androgynous men

I watched Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars last night on DVD, I had never seen it before. Ever since playing with Ad, as I think I have mentioned, I have started listening to David Bowie. Ad covered (I think) 'Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud' solo as an encore to one of his sets, and I was floored. The song, the lyrics....just fucking awesome. So afterwards I asked him if he had written the song, and he said "No, it's on Space Oddity". I asked "What's that?" (I know, this is an embarrassing story), and Ad responded with "It's this album by this guy named David Bowie, he made a lot of great record in the 70's. You should check him out." So, lesson learned....I'm an idiot, and go and buy Space Oddity. Which I did, and ever since then I have become just enamored with everything Bowie. It's another one of those artists that I just wouldn't have liked in my teens. I always loved his hits, but I never would have loved the full albums. Too many guitars, not enough sing songy stuff, and without the sing songy stuff I wouldn't have listened to the lyrics. But now, I love it and Ziggy Stardust is by far what every rock star hopeful or rock star, star should totally want to be.
It's amazing to see this power. This bizarre, alien, androgynous, sex symbol with 6 outfit changes and performance art antics and the Spiders From Mars that follow his every lead; they know, this is a moment that could never and will never be replicated. It's Bowie at one of his most creative and amazing times, a legend in the making. I would have killed and done anything to be one of those screaming girls in the crowd, not to fawn over him and scream "me me me", but to watch it all happen in front of me. In shear and utter amazement.

I also watched 'Nomi's song', a documentary about Klaus Nomi (I needed inspiration in my life...I've been feeling lackluster). I had first heard about Klaus three or four years ago when I saw the Pat Keck exhibit at DeCordova. Pat is an artist from New England that makes these AMAZING marionette like sculptures. They are all made of wood, she makes all of their clothes, they are all handpainted, and they usually have a mechanism/motor (which she also installs) that makes them move on their own or with the assistance of a coin or button. Klaus Nomi is both visually and musically her biggest inspiration. Some of her sculptures are lying down and upon pushing the button, they rise slowly and open their eyes, some tell you your fortune, some turn a light on. They are all amazing and meticulously executed, slightly unsettling, and have an undercurrent of loneliness. This is something that I get. This is something that feels like home to me. In fact, one of Pat Keck's pieces are in 'Nomi's Song', and it is so apropos.

Nomi was this performance artist/musician from Germany, relocated to New York, that was around during the pinnacle of NYC's art scene in the late 70's, early 80's. He was like a walking, living, breathing sculpture. So sure of his image, his ideas. Just completely inspired. He, much like Bowie, had this desire to be something from out of this world, and he would perform in these crazy costumes and makeup singing operatic vocals over new wave music. It's completely captivating to me to see someone so strong and sure of their art, and so willing to risk it all at anytime.
Of course, the story ends tragically (as with most great artists) and if the song had been written at the time, 'Hope there's someone' by Antony and the Johnsons would have been playing at the end of this movie. In fact, that song should be at the end of every fucking movie/documentary about great artist because it's always true. Will anyone be there for you when you go? And in this case, no. He died of AIDS right when it was first spreading in America and no one knew what it meant, or how you caught it, and what it did except take every bit of your existence slowly but surely. Because of this, Nomi, this beloved and incredible artist virtually died alone in the hospital. It was so heartbreaking to hear every person that had been interviewed throughout the documentary say, 'I didn't go see him, I was scared.' And I just wanted to yell "WHY? HOW COULD YOU?!" It's every persons nightmare, art is already so lonely, how could you have left him alone to die? But, then you think about the disease, and the time. It could have been the Plague for all anyone knew, it could spread by air, by touch, who the fuck knew? And then I wondered if I would have done the same. I would have liked to think that I wouldn't, but you can't be so sure. Don't we all do things that might not be good for us, because we love someone else so much? Put ourselves on the line because your heart just screams and hopes to help someone so much, for that moment, it's out of our control. You run out in front of the bus, you try and stop the bleeding without any gloves on, you walk into the line of fire to pull someone out.

Don't we all have those moments? I would like to think we do.....

Or maybe we are all selfish bastards. That's kind of comforting too, as long as we are completely self-sufficient.

Anyway, I'm reading another glorified Elizabethan romance novel. I'm such a sucker for this time period I can't stand it. It's mindless, but tells a great story, with lots of twists and turns, and I get to imagine everyone in petticoats and bosoms bursting out. There can't be anything wrong with that.

I also love the new Secret Machines album, and am always in constant comfort and awe of everything Rufus Wainwright. I just want to sit beside him on a chaise and feed him grapes, and have him sing arias to me. We could wear costumes, and just lounge and sing and drink wine for days on end. Belting out our pains and tortured souls. And it will be so innocent and perfect.

Ahhh, maybe one day we can be friends