Night 4 - Free Your Mind (Special Event!)

I would say that I have had an interesting life thus far.  But a few events stand out when compared to the rest.  This night in Michigan is one of those events.  I really wanted to save this event for later on in the life of this blog.  And I am sure I will write about it a couple of times, because one blog posting really won't capture all that needs to be said.  But the event has crept up on me this year on the calendar and I really want to spread the word so if you are interested, you can plan to head down to The D.

Once a year, hordes of people descend on the Eastern Market in downtown Detroit, after dark.  This year, the event has been stretched to a total of eight days and will host thousands of people.  A far cry from its humble beginnings.  The event?

The Dirty Show - Not even remotely safe for work.  Sorry.

If you aren't comfortable with nudity, please, dear lord, don't go to Dirty.  You are going to have a horrible time.  But for those of you that are cool with the naked human form, Dirty is amazing.  It is half erotic art show, half performance art show, and half people watching show.  Okay, maybe I made that last part up.  But the people watching really is part of what makes Dirty so interesting. If you go to the show, odds are you want to be seen.  And some of the outfits, if you can call them that, are intended to be seen.  Men, women, and everything in between.  But lets talk about the show itself.   

The art is very adult oriented, obviously.  It threw me a little the first time.  But you get used to it quick.  You probably won't 'get' it all or even think some of it could be considered art.  But among the brazen nudity and odd photography, there are some amazing pieces of art.  I would say photography is the largest segment, but there are generally some great sculptures and some excellent abstract pieces.  None of it is cheap.  There were multiple times that I stopped, really had a connection to a piece of art, thought about buying it, then looked at the tag.  They do a great job of mixing it up every year and getting new, unique pieces and artists. It is juried and pretty well respected, so it has the feel of a more mainstream art show.  And it really attracts a varied audience. You clearly get the alternative lifestyle crowd (you will see a number of 'collared' people and their master/mistresses), but there are plenty of everyday normal people there.  In fact, I ran into a coworker. Slightly awkward.

Now, here is where I would probably offer to go with you, because I absolutely love it.  It really is a fun night out with someone with you can have a good time with.  But me and The Dirty Show are probably over.  Something about me being in the same zip code as one of the artists, probably a really, really bad idea.  So you are on your own.  Find a friend.  Enjoy it.  Buy some art.  And be prepared to tell some stories about it afterwards to help spread the word.

Dirty Show 11 started last night, February 12th, and runs until February 20th, at Bert's Warehouse Theater, 2739 Russell Street, Detroit.  You can get tickets at the door, but you should buy them in advance.  Bring your ID and pasties.