The Luminato Reel

[Johann]

More info is at www.luminato.com. If you can't make it this year, don't worry: this festival will be around for a long time and it should be.
It's glorious and so positive for the community. You can't get any better than "arts" and "creativity". That's LIFE to me...

You can also follow Luminato on Facebook. And if you're not on facebook then Whatsa matter with you, hey? You Gotta no respect?

[oscar jubis]

Thanks Johann for this excellent thread. I read it with great interest and joy. This Sembene fan would love to catch the bio doc about him, for starters.

[Johann]

Thanks Oscar. The Sembene film was excellent. A must-see for cinephiles in my humble opinon. :)
I learned a lot from it, just from the interviews and clips of his films.
A "World Director" if there ever was one..

Luminato is still in full swing as i write, and there is an arts collective here from Miami, and I intend to take photos of the Rainbow King, who has turned Toronto into the Rainbow city by this arts collective. I'll explain more later but they are called Friends With You, and they're from your city. (www.friendswithyou.com)
The next series of films I'll see on the weekend are all prefaced by a film of this collective and were selected by it's members as representative of their arts values in cinema:

The Dark Crystal
Labyrinth
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Princess Mononoke
Santa Sangre (-which I'm really looking forward to on the big screen)

I'll post on all of them. Should be nice..

[Johann]

JOHNNY CASH'SAMERICA


Fantastic film.
Shown in connection with NXNE, this documentary is just plain awesome.
Lots of talking heads, but they all say profound things about the Man in Black.
Steve Earle, Johnny's children, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and even Snoop Dogg discuss Johnny Cash's impact on and love of America.

It's well known that he always identified with the disenfranchised, the poor or the otherwise hard-done-by's. And God bless him for that.
He always wore black for them (and because it's always "IN" as a color...)

He went to the White House several times, on the invite of several different Presidents. He was profoundly Patriotic, and he's seen in vintage clips giving speeches about the "tattered flag" that he loves, meeting several Presidents, visiting Wounded Knee to show his solidarity with the Native Indian (he even believed he was part-Indian. Even tho he really wasn't). He had many different sides, and they are all given some time here.His patriotism is very deep and profound- he really knew the history of America- all of it. The good (democracy) and the bad (genocide).
His fascination with cowboys, trains, criminals, The Lord Jesus, his drug addictions, his relationship with the Carter Family and June in particular are all given adequate time for reflection.
All aspects of Cash's life are looked at: his birth and upbringing in Arkansas (the cotton fields), his brother Jack's tragic death, his stint in the Air Force, Sun Records and how Memphis changed his life, his TV show in the 60's, protests, his relationship with Bob Dylan, being signed to Columbia Records, being DROPPED by Columbia, the drugs, the Billy Graham Crusades and of course Rick Rubin's resurrection and "redemption" of John as a real American Icon, rebellious as ever. It never occured to me until seeing this doc that the Trent Reznor cover song "Hurt" was him saying goodbye, explicitly.He played it for his daughter and she cried, found it disturbing. He asked her what she thought and she said "it's sad. It sounds like you're saying goodbye in that song" He replied "I AM saying goodbye!" and he laughed.
She said that he knew exactly where he was going, even right up to the end.
I am in complete awe of the Man and what he represents. He's just like Bob Dylan says he is: "John is the North Star. He'll guide your ship"
His colleagues have lots to say, too much for me to re-type here. It is 100% profile, 100% CASH. Honest, just like the man himself.

I forget who says it in the movie but I like this quote:

"Who can understand the Mystery of Johnny Cash? He had Magic. Maybe he was a Saint..."

[oscar jubis]

These FRIENDS WITH YOU guys are everywhere! They have a very positive, optimistic, playful vibe to everything they do.

[Johann]

I spent some time yesterday in Queen's Park, which was taken over by the Friends With You collective!
I like their buttons so much I bought 4 of them. They are VERY positive. I can't say a single negative thing about 'em.
The "village" they created at Queen's Park with all those colored balloons was very cool. I took a dozen photos- I'll post a link to them after the festival is over- this current roll will be 100% Luminato shots.
I went to the Atom Egoyan curated exhibit in memory of David Pecaut as well, and I also took several photos. (and got a lovely press kit)
NXNE music fest has taken over Yonge & Dundas square now- Iggy and the Stooges and X play for free and you bet your ass I'll be there.
Friends With You film series tomorrow...LUMINATO 2010 is a smash. I got to cover 80% of what I wanted to. And it cost me nearly nothing. Life is very good.

[Johann]

THE STOOGES Live at NXNE (Yonge & Dundas Square Toronto Canada)


Last night was the most exhilerating, frustrating, Dangerous, and intense experience of my entire life.

WE ARE THE FUCKING REMAINS OF THE FUCKING STOOGES! Before we die, we're gonna do it WITH YOU!
Gimme Danger Little Stranger!
- Iggy Pop to the crowd after "SEARCH and DESTROY".









Friday night I went to see Canadian Legends SLOAN. I arrived just when they were about to go on, and I realized that I made a mistake.
I arrived WAY too late. I couldn't see jack shit. The band members might as well have been three-inch waxworks for all the good of seeing them.
The concert was awesome- those guys put on a great show. The music could be heard clear as a bell but I couldn't see 'em for shit.
So I made a mental note to myself that I had better get to the Stooges show VERY early if I expected to see Iggy at all.
How early?
Well, I made a Command Decision to forfeit the Friends With You Films series in favor of being front row for the Stooges.
I hated making that decision but it had to be that way. This was a historic, once-in-a-lifetime event.
I ate a huge lunch so I wouldn't have to be hungry and I drank NOTHING so I wouldn't have to piss. I drank no alcohol at all, smoked no herbs- NOTHING. I was willing to party after the concert...
I arrived at 3pm and staked out the most premium spot: slightly to the right of stage right- dead front, right at the black metal security barrier.
The barrier was full of people but I found an open spot and never budged from it- for 6-7 hours, until I got consumed by the crowd. It was totally worth it.
I also made a great friend- I ended up chatting with the guy standing beside me the whole time- he's got killer taste in music and he was doing the same thing I was: staking out ground for Iggy. He was able to get photos. I wasn't. I had a camera but I couldn't get it out of my pocket! The only photo I have is of the RAVEONETTES, and I'm glad I took that shot, because when the Stooges hit the stage, no one in the crowd was safe.
I'll explain in greater detail soon.
It turned out that the guy I was chatting with is Rob Ring, the Artistic Director for CAFK+A (Contemporary Art Forum, Kitchener + Area)
That was cool to learn- he's going to e-mail me the shots he took. I'm astounded that he got it done! We were in the eye of a hurricane!
I could not for the life of me get my camera out of my pocket to take a shot- the bodies were pressed so hard against me... and the sweat! the HEAT! (over 30 degrees in the sun all fucking day) The surges of the crowd- I know for a fact that people got hurt. Violent moshing, girls pissing their pants right then and there-there was one girl directly to the right of me who was crying uncontrollably who pissed herself- you could smell it, and FEEL IT. I took a long shower when I got home...I don't know how else to say it: it was a seething mass of sweaty, drunk, high and crazy souls, all there to see and hear the legendary Iggy and the STOOGES. Mike Watt was awesome. An empty liquor bottle went flying onto the stage right after they started. It smashed right at Mike's feet and he just laughed!
I thought I was dying and going to heaven, being in the middle of that searing version of SEARCH AND DESTROY.
It was like a bomb blowing up in the right place. An ATOMIC BOMB.

Did I mention that this show was FREE?
You can't ask for any better.
For the first time in Toronto's history they shut down Yonge street, there were so many people..
I have photos up on Facebook now that my friend Rob Ring took- I'm so stunned that he did it. I wasn't able to do it. He captured the moment, and I was right there.
I'm still in a little daze, still sore so it must have happened.
It seems like a dream, seeing the Man Live, who decided to do what he did because of seeing Jim Morrison and the Doors live in Detroit back in the day..
Drummer Scott Asheton was just hanging out at the back of stage left having a smoke while the Raveonettes were finishing up their set- they were astounding. I loved them. They did a great set of songs. They're Dutch, and they rock, with a singer/guitarist/drummer who looked like Nico. She does it all! And sexy as hell to boot! Gotta get some Raveonettes CD's into my life..
We saw 7 bands in total, and they were all not bad at all, for free gigs. A band from L.A. impressed me too: Mini Mansions. They were fuckin' great, they did a way slowed-down version of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" that stunned me. Very impressed- and they were on at 3 in the afternoon! in the blazing heat. But they're from L.A., so they probably felt at home.

But that gig was all about THE STOOGES.

Watching their gear being set up on stage was exciting. Two small Blackstar amps, 2 small Marshall amps, one Vox amp and Scott's drumkit right between it all. CLASSIC.
I said to Rob: "THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME", even tho I didn't have to. He knew full well the weight of this shitkickin' epoch.
I'm still in an Apocalyptic afterglow..ha ha
Seriously, that was one of the greatest events of my life. I was front row for the BEST ROCK BAND EVER TO STALK THE EARTH.
When Iggy came out gyrating and undulating and writhing...SHIT MAN, Time stood still. And yet it didn't.
What really blew my mind is Iggy came over to our side of the barrier and he looked me in the eye. I tried to get my F'n camera out of my pocket but no fucking dice..
I really wanted my own shots of the RAW POWER. But I can't complain. I made a good friend who got the job done and I can take it to the grave.
I know for a fact that I will never see a better show in my lifetime. NO-Body and NO-Thing can touch that experience.
It was too deadly for words. The energy of it is something that will never leave me. That is how it's should be done.
With singe-you heat and burn-you intensity.
I posted a video from youtube (Mosh cam) of the band doing "SEARCH AND DESTROY" that night on facebook. Watch that and you'll get an idea of what went down...

[Johann]

I owe a huge thank you to Chris Lorway, the man who scouts all of the exceptionally talented people every year for Luminato.
I envy his job.
He brings together immensely talented artists for ten days every year and that needs a big standing-O.

The Luminato Festival is now (in it's 4th year) an integral part of Toronto.
I can't imagine the city without it, after last year and this year. It's truly wonderful.
I was able to get to most events and it was awesome.
A wall in my home is now "THE LUMINATO WALL"- and I'll be adding to it every year. The festival inspired me to be more creative, so I made a huge collage on the wall and I bought some paints from Art Underground (on the OCOA's campus) and have begun to "transform" the wall into a massive tribute to creativity. Lots of fun.

You can hate on Toronto all you want.
I know how Great this metropolis can be..

[Chris Knipp]

Good stuff, Johan. Your enthusiasm and the excitement of the events came through very well. No desire to hate on Toronto here. It goes back to when I was in grad school that friends temporarily lived there and said among other positie things about it that it was a great movie city.

[Johann]

Thanks Chris. Toronto is indeed a fantastic movie town. I belong here.

Link to my "Luminato 4" photo album: (you must be a member of facebook)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...3&id=622980066

[Chris Knipp]

Not such a good town for freedom of expression right now with $1.2 billion spent on "security" and over 600 arrested for the G20 summit.

[oscar jubis]

This would have happened wherever they held the summit.
Johann wrote about this issue in the Lounge section of the site.

[Chris Knipp]

In one form or another, certainly it would have.
Have not seen the Lounge discussion by J, will look, thanks.

[Chris Knipp]

SEE THE G20 COMMENT/THREAD INITIATED BY JOHANN HERE.

[Johann]

I just bought the hardcover Stooges authorized history- the first official book ever to see print on THE STOOGES.
I read in one night.
I'll post more about it later but for now let me just say that I think about that Stooges show I saw at least once a day.
It was truly INCREDIBLE.
Like a Dream, a Great Dream...