The “Hidden in plain sight” Edition :: Issue #252, Rusty’s Electric Dreams






“Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide.”

–  D.W. Winnicott (via)


Rusty's Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff

An inbox zine for positive deviants and the people who love them
Issue #252 :: The “Hidden in plain sight” Edition :: 01:22:2020

Hidden in plain sight…

People sometimes ask me how they can share an issue of the zine without having to forward the whole thing in email. So, for everyone’s benefit, I’ll tell you. So, on the morning that an issue arrives in your inbox, I go ahead and archive it (a manual process, be patient) on the Rusty’s Electric Dreams‘ website. For instance, here’s last week’s issue. Now, sometimes, I will lightly edit the archived web version if I catch a mistake after the zine has gone out. But, other than that, it’s the same thing you get via email, just shareable

Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. Tomorrow is my 5th birthday… of being “Rusty Blazenhoff” legally!

As seen on the Internets



Premiering at SXSW in MarchM for Magic — a documentary film about the Larsen family, “four generations of magicians who built the international mecca of magic, the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and saved the art of magic by giving it a home.” 
—-
:: “How the owner of a San Francisco pin shop became a Twitter sensation in her eighties” (talks about our pal Josh Ellingson!)
:: https://www.sfgate.com/offbeat/article/sf-oriential-art-gallery-pins-owner-14972455.php

:: Interview with a former fortune cookie writer
:: https://www.smithjournal.com.au/blogs/life/3913-fortunate-son

:: A-mazing coin stacking sculptures
:: https://mymodernmet.com/thumb-tani-tanu-japanese-coin-stacking

:: There’s a French village where people live in upside-down boats
:: https://unusualplaces.org/equihen-plage-village-of-upside-down-boat-houses

:: Fou Fou Ha! is raising funds to go to Edinburgh Festival in August
:: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fou-fou-ha039s-uk-tour-2020

:: “Useful German words for these difficult modern times” via
:: https://airmail.news/issues/2020-1-11/achtweet

:: Boing Boing is this many years old
:: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/21/boing-boing-is-20-or-33-year.html

Real socks that actually exists: yay!

The messages on Blue Q’s socks just get stranger and stranger. I’m not complaining, just observing.

“Real Things” runner-up:
— Sill-ay: “Dirty Dishes” ($10+). Thanks, Jessica!

Real ‘gram that actually exists: yay!



If you haven’t seen the amazing small snail worlds of Aleia Murawski and Sam Copeland, you’re really missing out! This creative pair puts an incredible amount of time and effort into building miniature sets so their snails can, say, “bowl” on a custom-built alley, or play Wheel of Fortune. Even better, they often offer a behind-the-scenes look of their work and that’s when you can really appreciate what they do.

Support their efforts by buying prints or posters (or their mini Magic Wand earrings).  Or simply follow them on Instagram. Keep an eye out for their Froggo friend too.

Thanks, Alisa! 

Featured Events

Hayward, CA [1/24-1/26] East Bay greasy spoon/dive bar, the Hayward Ranch, opened in 1948 but recently closed for good. Now they are selling off all its kitschy, mostly western-themed, decor — including wagon wheels and vintage signs — in a big weekend-long estate sale. I’ll be there because, you know, western kitsch is my jam. 9 AM to 3 PM daily. Cash only. 

——————–
24.5 U.S. Cities
[2/14 to 3/29] Four new dates have been added to the Pee-wee’s Big Adventure 35th Anniversary Tour with Paul Reubens — see a screening of the film followed by Paul Reubens himself — live, in person! — sharing never-before-heard stories about the making of the movie. Artist pre-sale code is REBEL.

Adelaide, Australia
[2/14 – 3/15] Adelaide Fringe, “Australia’s biggest, open access arts festival” Thanks, Jeff!
 

Alameda, CA
[2/8 and 3/14]
Lightning on Demand (Tesla coil) demos, 1951 Monarch (old Naval base) 7:30 PM Thanks, Mark!

Berkeley, CA
[1/31] Zepparella, the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band is playing at UC Theatre, 8 PM

[2/15] That Really Happened? A Night of True Stories at The Monkey House, 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Sliding scale $10-$20

Eugene, Oregon
[7/10-7/12] Oregon Country Fair

Las Vegas, NV
[Extended! Until 4/20] Tim Burton’s Lost Vegas art exhibit at the Neon Museum

[Opening this year] Meow Wolf’s Area 15 Thanks, Claudia!

Los Angeles, CA
Both locations of MOCA are now permanently free!

[Now] Cages, as described by Kyle: “It’s truly the future of music show meets storytelling. Fully immersive, from rooms to performance that combines concert, live theater, projection mapping, stop motion animation, 3D and 2d cgi, dance, and more. It’s nuts. Took 6 years of development and sets a new bar.”

[THIS WEEKEND Last Saturday of the month] almighty Opp, a streetside puppet show in Koreatown recommended by CTP who says, “It’s fantastic. And bizarre, and funny, and wonderous,” 9 p.m. 

New York City

RED pal Oriana Leckert always highlights the best events in the Big Apple!

[5/9 to 11/1] Yayoi Kusama’s Cosmic Nature exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden (pre-sale for members and patrons happens 2/19, public on 2/26)

Oakland, CA
[Now until 2/16] No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man at OMCA, Tickets
**Full listings of all the exhibit’s events here.


This is Dotty. Take this lovely lady, or her friend Liam (wait until you see HIM), home from the White Elephant Sale’s art department.

[1/26] Be the early bird who gets the coolest secondhand worms at Oakland Museum’s White Elephant PREVIEW Sale this Sunday starting at 10 AM, Tickets are $18 ahead of time or $20 at the door. Take a look at just some of the stuff available in this year’s sale.

[3/1] Sugar Rush IV: A Cupcake Tasting Event at Angel Cakes, 1 PM to 4 PM, Tickets

[3/7-3/8] Oakland Museum’s White Elephant Sale, 96,000-square-feet of crazy-good deals, FREE but CROWDED

[7/11-7/12] Burger Boogaloo headlines with Bikini Kill and Circle Jerks, Mosswood Park

Portland, OR
[5/16-5/17] The creators of the popular Exploding Kittens card game series are hosting Burning Cat, a new two-day game convention that ends in the burning of a giant effigy. Huh… that last part seems oddly familiar!  Tickets are $80 for a two-day pass, or $45 for a daily one. 

San Diego, CA
[8/12-8/16] Tiki Oasis is celebrating its 20th anniversary this August! Two things: 1.) This is not to be confused with Arizona Tiki Oasis which happens April 23 to 26 in Scottsdale (same producers though!) AND 2.) tickets are not yet on sale yet — this is just a heads up!

San Francisco, CA
[Now until 1/26] SF Sketchfest comedy festival

[2/1] Night of Ideas, an “all-night marathon of philosophical debate, keynotes, panels, workshops, and performances designed to spur dialogue and creative participation on the theme ‘Living on the Edge,'” 7 PM to 2 AM at the San Francisco Public Library, FREE (though may already be sold out)

[2/6] Odyssey Works is hosting a Valentine’s Day Date Design Workshop so you can learn how to design the perfect Valentine’s Day date, 6 to 9 PM

[2/5-2/8] Fog City Magic Fest — four days of magic — at EXIT Theatre

[2/7- 2/9] The End of You, a pop-up immersive experience at Gray Area / Grand Theater that “explores how immersive art can invite new perspectives on humanity and our living world.”

[2/29] Imperial Teen at The Chapel, 8 PM

[2/14] Drag Show to End Homelessness: “Valentines Day can be a drag, so why not spend it at a drag show!,” El Rio, 7 PM to 10 PM, Tickets Thanks, Nicole!

[3/8 and 3/9] Patti Smith and her band at the Fillmore, 8 PM each night

Scottsdale, AZ
[4/23-4/26] Arizona Tiki Oasis at the lovely, midcentury Valley Ho Hotel

Seattle, WA
[Ongoing, 1st Sunday of the month] Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery “a love letter to the strangeness and talent that walks amongst us” at Annex Theatre, 7:30 PM, Tickets 

Stonyford, CA
[6/15-6/21] Camp Tipsy, “rotten boat building contest and camp-out held at East Park Reservoir,” patron tickets available now

Various U.S. cities, and sometimes Canada
Atlas Obscura has an ongoing calendar of unique experiences.

[various dates] Immersive listings

Check out this calendar of design events from around the world.

Know about a cool, quirky, and/or indie event? Email me and I’ll share it with the class!


Johnny Dinapoli cartoon

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a (mostly) weekly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff for positive deviants and the people who love them.

Described as, “One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.” People like it.

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