Alternating Current

Been Awhile...

2008-11-29T13:31:00.005-05:00

Since I've posted.
Busy working on amazing things with amazing people.
I've been to Nashville, Tennessee with NTUSA's Chauatauqua!
And I've been to hell and back with International WOW's SURRENDER.
Both will playing at a theater near you in the New Year.

The next couple of weeks will be interesting.
Immediate Medium and the Metric System are throwing parties that YOU should be at.

And a side note...
My crack team of internet scavengers recently found this review of 10 Speed Revolution. This is a little show I put up in the Midtown International Theater Festival over the summer.
Check it:

A collaboration between two groups, Direct Current and Walking Shadow, John Heimbuch’s play is a political-meets-absurdist piece lambasting corporate homogenization. A threesome of roommates who share one ten speed bike find that it has been stolen. The threesome refer to themselves as a collective––collectively living together and searching for the stolen bike when the police can’t or won’t help find it. Together they plot an over the top plan to create a world in which the city of Minneapolis provides free bike access for all. In doing so, the collective finds that they are even less free of homogenization than they were while sharing the one bike. Heimbuch’s point is made early on and the murky middle of his comedy grows tiresome, but the real worth of the production is Nathan Lemoine’s creative direction.
Using odds and ends and junkyard findings, the ensemble of four wear street clothes, harnesses, back packs, toy sirens and police megaphones and a variety of other useful tools that all come out of a trunk to serve the needs of the story. Clip lights and flashlights are used rather than traditional theatrical lighting. The production is a do-it-yourself, make-theatre-out-of-anything, anywhere, kind of patchwork that reminds us that it doesn’t take a falling chandelier to make theatre magic come to life. The actors, which include the director in supporting roles, are superb. Alexander Demers is Jake, a little spitfire of a guy with wild hair and seemingly unharnessed energy, yet he gives a focused and vibrant performance. Jordon Kamp as Max brings a relaxed energy to his humble character that balances Demers’s high voltage. Bonnie Sherman as Anna is somewhere in the middle pushing and pulling the two boys to keep them on track of the collective mission. The three of them are a wonderfully entertaining team.
The play is zany, even ridiculous and its message isn’t exactly enlightening, nor does one walk away with a sense of purpose to solve any problems, which is the usual aim of political theatre. As a comedy, it is less structured than a Marx Brothers routine and not nearly as funny as it is busy and energetic. However, this group is on to something and may even truly find a great piece of theatre if they only had the time to experiment with their ideas and hone the little play before audiences until it becomes really crisp and pointed. If none of these things are part of the group’s goals, they are at least having a heck of a creative good time.

Michael D. Jackson
Off-Off-Broadway.Com

Alternating Current Is Back!!

2008-07-04T21:35:00.003-04:00

Alternating Current (Vol. #4)*
*10 Speed Revolution
Performance/Party/Lounge

Saturday, July 12th
8pm

In casual support of the new 10 SPEED REVOLUTION of the new company DIRECT CURRENT.

Probably featuring work by
The Gay Agenda (Micah Bucey and Nicholas Williams),
Joseph Keckler
Erin Markey
Ben Kerrick
Eric Dean Scott
and Direct Current

The show is still FREE!
The beer is still CHEAP!
And the talent will astound you!

This time we're at:
405 Johnson Avenue, 2nd Floor
(2.5 blocks from Morgan stop off L train in Brooklyn)

The Gay Agenda Spreads Its Wings

2008-06-08T22:54:00.003-04:00

Micah and Nicholas of The Gay Agenda who you might remember from Alternating Current (Vol. #2) have just released a blog, which is almost as good as an album.
Plus they're having shows next weekend!!!

Thursday and Friday will bring you:
FRIDAY NIGHT:
From the Upcoming Walt Disney Pictures Animated Release PICKUP ON CHRISTOPHER STREET

Saturday and Sunday will offer:
SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY:
A Tuneful Exploration of Public and Private Prostitution in 21st Century America

Because who ever said that musicals should be two and a half hours long?

At:
The Players Loft
115 MacDougal Street, 3rd Floor (between West 3rd and Bleecker Streets)
Take the A, C, E, F, V, B, D trains to West 4th Street
$18

Immediate Medium Burns The Mother Down

2008-06-03T07:26:00.000-04:00

Hello friends.
Immediate Medium is an excellent theater company that you should get to know if you don't already.
They were a hit last fall at Alternating Current (Vol. #1) with bits of their show Things Are Going To Change, I Can Feel It. And now they've got AC regular Ben Kerrick strumming his uke in the band.

Whether you know them or not you should check out the first half of their new show Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. at The Tank this Saturday. After the show you should stick around for the party and open bar (provided by Dewars).

See a show, drink free, and dance all night.
All for $16 if you get your ticket before Saturday.
Special VIP seating with table service is also available for those of you who don't like standing around at the bar.

I'll be there. You should be too.

Metric System Premiere's a Movie

2008-04-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

This____________________________Sunday, April 27th
the premiere event of a group of people called The Metric System
will unfurl upstairs at _____________the Anthology Film Archives.
____________________________________(2nd street and 2nd avenue.)
Doors will open at 8 pm. Everything starts at 8:30 pm. ___________RSVP if you haven't.

__________ An after-party will ensue at 2A - a bar ( 2nd street and Avenue A.)
much love.

The MGMT
[www.theescapistsmovie.com]

Alternating Current Vs. The City Of New York

2008-03-30T17:19:00.002-04:00

Not really.
The party had nothing to do with Sound Fix having to close it's doors this weekend.
But still, last night Alternating Current (Vol. #3) was a casualty in the shadow war of Brooklyn development and creative interpretations of "quality of life".

Keep in mind that this is being written the day after my party didn't happen, and I'm a little sore about it. I'm not as informed about the issues as I should be in order to talk about it with any real authority or credibility. I will try to be more informed from now on.
I do know that the arts are a necessary part of any recipe for creating a high "quality of life".

If you showed up I love you. I love you even if you didn't or weren't planning to.
And I apologize for any inconvenience.
The show will go on.
We're just not certain when or where yet.
Nathan Lemoine
(The Unpaid Intern)

Alternating Current (Vol. #3)

2008-03-25T12:51:00.002-04:00

The next Alternating Current is only a few days away and we have another great lineup for your viewing pleasure. This time we're shaking things up at a new venue. The good folks at SoundFix Records have opened their doors to our little band of proletarian performers and are hosting:

Alternating Current (Vol. #3)*
*Minimum Wage Builds Character
Tiny Performance/Party/Lounge

Featuring:
Micah Bucey and Nicholas Williams, Jedidiah Clarke,
Amanda Duarte, Andrew Gori, Joseph Keckler,
Ben Kerrick, and Erin Markey.
PLUS A FEW SURPRISE GUESTS!!!

It's still FREE!!!
The talent is still AMAZING!!!
There's LIQUOR!!!
(We're at a lounge type venue this time)

Saturday, Mar. 29th
Party Starts at 8pm

See You There!

A.C. Regular Andrew Gori Has a Great Idea

2008-03-16T15:36:00.002-04:00

Let us PRETEND : The Metric System

To Clarify
NO THE METRIC SYSTEM IS NOT JUST FOR FILM
YES WE ARE WORKING ON A WEBSITE
NO WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE
YES YOU HAVE A SAY IN HOW IT HAPPENS
NO YOU CAN BE TAKEN OFF THE LIST IF YOU WANT TO
YES WE ARE IN ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD
WHEREVER WE LIVE
NO WE ARE PROBABLY NOT USING IT TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL
YES WE CAN BAND TOGETHER AND START

To Classify The Metric System is a name.
The name can be put on anything you make -- if you are involved with the Metric System.
The name gives iconic status to the artist. And the artist lends iconic status to the name.
A website will help promote this exchange.
Links to your work, along with a personal profile will be placed on the website.

Work that is made with other Metric System members becomes featured material on the website. The artists who created the work become, featured artists. This builds incentive for partnerships.
Back to the name. . .

The name is a tool. Tools do things.
Some of the things it would do is ignite:

*Collaboration - utilizing a terse network of visionaries to foster artistic partnerships or satisfy creative demands for projects ranging from film to music, writing to design, photography to web creation, dance to acting to urban spelunking to party-throwing to book-binding and beyond.

Bjorn used it to roster up-coming live shows of his soon-coming album "Ears Will Talk". Nate Lemoine used it to promote his fast-growing, monthly Brooklyn variety show Alternating Current. Andrew and Adam used it to make the 30 minute film "The Escapists". These are fairly good examples.

A bulletin board on the internal part of the website would help this.

**Self-Exposure - optimizing the probability for exposure by increasing the number of people who you're website + work are shown alongside. Including the website and or name on your card, or both on your own website, means you are directing all of the people who check you out to all the others -- and that all the others are directing all the people who check them out to you. And because of the beauty of design, this happens naturally. Without any cocktail hours or smarmy dealings.

If you don't have a website -- now you would.

People who checked out Mollie's Metric System profile would see the cloudy-day New England spook of her website www.molliemckinley.com, notice the haunting ramble of the music in 'All Ye Merry Pilgrims' and check out www.tuckerdalton.com. Tucker's profile would be a stone's throw from Alex's film brotherhood www.redbucketfilms.com, kitty-corner to Jamie's world of art-science livenudemachines.com, Corey's trailer for www.theescapistsmovie.com, starring Mickey www.michaelimagirl.com, juxtaposed to www.oldeenglish.org, next door to thisisalternatingcurrent.blogspot.com, etcetera, etcetera.
When people ask, this is the big idea. Connections between artists will be clearly revealed.

***Feedback - garnering the aid of like-minded intellects willing to offer their creative support. Gleaning advice (on grants, scholarships, craft), criticism (on work, ideas, directions) and/or plain enthusiasm + slap fives.
Jesse Allen + I will be requesting some of this for our feature project MY THIRTY YEAR WAR.

A bulletin board on the internal part of the website would also help this.
Other things the tool could do:

****supply a monthly e-publication to make membership more interactive
****create shows for artwork, fundraisers or otherwise
****gain a 501 umbrella and procure $ for projects
****bolster drive
****anything else you could suggest:______________________

AT PRESENT, EVERYTHING IS FLEXIBLE. PROPOSE IDEAS. PROPOSE PROJECTS. OR JUST LET US KNOW YOU STILL WANT IN.
THE WEBSITE WILL COINCIDE WITH THE RELEASE OF BJORN QUENEMOEN'S "EARS WILL TALK", THE NYC PREMIERE OF THE ESCAPISTS AND THE DEBUT ALBUM OF THE NEIGHBORS.

LOV.
AG + AC + BQ ET AL

See Erin Markey LIVE On The Radio!

2008-03-12T00:27:00.004-04:00

Be sure to catch Erin Markey at Dixon Place this weekend on Timothy McNerney's new guerrilla radio network, Cupcake Broadcast Studio!!!
Also Featuring:
Bay Area-based brilliant memoirist and AVN-nominated porn star, LORELEI LEE
Philadelphia's anti-folkstress, EMILY BATE
and Charm City-based jump-rope artist, KARL JONES.

THE CURSE

March 14th and 15th, 8pm

$12/$10 students/seniors (or people that say that they are students/seniors.) (Don't tell the people at Dixon Place who are on this list I said that.)

Dixon Place

258 Bowery (upstairs)

New York City, NY

JMZ, N, BDFV

NTUSA's Don Juan Extended!

2008-03-05T12:15:00.003-05:00

Hello,
I've been working lately with the incredible National Theater of the United States of America. Their production of Moliere's Don Juan at the Chocolate Factory has been extended through March 22nd. Get your tickets fast because it WILL sell out quickly.
Below is a radio spot about the show and the company.
Hope to see you there!

O'Reilly Sex Scandal!!!

2008-02-10T13:06:00.000-05:00

So Erin Markey, my sometimes partner in crime and AC regular (see PuppyLove post below) is touring with the Sex Workers Art Show.
This video is pretty self explanatory.
God Bless America.
(Erin is the one who is blurred out from the neck down as if her body were actually an enormous exposed vagina. She also wrote and performs the St. Bridget song.)
As always The Factor asks that you check context at the door.
Cheers,
And Enjoy.

What A Great Night!!!

2008-01-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

The latest edition of Alternating Current was a huge success with a capacity crowd and knock-your-socks-off talent. Thanks to everyone who was there to strut and thanks to everyone who came out to watch.
Next time there will be enough beer. I promise. But the crowd was a resourceful crowd and after the house ran dry it warmed my heart to see six's of Modelo, Presidente and PBR appear like fishes and loaves. That's my kind of audience.

Keep an eye on the folks who presented, they're all awesome and have work in the making.
un (en) titled (By Lauren Keating with Daliya Bros, Nicole D'Amico, Monica Hammond, Joyce Miller, Dot Portella and Alia Williamson)
The Gay Agenda Band (Micah Bucey and Nicolas Williams)
Fall Harbor (C. Ryder Cooley and Todd Chandler)
Andrew Gori (Earth and the Cro-Magnon Poets)
Jack Ferver (I Am Trying To Hear Myself with Reid Bartelme, Paul Lane and Jack Ferver)
Ben Kerrick (Fuck and Run/Walkin' After Midnite + invaluable moral and logistical support)
Joseph Keckler (Click HERE for a review of his show, Cat Lady running now at Dixon Place)
And very special thanks to Adam Christopher for being my beer hero.

Check back soon for pics fresh from the USB cable of Ben Kerrick's digital photography device.

Thanks again and feel free to leave a comment if you had a good time.
And see you at the next one!
Nathan (The Unpaid Intern)

Alternating Current: The Update

2008-01-15T11:27:00.000-05:00

The main event is only a few days away so get yourselves to the dry cleaners before it's too late and get ready for Church of the In-Immaculate Conception!
We've just added Joseph Keckler to the list of enormously talented performers and if you were at the last party you know that he is definitely worth a trip to Williamsburg.
And here's a little more info about what's happening.

I Am Trying To Hear Myself
Written and Choreographed by Jack Ferver
Performed by Reid Bartelme, Paul Lane, and Jack Ferver
To be placed on Jack Ferver's mailing list, send an e-mail to jferver@gmail.com with LIST as the subject.

THE GAY AGENDA writes and performs disjointed showstoppers and cracked love ballads. Nicholas Williams is the one at the piano and Micah Bucey is the one with the trumpet. To be added to their mailing list, please write to thatgayagendaband@gmail.com.

The Encyclopedia of Things as they Are
Excerpt ("Earth and the Cro-Magonon Poets") read by Andrew Gori.
Andrew is a singer, a songer, a scribbler, a shooter, a sharer and many more things very much and not at all important to disclose.

See you on Saturday!
Love,
The Unpaid Intern

Another Year, Another Party...

2007-12-31T12:31:00.000-05:00

Another year of working for less money than you deserve is gone and yet another is here to look forward to.
So why not enjoy yourself at a free show:

Alternating Current (vol. #2)*
*Church of the In-Immaculate Conception
Saturday, January 19th @ 8pm
The party is still free.
The beer is still cheap.
The entertainment is still top notch.

The lineup is looking great so far:
Micah Bucey, Jack Ferver, Andrew Gori, Lauren Keeting, Ben Kerrick.
Plus Special Guests:
Fall Harbor!!!

Click HERE for venue info.

Thanks,
And stay tuned for updates.

Don't Miss It!

2007-11-23T14:01:00.001-05:00

Puppy Love is something I've been working on with the incomparable Erin Markey. It's on a double bill with The Lesbian Overtones.
Check it out!
PUPPY LOVE: A STRIPPER'S TAIL and THE LESBIAN OVERTONES' (INTERFAITH) HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

Tuesdays at the GREEN ROOM (November 27th-Dec 18th)

45 Bleecker Street between Lafayette & Broadway

Tickets: $12 (includes both shows)

11/27 @ 8pm

12/4 @ 8pm

12/11 @ 8pm

12/18 @ *10:30 pm*

Purchase tickets HERE

What Is Alternating Current: The Event?

2007-11-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

Alternating Current:

Alternating Current will be a semi-monthly salon/party/performance lounge in which content alternates between performance and party. The work will be current. Either new work, or work based on current events. There will be no specific guidelines regarding style, genre or media. The location will change with each new event and will take place in spaces that are not dedicated to either parties or performance. No Clubs, no Theaters. The event will be free. When the event takes place indoors alcohol will be offered at modest prices to help pay for the space and any other expenses. Performances will take place in the spaces between and surrounding the audience without an MC or formal introduction. Stuff just happens.

Alternating Current will exist for the following reasons:

1: To promote and support new and interesting work

2: To create new possibilities of collaboration for artists involved.

3: To bring audiences and artists together in unique ways to facilitate productive dialogue.