Dragon*Con 2009
Dragon*Con 2009. Whoo boy. Where to start.
For those who don’t know, Dragon*Con is an annual gathering of tens of thousands people in Atlanta to share their love of science fiction, fantasy, and other geeky endeavors. It is always over Labor Day weekend and it is always a spectacle to behold, as a good many of the attendees dress up as their favorite characters. There are lots of geek celebrities in attendance (like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy) and tons of events, including concerts, parties, discussion panels, movie marathons, gaming marathons, and vendors selling all kinds of strange and wonderful things. There is so much stuff to see and do that it is distributed across four hotels downtown. It is, in short, a freak show par excellence.
For one thing, I am still somewhat shocked that I took the advice of an extremely enthusiastic (and nerdy) gay couple that I only met a few months prior and attend one of the nation’s largest geek conventions with them. I mean, I don’t generally do things like this. Anyone who knows me knows that I generally don’t go out of my way to go to large gatherings of people… especially when it costs money. But, I think at some point this past spring, I realized that I’m not getting any older, and that it’s always better to regret things you’ve done than to regret things you didn’t do, and nothing ventured nothing gained, and maybe a handful of other cliches too. So, why not? I mean, the worst that could happen would be that someone mugs me and murders me in some back alley of Atlanta… and that’s not terrible in the grand scheme of things. What did I have to lose?
Fortunately for me, I was neither mugged nor murdered. As a matter of fact, I had a surprisingly enjoyable time, in the company of people whom I have come to consider real friends. I felt like I fit in there among the geeks and the weirdos–it was lovely. There is so much that could be said about the trip, but so much that should probably remain unsaid in case certain parties ever stumble across the blog. Let’s just say that most of us spent the weekend in a blissed-out, boozed-out, sex-fueled haze, punctuated with pirates, vampires, steampunks, goths, furries, gamers, zombies, ninjas, elves, faeries, and other things too numerous to list. And while the debauchery might have made me feel like I was in college again, the games and characters that I saw made me feel like I was back in high school. This was the very best kind of nostalgia, coupled with a wondrous assemblage of things and people never even dreamed of previously.
I’m very glad I went and I have now become something of a Dragon*Con evangelist. Knowing the tastes of my other friends, I know that they would have a blast, and I would very much like to show them the wonderful and strange place that is downtown Atlanta over Labor Day weekend.
I’ll leave you with a bit of music by the Crüxshadows, a goth/darkwave band that is a perennial favorite at the ‘Con. I heard this song throughout the weekend as we ventured through the lower reaches of the Atlanta Marriott, so in my mind it became the default theme song for my first ‘Con experience. And yes, I admit it: I think the lead singer Rogue is cute. I’ve always had a thing for the goth boys.
We’ve Got a Bigger Problem Now
This video seemed somehow relevant to the political events of the last couple of days. (Well, if not the video, then at least the artist.)
Never really realized how attractive Mr. Biafra was.
Civilization
by Marco Brambilla, for use in a hotel’s elevator so that riders have something to watch between floors. The footage scrolls up or down depending on the direction of the elevator. The Stravinsky alone would have made this epic like whoa, but couple it with stock footage from “The Producers” and the Balrog of Moria and you turn it up to eleven. (Note: This video is best when watched in high-quality mode over at YouTube.)
June Tunes
Gonna take a bit of a break, but in the meantime, here’s some music that you might groove on. Hope you like it as much as I do.
Booka Shade, “Charlotte”
Richard Devine, “Randale”
Lucia Micarelli covers a great classic rock tune…
and finally, just for fun, Puscifer with “Cuntry Boner”
Have a nice June.
The Roots of Coincidence
I first heard this song ten years ago, and this is the first live clip of it being performed that I’ve found. It remains one of my favorites. In general I’m not big on experimental jazz, but I’ll make an exception for Pat Metheny.
The Old Popularity Index
