For the first time in the New Year, your Oakland Arts Scene Examiner once more enjoyed exploring Oakland Art Murmur, clicking up and down the lively streets in my new black, patent-leather, pointy-toed, high-heeled pumps. There were so many new galleries, such an intense street scene, such a big, diverse crowd. Too big, perhaps? For the first time, there were lines to get into The 25th Street Collective.
At Rock Paper Scissors on Telegraph, visitors were drawn in from the street by the exhibition Wartime Revival of the Senses curated by Katie Anania. Eesuu Orundide's work was on view at Club Para Diso, but alas the artist was nowhere in sight. Over at Hatch Gallery, for the second month in a row, the room was jam-packed with visitors admiring David Wiley's Beat-like collages in his show, Pretty Pretty. It would take Sigmund Freud to properly analyze the images in this "nostalgic cliche of the American male."
Off the official Murmur track, the street art scene included Occupy Oakland artists like Jon-Paul Bail, screen-printing those funky posters right in the middle of 23rd St! Musicians jammed, street dance crews solicited "oohs" and "aahs" from the assembly, food trucks (not enough!) were in business (with huge lines!) and one might almost have thought this was not January, but one of the warmer spring evenings. Few camped outside to view the animated film series, Exquisite Corpse, screening on the Great Wall of Oakland. But over on the corner of Broadway and Grand, Brazilian dancer and "professor"of capoeira Danilo Portugal was playing berimbau with his capoeira crew, lending a bit of tropical flavor to the procedings.
Galleries closed, it was time to "let the good times roll" with New Orleans Second Line band MJ's Brass Boppers. I never sat down, shaking my tail feather for about 3 hours with the Samba Funk crew. They were dancing up a storm and acting like a fool... Revelers closed the band's second set at Disco Volante and then partied with the band outside on the corner for the next 30 minutes.
Leaving one side of Broadway, it was time to cross over to San Pablo and head over to Hibiscus to dance to a "soul house" music set with live percussion for another hour. Versitile, nationally-recognized local jazz drummer Jaz Sawyer was on hand to support the DJ by playing a variety of percussion instruments. Sadly, Sawyer will be leaving the Bay Area to move to los Angeles in March, in search of more opportunities. Why must our local talent be forced to leave Oakland for La-La Land? We wish him the best of luck, but hope he will return to us soon. The music students at Oakland School of the Arts will be losing a teacher with not only heart but also the sort of big-league experience that will project them into their futures.
So that was the first "First Friday" of 2012. Your Oakland Arts Scene Examiner occupied the Scene from early evening until the wee hours, never taking a seat. On her feet. In pointy-toed, patent-leather, spiky, high-heeled pumps. Man. My tootsies are too tired. My heels hella hurt. I mean, these dogs are killin' me! Lord, if I ever walk again, let me be able to step out in time for next month's "First Friday" arts scene: February 3, 2012.
Full moon rising. Time to shine a light on Oakland's arts scene. Good night, moon...
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