The O’Debra Twins Show & Tell
@ The Bowery Poetry Club
May 5, 2008
Dressed festively the O’Debra twins hosted Cinco de Mayo Show and Tell. With moraccas in had they mixed up their normal routine by starting the night off with a music set. The band included two electric guitars, one drummer, one stand up bass, one tenor sax, one mandolin, one violin, two female singers (and several of the instrument players on back up vocals, too). Combined they create an overwhelming amount of sound. A man comes onstage with a top hat and umbrella, he opens and closes it as if he was also playing an instrument. A girl comes on stage with an accordion, and a baritone sax joins in. The stage is completely covered with musicians, an array of instruments, and song notes written in sharpie on paper towels. They play Mexican songs such as La Bamba. The noise gets louder and louder and the O’Debra twins bring the musicians six packs of PBRs. They (scattered) stop playing to drink their beers and become a mirror to the chaotic, drunk crowd. The crowd is receptive, dancing and cheering near the stage.
After the opening band the O’Debra twins continued mixing up their normal set by calling out the names of the readers one by one. This proved to be unsuccessful because most of the readers had left at this point. Each time, eventually, they’d find a name of some lingering performer. Appropriately, Alabaster starts the open mic night with a drinking song on his acoustic guitar. Natalie dances to These Boots Were Made For Walkin’ in a short skirt and fishnets. Afterwards the O’Debra twins announce free drinks for people who pull down their ants onstage. A two man group called Joey John perform a poetry piece. They alternate words and sometimes phrases like “throw-your-jacket-over-your-bag.” And “New York-bullshit housing.” They incorporate singing and repetition to include the audience. Another performer gets on stage and breathes heavily into the microphone, Amazon sounding music fills the speakers, and he has a juggling pin in his hand. He closes his eyes and says, “Sometimes it’s moving so slow in the beginning it’s like the plates of the Earth are just moving so slow and you’re following… following… waiting… waiting. Then out of nowhere there’s an epiphany, an awareness.” He seems to be meditating and starts using the juggling pin like a pendulum He alternates back and forth between comic and hypnotic. Different musicians get on stage to do a short set. A guitar and bass duet called The Fools. They sing simple pretty lines, “Sweet babe I’ve got to let you go because I love you so.” At the end the audience demands an encore. Although, at times the night felt like it was reaching an all time low for Show and Tell there were a few redeeming acts. The mix of musicians, poets, and comedians was scattered well and kept the show entertaining.
