by: Lauren Hodges

Geminid Meteor Show
Soapbox Laundro Lounge, upstairs
Featuring various art and artists,
including an all-night dance party
Tickets : $3
December 12th, 10pm ‘til

Self-proclaimed space-geek Allison Parker was heartbroken in October of 2008 when an overcast sky prevented her from seeing the Perseid meteor shower. Disappointed and hungry for a galactic experience of her own, Parker gathered her colleagues and did what the local creative community does best: They conceptualized. “I guess I just thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to try to re-create a meteor shower using performance art?’” Parker remembers.

The group that congregated was a party of Wilmington’s most modern dancers, noise experimenters, DJs, audio-visualists and designers. The oddball but irresistible creations of this crowd have been spreading throughout local galleries and hipster hangouts ever since, developing a loyal following and some truly original concepts.

Case in point: the Geminid Meteor Shower celebrations, which emerged from Parker’s think-tank of artists. The event is a mixture of visual, musical and dance art that aims to recreate the ethereal experience of a meteor shower.

“Since we started this, we’ve had a few meteor shows at Bottega, the Juggling Gypsy and Parallelogram,” Parker says. The events, which always occur in conjunction with a live meteor shower, include artists from the 910 Noise Scene, like Authorless, One Lifeless Eye and Food World. Dance performances by artists from the Juggling Gypsy Belly Dance Troupe often join in the festivities.

“What’s great about these performances is that audiences can expect a beautiful experience,” Parker explains. “It’s a sample of everything, from gorgeous amplified cello, to breakbeats, to experimental music, plus original film and dance.”

The films are often homemade slide shows and video projections designed by the artists to accompany the audio. Performers like Steph. Dig. It, The Caucasians and Tickle Button always present a feast for the eyes, usually enhanced by modern dance, along with the experimental sounds. Yet, something else truly sets the experience apart from all other performances.

“Not only do we offer live music, modern dance, and original slide and video projections, but the musicians will have no breaks during songs,” Parker says. “It’s one long shower of sound; each band transitions into the next, with soft parts and hard parts, almost as if we are one big band.”

To bring the space theme into the visual mix, performers dress in black in white, and Parker says the creativity in that aspect never disappoints. “We are trying to channel and respect something bigger than ourselves,” she says. “It’s like a play; we’re telling a story.”

With the galaxy as their inspiration, Parker and friends hope to bring attention and respect to the rising stars of experimental art. “We hope that people can marvel at the tranquility of the performance,” she says. Still, they won’t let their audience get too comfortable. Peaceful rolls of sound are often interrupted by a startling bang or pop to jolt the room back onto its toes. “That’s when you can really get lost in the roller coaster of it all,” Parker notes.

On December 12th, space-geeks and performance-art lovers will come together for another shower extravaganza at the Soapbox. Solo keyboardist Steph. Dig. It will open the show at 10pm with a slide show. Jude Eden’s electric cello and modern dance piece will follow at 10:30pm. An hour-and-a half of experimental sound, video projections, and more modern dancing will commence at 11pm, with artists Authorless, the Caucasians and Tickle Button. DJ Teknacolor Ninja takes over at 1am for an all-night dance party.

E-mail AlliPoet@aol.com for more information about the Geminid Meteor Shows.