Big Whoop: More interesting entertainment at the Bemis Saturday

The advent of the internet has taken away a lot of the mystery of potential entertainment outings — with a few clicks you can read 30 reviews before you see a movie or watch a YouTube video of a band prior to ever seeing them live. I understand not wanting to waste your time and money on a too-long movie or a lackluster show, but nothing beats the thrill of stumbling upon something wonderful and unexpected.

Whoop Dee Doo promises that rare, enigmatic experience, one that can’t be easily summed up and is wholly unique each time. And while their events take a certain amount of planning and preparation, surprise and spontaneity are desired and inevitable. So what exactly is it? Described as “part Japanese game show, part Hee Haw and part high school talent show” by the Bemis, Whoop Dee Doo is the name of a faux television show created by Kansas City based artists Jaimie Warren and Matt Roche with a supporting cast of fellow artists and friends.

The original inspiration for Whoop Dee Doo was the Chicago public access television show Chic-A-Go-Go (still on the air), where a hand puppet is a co-host and you can watch, as described by Jaimie Warren, “a five year old dancing with a homeless person.” The setup of the show is simple and revolves around a random group of people dancing to music. Rather than trying to look sleek and polished, it capitalizes on the amateur look of most public access television shows. “It’s kind of awkwardly filmed and slow, but at the same time, it’s really interesting and funny,” describes Warren. Whoop Dee Doo sprung from that basic idea, but gradually it morphed into more of a variety revue, showcasing a variety of local talents, as well as including games and contests.

An important aspect of the original inspiration they retained was to keep their shows open to the public. Not only are the viewers given access to the process, unlike the usual artist/passive viewer relationship, but they are a crucial ingredient to the piece itself.

Diversity in many respects is a conscious goal for both performers and public participants. While it serves an artistic purpose of looking visually interesting and, at times, downright bizarre on screen, it also speaks to a greater purpose of bringing people from all walks of life together to have some fun. “We want to have lots of different people making the sets and doing everything together, like little kids, Mexican fiddlers, drag queens, cloggers, and drill teams…just a huge group of people,” states Warren.

Their show in Omaha, their first-ever outside of Kansas City, promises no less of an eclectic line-up culled from the greater Omaha community. Currently slated to appear are the gospel group Angels of Faith, mountain dulcimer player Phyllis Dunne, Omaha band Tilly and the Wall, the Heartland Harmonizers barbershop quartet, art collective Carnal Torpor, the West African dancing and drumming troupe African Culture Connection, and the youth drill team Salem Stepping Saints. Not your everyday affair.

So if you’re looking for a break from the ordinary, head on down to the Bemis on Saturday, August 9 from 1-6 p.m. to be a part of the show or studio audience. Dust off that old chicken costume or bring the kids if you want top priority for games, contests and on-air action. All ages and backgrounds welcome, your only pre-requisite is to have a good time.

Summer Smorgasboard

Bemis gets its summer on with eclectic slate of performances/exhibits

“Won’t be long until summer time is through,” warn The Beach Boys on their album Endless Summer. Despite the lack of sand and surfers in Nebraska, the Bemis Center aims to protract and enrich Omaha’s season of rays with its “exhibition-in-motion” of the same name. A hodgepodge of events including film, performance, architecture, dance, and discussion, Endless Summer is the first series curated by recent Bemis addition Hesse McGraw. “The goal is to energize the exhibition space throughout summer and generate as much activity as possible,” states McGraw.

Endless Summer kicked off June 6 with a discussion on television with University of Paris psychoanalyst Jean-Pierre Klotz and runs through August 16. With a variety of represented disciplines, the series offers the opportunity to be exposed to something unfamiliar. Zach Rockhill mines the paranormal territory of the Tarkovsky film Stalker for his performance “As For the Motive That Compelled Me…” If you missed that, “Whoop Dee Doo”, described as “part Japanese game show, part Hee Haw and part high school talent show,” promises to be a (literally) engaging performance.

On July 19 and 20, a host of talented Midwest architects will gather to discuss progressive architecture in the region. The “Midwest Architecture Forum” also offers a rare opportunity to tour the Min | Day designed Okoboji House. “If you’re at all interested in architecture, this is a must-see event,” McGraw emphasizes.

The Bemis continues their support of local music by hosting a 7-inch release party with Bandit Teeth, The Dactyls and Dim Light on July 21.

Ongoing series incorporated into Endless Summer include “First Thursday ArtTalks” with Bemis residents and “Arthouse: Bemis Artists Talk Film,” film screenings at Film Streams with post-show discussions. “Arthouse” began with the film Au hasard Balthazar and continues on August 1 for the upcoming Werner Herzog film, Encounters at the End of the World.

If you’re looking for alternative film options, “Stop & Go” screens a collection of animated shorts on July 25 curated by former Bemis resident Sarah Klein. Concluding Endless Summer is the cross-pollinated “Cinema Zero”, a “site-specific video, music and performance series” curated by Amy Granat.

In need of a new engine, the biodiesel, music venue on wheels, “The Bus”, delayed its journey to Omaha. It’s no T-Bird, but let’s hope it can roll into town and keeps the summer fun alive.
For a full and updated schedule, go to BemisCenter.org.