423 RED happened three weeks ago. And after, I was so tired I bought a new mattress to recuperate. Slept twelve hours straight.
And Steve Mehallo — who organized all this — is very much like Anthony Bourdain – one of of the FLOMM muses. Tony died the day before our event, and this was something difficult to ignore.
Broken people make things truly splendid for a short time, and even after they leave us, we’re altered.
I loved Tony’s take on second chances in the kitchen. That the people serving and preparing food in 5 star restaurants had the humblest beginnings. Creativity is egalitarian. A pauper can cook better than any noble. An orphan can become a master. I aspire to love my craft as much as any master loves theirs.
The Flommists in Paris were there, live at night (a small chunk of the live feed, above) – and they kept moving our Secret Location throughout the day. To confuse the enemy, Dick Cheney, or whoever it is who hates us for our freedoms this month.
Josephine Baker Danse Sauvage-themed club. So cool!
Back in Sacramento, we filled the CLARA with some art shows, red lights, interactive projected new wave, 80s music and noise.
Live noise performances! Hear chunks of Instagon’s performance here, here, here, here, and here. We also have some full length video we’re editing.
There was this moment that perfectly summed up 423 RED for me.
Cars were loaded. Clean-up was done. Hands were covered in ink.
I was exhausted, so was Steve.
But there we were‑a small group of Flommists standing in the CLARA parking lot discussing Post Post Modernism and David Foster Wallace:
Milk was literally standing on a soap box.
Blu and I high-fived after we made the same point about Marx and deconstructionists.
Bwargh added a sociopolitical observation on California real estate.
And Mehallo made a joke that tied all our points together (I don’t know how he does that).
It was the perfect conversation and I didn’t want to leave it.
I read their Der Tung articles. I’ve gone to classes and collaborated with them on projects.
And despite all that I’d still just stand in a parking lot with them and talk for hours.
Lou Reed couldn’t write a more perfect day.
AND we have even MOR event photos posted on the FLOMM Tumblr arte blog.
JE VOUS REMERCIE FLommists Darcy Totten, Jasper James of Activism Articulated, Jeramy Ian, Megan Wygant and Alijah at CLARA, which without them none of this would have ever happened; Renee Thompson, for ongoing support and our custom-painted RED ice bucket! Jay Vigon, Nicole laRue, Jessica Wabbit, Gabe Sanford, Tatiana Cherniavska, Marko Davidovic, Stephanie Almendariz, Raina Dayne, Lauren Richardson and Dolls Kill, Louis Warfield, Lily Toppenberg, Milk Surface, Bryan Mendez, Bill Mead, Thomas Fritschi, William Burg, Lob Instagon, Denise Chelini and the entire team of NorCal Noisefest; DJ Larry Rodriquez/Flower Vato, Lee Canas, Peter Gomez, Matt Roper, Amanda Maurer, Shane Kerr, Kylie Jackson, Aeylyeaelle Ellhe De Ellendeh, Robbie Edmonds, Sam Costanilla, Stefan Hattenbach, Rone, Blu, Jes, Don Reid, Cassidie Wages, Jason Malmberg, Amber Witzke, Dutch Falconi, Julia Allegretti, Randee Tavarez, Marcel Duchamp, the Flommists in Paris – including Sophie Traverse; of course, Steve and Jeanne Mehallo, and everyone who made it out to play in our world.
423 BLUE is slated for this fall. Another place, another calling.
—louis hernandez
Flommist Louis Herdandez is obsessed with going Bauhaus and becoming The Machine. Preferably a drill press. Copyright © 2018 Louis Hernandez. Photos by Mehallo, Darcy, Jasper, and Bwargh.
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