Ryan Trecartin's A Family Finds Entertainment will have its Philadelphia premiere this Saturday. Over 41 minutes, AFFE (sort-of) tells a young man's coming-out story with an onslaught of campy video effects, handmade costumes, and decadent Generation-Y kids spouting dialogue that seems transcribed from internet chatrooms. Psychedelia isn't usually my cup of tea, but I was consistently fascinated -- and, yes, entertained -- by this video's mix of melodrama and Mardi Gras. The Fat Tuesday analogy isn't entirely inappropriate: Trecartin and his band of collaborators produced the video in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. And now, after some moving around, Trecartin has recently relocated to Philadelphia; he and some of his (now-displaced) collaborators will attend the screening.
If you're in the Philly area, check it out: Saturday, June 10 @ 8:30. Vox Populi Gallery. $6.
Philadelphia's coolest curators, Small Change Productions, are behind the show. More info can be found on the Small Change website.
ADDENDUM: I neglected to add in my original post that Joe Swanberg has an interesting posting/interview with Trecartin on his website.