May 15-21, 2008
By Alfred Lee
The Punk Umbrella
“In all of the histories of the punk movement I read, only a page would be dedicated to Chicana punk,” says Pilar Tompkins. “It’s under-historicized, under-investigated – we wanted to bring that to life.”
The co-curator of Claremont Museum’s “Vexing: Female Voices from East L.A. Punk” has two main intentions: To preserve the legacy of the late ’70s/early ’80s East L.A. punk scene radiating from all-ages club The Vex and its bands – the Bags, Las Tres, Odd Squad, Castration Squad and the Brat – and to show how said legacy lives on in the work of contemporary artists.
Most of the exhibition is retrospective, casting a wide multimedia net to capture the sights, the sounds, and the hairstyles of a singular moment in L.A. history through photos, journal entries, poetry, lyrics, posters, album covers, streaming concert footage, and even listening stations with vintage headphones and vinyl put out by Fatima Records. For the gallery opening, many of the scene’s figures, including Alice Bag and Teresa Covarrubias, will be making a return to the stage.
But the exhibit will also feature contemporary films, plays and, of course, music – including performances by contemporary groups the Sirens, Go Betty Go, and Lysa Flores, who cut her teeth on the Riot Grrrl scene. As the exhibition goes on, there will be screenings of new films by Jimmy Mendiola and a performance by ensemble Butchlalis de Panochtitlan of a new play, The Barber of East L.A., which looks at the only place a woman could get a men’s haircut in East L.A. To boot, part of the exhibit will display new sculptures by Maya Schindler, and Zoe Crosher’s manipulation of archival photographs from the 1970s and 1980s.
Tompkins defends the large umbrella of material in her exhibition, which spans three decades and isn’t limited to women or Chicanas, as in tune with the DIY aesthetic of the era.
“Not everyone was a woman or Chicana – it was a very fluid scene,” says Tompkins. “Art was mixing with performance and with music and with fashion.”
And, though she claims the space for the exhibit is “incredibly small,” she says there is still room under the umbrella – any additional footage and archives that this exhibit attracts will become part of the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA.
“We’re still finding people who have footage. We’ve been conducting research for 10 months, and, as word spread, people started coming out of the woodwork,” says Tompkins. “And there’s a space for that, rather than just presenting material didactically.”
–Emma Gallegos
“Vexing: Female Voices from East LA Punk.” Opening reception featuring live performances Sat., 7-10 p.m. Closes Aug. 31. $3 museum admission. Claremont Museum of Art, 536 W. First St., Claremont, (909) 621-3200. Claremontmuseum.org.
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THIS WEEK IN THE CITY
THURSDAY 15
FREY’S BACK
One needn’t look further than James Frey for the latest proof that there are – despite how much we all may love F. Scott – second acts in American lives. The author of famously debunked memoir A Million Little Pieces is back with a first(?) novel, Bright Shiny Morning, which he’ll be presenting at the Whisky along with author Josh Kilmer-Purcell and metal youths Black Tide. OK, so a signing at the Whisky ain’t exactly Oprah’s Book Club (at least not anymore?), but the guy’s still working. Co-presented by Vroman’s and Book Soup. 7:30 p.m. Free. Whisky A Go-Go, 8901 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-4202. Booksoup.com or Vromansbookstore.com.
FRIDAY 16
MORE THAN WORDS
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then how to measure the worth of performance poetry? Highways Performance Space’s “4th Annual Poetry/Performance Festival” is a three-day event where poets incorporate theatrics, music, film, and costumes (Thurs.-Sat.; $5-$40; 1651 18th St, Santa Monica, 310-315-1459; Highwaysperformancespace.org). L.A.’s American Russian Theatre Ensemble Laboratory did a trial run at Highways not six months ago of ongoing project The Legendary Times of Bulgakov, a nonlinear performance piece based on the Russian novelist that unveils its latest installment at Art/Works Theatre tonight and runs through June 14 (Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m.; $15-$25; 6569 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; info: 800-838-3006 or Theartel.blogspot.com).
SATURDAY 17
HUNTER-GATHERERS
There’s no shortage of L.A. city nerds in this town – with apologies to the anonymous blogger who takes that self-deprecating term as a moniker – and it seems Race/LA was made especially for them. The Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt takes players around the city as they solve clues and challenges. There’s even a secret starting location, given upon registration (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; $85; Racela.com). For those in the mood for something a little more settled down, L.A. Opera opens its production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca tonight (7:30 p.m.; $20-$238; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A., 213-972-8001; Laopera.com).
SUNDAY 18
WALKIN’ THE WALK
The Venice Art Walk & Auction is a good deal fancier than the art walks of other neighborhoods, but then it only comes once a year. Saturday features two separately sold tours, “Newly Hatched Homes in Venice” and “Private Homes & Art Collections in Malibu,” while today’s more inclusive events feature artists’ studio tours, special exhibits, a silent art auction, and live music – with proceeds benefiting the Venice Family Clinic and its free services .11 a.m.-6 p.m.. $50. Begin at Westminster Elementary School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. info: (310) 392-9255 or Veniceartwalk.info.
MONDAY 19
HIPSTER RUNOFF
The first of two consecutive hipster clusterfucks at the Echoplex jumps off tonight, with ’80s-cribbing indie dance outfit Cut Copy making their first appearance in L.A. since the release of heavily – and rightfully – buzzed In Ghost Colours. Do you need stage presence if the audience is pre-determined to get its party on? (9 p.m.; $18, $15 advance; Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park, 213-413-8200; Attheecho.com.) Fellow “Best New Music” darling M83 plays electronic music of a shoegazier sort there on Tuesday.
TUESDAY 20
TALKIN’ THE TALK
It’s that time of year for Venice’s cultural ringmaster, Gerry Fialka, to return with his Media Ecology Soul Salon series. For MESS, Fialka interviews modern thinkers and artists, attempting to engage them on a rather intellectual and high-minded level. Tonight’s guest is Rip Rense, a music journalist who’s also authored several books and written liner notes for the likes of Frank Zappa and the Grateful Dead. Watch for the next installment on June 17, when none other than Van Dyke Parks is scheduled to sit down. 8 p.m. Free. Canal Club, 2025 Pacific Ave., Venice, (310) 823-3878.
Jamesbeach.com/james_events.php.
WEDNESDAY 21
BEHIND THE SCREENS
“How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: ‘The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover,’” the Academy quotes Kubrick in its notes for tonight’s “2001 in 2008: A Cinematic Odyssey.” Tom Hanks and effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull nevertheless try to unpack 2001 with clips and artifacts from its making. Doors at 7 p.m. $5. Samuel Goldwyn Theater, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 247-3600. Oscars.org.
Published: 05/14/2008
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