Blogs mnartists.blog

Garden Quest Character Profiles: Troll, Captive & Toll Bridge

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Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From [...]

Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From 10 am – 3 pm journey on a quest through the Sculpture Garden and Open Field and meet mythical heroes and foes while participating (if you so choose) in challenges in each quadrant! So get ready to make a costume, grab a map, and set forth on your epic adventure!

This blog series will profile some of the many mythical characters you may encounter on this exciting quest, and also give a little background about the real folks playing each magical persona.

GARDEN QUEST CHARACTER PROFILE:
TROLL & TOLL BRIDGE

Name: Troll & Toll Bridge Creator

Race: Troll & Bridge

Class: Toll Collector

Level/Ability: Level 8

Special Powers: sleeping, snoring, hiding, collecting

Gear: Toll Bridge

Description of Garden Quest Activity: Let the Troll’s captive (see below) captivate you with some make-believe, but beware the Troll! Get creative if you get caught and hope to rely on the Troll’s narcolepsy to escape…

About the bridge-maker, Robyn Schwartzman
Robin Schwartzman is the CNC Router Technician and an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Minnesota.  She received her MFA from the University of Minnesota and her BFA from Syracuse University. Robin grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, where she spent her summers working at a local amusement park; seduced by the bright lights and moving colors, she has continued to work at carnivals and theme parks throughout the past ten years. Her experiences in these whimsical environments provide a basis for her sculptures, installations, and puppetry.

 

GARDEN QUEST CHARACTER PROFILE:
KIPPI, THE CAPTIVE

Name: Kippi

Race: Elf

Class: Rogue

Level/Ability: 6

Special Powers: I craft weapons, trinkets and potions. I’m really good with wood, herbs, and metals. I can make plants grow by touching them!

Gear: My costume is made up of the earth, different plants and flora and fauna. I carry a pouch of fairy dust!

Description of Garden Quest Activity: I’ve been captured by the Troll! Please help me make him fall asleep so I can escape!!!

About the player, Kaitlyn Andrews

Kaitlyn Andrews

Kaitlyn Andrews started playing the Zelda games at age 9 (Ocarina of Time is the best forever&always!!) so being part of Garden Quest is basically a dream come true for her. When she’s not pretending to be an elf in the sculpture garden, you can catch her biking around the city, lifting heavy things at a restaurant in Uptown, or milling about the University of Minnesota campus where she studies performance art. Kaitlyn is also a really passionate aerialist, and practices circus weekly at Xelias Aerial Arts studio in NE Minneapolis. She likes sloths a lot. She can’t say no to a high five. She wrote this. She hopes you’re having a great day.


 

 

 

Acoustic Campfire: Fort Karaoke with Adrian Freeman

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This week’s Acoustic Campfire stars… you! Come join your host Adrian Freeman for an Open Field version of Karaoke: FORT KARAOKE! Now, you might be wondering: What’s FORT KARAOKE? Well, it’s not exactly the usual karaoke dive bar scene… Imagine a fort, made of sheets hung over twine tied up to some trees on the [...]

This week’s Acoustic Campfire stars… you! Come join your host Adrian Freeman for an Open Field version of Karaoke: FORT KARAOKE!

Now, you might be wondering: What’s FORT KARAOKE? Well, it’s not exactly the usual karaoke dive bar scene… Imagine a fort, made of sheets hung over twine tied up to some trees on the Open Field Grove. Enter through blanketed gates into a palace of karaoke. Choose a tune from various songs celebrating the power of summer and the passions of life, belt it out to your heart’s content, and stay to listen to others. Let yourself rest in a zone of fascination while the harmonic sound waves of friends and strangers singing strike chords from the past and present.

Fort inspiration, by Adrian Freeman

This should be one of the more intriguing karaoke experiences of your life, so don’t miss it.  So warm up your singing voices (or prepare to have an adult beverage or two from the D’amico Garden Grill) and get ready for the time of your life… an excellent karaoke duet if you’re seeking inspiration

See you on Thursday August 2nd at 8pm on Walker Open Field for some unforgettable (another great song choice!) FORT KARAOKE!

Garden Quest Character Profiles: Lady Cadmium

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Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From [...]

Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From 10 am – 3 pm journey on a quest through the Sculpture Garden and Open Field and meet mythical heroes and foes while participating (if you so choose) in challenges in each quadrant! So get ready to make a costume, grab a map, and set forth on your epic adventure!

This blog series will profile some of the many mythical characters you may encounter on this exciting quest, and also give a little background about the real folks playing each magical persona.

GARDEN QUEST CHARACTER PROFILE:
LADY CADMIUM

Name: Lady Cadmium

Race: Human

Class: Artificer/Artist

Level/Ability: 7

Special Powers: Item creation, wielding infusions of illusionary space, abstraction, pastiche, figuration and appropriation. Ad hoc resourcefulness, charms, spontaneities, aesthetics and meta-magic.

Gear: Black dress, white canvas, Art Deco, red lipstick, brushes, poppy oil, tattoos, mineral spirits.

Brief Description of Garden Quest Activity: Roll with dice with Lady Cadmium and her Atelier des Artistes to find out which of the 6 genomes of contemporary painting you must infuse to make a composition worthy for the great gallery.

About the player, Jehra Patrick

Jehra Patrick

Jehra Patrick is a visual artist who works out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from the College of Visual Arts in 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting. Jehra is a 2011 recipient of the Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists. She has had recent solo and group exhibitions at Soo Visual Arts Center in Minneapolis and currently has a solo exhibition on view at the Rochester Art Center in Rochester, MN.

In addition to her work as an artist, Jehra is Project Coordinator for mnartists.org, where she supports Minnesota’s art community through on-line resources and offline programs, including CSA: Community Supported Art with Springboard for the Arts, the McKnight Artist Fellowships for Photographers, and programming in collaboration with the Walker Art Center, including Drawing Club and mnartists.marketplace.

#catvidfest: I haz fan mail!

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Wow. People really love cats. And apparently they love this whole #catvidfest thing too. Thanks guys, all of this press and interest  — and even the challenging commentary — is what makes this experiment so exciting and fun! I thought I’d take a moment to share some special fan mail from across the globe. And [...]

Wow. People really love cats. And apparently they love this whole #catvidfest thing too. Thanks guys, all of this press and interest  — and even the challenging commentary — is what makes this experiment so exciting and fun!

I thought I’d take a moment to share some special fan mail from across the globe. And no, I’m not talking emails here – we’ve gotten plenty of those and they are wonderful (for the most part), encouraging (usually) and endearing (sometimes). But this right here, is all about snail mail! How awesome (or is it meta?) is it that this online phenomena, brought off-line for #catvidfest, then put back online for nominations, is now coming back off-line with snail mail support?! (And then getting put back online for this blog post…)

To my own surprise and delight, I was lucky enough to start my Monday morning off today with a package all the way from Singapore addressed, ever so adorably, to the “Al Fresco Cat Film Festival.” (Is it too late to re-brand the name?) While I’ve received numerous requests to use #catvidfest to sell things (C’mon people, this is Open Field, not an opportunity to exploit cute cats for cash!), today’s special delivery is the first piece of mail received that is wholeheartedly dedicated to expressing support.

Bab, from Singapore, a beautifully crafted little wooden cat, came my way along with a sweet handwritten note on the back of a picture of a real live cat next to the same little wooden cat.  (Can we talk about how meta this is all getting? Love it!) After checking Bab out further on Facebook – I discovered that this little wooden cat friend is excited to be here at the Walker to witness #catvidfest! We’re so happy to have you too, Bab, and I’ll be sure to save you a seat up front!

XO MEOW

Garden Quest Character Profiles: Skalk the Bitter, Battle School Instructor

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Is that a troll under the bridge? Are there gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From [...]

Is that a troll under the bridge? Are there gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From 10 am – 3 pm journey on a quest through the Sculpture Garden and Open Field and meet mythical heroes and foes while participating (if you so choose) in challenges in each quadrant! So get ready to make a costume, grab a map, and set forth on your epic adventure!

This blog series will profile some of the many mythical characters you may encounter on this exciting quest, and also give a little background about the real folks playing each magical persona.

GARDEN QUEST CHARACTER PROFILE:
SKALK THE BITTER, BATTLE SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR

Name: Skalk the Bitter

Race: Human

Class: Fighter

Level/Ability: 9th level

Special Powers: Battle School General and Instructor. Tactical Strategist with Declining Combat Skills, Capable of Advanced Pessimism and Critique, May engage opponents with a inexcusable knowledge of Baseball Statistics and Electro House Music

Gear: A combination of the Road Warrior, Daniel Buren, Bo Jackson Commercials and Genghis Khan when he visits the sporting goods store in Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure.  Armed with multiple swords, wristbands and melee weapons.

Brief Description of Garden Quest Activity: Skalk runs the battle school in which young prospects train and prove their worth.  Upon graduation warriors will forge their own sword signifying their accomplishment and increased ability.

About the player, Scott Stulen

Scott Stulen (and son)

Scott Stulen is an artist, the Project Director of mnartists.org at the Walker Art Center, Director of the McKnight Artist Fellowship for Photographers, former Associate Curator at the Rochester Art Center (MN), independent curator, writer and DJ. He received his BFA in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his MFA in Painting and Drawing with a minor in Art History from the University of Minnesota. Scott’s visual artwork explores personal and collective memory, pop culture, failure, loss and obsession through painting, sculpture, installation and video. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2005 and 2009 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant and 2008 Meet the Composer’s Creative Connections Grant. Scott exhibits throughout the country, including the recent solo exhibitions Wait For It, at Minnesota State Mankato; Hot 3-Way Action, Soo Vac, Minneapolis, MN and Kool Aid Drunk, ebersmoore gallery, Chicago. IL. His work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Weisman Art Museum and University of Minnesota and he was published in New American Paintings in both 2004 and 2007. Scott regularly performs as a DJ and sound artist under the name Black Lacquer.

MAKING IT: Drawing club with Alyssa Baguss, Natasha Pestich, and Robyn Stoller Awend

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Is it already August?! Well, if you haven’t made it down to Drawing Club with mnartsits.org on Walker Open Field yet this summer don’t fret – there’s still time! We meet every Thursday from 4-8pm at the picnic tables on Open Field Grove to make collaborative drawings! All are welcome and each week we’ve invited [...]

Is it already August?! Well, if you haven’t made it down to Drawing Club with mnartsits.org on Walker Open Field yet this summer don’t fret – there’s still time! We meet every Thursday from 4-8pm at the picnic tables on Open Field Grove to make collaborative drawings! All are welcome and each week we’ve invited special local artist hosts to come hang out too.  The only rule: What’s made at Drawing Club, stays at Drawing Club. So come add on to a work-in-progress or start something new for others to finish.  You can check out all the “finished” works on our tumblr and keep up to date with drawing club happenings on our facebook page.

This week’s local artist hosts are Alyssa Baguss, Narasha Pestich, and Robyn Awend. Alyssa will be bringing along some blank flip-books and needs your help filling them in. So take a moment to get to know your hosts and we will see you on Thursday!

Alyssa Baguss

Alyssa Baguss attended the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN where she received her BFA with a concentration in painting and drawing.  Baguss’s work has been exhibited in the Twin Cities and regionally, most recently as a part of the CSA: Community Supported Art project, Intersections exhibition at the MCAD gallery and a participant in Midway Contemporary Art Center’s 2011 Monster Drawing Rally.  In addition to her artwork, Alyssa coordinates nature inspired arts programming at Silverwood Park in St Anthony, Mn.  Her drawings are a playful exploration of obsolescent remnants of our technological race towards the future: resistors, capacitors, computer hardware and the occasional mouse ball. She considers herself somewhat of a technological archivist of these antiquities from the turn of the millennia.  When she isn’t coordinating arts programming for Silverwood Park you might find her in her studio chasing the futurist dreams of her childhood, digging through techno-trinkets and dreaming of thinking machines.  Look for Baguss’s work in upcoming shows at Air Sweet Air Gallery in September 2012 and Form+Content in January, 2013.

Natasha Pestich

Natasha Pestich is a printmaker who cultivates both a studio and community arts practice that uses printmaking, design and collective storytelling to influence how visitors engage with a given site. Pestich received a BFA from Concordia University in Montreal in 1998 and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia in 2000. She has exhibited widely, with recent exhibitions at the MAEP galleries at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to Trinity College in Chicago. Since 2011, she has been partnering with Pillsbury House + Theatre, leading a design process to engage community members with current and former MCAD students and faculty to redesign the Pillsbury House lobby to reflect its new focus as a “Cultural Community Hub.” She has participated in several artist residency programs in Minneapolis, Seattle, and Chicago, has received a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, A Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grant, an Institute for Community Cultural Leadership fellowship, and most recently a McKnight Arts Fellowship for visual arts. She is an associate professor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Robyn Stoller Awend

Robyn Stoller Awend’s work includes letterpress prints, artist books, photography and installation art. She is a Minnesota-based artist with a BFA from the University of Arizona and an MFA from the University of Dallas. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally, and is a part of various collections around the country. Robyn is a founding member of Form+Content Gallery in Minneapolis.

Garden Quest Character Profiles: Pudenda, a Fairy

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Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From [...]

Is that a troll under the bridge? Are the gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm of art-related fantasy. From 10 am – 3 pm journey on a quest through the Sculpture Garden and Open Field and meet mythical heroes and foes while participating (if you so choose) in challenges in each quadrant! So get ready to make a costume, grab a map, and set forth on your epic adventure!

This blog series will profile some of the many mythical characters you may encounter on this exciting quest, and also give a little background about the real folks playing each magical persona.

Pudenda, Photo by Jaime Carrera

GARDEN QUEST CHARACTER PROFILE: PUDENDA, A FAIRY

Name: Pudenda

Race: Fairy

Class: Rogue

Level/Ability: 7th level

Special Powers: Amorphous gender & ability to give that power to others. Also embodies creative kinetic energy through movement & gesture.

Gear: Locks of amber enchant & bewilder with beauty, hir* moustache of strength protects from harm & intimidates enemies. Copper gown radiates the energy of dance & movement.

Brief Description of Garden Quest Activity: Come explore gender & identity through costume & dance with Pudenda in a neutral & safe environment where anyone can be whoever they want & release their inhibitions. Pudenda will enchant you with the art of choreography & teach you how to move in harmony with your inner secret self. You’ll engage in a tiny, fun performance in order to pass to the other realms of the Garden Quest universe.

*him/her = hir

Jaime Carrera, Photo by Jaime Carrera

About the Player, Jaime Carrera
Jaime Carrera is a self-taught, independent, multidisciplinary artist from Ciudad Juárez, México.
His work has been exhibited, screened & performed in various spaces, both nationally & internationally. Jaime self-funds his work with back-breaking labor. He has garnered a loving & devoted following due to his unpretentious & accessible approach to modern art.
Jaime lives in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis with his boyfriend Nick and his two adorable & famous kitties, Henri & Beau.

Garden Quest Character Profiles: The Shaman

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Is that a troll under the bridge? Are there gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday, August 4th, the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic and LARPing! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm [...]

Is that a troll under the bridge? Are there gnomes and fairies milling about the Spoonbridge and Cherry? This Saturday, August 4th, the Walker Art Center transforms into a land of magic and LARPing! Join us for Free First Saturday (Gallery admission is free from 10 am – 5 pm) and step into a realm fantasy. From 10 am – 3 pm journey on a quest through the Sculpture Garden and Open Field to meet mythical heroes and foes while participating (if you so choose) in challenges in each quadrant! So get ready to make a costume, grab a map, and set forth on your epic adventure!

This blog series will profile some of the many mythical characters you may encounter on this exciting quest, and also give a little background about the real folks playing each magical persona.

 

Garden Quest Character Profile: The Shaman

Name: Shankara Hanh

Race: Human

Class: Cleric

Level/Ability: Very Advanced

Special Powers: The healing of illnesses, Oneness with the wisdom of nature, and advanced understanding of both benevolent and malevolent spirits.

Gear: Staff, didgeridoo, incense, oils, water

Description of Garden Quest Activity: Participants will inhabit an experiential, meditative stillness by which to heal wounds, regain lost strength, and increase might, will, and fortitude, while alleviating individual and communal suffering.

 

About the player, Timmy Wagner
Hi, my name is Timmy Wagner and I’m a performer, teacher, improviser, dancer, and choreographer in the Twin Cities. I work as a company member with Mathew Janczewski’s ARENA Dances and in the BodyCartography Project’s upcoming Walker premiere, “Super Nature”. Dancing is my heart, but I also love music, running, being outside, and listening to stories. I am thrilled to be a part of the magic that is the Garden Quest!

#catvidfest: the cat’s meow

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Ever since I posted my last blog about nominations opening for the #catvidfest (yes, that’s what we’re calling it these days, get used to it) our little Open Field world has exploded with local, national, and even international press, thousands of cat video nominations, and general catnip-like excitement! I’d never have imagined this playful experiment [...]

Ever since I posted my last blog about nominations opening for the #catvidfest (yes, that’s what we’re calling it these days, get used to it) our little Open Field world has exploded with local, national, and even international press, thousands of cat video nominations, and general catnip-like excitement! I’d never have imagined this playful experiment would cause such a stir, nor would I have ever pictured myself faced with the task of whittling down over 7,000 (and counting) cat videos into less than an hour-long program. Luckily, the Open Field team and some of our friends have been helping to screen the nominations…otherwise I think I might transform into a legitimately crazy cat-lady!

Here are a few updates from #catvidfest HQ to keep you cool cats in the loop:

–Our new online hub may be found at www.walkerart.org/catvidfest – so go ahead and bookmark it now…

–We now live on twitter (@catvidfest) and facebook (www.facebook.com/catvidfest) so follow if you like silly postings about cats.

–Mark your calendars: In the first week of August we will open an online vote to determine the “Best Picture” award from the top 5 nominations. The winner will be revealed at the very end of the #catvidfest.

–We’ve decided to split the final screening process up into film CAT-egories (can’t help it, sorry) like comedy, documentary, drama, etc.

–Don’t live in Minnesota? Have no fear – we will be releasing an online playlist of all the videos on the night of the festival so that everyone who’s interested can watch along with us, no matter where you live!

–And, the real cat’s pajamas/literally my new pajamas, we now have #catvidfest T-shirts thanks to the lovely folks of the Walker Shop and our awesome Design department! Even better, they’re only $10 and can be ordered online – how purrrrfect! (I have a feeling they might sell out fast… I’ve already ordered three – one for me and one for each of my cats.)

– Reminder: July 30th is the last day to nominate your favorite cat videos for the festival, so keep those cute kittens and silly cats coming here!

I leave you with a very few of my many favorites from your nominations so far…
XO MEOW

Kittens in bowls on Japanese game show!

 

Still can’t tell if this noise is really coming from this cat, but it makes me lolz. Every. Single. Time.

 

Something about these paws up in the air with this music, it’s just too much.

 

Cats and pants and cats and pants and cats and pants and catsssssssssssss…

Performing Arts loves mnartists.org

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That’s right, they love us so much they’re offering a great deal on tickets to 2012-2013 season shows! Get Buy-One-Get-One-FREE tickets for mnartists.org members to the following Walker Performing Arts performances listed below! Mnartists.org members should call ( 612.375.7600 ) or stop by the Walker Box Office and mention the MNARTIST deal to redeem this [...]

Kettly Noël in “Correspondances”

That’s right, they love us so much they’re offering a great deal on tickets to 2012-2013 season shows!

Get Buy-One-Get-One-FREE tickets for mnartists.org members to the following Walker Performing Arts performances listed below!

Mnartists.org members should call ( 612.375.7600 ) or stop by the Walker Box Office and mention the MNARTIST deal to redeem this offer that is only good through September 15th. Learn more about each performance here: http://www.walkerart.org/performing-arts/browse/2012-2013-season

Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People

Sept 19-22
So Percussion

Sept 28-29
Voices of Strength

Oct 10-13
The BodyCartography Project

Oct 25-27
Nick Zammuto & Elluvium  (McGuire)

Nov 10, 2012
Choreographer’s Evening

Nov 24, 2012
Nels Cline Orchestra with David Breskin

Nov 29, 2012
A Deborah Hay Celebration

Dec 6-8
Out There 25: Rude Mechs

Jan 10-12
Out There 25: She She Pop

Jan 17-19
Out There 25: (M)imosa/Twenty Looks or Paris Burning at The Judson Church (Trajal, etc.)

Jan 24-26
Out There 25: Back to Back Theater

Jan 31-Feb 2
Ben Frost (@ Amsterdam Bar)

Feb 09, 2013
Glenn Kotche

Feb 16, 2013
Sarah Kirkland Snider Shara Worden & yMusic (@ SPCO Music Room)

Feb 26-27
Cynthia Hopkins

March 7-9
Kyle Abraham

Mar 14-16
Fatoumata Diawara @ Cedar

Apr 12, 2013
Craig Taborn & Friends

Apr 26, 2013
Elevator Repair Service

May 16-18
   
NOTE: The offer does not extend to these performances…  
Laurie Anderson

Nov 2-3 (4?)
Hofesh Shectner (@ Orpheum)

Nov 13, 2012
OUT THERE 25 Packages

(already a 40% discount)
John Zorn @ 60

Sat Apr 6

 

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