If you haven’t already checked out it, take some time this weekend to go see MICA’s production of the musical “Hair.” I wrangled a ticket for opening night and went to go see it by myself at the new Gateway building on the corner of Mt Royal and North Ave. I think the building maybe used to be a fire station or something? Not sure, it’s been a while since I followed all the comings and goings of my old college. Had the pleasure, while I was there, of running into briefly an old teacher of mine, Barry Nemett, who chairs the painting department. Unfortunately, his was the only familiar face I saw while I was there, but I expect that MICA’s brief but electric run of hair will be a huge success.
While the technical execution of the performance varied wildly from some karaoke-like vocal performance to states of absolute suspended transcendent joy on a moment-to moment basis, the spirit of the thing is fully there and fully alive. The genius of the show itself is undeniable as well. Though I have to admit to missing a large percentage of the lyrics due partly to diction, but due also to the tremendous amount of words (and I heard neighboring audience members complain about the same thing), the bombshell part of this show is that it has the effect of normalizing “fringe behaviors.” That is, it takes activities and attitudes that are well outside the norm and makes them seem ordinary, fun - hell, even natural and positive. Things like drug use, sexuality, nudity, etc. And its all very psychedelic in that it has moments where your awareness of yourself and the situation you’re witnessing is suddenly inverted and thrown back on itself (like right after the nudity, but I won’t ruin it by explaining it).
Anyway, good times. And speaking of hippie-revival stuff, a friend of mine is organizing Baltimore’s Urban Agriculture Gala at St. John’s/2640 tonight. He mass-emailed the following details:
DO NOT MISS Baltimore’s First “Urban Agricultural Gala!” The evening starts at 7 PM at 2640 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21211 (St. John’s Church). $5 gets you in the door, amazing food provided by B-More Alive!, local music, professional storytelling and beautiful art. If you are feeling lucky we also have a bunch of door prizes. If that’s not enough, there will be an exclusive after-party at a confidential location. Find me and say “urbagala (one word)” in my ear and I will disclose the time and location of the after-party. It’s going to be a great weekend, start it off right! See you tonight.
Lots of fun things happening in Baltimore!
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