#brain frame 19

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Lyra Hill debuted her second comic in a trilogy of stories about oral fixations and female sexuality, Cat Tounge, rear-projecting two 16mm film loops with a restless slide show animation of shifting, color-separated comic panels in between, fully exploring the sonic and sexual atmosphere of two lesbians fantasizing about jungle cats in a wood shop at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

This was the last performance at the last Brain Frame. Lyra's last speech, announcing the conclusion of the show, is included at the end of this video.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace [camera].

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Jessica Campbell and Aaron Renier gathered a cast of eighteen fellow artists and dressed them in paper-mache dog heads, assigning them roles based off Jessica and Aaron’s classic-canine-whodunit-comic, Sylvia Leeds: The Colonel Throws a Ball, with live accompaniment by Tyson Torstensen and sound effects by Ben Babbitt at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Players: Nate Beaty; Ben Bertin; Kevin Budnik; Jessica Campbell; Gabriela Cracraft; Sara Drake; Henry Guerra; Abel Guzman; Brian Hall; Andrew Holmquist; Emily Kettner; Aaron Renier; Dave Roche; Emily Solichin; Jeremy Tinder; Danny Volk; Lillie West; Nicki Yowell.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace [camera].

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Emily Hutchings and Ian McDuffie, dressed against their sexes, engaged in a thoughtful, illustrated conversation on body identity, non-corporeality, and what really matters at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace[camera].

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Anya Davidson and Carrie Vinarsky pantomimed a dark journey through a stoner swamp and the discovery of a Golden Energy Being, played by Jail Flanagan, timing their live performance to a video mashup - filmed and edited by Jason Ogawa - comprised of comic panels, special effects animation, and dramatic closeups at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace[camera].

[brainframe]

Gina Wynbrandt, to the goofy strains of a walking baseline played by Clayton Weimers, voiced a caricature of her self on a journey towards adulthood, spurred by her 24th birthday and a gang of hardscrabble alley cats, with supporting vocals from J Paulos and David Andersson at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace[camera].

[brainframe]

Nick Jackson, accompanied by the voice of Ben Bertin as well as Motria Caudill and Lesya Klimchenko strumming the shimmering bandura, a traditional Ukrainian folk instrument, read with stoic emotion an autobiographical account of the fall of Lenin’s statue during the Euromaidan protests in Kiev at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace[camera].

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Rough House, an interdisciplinary puppet-based theater company (comprised on this evening of Emma Alamo, Rachel Christianson, Matt Dealy, Sean Hughes, Mike Oleon, Jason Sperling, and Laura Tater) performed the haunting And Dream Of Teeth (directed by Mike Oleon with music by Sean Hughes) using flashlights, silhouettes, a free floating screen (or panel), and a glowing baby on a stick to explore one man’s nightmare bladder at Brain Frame 19 on August 9th, 2014.

Video thanks to Jack Wensel [editing, camera], Cooper Collier [camera], and Cody Wallace[camera].

[brainframe]

Brain Frame, Chicago's legendary underground comix-weirdo-performance happening, celebrated the end with a Grand Finale on its 3rd anniversary, August 9th, 2014. Seven performative comics readings by a bevy of local talents unfolded on the historic stage at Thalia Hall, surrounded by interactive installations in opera boxes; musical performances from Tyson Torstensen, Flux Bikes, and DJ Pluto; cheers and human pyramids by the Spirit Team (interns Emma Rand, Brad Rohloff, and Lillie West); and the release of the Brain Frame Yearbook.

This video captures the entire event and the buoyant spirit of the extended Brain Frame family. Thank you to all our supporters over the years, everyone who worked an event, collaborated on a poster, or just showed up to party. Never forget! Brain Frame Forever!

Video by Burton Bilharz with additional performance footage thanks to Cooper Collier, Cody Wallace, and Jack Wensel.