The Recap, my Substack newsletter, returns today with a focus on music and legacy. It adds a little more dimension to what I post on the website and ties things together thematically.
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Sep 012025
Jun 112025
In 2016, Taylor Mac performed his immersive 24-Decade History of Popular Music in a theater in Brooklyn for a full twenty four hours. Normally performed in sections, this was the first and only time this had been done. Decade by decade, from 1776-2016, the history of popular music and the history of America merge, with a decidedly queer slant.
The documentary, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, includes footage from the show combined with interviews with Mac, his incredible costume designer Machine Dazzle, his musical director Matt Ray, and his co-director Niegel Smith. Although Mac is the main performer, the show includes a stage full of musicians, additional singers, and his “Dandy Minions” who can often be found offstage interacting with the audience. Mac’s desire to draw people together and build community is highlighted during several moments focused on the audience’s participation.
Throughout the many hours, performers leave the stage for good leaving only Mac by the end of the show. This is meant to mirror the losses from the AIDS epidemic. Even with only a small selection of these moments, you can feel the effect this creates.
Inventive, beautiful, funny, and often moving, this documentary provides a small taste of the performance and will leave you wanting more.
Mac’s costume for the 1980s
Taylor Mac and Machine Dazzle
Mac’s costume photo shoot for the 1950s
Mac with an audience member
Mar 102016
Black Moth Super Rainbow- Windshield Smasher
Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (3/10-3/13/16)-
Thursday
Hammer Museum is having a workshop titled Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, which “introduces synergetics, a comprehensive energetic geometry system developed by (Buckminster) Fuller, through demonstrations and hands-on model building” (free with material provided)
DTLA Art Walk is back for its monthly event andcheck out SKYLINE 2016’s opening art and architecture event (running nightly until the 19th)
Lucius is playing a live set at Amoeba Records Hollywood to celebrate their new album Good Grief
Filmforum at MOCA Grand Ave is having an evening of video work by Carrie Mae Weems including her feature length Coming Up For Air, preceded by Afro-Chic ($12)
Eleanor Friedberger is playing at The Satellite
At REDCAT, Toronto piano virtuoso Eve Egoyan is performing “Earwitness” a multimedia performance concert experience in which she plays compositions specially commissioned for piano and visuals ($20)
Friday
ArtNight Pasadena is back with its night of free museums, art shows, performances, music and more with free shuttles to all destinations
Music for Train Stations continues at Union Station- this week with a DJ set by Richard Cartier and a live performance by Electric Sound Bath, “a duo creating music as a meditation with traditional Nepalese singing bowl, acoustic bells, found sounds and modular synth”
PaleyFest begins tonight at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with the cast of Empire and continues through 3/20 with a variety of current popular televisions shows and their actors and creators
Great Horror Movie Night is showing Poltergeist in the Griffith Park Old Zoo
Saturday
NELA (Northeast Los Angeles) Second Saturday Gallery Night is a great way to check out the area
The 10th Annual Santa Monica Airport Artwalk has live music and performances as well as open studios (free)
Theater artist Taylor Mac is having his performance event 24-Decade History of Popular Music at UCLA’s Royce Hall
Terry Malts is part of a lineup at the Echo that includes Lightning Bolt, Wax Idols and more for Force Field’s 10 Year Anniversary
Saturday and Sunday
Black Moth Super Rainbow are just one of the many, many, many bands playing the last two shows of the Burger x Observatory 5 Year Anniversary Show in Santa Ana. Slowdive, Black Lips, and Thee Oh Sees headline Saturday and Crystal Castles and The Orwells headline Sunday ($40/day or $70 both days)
Sunday
LACMA is celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year and spring with a day of performances and a parade
Pure Bathing Culture are playing at the Echo with Pillar Point