The Queer Abstract is a monthly performance art series created, hosted, and curated by Shannon Matesky. Matesky is a Bay Area born, Brooklyn Based Poet, Performer, Educator and Queer Woman Of Color. Held at the recently opened Starr Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn, last Friday was the first event in the series and certainly a rare one of it's kind. The Queer Abstract is a safe queer space celebrating art created by QPOC(Queer People of Color), occurring monthly on every third Friday. With a filled lineup of poets, musicians, comedians and dancers, followed by a dance party The Queer abstract is a promising event. Even with The space, being one where the performance is separate from the bar, there is focus on the main event and also the opportunity to mix and mingle. This is a free event, on a Friday night, and you cannot help but have fun.
Shannon Matesky
There was mix and mingle time for about the first 30 minutes as the DJ got the party started and folks started to pile in. The very few seats filled up in no time, but there was plenty of standing room, audience members even sat on the floor to see the show. The Queer Abstract combined the intimacy of a poetry night with the energy of a concert. Often when people see the flyer and the line-up is filled of 10 or more different kinds of performances, dancers, comedians, singers, all for one show it can be concerning. Is this show going to go too long? Will there be awkward transitions? Am I going to enjoy one performance and dislike the other? The answer is NO, when it comes to The Queer Abstract. Our host kicked off the night with the warmest welcome with an introduction to the event is, what it stands for and a spoken word piece. She is a phenomenal performer, so with her alone you can already tell what you are in for. The night flowed seamlessly, the timing was perfect, each performers individual set was just long enough for the audience to be satisfied and quick enough so that we would not be fatigued. Each performer commanding attention and each chosen to perform by Shannon! Towards the end of the event was the dance party. The DJ spun for nearly another 2 hours as folks dance, drank, mixed and mingled and of course began to filter out as the night wound down. I can gaurantee everyone enjoyed themselves.
Even commissioned as the photographer for the evening I was able to be present and enjoy the event, and this was only the first event! For more info about the next event check out The Queer Abstract on Facebook and Instagram.
Of course my outfit is very #UOonYou. I am wearing the Silence + Noise Backless Shimmer dress, black opaque tights, and studded platform heels from ShoeDazzle. NYE always calls for glitz, glamour and glitter. The shinier the better. This dress shimmers with metallic detailing all over and being backless adds wow-factor. The high heels were thrifted and finally got their chance to shine on this night, they are all black suede covered in small gold studs that catch the light. I completed the look by curling my locs using flexi rods(tutorial coming soon) for subtle sophistication.
This holiday my look is a repeat of last year's NYE style. I actually have not worn this romper again since, so here it is! This time I've paired it with the Out From Under Shimmer tights from Urban Outfitters, of course. I have complete this look with my hair in a bun topped with a decorative bow.
J. Cole has released a new album in what seems to be a midst of new shit from your fave young/old rappers. Drizzy seems to have something on the way, CuDi will be releasing his project on the 16th, and Childish Gambino just released a new album. In his befitting style J. Cole's latest project has done impressive numbers while still disappointing a large number of listeners. He is one of the most notable contemporary rappers and is still referred to a "trash" or "Boring".
Just a few days before releasing the album he premiered a documentary entitled "Eyez" available for streaming on Tidal. This film gives us a very discreet look into J. Coles process in creating this album. We see the certain tracks being created from scratch and the instrumentation going into them without even knowing what these tracks are. Based on the sounds and the lyrics we hear Cole recording, the 31 year old super-star is certainly staying very true to himself and who he has come to be as an artist. There does not seem to be anything particularly "New" forthcoming but the anticipation is still built. The film also features music videos for two new tracks "Everybody Dies" and "False Prophets". "False Prophets" received a lot of attention and even stirred some controversy for Cole's lyrics seemingly calling out and criticizing KanYe West as well as other mainstream rap artists.
However neither "False Prophets" nor "Everybody Dies" are featured on this album, "For Your Eyez Only". An intimate story strung together as what seems to be a memoir-like love letter. Cole speaks on his own struggles with life and death, the plight of a Black man in America, Family, and ultimately love. We come to learn that one of Cole's closest friends was killed when he was only 22 years old, which implies that a lot of what Cole has had to say throughout the album may not be his own first person experiences. He is describing the world as how he has seen it but also telling the story of his late friend and the lifestyle he led. This however does not take away from or diminish Cole's narrative, if anything it supports it. Story-wise "For Your Eyez Only" is simple and easy to follow. Cole also describes love, the romantic kind, and we can easily assume he is describing his relationship with his wife, especially on the track "Foldin' Clothes". However it is not easy to understand who's eyez this project is for, only. At least not until the last track of the same title.
Unfortunately, the album is not the most entertaining. Many are describing this project as boring and I agree. Standout tracks include "Immortal" on which Cole proclaims "Real niggas don't die" exhibiting what it means to have lost people close to him due to violence; and "Deja Vu" as it is the closest to being a club banger describing meeting a girl in the club and feeling as if it is love at first sight. Both of those tracks could possibly go mainstream. Lyrically the entire project is not the most impressive, Cole does not necessarily "Go there" nor does he present the hunger we would expect based on the bonus tracks featured in the documentary. Very basic bars paired with slow melodic tunes/beats offer listeners really decent background music, elevator music for the hip-hop head if you will. I appreciate Cole's story and his use of his platform to tell such a story, however this album does not put forward anything new or innovative artistically for J. Cole or in general.
I believe Cole is now used a scapegoat for being "Trash" because he has yet to reach anyone's expectation of being this exceptional rapper with enough old school influence to make us feel the way Hip-Hop has always felt and also bring forth a Hip-Hop renaissance or a revolution. On top of that, it is not very easy to classify Cole as an artist. He's conscious by default as he speaks the truth on the state of the world and his own experiences over slower beats with real instrumentation however disappoints listeners with misogyny or not digging deep enough to evoke change. He's not like Kendrick, yet he's definitely not Drake. His albums always leave consumers wanting more.
Here I've gt some UO on You as per usual and the shoes are from Forever 21. I paired my favorite BDG High-Rise Seam Jeans with an Out From Under sheer mock-neck tee and an out from under cage bra underneath the top.
The latest from Childish Gambino. The quadruple threat had mixed reviews for his previous album "Because the Internet" as he simultaneous seemed to be going trough depression, since then he has remained in a eyes and hearts of all of use, with random visuals and singles and ultimately has lasted television show "Atlanta".
However the while TV thing is booming, Donald Glover fans have desperately been awaiting the return of Childish Gambino. He is here, with a bit of a surprise. Fans had not really known when to expect the release of new music from Gambino and certainly did not know exactly what kind of music we would be getting. The NYC born, Atlanta raised Rapper has given us anything but rap. Awaken My Love is a psychedelic collection of funk, soul, alternative, rock musical bliss. Just a couple of weeks before the albums release he released the first single, which also the first track, Me and you momma.
The album presents a very 60's/70's feel reminiscent of The Zombies, Mamas and The Papas, Jimi Hendrix, etc. There is obvious Prince influence as well. Childish has harmonized hooks here or there in the past but on this album he is giving us pure vocals, no bars, just soul. Soul matched with experimental instrumentation and subject matter. Has this been his plan for the duration of his career? Is this the soundtrack for the next season of Atlanta? Is this joke? Who knows. Whatever it is, it is GREAT, and certainly a must-listen. The only problem I have with this is that it is not very lengthy, 11 tracks makes this album perfect for a subway ride commute to work or art exhibition/mingle hour background music. "Awaken, My Love!" takes a huge risk as I am sure Gambino is still considered a rapper, however the music is quite exceptional. If anyone is to take a risk in whatever they do this is how to do it.
I believe that the way we receive spoken word visually and digitally can be more than just a stage and a microphone, more than just a live performance. Poetry can be visual. Film can be poetic and lyrical, not just that it can be accompanied by actual poetry but a film can be a non-linear string of images that tells a story just as concrete, understandable, and as beautifully as a narrative film. I am raising money to purchase equipment and start shooting poetry shorts much like my latest “This Gen’”(below). I plan to create a space for poets, a digital space for spoken word artists that is not one-dimensional. To bring forth a combination of the beauty of film and the beauty of spoken word. Also to normalize the idea of “Non-traditional” and “Experimental” film.
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party for self defense. The revolutionary and even controversial group was founded in Oakland, California in 1966 and soon went national, with chapters in major cities across the U.S. What started as an organization to protect Black people from the police who often terrorized us, became a phenomena. At one point the org became bigger than itself, with divides among each other and of course the government trying to tear them apart. The documentary film "The Black Panthers: The Vanguard of The Revolution" premiered at The Sundance Film Festival Last Year and was aired publicly on PBS earlier this year. Beyoncé Knowles caused a stir in the media by paying homage to The Black Panthers during her super bowl halftime performance. So, naturally, one can assume the Black Panther costumes are coming this year. I am not the only one who payed homage this Halloween, but here is my very simple look:
From head-to-toe this look is very #UOonYou. My complete outfit is brought to you by Urban Outfitters. A Black Beret, A Silence + Noise bomber jacket, The BDG High Rise Seam Jean, an Out From Under Bodysuit, and my Matte Black Doc Marten Boots of course. and I complete it with LimeCrime Black Velvet Matte Lipstick, also from UO.
This weekend I visited my Great-Grandmother for her 80th birthday celebration. It was an elegant all white affair she had been preparing for for months, held in a large hall of her local church filled with friends and family members. Beautiful Black folks in all white. Originally I had a short white lace high-neck lose fitting dress that I wasn't too fond of, I brought that along with another little white dress from Forever21 that was alright. Upon arrival I still was not the most confident in my outfit for the celebration. The next day my great grandmother showed me a long flowy sheer dress her daughter originally had to wear for the event but was too small. It was great on me and only needed to be taken in at the sides. It was miraculous. A few weeks before the trip my great grandmother gave me a call and asked that I wear a head wrap the way that I have styled them before, and it had to be white. So I bought a yard of white satin fabric for only $3. This look came together effortlessly, to finish it off the jewelry is her own and I bought the shoes last minute from Payless.
The Queer Abstract is a monthly performance art series created, hosted, and curated by Shannon Matesky. Matesky is a Bay Area born, Brooklyn Based Poet, Performer, Educator and Queer Woman Of Color. Held at the recently opened Starr Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn, last Friday was the first event in the series and certainly a rare one of it's kind. The Queer Abstract is a safe queer space celebrating art created by QPOC(Queer People of Color), occurring monthly on every third Friday. With a filled lineup of poets, musicians, comedians and dancers, followed by a dance party The Queer abstract is a promising event. Even with The space, being one where the performance is separate from the bar, there is focus on the main event and also the opportunity to mix and mingle. This is a free event, on a Friday night, and you cannot help but have fun.
