[This was originally written to two of my buddies back in North Carolina. --Kiki]

Read our story below...

This was one show that should not have been missed.

The bar was almost empty.  The show...was unforgettable...

Kiki

[skip to the story below]

Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 08:28:34 -0700
To: The Squid List
From: Laughing Squid
Subject: SQUID [10/20] Phat ManDee
 

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Phat ManDee In Her Pre Tentacle Session Extravaganza!

October 20th, 2001

9pm

$7

----> Event Description <-----------------------------------------------

Phat ManDee, reigning Queen of Showwomen comes all the way from Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania to grace the illustrious Odeon Stage.  A veteran of Circus
Redickuless, the BullSeal! Collective and countless other
messenger-institutions of the unlikely and unusual, ManDee is a
preservationist of the ancient and fading art of mummery, a true artist of
the spoken word, and yes, she sings like a songbird.

Her performance will feature her jazz band, Margalit and the Liquitones,
the eight piece combo she takes with her wherever she goes, just in case.
 

Also performing, fellow Pittsburgher the Reverend David Apocalypse, fire
eater and foolhardy task undertaker extraordinaire, and the opening act
will be our special guests, a nine-piece kazoo orchestra from Fresno.
There will also be a screening of eclectic video from Toxic monkey
Productions, "Laughing Boy".

This is not an event to be missed; surely, this is a rare and wonderful
opportunity to view and experience arts which no longer have a regular
outlet in today's society.

In ManDee's own words, "This kind of art hits people where they can best
change their perceptions of reality towards a more positive view of the
world around them, and more importantly, how they view themselves. The
strange is beautiful. The different is special, and should be celebrated.
Women are powerful, and dangerous. People should look within themselves,
accept whatever they find, and share it with the outside world in a fashion
with which they are comfortable."

The circus is a primal instinct, the sideshow an irresistable draw. Come to
the Odeon and experience a bit of the thrill that formerly was only
available in the great touring shows of the nineteenth century, nicely
updated but just as spectacular.

----> Venue Info <------------------------------------------------------

The Odeon Bar
3223 Mission Street
San Francisco
415 550 6994
www.odeonbar.com

Go down Valencia until it dead ends into Mission.  Keep going, and if you
are walking you will walk straight in, if you are taking the bus, you will
cause a lot of damage to the front of our lovely little blue building, so
please try to avoid that.

----> Additional Info <-------------------------------------------------

info odeonbar.com
415 695 2884
www.phatmandee.com
 
 
 
 

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----> The Odeon Bar <---------------------------------------------------

Our little clubhouse in The Mission.

The Odeon Bar
3223 Mission Street @ Valencia, San Francisco
http://www.odeonbar.com

SAVE THE ODEON!!!
Sign the petition: http://www.odeonbar.com/petitions.html
 

----> Laughing Squid <--------------------------------------------------

Laughing Squid
http://www.laughingsquid.org

Underground art and culture from San Francisco and beyond!
 

----> Web Hosting <-----------------------------------------------------

Laughing Squid Web Hosting
http://www.laughingsquid.net

Laughing Squid is an independently owned and operated web hosting service that specializes in web hosting for artists, individuals, non-profits and small organizations. We are here for those website owners and developers who often get lost in the faceless void of corporate web hosting.
 

Copyright (c) 2001 Laughing Squid LLC. All rights reserved.

####################################################

We *had* to go to this show!  She has such an incredible voice!  And how a woman of her build can be the hottest thing on the planet on that stage, I can never explain.  [Scott doesn't agree, but our friend ZhuZhu and I were drooling. :) ]

[Andrew and Phil:] When I can buy an album of hers, I'll send you each a copy.  You'll love it.  I doubt she'll ever play in Chapel Hill [then again, maybe I should send her info on the Cat's Cradle..., but if she does, then *definitely* go see it!  I wouldn't forgive you if you missed it!]  It's a one-of-a-kind show...in so many ways.

[I did send her info, and she's interested.  In fact, I'm not the first person to suggest the Cat's Cradle.  So there's hope for my friends! --Kiki]

Ah, Chicken John.  We love Chicken.  He is truly unique.

Well, during this intermission, Chicken said to Man Dee, "Hey, Man Dee, you want a drink??"  She said, "nah, I'm fine."  "Oh come on!  You want a drink, don't you!"  "No, really, I'm fine."  "You want a drink!  The whole bar here wants you to have a drink!"  "All RIGHT!  Fine, I'll have a drink!"  So Chicken runs over to this fluorescent hand-painted spinner wheel hanging above the bar.  "I think we need to spin the wheel for this one!"  Man Dee's expression changes to a sinking look on her face.  Chicken is up to something.  Shit.

In the Odeon, there's a spinner wheel.  It's a double wheel: on the outside is the drink, on the inside is the "price".  So first, he goes through each selection on the wheel, explaining each drink like "Dr. Hal's martini -- which is 8 oz. of Pabst Blue Ribbon with an olive in it" or "dish water -- there's three basins of dish water [to wash the bar glasses in].  Some are more clean than others.  You have to choose which one you'll drink *before* you get to look..." or "Shot of Jack Daniels -- but that's boring." I forget the other drinks.]  Then explains each one of the "payments".  There's such things as "10 cents", "dance on the bar", "buy a round for the house", "10% of your wallet", and even "shoot a bottle rocket out your ass."

So he spins the wheel -- one going one way, the other going the other way.  The drink wheel slows and almost comes to a stop, but Chicken furtively touches and nudges it to read, "dish water."  Then the "payment" wheel slows and almost comes to a stop, but Chicken again nudges it to read..."shoot a bottle rocket out your ass".

So he scoops up a glass of dishwater and pounds it down on the bar in front of Man Dee.  She's all rolling her eyes and tired from a long flight from Pittsburg, and refuses to do it.  Chicken insists, wielding a tiny bottle rocket.  "This whole bar wants to see YOU...shoot a rocket out of your ass!"  The bar hoots and cheers assent.

"Gimme 5 bucks!" finally she shouts and thrusts out her hand.  Chicken whines something about money, but my buddy, Dave "the.electronic.yo-yo" Capurro slaps down a fiver on the bar in front of her and calmly stands back.  The bar erupts again in a raucous cheer!

So, with a heavy sigh, Man Dee trudges up to the stage and pulls up the back of her dress.  Chicken applies rocket, but it won't stand up.  [Don't worry.  He only set it in the crack, he didn't stick it anywhere "uncomfortable".]  He shouts, "tighten up!"  So with another heavy sigh, Man Dee complies.  Chicken shouts, "aim it out there, at the audience!"  Silly, oblivious people like us cheer, willing to accept their fate if they're the "lucky" one.

Chicken lights the rocket.

Man Dee braces.

The rocket flares, but Man Dee is holding on too tight!

The flare is over, and Man Dee quickly reaches behind to remove the item, just as it goes *POP!!!*

The thrill is done.  The bar erupts in cheers again.  Man Dee tosses the dish water at Chicken.

Later, she comes over and happens to chat with us.  "I've been on the road with Chicken for many years.  I've seen lots of people do that, but I never did."  She shakes her head in a way we completely understand: Chicken is a fucking bastard.  We know, Man Dee.  We know...
 

But we were there.  History was made, and we were there.

I'll have to tell you about the head-and-arms-in-a-giant-top-hat-naked-body-painted-like-a-face-tap-dance finale another time!  Or maybe you'll have to see her show yourself.  It is well worth any admission price!

What would we do without Chicken John!

Kiki

PS Be sure to look at Phat Man Dee's website.

PPS And be sure to sign the Odeon petition http://www.odeonbar.com/petitions.html and read the sordid tale of woe...  Fuckin NIMBYs. :-p