Search - Club Years on DVD

Performance Art from the 80's

Mark Wheaton | Echo Park California | 05/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It may seem strange to write a review of your own product, but I want to get the ball rolling. My name is Mark Wheaton and I worked with Johanna over the last year editing these videos and putting this package together. Johanna Went was a pioneering performer who did elaborate stage productions with found props, elaborately constructed homemade costumes, home made blood, vomit and various colors of tasty guts. And she played in Los Angeles Punk Rock clubs on bills with Fear, Germs, Black Flag, the Bags, the Plugz and many others. I worked with Johanna during this period and continue to work with her up to the most recent performances at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica in May 2007. I played in a band on stage with her that included various musicians from the LA underground scene. Including z'ev, Greg Burk, my brother Brock Wheaton, Karl Precoda (Dream Syndicate) and Kerry McBride (Ju Ju Hounds) and many others. Our shows featured completely improvised electronic/Rock/Noise with Johanna singing wild crazy lyrics that were for the most part undecipherable. We recorded a 45 rpm single and a Ep on Poshboy Records called Hyena. The Studio recordings are somewhat improvised but sound sometimes like a cross between a punk rock band and The Residents, and other times like a very experimental jazz group. This DVD includes a CD with completely remastered versions of these studio recordings along with the DVD which is a wild and raw video glimpse into our live shows during the period 1977-1987. Many current artists such as Karen Finley and Mike Kelley were deeply influenced by Johanna's performances. This is the stuff Jesse Helm wanted eliminated from the planet back in the mid 80's. See for yourself."

K.O.A.

Steven J. Fritchie | Inglewood,CA | 04/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I used to have the "Hyena" album and have been looking for it on CD for a year now. I was overjoyed when I saw that it was included with a DVD of Johanna's performance pieces. I have never seen any performance art to speak of, so I totally loved the energy and creativity of Mz. Went's pieces--it's like Kabuki on Acid. "Mound Builder" is one of my favorite songs so I was also happy to see that the CD had more of her songs--now I also like "The Worm". If anyone has never seen performance art before...enter with an open mind and enjoy! I'm sure even Salvador Dali would have enjoyed it."