The Figment collective's appropriation of Cambridge, Massachussets's Memorial Avenue on Saturday, June 5 resembled nothing so much, structurally, as an ice cream cone — one more welcome during the early part of the day when the merciless sun burned down over the Charles than during the latter part of the day when a tornado almost killed everyone — a fat blob of events from aerial wirework in a geodesic dome to the mysterious, digitally-enhanced "Dark Tent" and various cars repainted or refitted to look like other things than cars, tapering slowly down to a few stray booths and parkgoers as the event dissipated toward the far end of the street. Going off of this analogy, the Fiction Circus's encampment directly at the intersection would be the sprinkles, or perhaps the butterscotch.

Backed up by the sheer sonic force of the new Fiction Circus amplifier, the "Harbinger," readers Jones and Future blasted some of their finest lies into the eardrums of the peaceful, historically-validated citizens of Boston and Harvard University environs, including "Leaner," "An American Dream," "The Stars Hold And Hold," and "Temple of Zuul", as lapsed Puritan songsmith Goodman Carter on the deadly combo of Beamz and Kaoscillator brought the beats with manic gusto and verve. Dubstep music, recently found to be "The Wickedest Genre In Europe" by Thelema Quarterly Magazine, was played by Carter to fill out the set. Catering was provided by Dunkin Donuts.

Only about 20% of the attendees of Figment passed by the Fiction Circus without comment or stricken/delighted expressions, which is a good "conversion rate" for a performance that is essentially taking a powerful amplifier onto the street and using it to tell people horrible yet inventive things. The impending weather-related disaster brought the show to a slightly early close at five PM, at which point the Fiction Circus crew bundled into a cab, driven by a local madman, and disappeared as quickly as it came.

For those of you who missed the show, we understand, not everyone likes Boston. But NYC locals or migrants will be able to see it again next Saturday, June 12, when the show will resurface in the basement of a disused armory on Governor's Island. We will see you there. The human adventure is just beginning.

Posted by future on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:52:37 -0500 -- permanent link