Last Saturday night brought forth an array of fine-tuned costume-laden freaks, fairies and geeks from all over the tri state area to attend a certain, interactive musical circus at Philly’s own Electric Factory. Those performing in the eccentric Fall Creature Carnival tour are: Lafa Taylor, Emancipator, Shpongle (Simon Posford’s DJ set) and the bedazzling Beats Antique ensemble.


[Some lovely creatures]

Commencing the show’s festivities is our lavishly decorated ringleader: the energetic “hippie-hop” emcee/producer Lafa Taylor. (Those who don’t think they know him may recognize his voice in Bassnectar’s “Don’t Hate The 808”). Taylor ignites a wild flame in the audience, reeling in the rowdy and raucous, and Emancipator beautifully and purposely douses it, gracefully sliding the crowd into a new, loose rhythm with his iridescent and mystifying tracks that pervade every space in the venue.

 
[ArcheDream for HumanKind]

Before Shpongle’s dreamlike realm engulfs the decadent mass of awestruck creatures, the very cool international black light Mask & Dance Theater Company named ArcheDream for HumanKind animatedly moves about the stage in their magnificently vibrant candyland costumes. Their brief intermission act compels Simon Posford to come center stage, and soon familiar sounds of the racing classical guitar in “Dorset Perception” inaugurate a Spanish and East Asian world-fusion dance movement. Several more distinguished songs like “Divine Moments of Truth” and “When Shall I Be Free?” sing to our ears, but the real show that will nourish our souls is right around the bend.

 
[Simon Posford, Shpongle]

Zoe Jakes, (the brilliant belly dancer and performer of Beats) could quite possibly be the sexiest human being. Ever. The two lovely ladies bordering her sides would be right next in line, though. Jakes is absolutely spellbinding to watch solo, so imagine adding two more gorgeous dancers alongside her, all while the enchanting beauty beats infiltrates your senses. The variety of costumes the ladies come out in is captivating in itself: it ranges from Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice to a medieval Ice Queen/Sorceress to something out of an 1800’s Parisian Cabaret.

 
[Zoe Jakes]

So, as if this wasn’t sensory overload already, an enormous inflatable cat later appears on stage and lurches about the musicians and dancers who all manage to weave in and around it. Even the girl volunteer who got called up on stage with Ms. Jakes survived the blow-up kitty attack.


[Volunteer on stage with Zoe Jakes]

Before signing out entirely, both Emancipator and Lafa Taylor re-emerge to play their own last bit. Taylor shouts his last words to the glowing audience: “If you’re feeling hippity-hoppity, here we go!” and the packed factory bumps it’s heaviest and loudest of the night.
The traveling Creature Carnival can rest assured that the show was a phenomenal success, and they can now carry on a newfound tradtion: our generation’s own version of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey’s “Greatest Show on Earth.”

– Alexandra Voigt  [writer and photographer]


[Ms Zoe Jakes]