September 97
Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De- Ay Searching my holographic brain for September's gOgOlingO. Happy Birthday to Yvonne, Betty Garnet, Danielle Iversen, Junko, Steve Warme, and Rhonda R, you all had great (wild D.I.) parties. Grant McCracken launched his new book and web site PLENITUDE at the ROM. www.cultureby.com Film Festival Opening Party @ the Guvernment. When it was at Harbourfront it was the hardest party of the year to get into all flash and dazzle - now - lunchbag letdown! Royal Bank Plaza party 4Oth floor- talk about build-up! Cool companies exhibited there though; Digital Renaissance, Vivid Group, Side Effects, ICE, Random Media Core /Loop, Digital Rain, etc. The Cybersoiree @ Joe Badali's Elbow Room was Bad- but what a good name for a venue eh? The 25 year anniversary party @ City TV was oh-so-infra-dig upstairs where nobody is usually allowed to go - near Moses'office like behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Canadian Perspective party at CITY-TV (Schmooze-fest) none of the Canadian filmmakers were interviewed . Symposium'97 opening party @ Vinnies lots of Midway coins followed by the "Works on Paper" closing reception of the Symposium '97 @ the Design Exchange. We got to hang outside in the courtyard and eat sushi. I didn't have a breathless succession of festival parties this year- didn't even mind that I had to attend David Lubinsky's wedding on a festival night . With dogged persistence I showed up to all of my 27 films. Not a senseless waste of time but I definitely have to re-asses whether the films are becoming a yawning void or not. I recommend BANDITS escape from prison genre Thelma and Louise meets Blues Bros. Lots of Rock movie references. Like one long GREAT music video, unlike the run-of-the-mill shit. Spent one lingering afternoon in the featureless de-cultured suburb of 905 @ Alan K'necht's BBQ. Attended the "Distinguished Customer" fashion show @ Brown's. I have such a big NO BOX collection the Prima Donna's had to invite me. Talking about consumer opportunities, I have an insane enthusiasm for Toronto designers "Geek Boutique". Their jean styles are monumental - flaring out of proportion. Look out for their diamond crotch girls wouldn't you rather have a gusset in your pantyhose? "Discotron" grand opening @ Guvernment. 70's post apocalyptic disco and funk. Burn baby burn. CITY-TV really raked everyone over the coals to get into this years MM Video Award Show. Loitering in the city-TV outdoor arena of hot events, I spotted Matt C dj-ing do-si-do'd with the Rock Stars who were treated at Moses's place with holy awe. Left the Left Bank award after- party quickly the place was packed - people needed to take their ego's out for ice-cream. Blackwalk also presented a post MMVA Party Thing For the outta site crowd it could only have been held @ Satellite Lounge. A truly far-out crowd on the super cool trendy axis. Everyone wore Campbell's Soup Kids' smiles as they won about 8 awards. Congrats to Dave Hyde for winning 2 awards and getting me into the City-TV party and to Stephen Scott who took best director and best video! He's always dressed if not to kill at least to seriously endanger anyone who comes near him - Whoa now gOgO. CUT opening reception @ Archive Inc. The invite and envelope did adhere to the cutting edge of hipness but show not as cre-a-tive as the Anteroom opening @ Greenbee Studios.(Napoleon) Tuxedomoon In Toronto @ Symptom Hall was cool thanx to Chris Twomey and Dennis Day. 10 year anniversary party @ Berlin. The food at any Joane Smale event is always terrific. This one takes le biscuit (takes the cake and coffee too!) for best party food of the month. But the place is so mediocre I was running, not walking to the nearest exit to get to the Judy Jet Show @ The Rivoli. Judy and Senor Alvaro are the Lucy and Ricky of the 90's If you want to know who are the footnotes and who are the real pages of the Toronto Scene check out Joa the grand dame in her prime. She's a consummate comedienne. Negativland's Mark Hosler did a "Young Americans" Karaoke and then at his Plunderpalooza show David Bowie showed up to hear his hi-digital collages and songs about tape loops with SCW who's Multi Media dub session dealt a lot about mind control. DJ James Hastings @ area 51 comm.union got me dancing all night long he was just nicing up the place. Big up to Joan and Mary on their 4 year anniversary of Magic Mondays. With David Cooper and Mark Oliver djing the beats were so BOOM they exploded in my mind. Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 party @ Joker was abominably stupid. The arts and Robotics Group opening of ARTLAB XXX @ InterAccess was the perfect party to bring my guest from Berkeley who's doing his Ph.D. in Robotics. He's such a hunk he just finished me on the spot. Like this column toddle-ooooooooooooo
FREE YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND WILL FOLLOW Free your body and your mind will follow!
