Suzee's Laundromat Fashion Show Review

From the Montague Reporter

TURNERS FALLS - Was it a surrealistic dream or did it actually happen in a sleepy, working class town called Turners Falls? Perhaps a collective hallucination? Any casual observer wandering past the laundromat on 3rd Street on December 2nd at 11 p.m., would have caught a glimpse of wild, glittery folks dressed in trash bag gowns sashaying along a makeshift runway above the washing machines.

The second annual lost and found laundromat fashion show, the brainchild of Chris Janke and Emily Brewster, owners of Suzee's Third Street Laundry took place in conjunction with the Open Studios and Downtown Walking Tour, where local artists opened their studios to the public, and put their talents on display.

Janke and Brewster first conceived of the idea of a fashion show last year, using the clothes left behind by the Laundromat's patrons. This year, once again, Janke gave a grab bag of clothes over to local designers, and asked them to create their own line of hot couture, to be modeled by friends.

In order to boost the town's gathering artistic momentum, Janke decided the fashion show should happen on the same weekend as the Art Walk. "Me and my friends thought it would be a good idea to merge the events, since my establishment has a perfect room in the back for an art gallery, as well as live performances." Janke charged ten dollars per ticket for the event, but the 80-person capacity hall was sold out before the tickets officially went on sale, the Monday before the show. You had to know somebody to get in.

The night began around 8:30 with a slew of bands and performance art. Neil Young (not that Neil Young) performed a solo act, with an explorative sound, called Bomptreb. Jeremy Latch of Moscow Mule also performed, with haunting keyboards and a crooning tenor. Coco Akula Schatchtl, from Moscow Mule, added to the tonal smorgasbord. A scatalogical comedy skit, written and performed by George Myers and Ben Hersey, followed, called Episode 7.

At 10 p.m. Evolution Revolution, a six-piece band from Troy, NY took over the space with their introverted groove rock: Jason Martin, lead guitar and vocals, Jenn MacArron, bass and vocals, Jessie Pellerin, clarinet and vocals, Jessica Shaver, saxophone and vocals, Ross Goldstein, keyboards, and Aaron Smith, percussion, took the oddly contoured back room by storm. They were dressed in outlandish stage attire consisting of various animal masks, tails and creature features, and they gave an exceptional performance of bluesy glam-funk with overtones of early seventies glitter. Evolution Revolution displays a rock star aesthetic reminiscent of old-school showmanship, especially MacArron, the bass player, wearing Brian Ferry flared slacks and wide lapels. While hiding behind her chicken mask, she displayed a juicy charisma rarely seen on stage these days.

While the bands played on, fashion designers, Anja Schutz, Sarah Pruitt, Rachel Teumin, and Anne Harding scurried around, getting their models gussied up amongst the dusty pipes and heating ducts in the laundromat basement.

At eleven o'clock, folks gathered around the washing machines and dryers. All eyes were fixed on the runway, while models sporting attire that varied from comfy and casual - something one might slip into after a swim at the beach - to dresses fit for a drag queen's ball, climbed the short flight of stairs to the spotlit track.

Jamie Berger was MC for the event, while his dog Bo took a trip down the runway with model Dianna DeStefano, clad in a kimono wrap with a draw string skirt, a slightly more sophisticated look than the preceding model, Molly Simpson, who sported a punk rock take on a jungle woman outfit, barely covering her ass.

A bevy of bodies sashayed and undulated under the glaring stage lights, while house music pulsed over the sound system, and the audience itself, decked to the nines, looked on in awe.

The first four models, represented by Harding, wore outfits constructed from Terri cloth bath towels coupled with what looked like denim, and deemed perfect for a stroll through a gentle summer rain.

The next four models were represented by Schutz, and wore skimpy skirts and dresses with a sort of new wave, post punk Flash Dance vibe, that looked like they might have been work T-shirts at an early point in their careers.

The music kicked up a notch as four or five more models strutted their stuff for the cameras, each sporting a Pruitt creation, consisting of evening wear constructed from fabric and clear garbage bags, shellacked with glitter. Loud, aggressive cheers flooded the laundromat as one model performed a seductive wiggle for her audience, her hair glowing like a garland in Times Square.

The last cluster of models sauntered out wearing Teumim togs. Matthew Latkiewicz did a little dance in a costume the teetered between a jailbird suit and a Victorian-era gent's bathing costume, constructed out of stretchy striped pajamas. He carried barbells made from balloons.

Around midnight, all the models and fashion designers gathered on the runway, to take their final turn before an enthusiastic audience, then segued to a late night dance spree, where all guests were welcome to join. The last pedestrians straggled by and peered through the fogged pane glass windows of the laundromat, and vowed to drink less next time.