all the wealth that arises from the combination of the different cultural backgrounds of our actors and musicians. A theatrical moment that is not tied to a specific source text – a story that has the logic of dreams.

Mir Caravan 2010 stops in Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany June 18th to July 03.

My friends Margarete and Nelson in Perpetuum Mobile.
Ton & Kirschen are an offshoot of Footsbarn Theatre. Davy Johnson, his and Maggie Watkiss' daughter Daisy, and Margarete Biereye are performing on June 24, 2010 with the rest of their fine group -- they are just one of many companies touring with the Mir Caravan!

Check out their English-version Site.

In the Midnite Hour -- Mir Mir Mir!

From side to side on the photo (from the right) : Arnaud Gavroy (Deputy-mayor of Namur), Bernhard Bub (Company "Antagon TheaterAKTion"), Danièle Marty ("Compagnie du Hasard" and ICE Colectivo), Marcin Keszycki (Teatr Osmego Dnia), John Kilby (Company "Buchinger's Boot Marionettes" and ICE Colectivo), Slava Polunin, Jean-Guy Solnon (L'Artmada) and France Everard (Company "Les Arts Nomades")
The first weekend of Mir Caravan 2010 begins with a play by Václav Havel in Brno, Czech Republic.

From their website:

Décidés à mettre en lumière les changements intervenus depuis la chute du rideau de fer, à continuer de questionner les frontières et les idéologies et à mettre l’accent sur la nécessité du dialogue et de la coopération interculturels dans l’Europe du 21è siècle, les initiateurs de MIR Caravane 89 reprennent la route à travers un périple artistique qui reliera Brno, Francfort-sur-Main, Villeneuve lez Avignon, Namur et Moscou durant tout l’été 2010.

Un village itinérant qui réunira les 4 coins de l’Europe, la Russie et l’Afrique! Spectacles, rencontres, mini concerts, expos, performances et autres surprises seront au programme de chacune des étapes
Convoi exceptionnel  !
Babel Fish Translation:
Decided to clarify the changes occurred since the fall of the iron curtain, to continue to question the borders and the ideologies and to stress the need for the dialogue and the co-operation intercultural in Europe of the 21è century, the initiators of MIR Caravane 89 take again the road through an artistic tour which will connect Brno, Frankfurt-on-Hand, Villeneuve lez Avignon, Namur and Moscow during all of summer 2010.

An itinerant village which will join together the 4 corners of Europe, Russia and Africa! Spectacles, meetings, mini concerts, expos, performances and other surprised will be with the program of each stage. Heavy load!

They HAVE promised to send out English/Bilingual updates, and Elza Lacotte made a start on Facebook -- we'll wait for their other sites, but we'll also be laughing at Babel Fish in the meantime! Hmmm -- THIS one is fairly coherent (for Babel Fish):

Divadelní Svět Brno 2010 Czech Republic
From the 11 at June 19, 2010 IN COLLABORATION: with the Festival Theatre World Brno 2010

Theatre World Brno 2010! This international festival of theatre proposes many spectacles in the streets as on the scenes of the theatres of Brno. Spectacles, exposures and workshops for the children will strew these 5 day-events… and to finish in beauty, a procession-carnival “the Festival of the Masks”!
The event is inaugurated this year by Václav Havel.

For this weekend's schedule (in perfectly understandable French-language graphic form) GO HERE

My friends in Ton und Kirschen Wandertheater are playing Tuesday, June 15.
Details (in French) HERE

Katie Duck In Summer Land

(L to R) Alfredo Genovese and Katie Duck in the foreground performing Portraits -- speaking of which, Katie's daughter is participating in an "Open Studio" tour, if you find yourself in Amsterdam: June 5 Saturday and June 6 Sunday 12:00-18:00 Exhibition of Ilaria Honsinger as part of Open Ateliers Oud-West. Here's the flier.
June 6 Talka Milan Italy - Duck projects
Andy Keep (electronics) Merel Roozen, Vincent Cacialono (dance)
21:00 Triennale Bovisa

June 13 Sunday Wonderland
16:00 OT301 Amsterdam

July 2-3 Performance improvisation summer course
Studio Seven Amsterdam -- Duck Projects
21:00 3 euros entrance

Davey Norkett's Got MD Squared Up His Sleeve!

Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: The Schuim (bar restaurant)
Street: Spuistraat 189
City/Town: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Here's a MAP (As Miss Carolina might say):



There's that DAM Square just around the corner! (Love that stupid old joke.)
Nearby Amsterdam Historical Museum was one of my favorite spots to visit when I lived in that town -- it preserved an old block of homes that dated from before A'Dam became capital city of the rebellious Protestant Netherlands circa 1620.
(Actually, the lowlands were capriciously invaded by armies of the bloody Counter-Reformation before any rebellion occurred, but that's a whole other story.)

From Western Europe to Moscow and Back!

Muh-num-uh-NUNS! doo-doo-dee-DOO-DOO!
John Kilby (inset) laughs at Father Seamus & His Erotic Nunnery as they parade on the grounds of La Chaussée in 2006 atop the Velocycle.
John Kilby and Mir Caravan 2010 are about to embark on a tour into Russia!
Follow the action on their live-blogging site: http://www.mircaravan2010.eu/ (Under Construction)

It says: Été 2010... onze compagnies européennes de théâtre s’unissent pour une tournée événement qui les mènera de Namur à Moscou en passant par Brno, Francfort-sur-Main.... et Villeneuve-lès-Avignon !

Un village itinérant. Des spectacles et des rencontres aux accents multiples... Les artistes de MIR Caravan 2010 promènent sur les routes d’Europe l’âme et l’humeur d’une expérience artistique inédite. Un défi ambulant qui mêlera les publics, les regards, les envies, les rêves... Et si le théâtre et la création indépendante étaient LE ciment du puzzle européen ?

Translated via Babel Fish as: Summer 2010… eleven European companies of theatre are linked for a round event which will carry out them of Namur in Moscow while passing by Brno, Frankfurt-on-Hand…. and Villeneuve-the-Avignon!

An itinerant village. Spectacles and meetings with the multiple accents… The artists of MIR Caravan 2010 walk on the roads of Europe the heart and the mood of a new artistic experiment. A travelling challenge which will mix the public ones, the glances, the desires, dreams… And if the theatre and independent creation were cement of the European puzzle?


Hmmm -- I might request some live updates in English!

Learn more about Mir Caravan 2010 at:
http://ice.mircaravan2010.eu/

Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117682574921259&ref=ts

(Both sites are in French!)

Outriders from Coney Island

Read the Unicycle NYC Bridge Tour Blog!
Keith "Bindlestiff" Nelson and his posse rode over 42 miles on unicycles last Sunday, sometimes accompanied by thousands of bicyclists doing the "Five Boroughs Ride."
Nelson's party crossed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island as part of their weekly quest to cross all of NYC's two thousand-plus bridges.