When the Devil came to California
He rode in on his fiery mare shook out his fiery hair
When the Devil came
When the devil came to California he brought along a bevy of hip, bejingled Berkeley dancers and musicians. Composer and performer Laramie Crocker and his partner, playwright and tarot reader Wend Elsen have created Redemption, the Acid Gospel Tarot Opera that traces the Hero’s journey through personal loss and horror in the backdrop of America’s apocalyptic War on Terror (which makes me wonder...what happens if they one day declare a War on Horror? Will zombies revolt?). I attended the Oakland Art Murmur premier performance at Uptown Auto last weekend, and was seduced by the ten songs in ten cards that veered between tenderness and a Persephone-like preference for the taste of Hades.
With the soul consciousness of Johnny Cash and a Pink Floyd-like flair for the surreal dramatic, Crocker is assisted by band mates Richard Berman on double bass, Ralph Granich on drums, Tom Huber and Phil Stokes on guitar. And Sam Weinstein, Wendi Olson, Carrie Davoli, Barbara Griesau and Eve Graham assist with vocals.
In addition to the musical feast, there's a basket brimming with visual candy for the audience to nibble, in no small part thanks to the lively performance of the Berkeley Morris Dancers, Tigris Dancing Joy and Gillermo Ortiz who add not only dancing feet but akido to the storyline.
If this sounds like a lot to digest, it is. But as the lyrics go, I don't know where I'm going and I don't know where I've been. If I find myself along the way I'll be sure to place a call to you from him.
For any who can't make it to a live performance, Crocker is also a software developer with a passion for the open source community and offers Redemption free of charge to listeners from the comfort of their own computers...
Open source acid gospel tarot opera!
But Bay Area residents won't want to miss the opera in three (or more) dimensions at the Hillside Club in Berkeley on Saturday, May 19, 7:30 p.m – 9:00 p.m. In the acid gospel tarot opera, your journey to hell comes with a return ticket. Just
Roll down the windowand breathe
breathe
breathe the air
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Comments
beflixed a cab on skilly shoren
besides me bed before the morn
aye on killy yorn
aye with nae book to read t'dae
and wile the willy hours awae
I slothed t'work and hae no plae
flixomed from the kiss she blae
I kenner back to fluvie forn
with nae book, nae pages torn
nae doggie here, I be forlorn
aye on killy yorn
I back to Virgini land
flivy round Spring's new stand
gather all me wally in hand
beflix me back to New Amsterdam
http://laramiecrocker.com/lyrics/OnKillyYorn.html
:-)/ r
chicago guy, glad you're now in the know. if you were in the bay area it seems like this would be a scene you could enjoy. these same guys toured for Howard Dean for a while in 2004. they're great.
Bellweather, I suppose downloading some of the songs for free isn't quite the same as seeing it performed....but you're in the south, right? there are a lot of creative people there too....and amazing bbq and storytelling and iced tea and oh the porches.....but I still love the bay area and do feel lucky to live here. it's funny how many of us wander around and finally find this place that seems to fit some mysterious part of us just right. cheers and thank-you for reading!
but I've played that hand, now the anger comes quick "
love that bit especially - and the photos are wonderful ~