[Sent: October 15, 2022]
Months Leading Up To Our Show
We started by bouncing ideas off of each other and I imagined us in front of a projector with moving graphics shining on our bodies and yet, I wasn’t entirely sure how to even execute this. Where would I get the moving graphics from - preferably for free? How would we time it to be in sync with our live music? I drew the image above back in July and when I showed it to Brendon he said in an excited tone, “What’s this, a love machine?”
It can be hard to get the timing right for finding media coverage of an event that isn’t fully fleshed out. We were hoping to collaborate marketing with someone who hosted life drawing events so we would have a new audience coming in but that slipped through our fingers.
Weeks Leading Up To Our Show
We wandered around Centretown taping flyers to well-visited shops and cafes. I ended up finding a website where I could legally use videos and clipped them together with darkness in between each video clip for transitions. Excitement oozed into our bloodstream and we prepared an acoustic setlist and an electric setlist. We would practice the acoustic one day and the electric another day with the electric set timed with the visual effects, going back now and then to shorten or lengthen a clip.
Days Leading Up To Our Show
October tumbled its leaves through the door and gave my throat its annual sandpaper texture. We designed merch for this event and for Patreon, consisting of a t-shirt, a Thank You postcard (recycled paper), and magnets (shrinky dinks).
My good friend Negative Self-Talk seeped into the crevices of my brain. I chose not to talk about it but instead tried to dodge my worries that started with, “What if…” Waves would palpitate in my chest, constricting my breath. I feel like I’m making this sound a lot worse than it actually was.
Day of The Show
On the drive to the venue, we exchanged a sameness of thinking we were just going to go perform but then remembering that we were to do so without clothing. We set up for two hours and later-on we sat behind the curtain and heard both familiar and unfamiliar voices. I gave my hands something to do by playing Pictionary and doodling my view. When nine o’clock appeared we disrobed and made our way to the stage. My other good friend Positive Self-Talk coached me through the whole thing with nervousness at first but easing in halfway through the first set.
After Our Show We were able to match faces to the familiar and unfamiliar voices and relief poured over us when we heard that it both sounded and looked great. We ate some pizza with cardboard crust and in bed our stomachs did somersaults from adrenaline and gluten. We’re starting off our rest mode in nature surrounded by the whispering trees of orange and red and the birds (the OG music makers). Patreon During this time we will be mostly sharing our art practice and lives at www.patreon.com/unsociablyhigh for $5 a month. I mentioned in the last video blog that I’m subscribed to a couple of people on patreon (Fran Meneses and Sophie D’Orleans) and that it is my favourite platform by far. Each month we will have a selection of private playlists filled with original instrumentals played by Brendon that you can listen to for studying, reading, making art, and/or cleaning. I love instrumental albums because I find that I can just let my mind wander. I recorded a rough draft of a song that I made on GarageBand. It is based on an imaginary story touching on the confusing subject of death and regret. Upcoming for the rest of October: -Reading A Letter I Wrote To Myself in 2018 -Art Projects -Monthly Podcast It’s a great place for us to be candid and we hope you poke your head in and stay a while. I Take A Nap Right Here We’re quite exhausted from this year with ongoing health issues, adventure, and performing. To quote one of my favourite viral videos, “(crying at the beach) I’m tired - I take a nap. I take a nap right here (lies down in the sand).” *kiss sound* *kiss sound* Tiffany Unsociably High