It has been an almost unforgivably long time since my last culture report. What’s the reason for my tardiness? Well, last year we published a magazine every other month, whereas this year we switched back to publishing monthly.
While I’ve still been out and about devouring as much culture as possible, the bump in issues has made it tricky to find the time to write about everything. As of now, I’m putting my excuses aside and getting back to business. How am I managing that this month? By writing this column at the ungodly hour of 5am! This isn’t a deliberate act – I just have very loud birds singing at my window as soon as day breaks.
Bump ‘n’ Grand burlesque cabaret
Speaking of deliberate acts (how’d you like that segue?), my month kicked off with an absolutely brilliant burlesque show, Bump ‘n’ Grand at The Grand Berlin. Curated with panache by Felicity Felicis and Don Rogall, the event featured a fine selection of both Berlin-based and international performers.
Anyone who can make dancing to Shania Twain both fun and sexy is a genius.
The host Evilyn Frantic almost stole the show with her raucous banter and fire-eating and saw-swinging acts, but for me the standout star was Australia’s number one burlesque performer, Bettie Bombshell. Her presence, style and energy was just incredible, and anyone who can make dancing to Shania Twain both fun and sexy is a genius. The next Bump ‘n’ Grand show is on September 14 and I’d strongly recommend it.
BE:Smut Studio Launch
Who knew watching comedy porn in a room packed with strangers could be such a heartwarming experience?
Hunter S. Johnson is a Berlin-based porn director (and the most inspired pseudonym I’ve heard in some time) who specialises in comedy porn, which entails adding elements of humour while still retaining the eroticism – because in their words, “sex is funny”. I made it to the premiere of their two newest films, the magnificently titled Household Goods – And Their Uncommon Uses and I Kinda, Sorta, Maybe… Fucked My Roommate, at Lark.
As well as the movies, there was stand-up from Ladios V and a strip show from Playgirls Mansion Presents, plus between the screenings, the director, the stars of the films and some of the people involved in creating them took to the stage for impromptu interviews. It felt like a real friends-and-family affair. Who knew watching comedy porn in a room packed with strangers could be such a heartwarming experience?
After the Party at Fotografiska
The Warhol exhibition is unsurprisingly excellent, showing lesser-seen sides of the acclaimed artist’s life.
This month’s award for the busiest and buzziest event goes to the opening of Andy Warhol – After the Party at Fotografiska. I thought I was arriving relatively early, but the queues were already snaked well down the street, and people kept coming all night. The vibe of Fotografiska is different from that of other museums and galleries – it wants to show that it values art and photography and that it likes to have a good time.
This means inviting DJs, live acts and dancers to take over the building for the opening events of its major new exhibitions. It works. The openings are not just about partying though: the new exhibitions are viewable, and thankfully the numbers of guests in these spaces is properly monitored so they never get too packed. The Warhol exhibition is unsurprisingly excellent, showing lesser-seen sides of the acclaimed artist’s life in a way that is fascinating and insightful, yet retains an air of mystery.
Death Drive-In
Have you ever been to an interactive theatre event where they use a zany veneer to subvert your expectations before opening up a grief portal? If you answered yes, that means you’ve almost certainly been to Death Drive-In. Written and directed by Riley Davidson, aka performance artist Gutter Gucci, with Lauri Lohi as the creative producer, everything about this experience is executed with a perfect balance of style and substance. You’re greeted by four Stevens on arrival.
Everything is uplifted with a life-affirming singalong and you come out the other end changed.
These are turquoise-skinned alien-seeming beings in immaculate costumes (designed by Elodie Carstensen) who have a quirky speech style and funny turns of phrase (like how we inhabit ‘flesh suits’ and need to undergo ‘routine maintenance’, which includes eating fast food). These Stevens guide you through the immersive experience, which takes place in the underground rooms of Alte Münze. At each step of the way, you interact with both the Stevens and the other participants. At first, it seems like the overarching aim is to poke fun at the absurdity of life under capitalism and the ways it can decimate our mental health, but as you progress through the experience, it becomes apparent that there is more at play. It invites you to look inwards, to let go of part of yourself and to be cleansed.
If you think this sounds overblown, there were multiple people in the group who were moved to tears and who really worked through some heavy emotions. At the end, everything is uplifted with a life-affirming singalong and you come out the other end changed. Death Drive-In was one of the most inventive and inspired cultural productions I’ve been to in years. What makes it more remarkable is that this is Riley’s first production. They and the team have created something very special. Let’s hope it comes back for another run so more people can get to experience it.
Smut Slam
After a bit of a break, I was finally back as a judge at Smut Slam. It’s just the best open-mic community dirty storytelling event ever. The atmosphere is always super warm and friendly, and it somehow makes talking about sex the most wholesome and fun activity you can imagine.
Just the best open-mic community dirty storytelling event ever.
The quality of the storytellers is always really high, which is quite a feat given that volunteers’ names are literally pulled out of a bucket and you never know what you’re gonna get. Host Cameryn Moore does an impeccable job of keeping the energy high and the night flowing. For the summer months, Smut Slam will be moving to the Villa Kuriosum outdoor location, and I really recommend going to a slam there as it’s a very special place.
Gear(s) album launch at Monom
Speaking of special places (my segues are on fire today), the Monom 4DSOUND venue at Funkhaus is an incredible place and I love going there. The performance space is an enclosed room with speakers at all angles – above, below and all around. Musicians and sonic artists make bespoke installations for Monom to take full advantage of the unique way audio can be manipulated and experienced in the space.
It was hard to believe that this sonic experience all originated with glass.
To celebrate the release of their new album Gear(s), sonic artists Jeanne Briand & Romain Azzaro performed live in the space. On the album, the artists make music out of glass by recording the sound of it shattering and cracking, and then repurpose and reimagine these sounds by distorting and warping them to create something new and beautiful. As I lay on the floor with the sounds reverberating all around me, it was hard to believe that this sonic experience all originated with glass – what an inventive and cerebral way to create music.
This capped off a month full of unique, intriguing and interesting cultural experiences and reinforced why I love this city so much. The fact that this is merely the tip of the iceberg of what an average month in Berlin has to offer shows just how lucky we are, and while the world can often feel like it is going to shit around us, at least there is still culture worth celebrating.
- Follow The Berliner EIC Jonny on Instagram at @jonnytiernan.
