Reminder: Berkeley: The Residents at BAM/PFA @ Fri Jun 4 7:30pm - 9pm (Queer Things)

more details » Berkeley: The Residents at BAM/PFA http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/events/general/lateMJ2010/june4 The Residents Gallery B, Berkeley Art Museum. $5. Programmed by Sarah Cahill The Residents are a group of performance artists and musicians occupying the fringes of modern culture since 1972. Faceless, anonymous, and totally devoid of individuality, the members of the group have long insisted they be judged on their work and not their personalities. The Residents present a sneak preview of a work in progress. Read the Program Notes. Preceded at 6 p.m. by Wobbly spinning a DJ set in the lobby. Wine and beer will be available for purchase. On Wednesday, June 9, a selection of Residents videos will be screened at the PFA Theater. L@TE is made possible in part by Bank of America, the Tin Man Fund, and the continued support of the BAM/PFA Trustees. Special thanks to our media sponsors, East Bay Express and San Francisco Bay Guardian. The Residents: So Long Sam (1945–2006) At one time or another, almost everyone has a best friend; over the course of a person's life, they may have several. Some of these relationships are short and some long-term, but seldom are they forgotten. Back in the 1960s, Randy, The Residents' singer, had a high school buddy whose name was Sam. While Randy was pimple-faced, obsessively read science fiction, and defined the idea of "socially challenged," Sam was tall, handsome, rich, and the life of the party . . . and Sam went to lots of parties. On the surface, the two teenagers had little in common, but somehow they clicked. They both loved listening to Bo Diddley, bass fishing on summer afternoons, and eating Southern Maid donuts. On the rare occasions that Randy dated, the two friends went out together in Sam's Pontiac GTO. Somehow, despite Randy's reserve and Sam's partying ways, the two were nearly inseparable. After graduation, when Sam went to the big state university and Randy got a job in the parts department of a local Ford dealership, their separation was painful. At first Sam's drunken phone calls to his friend in the middle of the night were a welcome diversion from Randy's dull, predictable life, but as time went on, Randy stopped answering the 3 a.m. calls. They still enjoyed Sam's holiday visits, but a subtle distance had crept into their friendship, a distance that only grew over time, as Sam flunked out of college, was drafted, and went to Viet Nam, eventually returning home to work for his father. In time Randy moved to the West Coast, but he still kept up with his friend from a distance, taking no joy in Sam's slow decline through divorce, business failures, and alcoholism. Then, one night as the two old friends approached middle age, they ran into each other in a bar. Randy was back in town for a family visit and, while he had long since stopped calling Sam on these infrequent return trips, he was still happy to see his friend again. Rediscovering the connection that had eluded them for the past 20 years, the two former buddies filled the air with the events and feelings of a two-decade separation, but ultimately, it was Sam's story of his capture and eventual release by the Viet Cong that left Randy stunned and speechless. The story haunts him to this day. So Long Sam, as a work in progress, is an excerpt from a longer piece currently being developed by The Residents for performance with an orchestra. The full piece, entitled Sam's Enchanted Evening, aspires to a UK premier in the summer of 2012. This performance is dedicated to the memory of Sam. When Fri Jun 4 7:30pm – 9pm Pacific Time Calendar Queer Things Who • larrybob@gmail.com - creator

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