The Art of Gwar, Music of Decoder and More
I’m not one for nostalgia, but, damn, that longing for what was hit me hard as I walked through Let There Be Gwar at Beyond the Streets on Saturday morning. Inside the La Brea Avenue gallery is a treasure trove of costumes, props and ephemera from the rock band/art collective. A massive anthropomorphic toilet and plunger stands near the front entrance. Decapitated heads line a wall, a recipe for DIY bloodbags beside them. On the TV screens are flashbacks to Gwar’s time on the 1990s talk show circuit. Joan Rivers! Jerry Springer! Wally George!
The pang of nostalgia I felt wasn’t for a time so much as it was for a concept, freedom of speech. Remember that?
Read: LET THERE BE GWAR MADE ME NOSTALGIC FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH
I visited the Gwar exhibition last weekend and posted the story on Monday, before the Jimmy Kimmel fiasco. There’s a lot I want to say about that, but it’s kind of a jumbled mess in my head right now, so maybe next week? In the meantime, I’ll refer you to Jon Stewart.
This week, we hear from musician and author Aug Stone, who just released a new single, “Rachel on the Rooftops,” with Rachel Love of Dolly Mixture on backing vocals.
Read: ‘BALLAD OF BUTTERY CAKE ASS’ AUTHOR AUG STONE RELEASES NEW SINGLE OF HIS OWN
This week, we also hear from filmmaker Klaus Maeck, about Decoder, a wild punk, German sci-fi film from 1984 starring F.M. Einheit and Christiane F. The soundtrack, which also includes music from Genesis P-Orridge and Dave Ball, Soft Cell, The The and more, was just re-released on CD.
Read: DECODER IS THE PUNK SCI-FI FILM, AND SOUNDTRACK, YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE
Need some new tunes? The September 2025 Beatique mix is up now with music from Lead Into Gold, Saint Etienne, Pulp, Bob Vylan and more. If you’re in L.A. and looking for something to do this weekend, click on these recommendations. My own next gig is at Catch One for Nocturno on Friday, September 26. Tickets are available now.
That’s all for this week. See you on the dance floor soon.
Liz O.