THE GIG:
Let’s take this to the beginning:
Sometime in the middle of May, I approached Mr. Glenn Bermejo on the concept of “That Asian Thing” Showcase. At that time, it was an idea – something that I wasn’t too sure about but knew that with a little guidance I could make it happen. With Glenn to answer my questions, I felt confident to take on this project. Think of it this way: you’re watching this documentary and seeing all these artists ‘talk’ about their art (in this case, music), BUT you don’t see them perform until the end. It made sense to throw this big concert as a way to end the film AND to provide live experience to the young Asian Americans in which most of this film is geared for. We want them to see talented Asian Americans and feel a stronger sense of pride in their race, especially in the arts. This Showcase was where it was at.
So now what? First – get a venue! From our past posts you can see the number of places that were prematurely stated as the location of the Showcase. Something that is indicative of gaining a good turn out is location. Therefore, I called, emailed, and talked to MANY people concerning venue locations. This went 2 ways because some of the suggestions were bars and some were college auditoriums. The bars were immediately eliminated because this would defeat my purpose of underage viewing. Thus I emailed and called almost ALL college/university auditoriums in the Chicagoland area. However, my criteria held me back from getting a place so easily. This criteria consisted of one main word – CHEAP! That’s a big problem. Sponsorships and donations were limiting and venues needed money down a.s.a.p. since this event was in August and here I am in June. 
Time to venture to new terrain – this led to the Chicago Park District. This was like working with any Chicago governmental department (DMV, paying tickets, jury duty, etc., etc.) – response time was terrible! I couldn’t get a hold of confirmation on any place. Now July is rolling around. I HAD a collegiate place in grasp but fell through due to lack of workers at hand (or so they say). And I also HAD a Chicago park venue in hand but that fell through due to no or overwhelmingly minimal responses to my calls. 
Then we had Palatine Park – thanks to Mr. Jeff Greene! This was not verified and signed off until the last couple of days in July. August 12th was practically a sneeze away. How many people can you get out there in about 2 weeks?
Well – “That Asian Thing” Showcase performed in front of a crowd of approximately 75-100 people (in and out). And many people were very generous with their donations, to which I personally (me – Jonald Reyes) want to thank. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
As for our performances and the feedback from people after the show – it was good. Not over the top spectacular and not terrible, but “good.” And I’ll take that because we didn’t have enough time to prepare and had a lack of funds to make it an even better show. So for what it was worth and how it was compiled in the last possible minute – I’ll take that compliment of goodness.
THE REVOLUTION & D.J. BATMAN:
So much energy and a breath of fresh air to watch! Their breakdancing styles were amazing to watch and a good start to the Showcase. D.J. Batman made the night flow well with his musical improvisation and mix of beats for people to stay attune to. I like these kids cause they use their skills in dancing as their artistic outlet and you can’t get lazy with that or else you’ll lose a step. You need to stay physically fit and agile to move the way they moved and I applaud that. Personal thanks to my cousin, “the incredible, edible Niko,” for hooking up his crew and D.J. Batman. Thanks guys! You were awesome!
JARGON:
This rapper pronounced, “I roll wit Jin!” and that caught my attention as Jin, a.k.a. the Emcee, was the poster boy of this website in its earlier phases. Jargon had a presence about him and had the kids rolling over each other to grab the cd’s he was throwing out to them. His lyrics were pretty tight and crowd participation was adequate. He kept it real and flowed well after the Revolution. It stayed in the vibe of hip hop & rap. Thanks Jargon for your last minute appearance.
STEPHEN MUNOZ:
From the responses of people that have come up to me after the show or from post production emails – Mr. Munoz, I believe you were voted as the fan favorite. As Jargon had left the stage, Steve came up to set up shop to which I tried to kill as much time as I could…and then it happened – he kicked it immediately into high gear with a guitar instrumental that wow’ed the audience. Then he continued on with a song that we had captured from our personal interview for the documentary. The highlight for me was when he asked, “Jonald – how we lookin at time?” I said from behind D.J. Batman’s table, “7 minutes.” Then Steve gets into his ever evolving instrumental entitled “Canonball.” And when he strommed the last chord of his guitar, as I kept an eye on the clock on my cell phone, he hit 7 minutes exactly! Unreal!
Thanks Steve – good luck in Japan buddy!
SONS OF THE ORIENT (SOTO):
A blast from the past for these 4 men. When they hit the stage, it was like reliving old times and being in a world that they knew far too well. Now it was a reunion of harmony and to many people, it seemed like they never stopped performing from the way they sounded. Luke, Gary, Tobey, and Jesch still flowed to their vocal blends with no sounds of missing a beat. They also performed a couple of a capella tunes to show people their roots of performing. I can still see the old tapes of their performances in my head of just pure a capella. They still got it and I’m happy that they were able to fly in to not only hang out with my cousin, Jesch, but to also do what they had a passion for 24 hours a day at one time. Thank you guys and please come back anytime!
INSPIRED BY U (I.B.U.):
The headliner and long awaited performance of the night. Tommy, Jonathan, and Mikey held down the fort and brought it home with a 45 minute performance. They varied it up with ballads and upbeat tunes. What I personally appreciate of the guys from IBU is that they have the ability to write their own songs. They also perform their vocal talents with choreography. IBU, like Jargon, had a presence on stage, as they talked to the crowd in between tracks. They gave insight on history of the song, after party plug, and the project at hand (thanks for the props guys!). Also having the crowd rolling around to grab some free cd’s, they still looked out for the next generation by handing one to a father and his young baby. Good looking out guys. Thank you to IBU and Glenn Bermejo!
AFTERTHOUGHT:
I was completely done when the show was done. Being stressed for the past 2 weeks beforehand and carrying as much weight on my shoulders as I possible could made me irritable and consistently moving. I’d like to thank everyone who supported me and helped me along the way.
VOLUNTEERS:
Lia and Renee – thank you girls so much for walking around during the show and gaining fundage. I owe you a meal! Trust me – I’ll get your backs soon! Don’t hesitate to pop “That Asian Thing” Showcase on your resume as volunteer work. It’s considered canning and gaining funds for the Asian American arts!
Alex, Claudette, Yimin, and Wayne – of course! The support of all 4 of you with your insight and helping hand made this flow smoother and easier for me. Thank you….aw, you know what I mean!
And here are your quick shout-outs & props:
--Jeff Greene & the Palatine Park District (B.J. & Crash rule!)
--Jim Purrazzo Insurance Agency
--Bruce from Dance All Night, Inc. for the wireless mics
--D.J. Batman for getting my back when I had nothing to say on the mic
--Lou Malnati’s for feeding my volunteers and performers
--Dollar Tree for having cheap snacks, drinks, and tableware
--Michaels, Office Max, Kinkos, and Blick Arts for our marketing, promotional, decorative, and staffing needs
--to anyone and everyone that made it that night! Thank you – I can’t stop saying it because without you people, this idea would have been a waste of a nervous system. Take care all and interviews are on their way….WE’RE NOT DONE YET!!
P.S. You can get "That Asian Thing" T-shirts and other stuff at our online store:
http://www.cafepress.com/asianthing
No comments:
Post a Comment