the lion for real

In the UK they call it "Mobile Clubbing".

In fact, here's Liverpool Station in London, being...well, clubbbed upon:




The idea is that a group of people pick a location, and a time - they spread that word. Just BEFORE that time, a few hundred (or, in the case above, 2000) people show up, all with MP3/CD players of their choice, and at the same time, everyone presses 'play'.

Some shade of mayhem tends to ensue. In the case of Toronto, at 9:09 PM exactly, last Friday, it was about 200 enthusiastic dancers who crowded one end of Union Station and shimmied and shook to their own rhythms. It looked like this:



I really enjoyed being involved involved in some random bit of spatial/visual anarchy - the looks on people's faces who just stumbled across our little impromptu dance party were so...bemused. I loved it. The previous weekend Leah and I had participated in another bit of harmless troublemaking, but she tells it best, so I'll leave that to her. Both events were hosted by Newmindspace, who describe their activities quite simply: Newmindspace is interactive public art, creative cultural interventions and urban bliss dissemination based in New York and Toronto.Peep it.

I think I've talked about my on-again-off-again love affair with cities; that in a big enough population, there is an appeal in anonymity, in disappearing among the masses. On the other hand, standing WAY out of line and embracing your free self is an accepting of your environment (and the judgements within) as superfluous at best. Like dancing in public, or listening to music WAY too loud on your headphones on the streetcar at rush hour.

It makes clear(er) what Fluxus was trying to discuss. Or the the Situationists. That cities, in their rigidity and planning, are inherently organic in their growth and 'nature'. That it's up to the people to create the (lower-case c) city within the (capital-C) City. Y'know, the whole 'breathing life into it' thing.

And so we dance, and throw lights at streetcars, and have parties on the subway.

The City made us do it.

Ginsberg knew what was up.




I'm loving my Toronto life. It hasn't been colder than -10 so far this year, and that was for a day. It was 10 degrees today, even warmer on the weekend. This is December. I don't know whether or not to be thrilled or scared. I think Al Gore might be right.

So, until the near-apocalypse comes closer, I'm making the best of my time. I'm running, believe it or not. Not jogging - that's for losers. Running. Feeling sore legs get sorer. Sweating and breathing in perfect syncopation with the sound of your falling feet. The challenge. I'm eating it up, and I can't explain why, suddenly, now it matters. Maybe I shouldn't seek to.

It's Hanukkah right now, but that OTHER gift-giving thingy is next week. I hope you all get fat on holiday love.

Lechaim.