Henry Miller Memorial Library

We know, we’re all caught up in the frenzy in helping the Henry Miller Library – along with Kickstarter – offset the cost of our new stage. Things are crazy, yeah, whatever.

But we musn’t forget the old stage either.  And, in our defense, we haven’t; you all remember the obituary for the old stage on our blog, for example.  It was a very nice homage, if we do say so ourselves, although it did cause some consternation in certain corners; some folks thought it was a real fire.  If we gave that impression, we are sorry.

In retrospect, we’re also sorry because while we gave the old stage a proper adieu, we completely forgot to give props to it’s “silent partner”: the backdrop.

The Backdrop in it's heyday: The strong, silent type

Yes, the backdrop.

The backdrop was the big wooden panels stretched skyward.  We used to lit candles on ‘it.  It was bolted to the stage.  It was wobbly, awkward, and mildly dangerous.  But it never complained.

Yet it was always taken for granted, always playing second fiddle to the bigger, badder, and cooler Stage.

The Stage smoked pot in the woods, listened to”After Bathing at Baxters,” and got the girls; the Backdrop read Camus and smoked clove cigarettes.

Worse yet, the backdrop is still around!

It was taken apart – after the final screws removed, it tipped backwards and crashed to the ground with a booming thump – and now it resides in a sad pile behind a pile of wood chips.  Just look at it:

Anyway, we wanted to belatedly thank the backdrop.  It may even come back, who knows – it has a few good years left in it.

In the meantime, it’ll be performing this weekend at the Black Eagle Casino in Reno; if that won’t get you to come, perhaps the $3 buffet will?

Many of you know Magnus Toren.

He goes by many names, including Magnus Toren, The Nice Swedish Guy at the Henry Miller Library, the Scandinavian Hammer, The Assassin, The Scandinavian Assassin, Ol’ Brown Eyes, Magnus Presley, Fluffy, Den Långe Spöke Som Talar i Gåtor, M-Nuts, Ol’ Silver Toes, the Silent German, and the Scandinavian Hammer.

Magus is the Library’s Executive Director, and the brains behind the new stage.

You know the stage we’re talking about, right?  Where we’re working with Kickstarter on to help offset the costs?  And how we’d be so appreciative for any tax-deductible, rewards-included donation you could provide?  Oh good.

Where was I.  Oh yeah, Magnus.  Yeah, actually, he’s the brains behind pretty much everything that goes on at the Henry Miller Library.  Disclaimer: Magnus is also my boss.  (Oh, and did I mention he’s an impeccable dresser, a skilled guitarist, and has great muscle tone [for his age]?)

Anyway, Magnus took some time away from his busy schedule of listening to Abba, reading those Dragon Tattoo books, and making a mess in the kitchen to answer some questions about the new stage, of which there are four.

Me: Hey Magnus.  Lookin’ good, as always.  Have you been working out?

Magnus: …

Mike: ….

Magnus: …

Mike: So why the new stage?

Magnus: The old stage kind was built out of what we had available lying around back about ten years ago.  The stuff we used was not the kind of material that would last. It was an amazing run, but we needed a new one…

Me: How will the new stage differ from the old one?

Magnus: Well, it’ll be bigger and more durable – as you know, the winters can get very rainy here.  And it will look better.  This is going to be done using redwood which we hope will match, almost as a sculpture in itself, the surroundings.   It will add both utility and beauty to the already amazing theater space we have.

Me: The new stage is made of sustainable growth redwood.  What’s that?

Magnus: It’s a good idea to support the idea of sustainable growth – a lot of replanting is happening along the coastal redwood areas.  Combining the replanting with a measured harvest keeps our redwood forests sustained.

Me: Anything else we can look forward to?

Magnus: The new stage will be bigger and a bit higher off the ground which will better feature the performances we have.  In addition there will be a new location for our projection screen – we will have it so we can project behind the performing artists.  It will also make our Big Sur short film series more pleasurable.

Me: Great.  Oh, one last question.  Biggie or Tupac?

Magnus: Ooowhat???

A lot has been made (by us) about our “help us build a stage” thing with Kickstarter. (Your tax-deductible donation here can help offset costs – and you’ll get a present!)

And rightfully so.  It’s gonna be a mighty fine stage.

But it then it occurred to me: what about the dudes behind the stage – Tobin and Todd?  The builders?  The architects?  I mean, what about them?

(This thought specifically occurred to me when I saw Tobin and Todd crying the other day, saying, “What about us?”)

Tobin and Todd do weddings, birthday parties, and bar mitzfas

Well, here they are.

Talk about some American Gothic shiz!

Tobin is a rad local music promoter with a heart of gold.  Todd is a Pisces.  He likes long walks on the beach, fine Merlots, and “emotional honesty.”

If you see them in town, thank them for their hard work.

Oh, and don’t mention I told you I saw them crying.

Oh man.  You guys are amazing.  After, like, 48 hours, we’re knocking on the door of our Kickstarter goal.  Thanks so much!!

Just wanted to say thanks.  It’s incredible – it could, like, be a record or something…

Also, for all you out-of-towners in case you haven’t heard:  Rt. 1 washed out about 20 miles north of here. Scary stuff.  Amazingly no one was injured.

No joke.

The road is closed indefinitely.  No traffic coming down from the north.

This is bad news for Big Sur businesses, including the Library, who are reliant on tourists and stuff.  No one knows how long it’ll be closed for!

But we’re calm.  No looting or hording of dry goods just yet.  No Mayan apocalyptic ramblings.  And good God, no soul-searching!

But something to keep in mind, I guess, when you ruminate on our Kickstarter project; basically – and sadly – we’ll be taking a huge financial hit for the foreseeable future given this closure.  Ugh.

Enough with the housekeeping.  Back to the task at hand, namely this:  the new stage is slowly but surely coming together!  The momentum is tangible, if not outright palatable.

Here is how things looked when I wrote this.  There’s, like, a bunch of stuff out.

That’s Tobin loitering by the truck, and that’s the redwood planks covered in tarps, to the left.

To the right of the truck, you’ll see a big redwood.  We planned it out so that if you’re in the audience, the redwood will perfectly bisect the stage – right down the middle.

The dudes were listening to The Black Keys.

And here we see Todd and Tobin standing over a table saw.  Neither is wearing goggles.  Why is that?  I guess they want to look tough for the blog.

Fun fact: the new stage will come out farther into the audience than the old one.  It will also face slightly more to the Northeast (or was it Southwest?)

Here’s a shot of that beautiful mess from another angle:

This is, naturally, if you are facing the stage from the audience (no outside food and drinks please; there’s also a no ‘ins-and-outs’ policy!)

What will happen next?  Will the stage, like, be built more?  Will Todd and Tobin have a fight?  Will I find a way to sneak my head into another shot?

Stay tuned!

And visit us on Kickstarter!

So!  Day 1 – kinda – of this lil’ fundraising thingie for our new stage.  Thanks so much for all who’ve donated so far.  We really appreciate it.  (More information on reward goodies for your donations here.)

And we weren’t lying when we said yall’ed get daily updates of our new stage construction.*

Obviously the old stage was destroyed; we’ve been through that already.  So enter the new wood for the stage.  Day 1.  A very big day indeed.

When we got the call saying that the truck was leaving Salinas or something, stacked with beautiful recycled redwood planks, well, it was like Christmas morning.

And then the truck arrived (left.)

I admit, the photo could be better, but y’know, what can you do?

Obviously you’ll see the big whole where the stage used to be; we even removed the piles of rubble that Sven the Hippie sifted through in torment and angst. Poor guy.

Sufficiently intrigued, you’re probably also saying, “Wow, that’s amazing, can I get a close up of the wood?”  To which we say, “ok, sure.”

So, over here is a close-up of the redwood.  Not much additional analysis is needed I guess, except for the fact it seems like an indigenous floating Brillo pad somehow made it’s way into the shot.

Exciting as this is, that’s all we have for you now.  Next: the stage begins to take shape!  Stay tuned and please visit our Kickstarter page to donate.

Thanks!

* We have artistic license, however.  Like, the stage will be built across a week, but we may stretch it out over the course of the fundraising period.  Hope that’s ok.

So remember when we intentionally destroyed our stage?  Then said how were gonna build a new one?

Well, that time has arrived.  And we need your financial (tax-deductible!) help.

Henry Miller Library, your favorite non-profit art space, is partnering with the super-cool Kickstarter platform, to raise money to help cover the costs (and then some) of our new stage.

Made of recycled redwood, the stage will serve as a functional and sustainable structure, as well as a beautiful artistic statement integrated into its natural surroundings.

The stage will be completed in time for our big “Start of the Summer Season” show: Animal Collective on April 14th!

Your donations are tax-deductible and entitle you to super-cool rewards.

To find out how to donate please check out our project on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/gSEEnP

Also, please fwd this post to your friends; anything you can help with would naturally be very appreciated.

We’ll be tracking the construction of the new stage on this very blog, on a daily basis.

We are stoked!