New York Trip 2018

I've already posted my live review and some photos from John Maus and Geneva Jacuzzi's performances at the Red Bull Music Festival 2018, but I wanted to share a few other photos from my latest trip to NYC as well.  My best friend and I both celebrated our 30th birthdays together (our birthdays are only two days apart) and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend it. Check out a few of my other photos from Coney Island and the rest of trip below:

Coney Island

Besides seeing John Maus and a handful of his friends at the Red Bull Music Festival, I also got to hang out with my best friend and a longtime music friend and photographer Qbertaplaya, and also go on some rides at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park! 

Storm King Art Center

My friends took me to the incredible Storm King Art Center in upstate New York.  The park is huge and surrounded by green.  I kept telling them I didn't feel like I was in the USA but got more of a European vibe, I'm guessing from all of the cobblestone work and rolling green hills. It was such a wonderful day!

I also got to reconnect with my friend, Pebble!

American Museum of National History

For the longest time, I didn't know where in New York City these exhibits were - they always fascinated me because they looked like paintings, but I didn't know where they were located when I'd seem them in photos from other people.  I always assumed they were a free display at a main subway station or something.  I finally looked into it and took the time to check out the American Museum of National History and got to see the many incredible displays for myself.  

Of course, I stopped through the other exhibits in the museum, too.  I'm so glad I was able to come here over a weekday and not on the weekend! 

After walking the whole museum, my best friend I had some downtime to catch up in Central Park.  I've done loads of the touristy sight seeing over my different trips to NYC, but since we were so close we decided to go by the Strawberry Fields memorial as well. 

The High Line

By this day on my trip I had developed horrible blisters in the middle of my feet due to walking a lot in new sneakers - the same pair for 4 days straight - which I had not anticipated.  It didn't stop me from heading out to do some of the things I still aimed to see - I hobbled up to the NYC High Line Park that goes through the city, and it was a gorgeous day.  I might have been moving slower than I wanted, but it was very fun to explore and to wind up back at Chelsea Market, which I haven't been back to since my very first trip to New York.

I am truly lucky to have such a best friend.  Celebrating our birthdays together was so great!

Dream Machine

The last thing from my trip that I really photographed was the DREAM MACHINE with my best friend. We did a handful of things I didn't get photos of or have my camera with for (lots of meals with friends, our night in Time Square and seeing my first Broadway show, and running into James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem twice (apparently we were right next to his bar)) but for this I made sure to take it.  It's sort of a pop up art instillation, begging to be shared on social media by taking photos or videos inside.  It was truly a lot of fun, and I am so lucky to have a friend who is willing to be my model!  I hope to rig up my own dream-like photoshoots, now that I've been inspired by this installation.

That caps off the photos from this NYC trip.  Until my next vacation!

John Maus & Geneva Jacuzzi - Red Bull Music Festival 5-4-18

On May 4, 2018, John Maus and co. took over Deno’s Wonder Wheel Theme Park in Coney Island, NYC.  The park was open only to ticket holders for the night’s show, a Red Bull Music Festival event.  The ticket included seeing the night’s entire lineup, selected by John Maus himself, as well as access to all of the rides inside!  The park also had also been updated with Maus-y touches: spooky skeletons, eyeball balloons and more were found throughout the park.  The rides themselves had John Maus songs playing on them.

The evening held sets from Maraschino, Gary War, Superstar & Star, Geneva Jacuzzi, John Maus, and Tommy Wight III.  Below I’ll give you a run down of my thoughts on the sets from John Maus and Geneva Jacuzzi, specifically.

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John Maus

Gone are the days where John Maus plays a show solo.  Maus has been touring with a proper band for nearly a year now.  The first time I saw him with his band was in August of last year, also on the East Coast (once in New Jersey and then in New York City). Many, many shows into their established lineup later, the band took the stage at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park on May 4, and performed with precision.

The evening felt perfect, almost suspiciously perfect, for a John Maus set.  Usually, there is some tinkering with the technicals by Maus while performing… this show Maus felt focused.   The mood had been set, the crowd was attentive and the Dr. was in.

We got through the standard set of songs Maus has been performing of late, many from 2017’s Screen Memories, a handful from 2011’s We Must Become the Pitiless Sensors of Ourselves, and crowd favorites “Rights for Gays” and “Bennington”.  Nearing the end of the set, Maus performed “Outer Space” for one of the first times, the the opening song on his latest album (the bonus album in his vinyl boxset recently released), Addendum.  

I’ve seen a lot of John Maus performances, at this point.  This was hands down, his best performance I’ve ever seen him execute.  The sealing factor was that while each beat was accounted for, the John Maus I first saw live felt back in his element. 

Unfortunately, the music I connect most to has a darkness, and John Maus is probably my favorite musician because of his vulnerability.  Everything feels so raw – he tears himself apart each night on stage.  He boasts to the crowd, he bellows, he howls - all to pop music.  His pain is felt.  This has all been THE John Maus experience.  When he started touring with his band, I believe his performances continued to be genuine, but that he finally felt some comfort in touring alongside friends. 

The reason the Coney Island performance felt so perfectly Maus, is because, although he was playing with his band once more, it felt like Maus was on that corner stage alone.  When he screamed through the loud performance as usual, the trauma felt current in his voice, instead of familiar.  His struggle felt true and present, as it had when John Maus toured by himself and the sets were more intimate.  

Here's a short video clip I took of John Maus performing "Outer Space".

Geneva Jucuzzi

Taking the stage prior to Maus was his friend, Geneva Jacuzzi.  I’ve heard things about her performances, and now I can say I understand why people find them so memorable.  After crawling onto stage, Geneva moaned while inside an inflating bubble around her.  Once the bubble was completely filled – the climax – her first song, officially began. 

I have never believed someone could work an inflatable bubble the way Geneva Jacuzzi does.  She spent about 3 songs inside the bubble – dancing, vouging, pressing up against each side, until she escaped.  After escaping she wears the bubble, she thrusts against the bubble, she beats the bubble up! 

Once out of the bubble, we also could really focus on Geneva’s moves.  Yes, her songs are interesting in their own right, but Geneva really puts on the theatrics live. You are here to see her perform! Between songs with sinister laughter, she winks to the crowd.  During the songs there is more flirtation when Geneva shines her own spotlight on herself, pointing it towards her most important features.

At one point Geneva got into the crowd, forming a divide between the people, a pathway she could run between.  She is inviting but terrorizing.   She got close to everyone briefly just to retreat back into her bubble before the show’s end.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a new live performance, and Geneva took my breath away.  You can count on me being at her next performance in the PNW.