BANZAI!!!!! Blows the doors off Brooklyn's Red Lotus Room

"BANZAI!!!!! is a vibrant visual bouquet free of pretentious egos and snobby scenesters," says participating artist Zev David Deans, whose sculpture,"Regret O'Clock," at the art and performance party Saturday night, depicted a whimsical, yet unforgiving cross-section of the wee hours of a coke bender. "The benefit of a recession in the art community is that you get to see who is a really die-hard, balls-out artist as all of the people whose casual flirtation with art ended when the bubble burst, and less-dedicated people with an art degree in their pockets flocked back to real jobs."

Said ballsy die-hards -- including performing artists, visual artists, DJs, and a gaggle of hot partygoers -- abounded at Brooklyn's Red Lotus Room Saturday night for Muffinhead and Eric Schmalenberger's second installment of BANZAI!!!!! From the street, the unassuming entrance buried in the heart of Brooklyn gave no clues. But upon entry guests were greeted by what appeared to be a vintage circus tent housing over 30 pieces of art ranging from large-scale eclectic installations to paintings and mixed media works by well-known artists such as LA's Orion and Dugally, Dearraindrop, Scooter LaForge, Narcissister, Molly Crabapple, and Soigne Deluxe.

As the packed house downed stiff cocktails and took in the visual sideshow in the gallery room, few likely imagined the spectacle awaiting them behind the black curtain drawn across the stage. Live performances were a bubbling stew of insanity, consisting of drag fantasia, alien worm dances, geeky white rap, a dash of nudity, and a pinch of burlesque. Alienation, Bunny Love, Schaffer the Darklord, Sequinette & Vagina West, Nicholas Gorham, Casa de la Blanca and, "back by popular demand," the return of Soigne Deluxe brought the weird, the heat, and the shrieks. 

Though there were clearly many distinct elements to the evening, what separated BANZAI!!!!! from typical gallery shows and performances was participation. Everyone was the art and the art was everyone. The refreshing twist on an evening of art and performance is exactly what this city needs and thankfully ringmasters, co-hosts and producers Muffinhead and Schmalenberger are here to provide.

"I'm from LA where there are a great abundance of incredible artists showing work in very accessible scenarios," says Muffinhead. "When I came to New York in 2005, I was startled to find that for visual artists, there seemed nothing like that. It seemed scattered, unorganized and uncelebrated...an art enigma that served small various cliques of name artists...but the potential as a whole was always here. The theory goes that if you give great artists a venue to show work than they will deliver in a big way and they do every time in my experience."

Saturday night was no exception.

Banzai!!!!! is viewable by appointment for the next three weeks. Please email mistermuffinhead@hotmail.com or eschmalenberger@gmail.com. Banzai!!!! #3 is tentatively slated for fall 2010. Check muffinheadland.com for updates.

View Keith Carlsen's work Keithcarlsen.com