First Friday @the Palace

Oh boy, people having fun, what more can one ask for? It is Friday night in the Palace, and my first print show has just opened. That's not what put the smiles on these folks.

A romping, stomping performance by Travis Seahorn created the smiles and general celebration. Earlier there was a raffle to benefit the American Humanics Student Association.

Mayor John Engen was his usual jovial self, as he drew and read the names of winning tickets.

Ross Voorhees opened the program with a folksy sound aided by a kazoo.

Thanks to friends, Maria Kendra and Hermina Harold, of Butter, and more of their friends, the show went up on Thursday night. The effort was complicated by Metal Militia night with sound volumes, which made communication by anything but sign language impossible. 

There was some wild drumming. 

One of my favorite groups, Walking Corpse Syndrome, blasted out their usual power rhythms with two drummers in the back. If I can just manage to capture a few more good images of the fiddle player, I will have a good grouping for an upcoming print show of metal bands. 

Santa at the Mall and the Archetype

Some people aren't serious enough about taking care of their kids. This photo was emailed to me and I am using it again, because it illustrates a problem in this country. As Santa, I'm seeing a lot of it. We must all take responsibility for the children. In short, I'm taking my Santa duties to brighten the lives of all the children I encounter very seriously.

Some children are filled with desires for presents. The Wii is very popular this year; Dsi is often repeated, because it has the music options. Musical instruments are desired by more 7 and 8 year olds than I would have thought. Barbie is still popular. Having a special gift for Mother or Father was the uppermost concern to about one-third. Some children were brilliant shining with good will, intelligence and creativity, while others screamed in terror as their parents forced them towards the strange guy in red.

My prejudice against Santa comes from the kitschy Coca-Cola Santa I grew up with. The roots of Santa are deep, going back to Scandanavian, German and Celtic gods. It turns out he is an ancient archetype, and can be found in many forms in many cultures. He carries a sack and arrives at each village with a jangle of bells or a flute trill. Kokopelli was thought to be a hunchback, because of the bag he carried. Hotei also carried a begging bowl. He ate the food people gave him, and used money place in his bowl to buy toys and treats for kids.

The image at the top of this post was captured by an RMSP student, while I was modeling for a class. The beard is longer now, and it really works for the Santa gig. I don't have the belly, however, and the pillow we used yesterday was uncomfortable. My ho,ho,hos are improving, but I can't do them and smile at the same time, which is what I am required to do most. My face is already half frozen. The Santa suit is so hot I'm thinking of doing a weight loss video entitled Sweating with Santa. Of course, the weight loss will be due to dehydration. Note to self: keep water handy.

Life is looking good. I invited the American Humanics Student Association to share the Palace with my photo show 5-8 pm, during the First Friday Gallery Walk in December. They needed a venue for a benefit. They bring a raffle, two bands and Mayor Engen to the event. How does it get better? Mark December 4 on your calendar, come see my photos of Missoula Women Making Music, hear Butter make music and meet the mayor.