A large, thick metallic ring sits atop a coiled cylinder surrounded by what look to be oversize spark plugs. The device is alone onstage until an older gentleman with a top hat and tie-dye steps up and activates it. A hard buzzing sound rings out and silences all the other noises in the bar. In the true vein of mad science, arcs of electricity shoots through the air in a two-foot radius around the stage, while a young man takes a strange metallic rod and passes it over the machine. The arcs jump to the rod and flames begin to lick out of the top of the apparatus known as a Tesla coil. Discomfort sweeps the few members of the bar who are sitting inside nursing their beers in the 90-degree heat.
The Tesla coil was a perfect metaphor for the WTF Fest — launching out in fits and starts and at times disquieting, electrifying and incendiary. With acts and presentations by erotic alternative film models, beat artists, cowboy poets, horror puppeteers, a comedian or two and local bands, the WTF Fest is remarkable in its atypical approach to performance art.
The intent of the show as listed in the WTF Fest blog is, “To offer an event for the creative class to gather, to conspire, to scream and shout, to speak out, speak up, be spoken to and to be political without being pawns — And of course, to push the boundaries of mind and taste.”
The WTF Fest was created by the ringmasters of the show Shane and Amy Bugbee@@http://www.facebook.com/shaneandamy@@. The origin of the show happened four years ago when the couple went on a road trip during the last election cycle with only $180 and the intention of making a documentary.
The Bugbees have led an eclectic life since getting married. Authors, documentarians and soda-makers are just a few of the professions that they’ve explored together.
“I’ve written some of the most vile books ever published,” Shane said.
“My husband Shane and I met all these amazing people on the road and we wanted to put them all on stage,” Amy said.
Most of the performers in the WTF Fest come from different places in the U.S.
“When we took the road trip, the politics of the day were very upsetting, and not much has really changed. It’s like, pick evil A or evil B, you know?” Shane said. “I feel that everything we do is political. As I see it, we turn our backs on all of the bullshit and create stuff. If we got into our creative animal, we could provide a counterpoint to the shock value of current politics.”
Courageously opening the show as a one-woman band was Esmerelda Strange@@http://www.esmereldastrange.com/@@. Playing an accordion and keeping time with her feet on kick-pedaled bass drums and high hats, she pleased the crowd with her original music. She even had the moxie to try a song she’d never played before on stage. Though it didn’t work out perfectly, the audience was forgiving and applauded her bravery.
Manning the vintage Tesla coil (which was used in the original “Battlestar Galactica” in the late ’70s)@@checked@@ was legendary artist Dave Archer.@@their website is home to a beautiful style error http://www.davearcher.com/@@
“They say I’m a living legend. I don’t even know what the hell that means,” Archer said.
He uses the Tesla coil to make art. By painting on a sheet of glass and then shooting the glass with the high-voltage arcs of electricity, the paint takes on the appearance of clouds. His art pieces were used as set decor in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” for two seasons.@@http://www.davearcher.com/StarTrek.html@@
“I made almost $1 million on one gallery going at 40 percent,” Archer said.
Archer has also been featured in many other television shows such as Discovery Channel’s “The Next Step”@@http://www.powerski.com/tv_nextstep.html@@ and science fiction shows at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago@@http://www.msichicago.org/@@, among many other events and publications.
Art was boiling over in the hot tap room and Sam Bond’s Garage. There was a dance performance by “Ugly Shyla,”@@http://www.uglyart.net/@@ who danced with the devil. Shyla, who makes dolls and does other types of horror and body-mod shock art had created the devil that she danced with.
WTF Fest will continue to tour the Pacific Northwest for the next week with a performance in Portland, Astoria and two in Seattle.