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GREG MARZULLO
Friday, June 23, 2006
D.C.
is
seen
by
many
as
a
conservative,
uptight
town
that
could
use
a
little
loosening
up.
Even
the
gay
nightlife
scene,
full
of
standard
house
music
and
tribal-beat
dance
parties,
could
use
a
little
sprucing
up.
Hoping
to
bring
something
edgier
to
the
scene,
Karl
Jones,
one
of
the
promoters
behind
D.C.’s
monthly
alternative
dance
night
Taint,
will
debut
a
new
event
on
Sunday,
June
25,
at
10
p.m.
at
the
club
DC9,
located
at
1940
9th
St.
Titled
“Crack,”
the
new
theatrical
event,
party
and
overall
burlesque
of
the
bizarre
is
a
showcase
highlighting
D.C.
performers
who
have
fallen
through
the
cracks
of
the
traditional
art
scene
of
the
city.
“It’s
something
that’s
a
little
out
of
the
ordinary,
performance-wise,”
says
Jones,
who
helped
to
develop
the
event
along
with
Chris
Farris
and
Shea
Van
Horn,
a
performer
whose
drag
name
is
Summer
Camp.
“It’s
dirty
and
off-color
and
funny
and
shocking.”
The
doors
will
open
at
8:30
p.m.,
and
the
show
itself
begins
at
10
p.m.
Performers
will
take
the
stage,
hosted
by
Van
Horn
as
Summer
Camp,
and
the
audience
will
weigh
in
on
their
favorite
artist.
The
evening’s
winner
will
receive
a
$500
cash
prize.
After
the
show,
visitors
can
dance
the
night
away
until
the
bar
closes
around
2
a.m.
A
$7
entrance
fee
covers
the
entire
night’s
activities,
although
those
unable
to
attend
the
show
can
join
the
dancing
for
$3.
“We’re
interested
in
cultivating
local
talent,”
Jones
says.
The
first
Crack
night
will
be
a
test-run
for
the
developers
who
are
wondering
how
frequently
they’ll
be
able
to
hold
the
event
should
it
prove
popular.
“Our
first
thought
is
that
it
will
be
quarterly,”
says
Jones.
“If
it
became
popular
enough,
it
could
be
monthly.
It
really
is
going
to
be
a
huge
production.
I
don’t
think
we
have
the
resources
to
pull
it
off
more
than
monthly.”
Van
Horn
says
the
event
will
provide
opportunities
for
D.C.
audiences
to
experience
the
gamut
of
what
local
artists
have
to
offer.
“Hopefully,
any
spectator
who
has
come
to
Crack
one
and
two
and
three
and
so
on
will
see
a
variety
of
types
of
performers,”
says
Van
Horn.
“It’s
the
Gong
Show
gone
crazy.”
VAN
HORN,
WHO
HAS
been
involved
in
drag
performances
for
the
past
15
years,
believes
that
D.C.
residents
need
to
reverse
the
old
adage
that
D.C.
doesn’t
have
any
culture,
it
imports
it.
“D.C.
has
a
deep
appreciation
of
culture
and
art,”
Van
Horn
says.
“If
anything
amazing
comes
through
town,
it’s
sold
out.
[D.C.]
doesn’t
necessarily
cultivate
its
own
scene.
We
need
to
kick-start
this.”
Promoters
have
been
handing
out
little
dime
bags
full
of
rock
candy
with
a
slip
of
paper
inside
that
states
Crack’s
vital
information.
“We’ve
been
pushing
Crack
everywhere,”
laughs
Jones.
Jones
also
says
they’ve
been
using
their
contacts
through
Taint
to
spread
the
word
to
local
artists.
Crack’s
website,
www.CrackDC.com,
has
a
spot
for
artists
to
sign
up
as
prospective
performers.
The
site
encourages
drag
kings
and
queens,
guerilla
poets,
psychics,
performance
artists
and
other
oddities
to
apply
as
entertainment.
“We’re
trying
to
discourage
the
overt
notion
of
it
being
a
contest,”
says
Van
Horn.
“We
want
it
to
be
a
safe,
inclusive
performance
event
—
that
also
has
this
cash
prize.”
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