MFAH: Houston Parties With Art, Too

You bring up the idea of “art”, and you’re definitely begging for some heated shit talking. Opinions are the first to fly, then potentially followed by epithets, then perhaps some brass knuckles. All metaphoric in form, of course. Why must these disagreements come to pass?

Notorious MSG comes to mind.

It could be said that this is exactly what art and artists, as functional cogs in the machines of social industry, are supposed to do. They put people on edge, and cause discomforting introspection. Elephant dung and pr0n-butt butterflies. As if there was any such thing as “comforting” introspection.

If you happen to be heading down to Houston this weekend, or are willing to visit there to experience something akin to the B-Scene parties at Blanton (but on a much more expanded scale) then you should head to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for this season's last installment of Starbucks' Mixed Media art series. This Saturday night, Ceeplus (Bad Knives) will be curating the music to go with the current exhibition: RED HOT – Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection. If that’s too vague for you, here are some details to help sort it all out.

Visual art on display for the eyes: RED HOT is a collection of Asian art pulled from the collection of the Chaney Family. Does that sound like a simple re-ordering of previous description of the art? That’s because it is! Any summary of this exhibition’s breadth and depth would prove unfair. So here are some actual, real details for the duly curious.

Audio art on display for the ears: along with his own presence, Ceeplus has brought in local (Houston) talent Extraman, Houston Press (bottom of page) recognized Peekaboo Theory (who were here for SxSW 2007), and as previously noted: Notorious MSG. The last of which is best served by the copy straight from the press release:

The Notorious MSG hails from the streets of the Chinatown hood in New York City. This renegade trio of ex-restaurant workers is comprised of band members Hong Kong Fever, Down-lo Mein and The Hunan Bomb. Most recently seen making shock waves at the Vans Warped Tour, The Notorious MSG won’t stop its form of Chinese-influenced hip-hop/rock until it has achieved “world domination”. A crowd favorite, some of the group’s most popular hits include “Chinatown Hustler”, “Pimp It” and “Dim Sum Girl”. “Dim Sum Girl” was downloaded 7,500 times within 48 hours of introduction. This group of Chinese “madmen” has already established a strong presence both nationally and internationally with their quirky and highly energetic performances.

Chinatown restaurant workers? Down-lo Mein? That’s the balls right there.

Starbucks Presents: Mixed Media
Saturday, September 22nd
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
5601 Main St, Houston TX [ map ]
8pm - 12am
18+ only, free for MFAH members, $15 for non-members, $10 for students/seniors