2007 & 2008
2009
THE "DARK SIDE OF OZ" REVEALED:
2010
"DARK SIDE DUB THE MOON":
Because it takes 2 1/2 repetitions of DSOTM to equal the length of "The Wizard of Oz" it wasn't long before I began to look for other ways that I could vary the grand sync, while still maintaining all of the original synchronistic cues (now well over 100+). It was while I was engineering at The Mystic Theatre that I had the opportunity to work with the reggae band The Easy Star All Star's where I discovered their new album "Dub Side of The Moon." The band knew of the urban legend sync and had timed their album to match! This unlocked another element of the puzzle... variation on a theme and even exposed new characters like The Reggae Lion! I realized that I now had a show on my hands and that it required more staging and preparations to keep it interesting and get it moving forward. It was largely because of staging, concept and copyright concerns, that I adapted some new characters and precautions to protect myself and my DSoOZ performances. I perform the illusion as close to the WoOZ release date of August 12th date so I can refer to it as "A Tribute" I never charge for the class screening and make no profit what so ever. It is a major calling card for me. I perform & teach as a Fake Professor with a D.O.P.E. degree so it is considered an educational experience.
2011
"DARK SIDE DUB THE MOONSHINE":
Tribute bands were beginning to become very popular on the club and concert scene in 2011 and a number of bands took good advantage of that trend by exploring their dark side. One of my local favorite bluegrass bands, Poor Man's Whiskey emerged to not only conquer the local scene but the national one as well by retelling Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" in a fun bluegrass vein! Their version was entitled "Dark Side of the Moonshine" and they video recorded their performance at The Mystic Theatre. Oddly I was not there, I was vacationing in Hawaii and wasn't available... a missed opportunity in my book! I decided that since I wasn't at the official recording performance, I would create my own performance and invite the band into it. And so I did... I created what I entitled "Dark Side Dub The Moonshine," a 2 part live mix screening mashup of an evening that included Rock, reggae and bluegrass into one big pot of Sonoma County gold. For the 1st time I added a live band performance to The Dark Side Class. Poor Man's Whisky was featured in full costumes, which featured all of the Wizard of Oz characters. Their performance even included Eli Jedidiah as Dorothy riding a bicycle and performing "On The Run" on the spokes of the bike. I cut sections of their music to fit the movie, the only time I dropped the original cue list to do so and laughed to myself as I watched them watch themselves on the screen! Good press and good bands... my show was building... or was it?
2012
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - OCCUPY OZ / OZ FEST:
I had a lot on my plate as Chief Sound Engineer & Production Manager at The Mystic, National & International bands coming through daily it seemed. Enough hyper activity around me professionally that I honestly didn't know If I should or could continue with more of my live Dark Side class performances, after all it takes me about 3 months of intense editing to create the mother of all syncs. I decided that I would do one more performance and to do that I would have to blow up the concept and quit while I was a head, much like a magician performing and then showing you all of his tricks! My concept became clear as the year went on and I had little choice. It was the year of OCCUPY and there were protesters everywhere pitching tents in the name of protesting. I agreed with their voices and spun my own version of occupying and bringing the message forward my own personal way. I established stage rules for this performance!
I placed a triangle pop up tent up rear center stage and then cut the back out of it so the only way to get on and off stage was through the back of the tent itself. The tent was "loaded" with a fog machine, multi-colored spinning lights and video controller and monitor for my show and myself. I ran a 2nd projector on stage that night with a triangle image that I cut that was directed towards the zipper screen of the tent, making it a great place to project imagery of fire smoke and lighting effects. I occupied that tent for most of the day before the show and came out on cue through a haze of lights & fog dressed as Ozzie Osborn to host the show. What no Professor... everyone said! I bumbled around the stage mumbling and hosting the entire event like I had stolen it!
I had so much fun the year before with Poor Man's Whiskey's performance on last years show that I asked my good friends "The Highway Poets" to join me on stage that year and play a short musical segment on the break again. I dubbed the band "The Lollipop Poets" and asked them to sing an acoustic version of "The Lollipop Guild", with a couple of twists... Since you had to enter and exit through the rear of the tent center stage, just before the performance I asked the boys to take off their shoes and give them to me. As I was bumbling around and I introducing the The Lollipop Poets, I was placing their shoes in front of the tent in a long line. On cue, I introduced the band and as they came out of the tent on their hands and knees, I asked them to place their knees in their respective shoes... yes Munchkins! The illusion was almost complete until I added the helium balloons to the boys and asked them to inhale and sing a few rousing choruses of... "We Represent the Lollipop Guild." A proud moment for me... a ridiculous moment... and for me personally, the best reward possible!
Not 1 photo exists that I know of... the audience was in a state of slack jawed with awe, even my photographer's missed their opportunity!
I placed a triangle pop up tent up rear center stage and then cut the back out of it so the only way to get on and off stage was through the back of the tent itself. The tent was "loaded" with a fog machine, multi-colored spinning lights and video controller and monitor for my show and myself. I ran a 2nd projector on stage that night with a triangle image that I cut that was directed towards the zipper screen of the tent, making it a great place to project imagery of fire smoke and lighting effects. I occupied that tent for most of the day before the show and came out on cue through a haze of lights & fog dressed as Ozzie Osborn to host the show. What no Professor... everyone said! I bumbled around the stage mumbling and hosting the entire event like I had stolen it!
I had so much fun the year before with Poor Man's Whiskey's performance on last years show that I asked my good friends "The Highway Poets" to join me on stage that year and play a short musical segment on the break again. I dubbed the band "The Lollipop Poets" and asked them to sing an acoustic version of "The Lollipop Guild", with a couple of twists... Since you had to enter and exit through the rear of the tent center stage, just before the performance I asked the boys to take off their shoes and give them to me. As I was bumbling around and I introducing the The Lollipop Poets, I was placing their shoes in front of the tent in a long line. On cue, I introduced the band and as they came out of the tent on their hands and knees, I asked them to place their knees in their respective shoes... yes Munchkins! The illusion was almost complete until I added the helium balloons to the boys and asked them to inhale and sing a few rousing choruses of... "We Represent the Lollipop Guild." A proud moment for me... a ridiculous moment... and for me personally, the best reward possible!
Not 1 photo exists that I know of... the audience was in a state of slack jawed with awe, even my photographer's missed their opportunity!
2013
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - RECLAIMED:
MYSTIC THEATRE
2014
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - FIELD TRIP!
ZODIACKS
2015
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - SOMEWHERE OVER THE WALL:
AUBERGINE
2016
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - SPECIAL ED CLASS:
PHOENIX THEATER
2017
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - NEVER SAY NEVER:
REDWOOD CAFE
2018
"THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - VOICES ON THE DUB SIDE:
REDWOOD CAFE
2019
NO SHOW - GONE TO BOLLYWOOD
RE4DWOOD CAFE
2021
'THE DARK SIDE OF OZ" - THE 13th CHAPTER.
"VARIATIONS FROM THE DARK SIDE"
ON-LIVE CLASS
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