Musiqa, CAMH & Project Row Houses

New music in a different arena: A violent brawl that radically questionshyper-masculinity

The Arena, a vision of New York-based performance artist Shaun El C. Leonardo,who's also a painter and sculptor, was performed twice in a Musiqa Loft Concertat the Progressive Amateur Boxing Association Saturday.
Photo by Max Fields
Shaun Leonardo has been deconstructing hyper-masculine stereotypes by engagingin red-blooded activities and surveying pop culture hero paradigms.
Photo by Max Fields
The initial 6-foot body slam that pounded floor conveyed that this was atangible, painful grapple.
Photo by Max Fields
There wasn't a winner nor a loser, but two hard-bodied men who tested eachother's physical strength.
Photo by Max Fields
Through Mexican wrestling, bull fighting, boxing and visual arts , Leonardowants to expound a different point of view for what it means to be a patriarchaccording to shifting 21st century ideals.
Photo by Max Fields
Leonardo, aka "El Conquistador," and his opponent "Firebird" Jorge Santidescended the back stairs and greeted 60 spectators, some of whom were dressedin creative black tie.
Photo by Max Fields

In my years of training to become a classical musician, I have attended a diverse gamut of performances at venues that range from traditional concert halls to grungy bars to alternative venues to experimental interactive aleatoric sound environments, hearing objects like cacti, carrots and metronomes as instruments and anything under the sun submerged in water for cosmic effect.

I can now add a Greco-Roman brawl to the list of things I'd never imagined working alongside new music — in the name of art. Seriously.

Chances are that a concert goer with a penchant for the timbers of western classical music may never set foot inside a boxing ring to spectate wrestling, just as a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment may not seek out chamber music recitals as a weekend leisure activity.

This was a tangible, painful grapple that exchanged blows one after another.

The Arena, a vision of New York-based performance artist Shaun El C. Leonardo, who's also a painter and sculptor, was performed twice in a Musiqa Loft Concert at the Progressive Amateur Boxing Association Saturday as part of Contemporary Art Museum Houston's Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, on view through Feb. 15. Inside the athletic facility in Houston's Third Ward, Musiqa partnered with Leonardo, in collaboration with Project Row Houses, to realize a holistic mise-en-scène where archetypal definitions of masculinity were put into question.

Leonardo has been deconstructing hyper-masculine stereotypes by engaging in red-blooded activities and surveying pop culture hero paradigms. He's approached his subject through Mexican wrestling, bull fighting, boxing and visual arts en route to expound a different point of view for what it means to be a patriarch according to shifting 21st century ideals, whether true or imagined.

With the thunderous sound of snare drums tolling some type of a march to the death, Leonardo, aka "El Conquistador," and his opponent, "Firebird" Jorge Santi, descended the back stairs and greeted 60 spectators, some of whom were dressed in creative black tie, before negotiating through the ropes and onto the raised platform.

Though at first viewers may have been fooled into thinking this was a make-believe tournament — for play, for art, but not for real — the initial 6-foot body slam that pounded the not-so-padded floor canvas cleared up that confusion rather quickly. This was a tangible, painful grapple that exchanged blows one after another.

The stage was set to transport the audience into this milieu. Each guest was given a black handkerchief to twirl and cheer or boo the wrestlers. Before long everyone was fully invested in the action while hollering words of encouragement or disapproval in Spanish and English.

There was neither a winner nor a loser, but two hard-bodied men who tested each other's physical strength.

The music, not dissimilar from Wagner's treatment of orchestral scoring where the instruments offer a truth not evident with the naked eye, percussionists Craig Hauschildt, Alec Warren and Blake Wilkins improvised with mallet instruments, Tibetan singing bowls, cymbals and assorted noisemakers that, when heard over the high-decibel ambiance, challenged aggression and violence as means to arrive at male camaraderie and brotherhood.

Covered in sweat, the fighters concluded with a firm, tired, amicable handshake paired with determined eye contact. There was neither a winner nor a loser, but two hard-bodied men who tested each other's physical strength.

"We took it easy knowing there was another performance," Leonardo laughed.

I rolled my eyes.

While in retrospect I became curious about why I, an otherwise peace-loving Canadian, would be so caught up in a performance that I would encourage representations of fierce brutality, the answer, I speculated, was firmly imparted in the coupling of a biological impulse for Darwinian survival and a desire to witness good triumph over evil, notwithstanding that neither wrestler represented one or the other.

I suppose we all have something to learn about our dispositions. And I'm certain that's what Leonardo wanted for the audience to consider.

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weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Photo by Dave Rossman

Chefs for Farmers returns this Saturday and Sunday.

It may not feel like fall outside in Houston, but fall festival season has arrived. This weekend is loaded with options, including a the largest indoor Japanese festival in Texas, a celebration of Slavic culture, and a two-day food and wine extravaganza featuring more than 60 top chefs.

Beyond all these opportunities for eating a drinking, this weekend's best bets include a casino-themed fundraiser, YouTube stars in concert, and one of Colombia's most celebrated pop stars. Plus, the Houston Symphony celebrates the Queen of Rock 'n Roll.

Thursday, September 24

Houston Grand Opera presents Music-Stories-OPERA!
This interactive opera experience introduces students to the art form through live music, storytelling, and audience participation. Attendees will hear selections from classic operas, guess the languages of famous arias, and collaborate with professional artists to create a brand-new mini-opera in real time. The program is designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a connection to opera in young attendees. 11 am.

Le Colonial Houston 10th Anniversary
The upscale Vietnamese restaurant in River Oaks District is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a week of special dining and entertainment offerings. People can enjoy a limited-time menu celebrating the signature dishes and flavors that have defined its decade in Houston. The celebration comes alive on Saturday, at 5:30 pm, as a traditional lion and dragon dance winds its way through the restaurant. The performance will usher in good fortune, prosperity, and a new decade for Le Colonial. Through Wednesday, October 30. 11:30 am.

Epilepsy Foundation Texas presents Violet Royale
Epilepsy Foundation Texas will present Violet Royale, a casino night fundraiser where folks can enjoy casino games, cocktails, and entertainment while supporting critical programs for the nearly 300,000 Texans living with epilepsy. Funds raised support epilepsy clinics, support groups, youth camps, mental wellness resources, and seizure first aid education statewide. Tickets are $200 and up. 6 pm.

Theatre Under the Stars presents The Music Man
Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning beloved musical comedy follows the fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize. The classic musical features songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Trouble,” “’Till There Was You,” “Pick-a-Little,” and “Gary, Indiana.” It also inspired one of the all-time great episodes of The Simpsons. 7:30 pm. (8 pm Friday; 2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Friday, September 25

Mighty Acorn Productions presents Babette's Feast
In a remote village where tradition and sacrifice shape everyday life, the arrival of a mysterious outsider quietly transforms an entire community. Based on Isak Dinesen's short story, made famous by the 1987 Oscar-winning film (one of the best foodie movies ever made, BTW), this stage production explores the extraordinary power of generosity, artistry, and human connection. Through Sunday, October 4. 7:30 pm (3 & 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Drunk Shakespeare Society presents Drunk Dracula
After centuries cooped up in his creepy old castle, Transylvania's thirstiest bachelor needs fresh blood to maintain his youthful looks and chiseled physique. At each performance, one ensemble member consumes five shots of the liquor of their choice to start the show, then leads the rest of the cast through a boozy, pop culture-infused retelling. While the sober cast attempts to stay on script, the show shifts with the actor's level of intoxication. Through Sunday, November 8. 7 pm (3 pm Sunday).

Houston Symphony presents Simply the Best: A Tribute to Tina Turner
Houston Symphony will celebrate Anna Mae Bullock – better known as Tina “The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Turner – in this powerhouse tribute starring Tony-winning sensation Adrienne Warren, star of Broadway’s Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Audiences will hear all the songs you know and love, including “The Best,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me,” and more. Hopefully, she’ll also perform those couple songs from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday).

Saturday, September 26

Tokyo X
Tokyo X will be an immersive weekend celebrating traditional Japanese culture, anime, gaming, food, fashion, music, automotive culture, and live entertainment. This year’s festival will feature one of the largest Japanese historical exhibits ever presented at a consumer event in Texas, showcasing more than 1,000 authentic artifacts, including samurai armor, Japanese swords, artwork and cultural treasures dating back hundreds of years. 10 am.

Chefs For Farmers Food and Wine Festival
Chefs For Farmers Houston Food & Wine Festival is a two-day extravaganza for H-Town foodies, featuring over 60 chefs and local farms that will unite for bites, pours, and culinary moments. The fest proudly showcases top culinary talent for unforgettable experiences, while supporting invaluable farmers and producers who grow, harvest, and supply the ingredients that bring culinary culture to life. Attendees will enjoy cocktails and wine, live entertainment, activations, and more. 1 pm. (1 pm Sunday).

SANMAN Studios present Tay Butler: The Great Camouflage opening reception
The solo exhibition from artist Tay Butler takes its name from the seminal 1945 essay by French-Caribbean theorist/activist/Surrealist Suzanne Césaire and features new work across painting, collage, video, and sculpture. Working to recover the energy of the 1960s-70s era Black political movements, Butler’s artistic practice draws from his two-decade-long experience in the U.S. military and a deep curiosity about Black popular culture. Through Sunday, November 29. 2 pm.

Dan and Phil: Hard Launch World Tour
YouTube icons Dan and Phil finally hard launched and, in this unhinged and unafraid new era, they'll present an explosive new stage show featuring outrageous oversharing, scream-laughing, and celebrating that we’re all still here and we made it. This show is for everyone — from casual male-podcast listeners, to friends & fam that lost bets, and the people that have been there since the beginning. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, September 27

Sts. Cyril & Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival
The Slavic Heritage Alliance of Greater Houston will present the annual Sts. Cyril & Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival, a celebration of the traditions, cultures, food, music, dance, and history of Houston's Slavic communities, including Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine. There will also be a kids’ corner, with free face painting, games, and crafts all day long. DJ Alex Schumsky will also be spinning tunes and keeping the party going. Admission is $10, but kids get in free. 11 am.

River Oaks Theatre presents Union County with Adam Meeks Live
Will Poulter and Noah Centineo deliver pitch-perfect performances as brothers Cody and Jack Parsons, each navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a pocket of rural Ohio hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Provided with hope for the first time since their struggles began and with the support of a tireless counselor (Annette Deao), the brothers work toward a brighter, sober future. Writer-director Adam Meeks will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Noon.

Karol G in concert
It’s been a good year for Colombian pop goddess Karol G. Along with being the first Latina recording artist to headline Coachella, the Latin Grammy nominations were just announced and she’s been nominated for Record and Song of the Year for her Marco Antonio Solis duet "Coleccionando Heridas," and for Album of the Year with Tropicoqueta. You can catch her this weekend at Reliant Stadium, where she’ll be performing tunes. 7 pm.

Photo by Dave Rossman

Chefs for Farmers returns this Saturday and Sunday.

things to do tina turner houston event-planner weekend events