Shadow Art Fair live blog

2:51 AM: Was just chased from a drag show by a screaming woman wielding a cupcake. Not sure what else to say. Seems like a pretty appropriate end to the day, though… Oh, we ended up locating Donald’s laptop, which we’d thought had been stolen. Now we just have to find Patrick Elkins… Thanks again to everyone who came out to this year’s Shadow. I hope you has a much fun as I did.

10:15 PM: Getting ready to judge the Cinemasports film competition. Lots of good video coming later… I just haven’t had a chance to upload it.

7:00 PM: The special Shadow Brew, which just went on sale, is incredibly fruity and delicious. Logan did one hell of a job.

6:20 PM: My third interview was with another regular of this site – a fellow by the name of Peter Larson. The end of our interview, sadly, was lost due to a dead battery. I think you’ll enjoy what there is of it, though.

6:10 PM: My second interview of the day was with MM.com regular, Teacher Patti.

5:50 PM: The Dirty Brothers present the Nervous Dental Patient.

5:20 PM: Sorry to interrupt the good time, but I need to express how pissed off I am that Obama has apparently caved to Wall Street, choosing not to support Elizabeth Warren for director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Every time I think I couldn’t possibly be more disappointed in him, he goes and does something to make me dislike him even more. I hope she runs against him in the primary and kicks his ass.

5:50 PM” My friend Pete apparently got a photo of me interviewing Teacher Patti. The video should be up soon.

I’ve realized that I smell different on Shadow Art Fair days than on any other days.

5:10 PM: It’s taking me forever to download the interviews I’ve been taping. I’ve had some good ones though. Here’s the first. It’s with a young woman by the name of Alexandra Dietz.

3:56 PM: AnnArbor.com has a great photo set from this morning… Check it out.

1:17 PM: Next year, I want to set aside one corner of the Shadow Art Fair to do a historic reenactment of the first Shadow Art Fair, where women with bustles and hoop skirts lean over wicker tables, perusing pamphlets on rickets and doilies fashioned to look like monsters. If someone would remind me, I’d appreciate it.

It’s not so crowded right now, which is nice. Lots of people moving through, but the flow is nice and steady, with no huge bottlenecks… Here’s that video that I promised earlier. It finally made its way onto YouTube.

1:05 PM: I had my first interview. She was a nurse at a community health clinic on Packard. We talked about the state of health care in America, and the plight of the ever-growing underclass here in the US. She didn’t want to be interviewed on tape. I wish that she would have. She made some good points when discussing why she wouldn’t be voting for Obama again. Among other ideas we kicked around was the possibility of raising money to buy flip cameras and put them into the hands of inner city kids so that they can document their lives and share them via YouTube.

12:40 PM: note to self: I need to start reaching out to local artists, encouraging them to make make repulsive artwork of me for the header of the site. In return, I could link to their online stores, or something. I got the idea looking just now at the work of Johnny Apricot. My sense is that he could do something even more unsettling than what we have up there now.

12:36 PM: Forest Juziuk won’t be DJ’n alone between bands today at the Shadow Art Fair. I just learned that he’ll be joined, after 3:00, by Jeremy Wheeler, Stephanie Rosen and Geoff Perrin. (A list of bands can be found here.)

11:06 AM: I just took some video of our vendors setting up. I hope to get it up on the web shortly. I also bought my first piece of art of the day, a drawing of a “strange animal” by 8 year old Amelia Marks. Her drawings, priced a $2 each, are already moving fast.

11:06 AM: The Cinema Sports teams are off and running, working on their 3-minute films. There were over 20 people here for the launch, and I’m told a few teams will be participating remotely. The “ingredients” are 1) opening a box, 2) an apple… and I can’t remember the third thing. The viewing of the completed films will take place at 10:00 PM.

10:45 AM: Hey. I’m at the Corner, getting things set up. So far, so good. No broken bones, no cat fights between vendors. In fact, it’s unusually calm. That’s what worries me. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I’d gotten up in time, and that things were in motion. Doors should open to the public as planned at noon.

In Shadow-related news, the boys at VOSKY just released a list of the things they’d be selling at their table. In addition to videos and comics, they’ll apparently be consulting on creativity. (If you’ll recall, they’re the guys in the tub from a few days ago.)

And I’m thinking about changing the theme of my space to “Ask Me About My Panic Attack”, or “How Seriously Should I Take this Chest Pain?” Or, maybe I’ll just put up a sign that says “Fred Sanford impressions.”

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16 Comments

  1. Posted July 16, 2011 at 2:15 pm | Permalink

    I would be happy to wear a hoop skirt and act it out. Fun!

    I also want to volunteer to be the all day “steward” for the vendors next year…I had a blast bringing food/water/beer to people and would love to fill that roll next time, if that’s possible.

    :)

  2. Posted July 16, 2011 at 4:41 pm | Permalink

    I just loaded a bunch of pictures on my FB page.

  3. Posted July 16, 2011 at 9:31 pm | Permalink

    THE CAMERA ADDS TEN POUNDS AND THERE WERE LIKE SIX CAMERAS ON ME!

  4. Ale Roka
    Posted July 16, 2011 at 10:52 pm | Permalink

    If the camera adds ten pounds, Patti, I shudder to think what Peter would look like in person. I’d pictured him silver haired, on the pudgy edge of health that comes from good intentions but a weakness for breakfast buffets, and awkwardly but intentionally groomed. That he’s, in truth (according to Mark), a barefoot nearly starved hillbilly poorly disguised in a tourist baseball cap who slaps himself for stimulation will never be forgotten as I read his comments.

    As for Mrs. Patti, I continue to think she’s one of the great, truly open and thus insightful voices that comments here. The images of your interview, however bloated they may seem, add validity. Thanks. Talk on.

    The Whole Foods gal was charming, too.

    As for Mark. Great interviews. You have a small, rare talent for some big things. If you would only learn to harmonize Ypsilanti could take its proper place on the fictional map.

  5. Posted July 16, 2011 at 11:33 pm | Permalink

    So sad I missed this year’s SAF. Especially the cinemasports part of it – we had so much fun last year doing that, minus being eaten alive by mosquitoes behind the cemetery ;) I haven’t watched all of these videos yet, but I’ll be catching up tomorrow on how the day went down. Hoping it was fun!

  6. Posted July 17, 2011 at 11:09 am | Permalink

    I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out to be interviewed – both those who agreed to have their interviews taped, and those who didn’t. I’m rewatching the taped ones now, and I struck by how cool and interesting people are. I think I’ll do this again sometime. It was great getting to know people. I’ve got more to upload today, so be sure to check back. And thanks, Ale, for the Garrison Keilor comparison. I’m not a huge fan, but I think the analogy is valid.

  7. Mike Shecket
    Posted July 17, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Permalink

    In re: Elizabeth Warren, Richard Cordray is still a solid pick. He’s a talented guy with an impressive background. Also–or so I recall–when he was in the Ohio House, he came and talked to my middle school social studies class. His brother Frank is an orthodontist (and sometimes basketball coach) that a lot of the kids went to.

  8. Mike Shecket
    Posted July 17, 2011 at 12:18 pm | Permalink

    Oh, and in 1987, he was a five-time Jeopardy! champion.

  9. Posted July 17, 2011 at 5:48 pm | Permalink

    Well, thanks Ale! I was delighted to meet Peter Larson in person for the first time :)

  10. Posted July 17, 2011 at 8:45 pm | Permalink

    I just wish that EOS had stopped by for an interview.

  11. Fannie Hill
    Posted July 18, 2011 at 1:26 am | Permalink

    Patti
    So there is a teacher who is supposed to teach math who does not know how to teach math? And his/her principal, who is the same as yours (I am assuming) “is great” and you still stick to the idea that it is possible to fire bad teachers? I am calling bullshit on that one.
    Not that the republican ideas are any better. But let’s tell it like it is and move on.
    And Mark, how do you know you did not interview EOS?

  12. Mr. X
    Posted July 18, 2011 at 7:51 am | Permalink

    I would have liked a reenactment of Patti making friends with Wet Dolphin Missile while urinating. Maybe next time.

  13. Posted July 18, 2011 at 9:32 am | Permalink

    Fannie Hill–I should have maybe said he is great to ME. That is accurate. There are many reasons why this teacher was still there (hint: had a situation that is covered by the ADA) and I liked this teacher as a person but yeah, no math skills there :(

    Mr. X–Mark and I discussed that very thing, in fact! Perhaps we could do it in hoop skirts to tie that idea in. Mark could grow a twirly mustache and bust in on us while silent movie music played in the background. God that would rock.

  14. Mike Shecket
    Posted July 18, 2011 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    @Patti: Chamber pots!

  15. beth k
    Posted September 19, 2011 at 11:08 am | Permalink

    I caught my beloved daughter Gloria reading your website, and removed her eyes with a wire brush.

  16. Eel
    Posted December 16, 2011 at 2:37 pm | Permalink

    You HAVE to get this MSU professor at next summer’s Shadow.

    http://gawker.com/5863180/old-professor-poses-naked-with-students-for-art

4 Trackbacks

  1. […] program we're calling Blogbaby. Today's contribution comes from my friend and former bandmate Pete Larson.] Mark has been on to me for several weeks to write something for his blog. So far, I’ve […]

  2. By On the optimism of non-Americans on February 27, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    […] | February 27, 2012My friend Pete and I eat lunch together a few times a month. Pete, who’s an academic, tells me of his travels to fascinating places like Malawi and Sweden, where he’s either […]

  3. […] sitting around, staring into space, considering my options. Given how much fun I had last year, just sitting on my ass and interviewing people, I think that I’ll do something similar this year. I’d like, […]

  4. By Introducing my friend, Doctor Peter Larson on March 24, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    […] to know Doctor Larson better can find a video interview that I did with him not too long ago here. And, if it’s the music that you want more of, here are links to two more of the songs we […]

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