Man up son

There are many shows that come and go in nyc and I don’t think life changes if you miss them or catch them. I stopped heading out to most of these functions because I got a little tired of seeing rejiggered poems set to bad music with equally bad lighting. I certainly believe in supporting my peers but there is only so much I could take.

Let me tell you how I was treated to something refreshing today. I won’t reveal the actual show I caught until the end. I think it would be fun that way so if you don’t like it, double click and exit buddy.

I headed out to this small theater today and it seemed more like a crackhouse then a place where art is appreciated. The graffiti was prominent and the faint smell of urine was definitely in the air. I didn’t think anything of it because in actuality, it felt like home.

Once we got there, I saw a few friends and made my usual rounds of man hugs and friendly cheek to cheek kisses. As far as theater settings go, the point, BAAD, and countless other places all look exactly the same; dark, dingy, and funky. It was a little hot and my hunger headache kicked in.

The show started exactly at 8pm. So I am quite content that we started at the stated time and not the latino time of 8:45. Once it started I was hoping to see something different. It started with one mic and a performance, which looked like every other performance I’ve seen at Bar 13. The only thing that went through my mind was “ this motherfucker better not do this for an hour”.

5 minutes in, things looked up much better. The spoken word aspect was shot down and I saw something more intimate, emotional, loving, thought out, methodic. This is where the ride started and I decided to buckle my seatbelt.

Some of the content was typical and the shock value was present. I say this because in everyday conversation, you barely hear homeboy talk the way he did in his show. There came two points in the show where time stopped in that theater. One came with a loving portrayal of tough love and forgiveness between father and son. It was a solid moment where he opened himself and showed the audience how at that moment he knew he became a man. This first ride was smooth and I expected the transitions to be far rockier.

My next moment in the show that I fell in love with was the moment where he and another man became one. With one line in this sketch he wrapped it all up and put it in a tiny neat box. That box was placed on your lap and it was just another gift he gave us.

The show ran for 1 hour and 5 mins. It was a wonderful treat to have someone work hard to ensure they took you on an emotional ride. You felt a wide range of emotions and that is always the formula for a good show. I didn’t get to thank him for the show and for his work. I didn’t get to thank him or say goodbye because if the fat man gets up at 5am, I need to get my ass to bed.

If you are ever in NYC and you have an opportunity to catch Man Up with Carlos Andres Gomez, you won’t go wrong. He puts his life on a plate and is trusting enough of the audience to dissect his life with care.

peace