CultureMap Art & About Video
Jurassic Park at the Zoo: Unruly dinobots & a groovy flock of youngprofessionals do the disco
They roar, burp, snarl and some even spit. Inconceivable!
Thankfully, that unruly behavior wasn't coming from the rowdy young professionals that flocked to Flock's primal fete at the Houston Zoo Thursday night.
Those uncivilized manners, and appropriately so, were the faux pas of a collection of 19 animatronic beasts illustrating 12 species, with all but two being Texas' ancestors from many, many moons ago.
Last seen in Houston in 2010, this "Dinosaurs! at the Houston Zoo presented by Orkin" exhibit is twice as big.
"The dinosaurs are driven by a complicated dance between compressed air and micro electronics," Brian Hill, director of public affairs, explains. "The compressed air helps the dinosaurs move and the electronics drive the vocalizations, and you get this complete picture of what we think dinosaurs looked like millions of years ago."
These dinobots, on view through Sept. 3, offer an opportunity for zoo officials to talk about conservation and extinction, and to bring to light animals that may be endangered by human encroachment on their habitat.
Traveling back but not so far back in time, "Dinosaur Disco" kicked off the showcase with a '70s-themed disco party where a chic assemblage of 150 in Afros, sequins, polyester and hot pants imbibed suds from Saint Arnold Brewing Co. and a "pre-historic punch" courtesy of Brugal Rum while grazing on nibbles from BlackFinn American Grille and Sprinkles Cupcakes.
"The compressed air helps the dinosaurs move and the electronics drive the vocalizations, and you get this complete picture of what we think dinosaurs looked like millions of years ago."
Animal lovers gathered around the cool waters of Duck Lake and trekked through the exhibition, drinks in hand, to check out the honking Edmontonia, the Houston Dynamo sponsored creature, the long-necked Brachiosaurus and the 7,000-pound Tyrannosaurus Rex, the most menacing of the mammoth beasts.
Jared Lang, general manager at Momentum Audi and the main underwriter of Flock, wasn't shy to snap a few pictures. Amber Akers, Tanja Vimpari and David Rassin followed suit shortly after.
As expected, the bash reached ferocious proportions with the music of DJ Little Martin. Sequined table clothes morphed into dance accessories and guests grooved until after the event was scheduled to end.
Getting wild on the scene were Jazmin Saras, Rita Intyrath, Lindsay Rachunek, Tara Clowe, Stefani Rodriguez, Casey Clay, Brian Neal, Mary Brownfield, Justin Calhoun, Le Villers, Tamar Mendelssohn, Charles Lirrabee, Chris Goins, Sam Cole, Denise Furlough, Danny Villarreal and Billy Whitaker.
Watch the Art & About video hosted by yours truly (above) for a tour with Hill, during which he describes the ins and outs of the exhibit, and explains the Houston Zoo's efforts to educate the public.
"Dinosaurs! at the Houston Zoo presented by Orkin" is open daily from 9 a.m. through 6:30 p.m. through Sept. 4. Tickets are $3 on top of regular zoo admission.
