Dry Ice Factory

holyoutlaw and I went to see Circus Contraption's "The Show to End All Shows" in the old trolley barn in Fremont last night. As the title implies, they are closing up shop after this show, so you only have until June 14th to see them before they go away.

It's a great show, too. I highly recommend it. I think Luke called them part of a "new circus" movement that started a decade ago when he was performing with Cirque de Flambe. I got a feeling of vaudeville and burlesque from what they do. Looking at their website, I see that one of the co-founders and main performers, Lara Paxton/Darty Kangoo (now Poppy Daze), describes it as a way to explore her interest in "circus, performance art, maskwork, dance, visual art, psychedelia, and surrealism." That gives you a sense of the flavors. Lots of songs, some juggling, acrobatics, aerial work (amazing, breath-taking, sexy stuff), jokes, gags, stunts, puns, sword-swallowing, funny props, pratfalls, costumes, band music, sing-alongs, audience participation, jug music (playing Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi, of all things). There's an attempt to create an overarching story focused on the machinations of the ringmaster, but that's mostly related to the very cinematic climax. Other than than, it's episodic, a series of unrelated acts.

They're all really good at what they do. I could do without the attempt to get the crowd to hold hands and sing a goofy song about love, but it seemed either half-hearted or ironic in intent anyway. In fact, there are a couple of numbers that are uneasily ironic, including a patriotic number that didn't seem to know where its heart really was. That's about the closest I can come to a criticism. I had a great time and was really impressed by the sheer physical talent of the performers.

There's a bar, too. I had two absinthe cocktails, made with a shot of absinthe, a splash of chartreuse (absinthe's cousin, the bartender said), water to make it cloudy, and a sprig of mint. I don't know. Like the other time I had absinthe (at the 2000 Corflu, when it was still illegal in the US, but some Brits brought a bottle), it really did give me a high feeling that's different from other alcohol, like I was having a very mild out-of-body experience. Is it a placebo effect? I don't know. It was delicious anyway (anise flavored), and it seemed very appropriate to the neo-retro-Montmartre feel of the circus spectacle. Tattooed ladies! Kung fu! Popcorn! Bump and grind! It was all good.