MayHem!

Posted on by Thor

Denne Beena tipped me off that zombies were going to be marching, well limping, down International Drive as part of Spooky Empire’s MayHem Show held At Wyndham Orlando Resort on May 25th through 27th. Zombies were going to gather at Pizzeria Uno at three in the afternoon. When I drove into the Uno parking lot, there wasn’t a zombie in sight. I almost left thinking I got the day wrong but then decided I might as well get a slice since I was there. I went inside and found myself surrounded by zombies.

Make up artists were hard at work turning civilians into zombies. Air brushes were used to make the skin look sick and pasty.  Eye sockets were darkened and open wounds sculpted to a festering perfection. I can’t quite figure out why so many women wanted to look battered and beaten with makeup accentuating their cleavage. I bravely didn’t avert my eyes. I had to get the facts, just the facts ma’am.

It was boiling hot outside. There wasn’t a shady spot in sight from which I could sketch the gathering army of the undead. I stood in the shade of the Pizzeria and sketched the zombie hunting superhero next to me. There were zombie clowns, some sheriffs and intestines and body parts hanging at uncomfortable angles. I couldn’t sketch it all. Someone shouted out, “Five minutes till we march!” I’m always rushing against time. A guttural murmur rushed through the crowd. It was far too hot for a zombie march if you ask me. Dead flesh baked in the Florida sun and bloody make up oozed with sweat. Pale flesh began to bake red.

Next to me a bicycle was covered with colorful parrots. The owner would get the birds to perch on a zombie for a photo and a fee. A cockatoo preened a love bird. They didn’t resemble the undead in any way. Finally the hot crowd of zombies began their march down International Drive towards the Wyndham hotel. With two sketches done, I decided to head home. Traffic came to a stand still  on International Drive as tourists gawked at the crowd of zombies moaning and shuffling down the sidewalk. Another typical day in Orlando.

BB King's

Posted on by Thor

I heard that the 5th Orlando Lindy Exchange was having a free swing dance at BB King’s. BB Kings is in Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Terry and I go to the movie theater in that complex sometimes, so I have seen the club but never been inside. Large primitive folk paintings of music legends decorate the exterior. When I got inside I asked about the swing dancing but was told that the dancing had happened the night before. Rather than leave, I decided to stay and sketch the evening’s live entertainment. It was early, maybe 6pm so, only a few tables were occupied. The host seated me at a counter directly facing the stage, but I decided I wanted an off center angled view of the stage. I took the menu and utensils and moved to the Johnny Cash table in a corner. Each table had a primitive painting of a musical celebrity. Johnny’s face was hidden by the ketchup, mustard and napkins.

Selwyn Birchwood was performing. He had a solid dome of hair and his white outfit stood out in the otherwise dark room. Stage lights illuminated the stage in yellow and magenta. Huss Rodham on bass was silhouetted against the bright blue curtains and I couldn’t see Curtis George on drums. He was hidden behind a piano. Selwyn grew up in Orlando and he performed some original songs about the Florida heat and gators. Most of the music was covers of classic blues, and he shouted out for requests.

I ordered a dish of Pesto pasta and it came out fast. I stuffed fork fulls in my mouth as I worked and when the stage went dark between sets, I ate in earnest. Good food. The Coke buzzed through my veins as I sketched. When the second set started, I pulled out the paints and splashed color on the page. A little girl stood beside me watching my every move. She finally lost interest when her food arrived. Her mom commented on the sketch saying she liked it, then she stood by the stage to shoot a cell phone photo. A waitress expressed interest and asked if I do “faces“. I have been known to draw a face or two.

Parking at Pointe Orlando cost $4. Some electronic ticketing machine barked metallic orders at me until it had my money. Getting out of the garage was a nightmare. As I got ready to back out of my spot, some woman stopped directly behind me waiting for my spot. I ended up doing a ten point turn in the tight quarters and she kept inching closer in her rush to get to the evening’s entertainment. There were no signs for the exit. I drove in circles trying to find my way out with people and cars cutting me off at every turn. I finally decided to drive to the roof of the parking structure figuring I might spot a ramp down with no obstructions. It worked in theory but 15 minutes later, I drove past the parking spot I had struggled to exit. I was in the twilight zone, or a Seinfeld episode. The only signs were those that demanded money. I used my compass to try and steer only towards the north east corner of the parking structure and I sighed with relief when a ramp finally lead me down. As I drove onto Universal Boulevard, I vowed, “Never again, NEVER again.”

Drip Rehearsal

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The cavernous space DRIP is renting on International Drive is slowly transforming. I went to a dance rehearsal during the week long intensive. The space was full of the debris of a work in progress. Two ropes hung from metal rafters with knots and a foot loop at the base. They were used by dancers during the high energy show. The walls are being painted black and the floor is getting a multi pigmented marbleize effect using spray bottles. Scully Nolan and Melissa Kasper were working on the space as the dancers warmed up. Melissa was constructing paint can chandeliers which will eventually hang throughout the performance space. She also took photos of the loading dock entrance which will be getting signage and a black paint job. Getting into this dark venue will be like finding a back alley speakeasy.

The dancers were making sure new arrivals were up to speed on the choreography. Videos on iPhones were consulted to clarify moves. There was athletic crab like movement followed by sweeping movement through imaginary pigments. The performance space brings a new meaning to “the splash zone” since the whole room is in the zone. I splashed watercolor on my sketch, knowing I was safe for now.

Jessica Mariko ll the dancers wore neutral colors, blacks and whites along with browns and denim. Jessica was explaining that all colored pigments in the show have meaning. Each dancer is associated with a particular color. A female dancer throwing red pigment instantly attracted the attention of a male dancer of orange. He is with another dancer but can’t help but look when red catches his eye. The dance was about relationships and his need to do his own thing to make his life work.

A recording of the rock music blazed and the four female dancers did a run through of the routine. A dancer tried to figure out how high she could swing on the rope during the dance. Raw, sexy, colorful and unexpected, things are falling into place fast at what might become the hippest show in town.

DRIP Dance on International Drive

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Drip dance is renting a new performance space on International Drive (8747 International Drive, Orlando). I had some trouble finding the entrance. You actually enter the space via a loading dock behind a Denny’s restaurant. Jessica Mariko, the dance company’s founder, wants to keep the feeling that you are entering an independent, alternative venue off the main drag. Signage will help guide people back. The space is raw and unfinished, a blank canvas waiting to fulfill it’s creative potential. Large plastic sheets were taped to the walls and floor in a far corner where dancers would later be photographed along with flying pigments. The space used to be an indoor miniature golf course. Large rolls of artificial grass were arranged around a square in the center of the cavernous space. About twenty volunteers sat down for an informal meeting. There was beer and snacks for the people helping make this dream a reality.

Jessica outlined Drips mission statement for the new people coming on board. “DRIP combines performing arts and visual arts to create compelling sensory-stimulated experiences that excite and move audiences. We believe everyone has the potential to succeed at whatever they desire. DRIP provides a supportive environment that encourages participants to continually develop themselves while doing things they are passionate about. We aim to become a worldwide household name that is know for innovative, captivating and stimulating entertainment.” Jessica said that she is building the business plan based on shows like Circque Du Soleil and Blue Man Group. David Traver who composed the music for the new DRIP show actually works for Blue Man Group.

DRIP‘s opening show in the new venue will offer a “wet, raw, sexy rock ‘n roll experience, that stimulates many senses. The show includes dance, acting, live music, visual art installations and a powerful story. A variety of alcoholic beverages and merchandise will also be sold at the venue.” The bar is one element that is taking form fast. Jessica wants to have an urban dive bar that serves colored beers. Brian Sikorsky is in charge of trying to make that happen. Big beer companies are reluctant to have organic coloring added to the beer since taste is the top priority. Every option is being considered to make the colored beer bar a working reality.

Dancers are still needed to fill out the core group. A ramp has to be built up to the loading dock entrance, permits need to be filed, and the bar completed, all within a month’s time. An explosion of volunteer creative effort is going into making DRIP an alternative hit on International Drive.

David & Buster’s

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After reading a review of David & Buster’s by Kelly Fitzpatrick, I decided I had to venture out to International Drive to see this adult million dollar midway for myself. The large building just south of Sand Lake Road has been fully renovated. What really appealed to me was the free parking which is rare in this town. An employee in a tailored white shirt opened the glass door for me. As I ascended up a large staircase I started to hear the chimes, rings and commotion of all the arcade games. Entering the large open space is overwhelming and exhilarating. Lights flashed everywhere as hundreds of games shouted for attention.

I circled the huge space several times constantly looking for a place to sketch. The Wheels of Fortune were always crowded so I stood at a table across the way and got to work. The machine behind me chirped and buzzed for my attention like R2D2. People carried long strings of tickets which sometimes flickered to the floor and had to be folded back up. Buckets sat on tables to be used when people hit the jackpot. A game beside me involved dropping a rubber ball onto a rotating circular disk. Holes along the edge were there to catch the ball. The guy playing hit the jackpot and he raised his arms in victory as the lights flashed. Couples and families kept playing the Wheel of Fortune but there were no big winners that I noticed.

I went to David & Buster’s in the afternoon of an average workday and the place was bustling. I truly felt like Vegas. A large restaurant was to the right of the entrance. Next time I come I plan to enjoy the full, “Eat, Drink, Play” experience.

Zombie March

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At the last minute I was told by Paula Large that there was going to be a zombie march in broad daylight on International Drive. The starting spot was at Uno’s pizza right across from Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Driving down International Drive the sudden appearance of hundreds of zombies wandering around the Uno’s parking lot was unsettling. I drove around the block making my way back to the mayhem. My pulse quickened. I parked at the Indian restaurant next to Uno’s.

As soon as I walked into the crowd, I was surrounded by pale, lifeless, brain eating zombies. A stage was set up at one end of the parking lot for a band that I assumed would be playing later. I was immediately drawn to this Hurst parked in the corner of the lot nearest the street. I stood on a small island covered with dried out dead vegetation. Little Red Riding Hood seemed out of place until I saw that she had slit her wrists. A young woman in a tight black leather dress had a cross tattooed between her shoulder blades she walked with a limp. With her nose ring and studs, I suspect she wasn’t really in costume. She must live Goth.

Loud music blasted from the two speakers strapped to the roof of the Hearst. A guy in a black leather vest got on the roof of the Hearst and shouted into the megaphone, “Do you want to see some blood?!” He fired up a chainsaw and the crowd of zombies went wild. one zombie never broke character, he just swayed side to side with his eyes rolled back in his head. A foam manikin was thrown on the roof of the Hearst and he started cutting off limbs to the roar from the crowd. When he thrust the chainsaw blade into her chest blood began to fly and spill everywhere. A pizza was delivered from the restaurant . He began attacking the pizza with the chainsaw with shards of crust and tomato sauce raining down on all the zombies. He threw large chunks of pizza into the crowd where I assume they were devoured.

0n the sidelines citizens with signs protested the march, demanding that the undead return to the graves they came from. When the march began I stayed behind frantically throwing blood red washes onto my drawing. The Goth girls limp must have been real since she remained behind as well, seated in one of the two wooden chairs near the Hearst. A female zombie asked to see my sketch. Her eyes had a strange metallic blue shine. She complimented me and thanked me for sharing with a sweet voice that seemed very out of place since her skin had decomposed rather horrifically. I am sure the party would continue late into the night, but I had to get to class back in the world of reality.

Pirates Dinner Adventure

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I wandered over to International Drive again to give the tablet another try. This pirate ship is one block East of International on Canada Avenue. As I walked towards the theater I saw 2 pirates on the street corner trying to entice tourists to get tickets. I thought, what luck I get to draw some pirates today. Unfortunately they turned on there heels and headed for the stage door before I had a chance to put a single line down on the tablet. As I was sketching a young British tourist who was lost asked me if I knew where Walgreen’s was. I didn’t have a clue.

Cool Treats, Magical Midway

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Today I wandered over to International drive. I Drive is only about 2 miles from my home but until now I avoided it like the plague. Tourist traffic during high season can be insane. Everyone driving on International drive is lost so defensive driving is always needed. It seems ironic to me that many tourists who visit Orlando never see any part of Orlando besides International Drive and the Theme Parks. Today’s sketch was pleasant to do since the weather was so nice. I misread the name of the hotel in the background it is actually the Enclave Hotel. I guess my eyeglasses are not up to snuff. As I finished this sketch the lights and background music began to turn on.