20x2 1.0: What Is Interactive?
The first 20x2 was held at South By Southwest
(SXSW) in 2001 at the Four Seasons hotel. Participants included
Bryan Pudder of GSD&M, who answered by batting balls with
messages up into the air over the crowd, by Joe Silva of Olive
Design who broke out a Twister game on the fly, by Sarah Bruner
of syrup.org who taught the crowd how to hula by PowerPoint,
by Austin band Seven Percent Solution who recorded the crowd
before the show and played them back to themselves in song.
Many of the others brought a variety of interesting answers
to the show, including musician Shane Bartell who got the
Meow Mix cat food song stuck in our heads and Andy Wang of
Ironminds, who, when asked, answered "What Is Interactive?
I'm just a journalist. I have no fucking idea."
20x2 2.0: What Is Real?
One of the ultimate questions during a time
of uncertainty, the "What is Real?" show featured
music (the blues, appropriately, by Michael Brown and "Reality,
Reality" by Tim O. Thompson), short film (by Bottlerocket
producer L.M. Kit Carson), and loads of storytelling, from
the myriad of answers collaboratively assembled by Heather
Champ to the interpretive stance taken by Alison Headley,
who stood by idly as a videotaped Alison, well, stood by idly.
Ryan Gantz had a major freakout involving a sprint to the
bathroom.
Read the Austin Chronicle review of this show
here.
20x2 3.0: What RU W8ing For?
The first 20x2 to deftly integrate numbers into
the question found lots of waiting in two minute increments.
As we noted at the show wrap-up, we waited, and boy, did they
deliver.
To whit:
If you couldn't tell, Meryl Evans was waiting
for the stork. Jeremy Kliendl was waiting for the waiting
to get easier. Mark Couvillion was counting down. Josh Benton
was waiting, seemingly, for several things that end in an
"oh" sound. Kevin Smokler asked "when did I
last wait for anything?" Instead of breaking into tears,
Ryan Gantz broke into a Spontaneous Blues Explosion. Johnny
Goudie Waited for "his man". Michael Griffith waited
for his parents, and his kids waited for their parents. Warren
Wilansky was as waiting with spoken word as we were with baited
breath. Mena Trott was waiting for her heavy industrial "Lee
Press-ons" to spring into action. Min Jung Kim waited
for Dad to say "I Love You." Ernie Hsiung waited
for his fever to break but mustered the energy to throw awards
in the air. Ethan Azarian waited through a song he wrote especially
for the occasion. Katherine Jones waited with time-honored
prose. Carole Guevin was flashy and organic at once. Halley
was waiting ethereally. David Weinberger was waiting for ISO 9000 compatability.
Neal Pollock was waiting for a web spoof of Lynn Cheney. Darin
Murphy was waiting for a wide variety of things, most all
of them with a brush and a drum. And Andy Langer was waiting
for the blues to pass.
Like they do when you play it back.
20x2 3.5: Who Are You?
20x2 version 3.5, the first to be held outside
of SXSW, was performed in September 2003 and featured singer-songwriters
like Matt the Electrician (he of the beer hat...don't ask),
Jerm Pollet (he of Mr. Sinus Theater and a pair of ill-themed
binoculars), web folk like Leia Scofield (who was, apparently,
mostly the result of internet quizzes), Tim O. Thompson (who
really would prefer if you didn't stand so close to him),
Alison Headley (who recounted her bout with a life of crime
and its corresponding state of undress), Mark Couvillion (who
was, quite or not-so-quite simply, engaged), Marc English
(who was a bandalero with a penchant for table-jumping), Jeff
Rider (who was a poetic turn in San Francisco), Ari Brown
(who was without a very dear friend), Jodi Jinks (who was
art-as-theatrical movement), Erica Lucci (who was baring
her soul in front of a loved one from New York), Sarah Bruner,
who was new in so many cathartic ways, Melanie Haupt who was
from the Austin Chronicle, but not *just of the Austin Chronicle*,
Emily Fawcett who was someone who had a thing about shoes,
Shane Bartell who was, briefly, Richard Simmons (who was not
present) and Eric Anthamatten, who was the spoken word of
the street.
20x2 4.0: What's the Big Idea?
Monday March 15th, 2004 at La Zona
Rosa, saw our take on a grand query. Tina Winslow bravely talked about love. Tara Hacker broke it down with a flip chart. For James McNally, the big idea was all about being small. Lisa Whiteman shared the Big Idea's potential...through urban lemonade sales. Mark Couvillion posed the Big Idea from halfway around the world, to varying degrees of innebriation. Ed Carter thought the Big Idea was best asked with an accent, or several. Genevieve Van Cleve let the Big Idea and all that stand in its way, well, really have it. Kevin and Jeff imagined the Big Idea as Cop Show, as Western. Jason Cross saw the Big Idea as a poster sale. Robert Brochu thought it more about poetry...and trucks. Jodi Jinks imagined the Big Idea as Tony Kushner might. For Dan Gillmor, the Big Idea was you, all about you. For Craig Newmark, it was the heavy lifting. Rannie Turingan imagined the Big Idea through his telephoto lens, altered and accentuated. For Mike Henry, the Big Idea was a Mike-on-Video-Mike slammoff. For Austin band Housewife, it was spoken beat syncopated with swirling guitar. For San Francisco band From Bubblegum to Sky, it was about the trip here, and how life is silly, and worthy. For Nicolai Nolan, it was about the absence of sound, but for your thought and silent scribblings. For Jerm Pollet, it was about being bolder, and funny. And for Pong? Orange jumpsuits and high fives. Could have seen that one coming, right?
Read the Austin Chronicle review of this show here.
20x2 4.5: What's The Story?
20x2 continued the tradition with our second off-SXSW show, in November of 2004 at Tambaleo in Austin. Nicole Janson started things with a story of new beginnings and the songs you leave behind. Kevin Mason's story was of loss and remembrance. For Jaye Joseph, her two minute story was the last two minute story her father would tell. Robert Frye told his story by six-string. Carla Wilder told a story of love and appreciation. For Billy Hutchison, his story was yours...and mine. For Erica Hess, the story was a Mad Libs adventure. Tina Winslow's story was open about being personal. Joseph Fontinos told the story of why horror stories are the best stories. Ruaraidh MacPherson's story, told from Scotland, was brought with Cookies and Monsters. Ariel Quintans' story was about all the things that make him happy, and that includes the shaking of your ass, thank you. The Late Train gang told the story of a militia...without any weapons. Ethan Azarian's story was about falling in love with a dog...really. Jacob Villanueva's story was full of texture and visceral interpretation. David Hendler's story was about being a Jewish American. Roger Fort's story was about getting screwed and getting, well, even. Tim Thompson's story was about what happens when you combine the word 'blank' and your dirty, dirty mind. Andy Langer's story was about Snuffleupagus, and Sesame Street's role in making him jaded (Andy, not the puppet). Lance Myers' story was about being accosted onstage...or was it? Cinque Hicks' story was that reading between the lines can reveal the unexpected...and the unfortunate.
20x2 5.0: What's the Word?
20x2 version 5.0 was held during SXSW at Tambaleo, our first anniversary show held in our mid-year mainstay. A packed house saw Ted Rheingold discover The Word in a bee costume. For Allison Pickett, The Word was her friend Dave's email password. Evan Horn's word involved a one-act play and a subsequent death. David Dylan Thomas' Word (well, there were several) was delivered via rhythym and powerpoint. The Late Train guys Word(s) were presented via "unique" Ziggy greeting cards. Chris Caddel's Word was both posterized and abstract. Nessim Higson's word was stylized, fast and loose, powerful yet refined. Michael Buffington's Word brought a time-lapse chicken. Jaxon Repp's Word was a stage at a time in relation to an old flame. Shaun Inman's Word was sung to and about the Web, or possibly, convergence. Andrew Baron's Word traveled around the room by cell phone, like gossip. Jennifer Eno's Word was Silence, and there was some. Nick Finck's word was SXSW, or phrase really...a retrospective and a look forward. Brad Graham's word might as well have been eloquence, but was more aptly amusing. So too from Matt Bearden, who reminded us that the word was "Nuclear." And that Louie Armstrong never walked on the moon. Viviane Vives presented her word through a stylistic world of celluloid, poetry and interpretation. And for Miles Zuniga? Grease is the word.
Take that, Travolta.
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