Arts Devo

The big three The Butcher Shop, Uncle Dad’s and Chikoko. Those three collectives of arts-makers/events-promoters are probably the most important producers of original art in Chico right now. Arts DEVO thinks so anyways, and he is stoked that we’ve just entered that season when all three are showing off their new stuff.

I rode my bike out to the orchards south of town last Sunday (Sept. 2) to drink in the latest edition of the annual Butcher Shop theater festival, and it was another glorious spectacle of theater, art, music, food, drinks and hundreds of fellow revelers (more than 1,000 visited over two days) that felt like a punctuation mark on the summer. The main production this year was a string of three colorfully staged original one-acts stitched together with original tunes by local songwriters—Donald Beaman, Scout, etc.—as performed by the Butcher Shop’s long-running house band, Dave the Butcher.

The final one-act, the trippy The Blue Origin, written by Chico-to-New York ex-pats Forrest Gillespie and Jesse Karch, made the biggest impression on me. Blue Origin is the name of the private space-travel company that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos dumped billions of his stock profits into, and the play’s dystopian setting featured a looming figure called the BZos (a bald, pasty creature played to culty perfection by Bryce Corron) ruling over the zombified masses and being pursued by a young rifle-toting assassin played by a very intense and rad Ilani Welsh-Johnson. Bravo!

Starting tonight, the Uncle Dad’s Art Collective will kick off its fourth annual Small Town Big Sound production (see more info in This Week, page 27), which this year will hit the road as well, with stops in Weaverville, Orland and Redding. But even with its packed schedule, the Dad’s crew is also looking forward to its next big production—the multimedia musical/theatrical Madonna tribute at Laxson Auditorium Jan. 24-26. Shortly after they return from tour, Uncle Dad’s will be holding open auditions for performers for that show. They are seeking vocalists, instrumentalists, choir members and performance artists of any style (dance, circus, contortion, “weird stuff,” etc.). If you’re feeling like a lucky star, show up at the side door (on First Street) of Laxson with everything you need to express yourself in a three- to five-minute routine. Auditions are Sept. 23, 2:30 p.m., and Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m.

The women of the Chikoko fashion/performance crew also are holding auditions. Models of “all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and genders” are invited to the Chico Women’s Club this Sunday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m., to try out for their annual fall fashion show (bring heels). This year’s them is “Evoke,” and I’d bet my Energy Dome that it’ll be another sold-out affair with a couple thousand party people crammed into the huge commercial building at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Oct. 20 for the arts happening of the year.

DEVOtions

• Mood music: Local jazz couple Robert and Pam Laughlin have recorded their first album with for their long-running old-time jazz act Mood:Swing, and they’ll be celebrating it with a release party this Sunday (Sept. 9), 7 p.m., at the Museum of Northern California Art. Joining them for the show (and on the recording): jack of all musical trades Joe Craven. Tix are $10 in advance at eventbrite.com or $15 at the door.

• On the 10th day of Beer Week … The madness begins Sept. 13 and continues through Sept. 22 for 10 days’ worth of tastings, tap takeovers and whatever beer-related goodness our local purveyors dream up. Next week, pick up the CN&R’s annual Beer Issue for a full calendar of events, and visit online at chicobeerweek.net.