Days of Lore

The secret of not keeping secrets
Things that are dubbed “secret” just seem cooler: secret societies, secret agents, secret handshakes, that song “Secret Lovers” by Atlantic Starr, The Secret Stolen. That is unless you’re talking about the “secret sauce” … that’s just gross.

I headed down to the “secret art space” last week on Second Street for the CommonPath Secret Art Show. The space feels like you’ve left Chico—old brick walls surrounded by modern décor with vaulted ceilings.

It was just what I expected to see. Secret rendezvous. People telling top-secret secrets. Actually, there was a lot of art. And some really good art at that. I especially liked a piece by Rodolpho Salgado Jr. called “The Twins”—extra bizarre—reminds me of the things I used to try and draw in the white space in my old coloring books. Robin Indar’s mosaics are always fantastic. And Kyle Delmar’s expressive black-and-white portraits of local faces were also fun.

More important, there were people there(!) milling about and taking it all in. But I couldn’t help but notice the cluster of folks in the back room. As I sauntered on through I saw about five or six kids surrounding a small screen with the words “Super Democracy Bros.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick, a local electronic arts student at Chico State, has taken the old Super Mario Bros. arcade game and done a little tinkering. Now, instead of jumping on mushrooms that make you grow, you catch little American eagles that turn you into a rootin’-tootin’ cowboy. And rather than collecting coins, you collect “Save Our Troops” magnets. All in the name of George Dubya and taking out the evil-doers.

I hear Fitzpatrick is working on a couple of more politically charged games that play off of Centipede and Dr. Mario. But for now, it’s top secret. Here’s another secret: I can’t get “Secret Lovers” out of my head.

The ultimate mix tape
Everyone has a sex tape nowadays … not so secret. Let’s go down the list. (warning: not responsible for pictures about to form in your head): Dustin Diamond (Screech! Nooooo!), Fred Durst, Gene Simmons, Tonya Harding, Bret Michaels, Paris Hilton, Vince Neil, Tommy and Pamela … that’s one handsome group!

Now Marilyn Monroe has one worth $1.5 million, purchased by a New York businessman. The purchaser says it will never see the light of day. I give it three months.

Marilyn Monroe’s OK, but I’m still holding out for the long lost Bea Arthur sex tape. Yes. I. Went. There.

Yet another secret: I can’t seem to get Bea Arthur having sex to “Secret Lovers” out of my head.

Your arts to-do
There are some fine events coming up in Chico and beyond, every night of the week. A prize will be given to the person who attends each of the following specially selected events.

Thursday (tonight): A fine night of country folk with Portland’s Norfolk & Western performs at Café Coda with fellow PDXers Nick Jaina and Weinland. 8 p.m.

Friday, April 18: A rap cover night and a benefit for the Butte Humane Society lovingly titled “One for the Dawgs.” The scheduled performers include Bear Hunter, Petticoat, Kids With Headlice, Watson 349, Sic Tang and California Love. 9 p.m. at Nick’s Night Club. $5.

Saturday, April 19: The Kevin Reid Project will head down the hill from Paradise and drop some pop at Augie’s. 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 20: Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage at the Blue Room Theatre. Catch the final night of Jane Martin’s bloody comedy western. 7:30 p.m. $12-$14.

Monday, April 21: Wild Oak Records Songwriter’s Guild performance at Sierra Nevada, featuring performances by Aubrey Debauchery, Marquesa Versola, Pat Hull and Ol’ Yeller. 7-11 p.m. $5.

Tuesday, April 22: Local noisemakers The Makai and La Fin du Monde perform at Monstros Pizza with Bay Area experimental sludge metallers Skin Horse. 8 p.m. $5.

Wednesday, April 23: 1078 National Juried Show runs through April 30. Stop by and see the selected works from artists all over the country. Hours: 12:30-5:30 p.m.

That’s a diverse lot. But I still can’t shake the image of Bea Arthur having sex to “Secret Lovers.”

8 days a week