MORE FROM THE FRINGE - FIRE IN THE METH LAB

Yesterday was the very rare day with no post. I've been working hard as the St. Louis Fringe's photographer. I've lost track of how many shows I shot this week but I think my right index finger needs a splint.

One of the best shows I've seen working with the Fringe is Jon Bennett's Fire In The Meth Lab. Bennett is an Australian storyteller, actor and comedian, and winner of many awards. This show is about his relationship with his brother Tim, two years older and with serious emotional problems. He tormented Jon when they were children. As they grew older on their family's rural farm, Tim got hooked on alcohol, then marijuana, then psychedelics and finally methamphetamine. He set up a lab in Adelaide to supply a biker gang with dividends for himself. One day the lab literally exploded, leaving Tim with life-threatening burns. He survived.

The story is much more complicated than that. The version produced here was shortened. You can--and should--see the full version at https://www.jonbennettcomedy.com/fire-in-the-meth-lab/           

MORE FROM THE FRINGE - THE OREO COMPLEX

An oreo is more than a cookie. Most Americans will recognize it as a racial term for someone who is black on the outside and white on the inside. Lillian Brown gave the most stunning performance I've seen so far, riffing on the pressures and pains of Black people in a White-dominated society. You can learn more about her and her work at www.lilliancbrown.com .        

FROM THE FRINGE - SONGS OF A MOVEMENT

Songs Of A Movement was Toni Schneider Finch's review of feminist anthems from the 19th Century suffragettes to modern popular music. It included Loretta Lynn's The Pill, Lesley Gore's You Don't Own Me and, of course, Helen Reddy's I Am Woman. There was lots more. Schneider Finch was accompanied by violin, cello and electric keyboard. The show ended with a sing along. 

I may have trouble keeping up with daily posts for a bit. I'm The Fringe's house photographer If I shot a full schedule tonight I'd go from 6 to midnight, and tomorrow from 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM, all without a meal break. I'm too old for that but I'll get as many shows as I can and edit the pix, um, in my spare time.            

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE FRINGE - ZAFIRA QUARTET

 

Still a light schedule last night with just two performances. Holly Huelskamp, Sarah Browdy, Amy Greenhalgh and Ranya Iqbal are the Zefira Quartet, St. Louis' only electric string quartet. The sound colors they produced were not what you would hear down the street at the symphony hall. I was impressed. They played a variety of music, classical, tango, Lizzo, Russian folk song (hey, I had to play that one, Dark Eyes, during my years as a failed kid violin student) and waltz. Click the link to hear them on Spotify or Apply Music. Hope I run into them again.

                  

ST. LOU FRINGE - THE MAIN EVENT STARTS

The main part of the Fringe schedule started last night with two unusual and fascinating performers.

Matthew Von Doren plays guitar with electronic effects such as loops, reverb, digital harmonies and rhythm tracks. It can seem meditative, even hypnotic, but the sound colors are amazing. I heard what sounded like Bach chordal progressions and mournful Andalucian song. The woman who performs as ANAAM also uses digital sound effects but with the original instrument, the human voice. Her performance, all improvised, was ecstatic. They performed together at the end of the evening, each responding to the other.

Remember, locals, https://www.stlfringe.org/. Scores of performances continue through Sunday.