2008:

we rocked the walls down for phyllis new years eve. worth reporting.

EE participated in the first Annual Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival
at the Congress Theater!!, see you there next year!

Photos and Video in from our East Coast Tour (October 2008)
available at www.honkfest.org

1st Annual Chicago Burning PREKOMP photos: Aug. 5, 08
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cassiusjb/sets/72157606545538827/

Special Thanks to our Musical Guests from Cirque du Soleil performing with us at our July 25 Phyllis show!

Two members of March Fourth Marching Band were recently
seen in Seattle sporting EE bunny t-shirts. Aug 4, 2008

Thanks, this was a jam to promote our phyllis gig at Critical Mass, June 27, 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLh4CEu3isg

Chicago World Naked Bike Ride 2008 rocked our world.
IMAGES - and notes from the organizers, June 17, 2008

Thank You folks at Waldorf School for a great May Fair

Please support Art Against War!
Go to their myspace site and find out the skinny.

EE rocked Orphanage HEaVy MeTaL FeSt
thanks Bands: Blood of Martyrs and Baba Yaga

Thanks Wesley Kimler and Shark Forum for an amazing studio
and hosting EE for the hugest Artopolis Party

EE on National Public Radio- Oct. 2007
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/2007/10/06/marching_bands_in_th.html

EE's first interview, now available online from 1996 Lumpen
Learn about the Origins of EE

2005 Highlights:

 

Weird Corporate Private Back to School Breakfast party!?

JBTV SHOOT

Thanks Rusty Nails and Guy Maddin at the MovieSide Film Festival. Guy came up to me and said, "That was a hot set!" Lonesome Organist Rocked out, as the Music Box was packed. "This goes out to all of the EE members! Thank you all so much for being part of Movieside - we have always loved having you at our events.. and so do the people who come to the shows... " Love, Rusty!

Rotary Club International called upon EE and FOUR OTHER MARCHING BANDS to march around and cycle up through the stage for a performance at the ENORMOUS McCormick Center for the Rotary Club International's 100 Year Birthday Anniversary Party. Marily McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Murphysboro Marching Band, Trinity Irish Step Dancers, EE to name a few! Images soon. photo: Barjees Buns

Our other private party recently was, "The Gnome Convention". It rocked, thanks to our host, and book EE for your Gnome GnEEds.

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Our DVD IS FOR SALE~!

Click Here for More Complete info for our DVD

5 Tracks: 79 total minutes
1. EE @ the Snow Globe 4 minute demo-edit
Chicago Millennial Park, 2002, 4 min.

2. FEATURE: The Ancient Astronauts of Ohm-Bah
Black Sheep Puppet Festival, Pittsburgh, 2001, 33 min.
filmed and edited by Dave Zappala, mastered by Fred

3. Ronnie Woo-Woo of Chicago Cubs Fame
Evil Clown reception @ Roscoes on Halsted, 2004, 7 min.

4. Early Ancient Astronaut footage- Puppetropolis-Chicago, 2000
Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art Summer Solstice, 5 min.

5. Raw Snow Globe documentary-music footage
Chicago Millennial Park, 2002, 30 min.

DVD is for sale by contacting me through our CONTACT PAGE!

Here's a Quick Review by Dan Demchuk, WZRD 88.3 Chicago
"you guys ARE wizards!
thanks...what a great DVD...cool effects, great shots, amazing music. "

L to R: Bishop of Mars, Space Monkey (in lap of), Mister Peitro, Wizard of Naranja

The Rwanda as Lesson; Darfur for Action Benefit was intense! Thanks Alpha and the folks at Artist in Residence and all those people who made it happen and donated.

To all those artists who gave of their craft to make the temple's Buddha's birthday celebration a special event -Thank You! I heard nothing but positive feedback from the random voices that carried through the halls of our temple during and after the festivities.Ê From the EE drums during the parade to Sunita's finale at the cabaret, every artistic aim was made with pin-point accuracy.Ê Such a well-done event from all of you, start to finish, can only be due to some very good karma.Ê I hope we can do it again and reap the same fortune. Yours in Dharma, Sandong

Version Fest, what a drunken boat!!

Good Luck Robin on your tour across the USA! Great Party with EE, Jungle Street Rockers, Mofoe, all had the crowd MOVIN!!!!!!!.......!!!!!!!!

NEIGHBORFOOD FEST was a SUCCESS, thanks to GeneWise, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, THONG, Christi, and all the unique vendors and farmers who made this event special!

related: EE and the Jungle Street Rockers played for a showing of the movie, The Future of Food, at the Artists-in-Residence Building. Thanks to everyone involved, from the food, to the projections, to the dancers!
Jungle Street and EE will be TEEMIN up again at Robin Barcus's fund-raiser comin up!

November 2004
Halloween Season, with the UnderShorts Fest, Parade, THONG party, its been a huge month!

8/20 Thanks Dennis, Dan, Abbey Pub and all the bands,
and 89.3 FM, WZRD The Wizard-Chicago for a rockin' 30th Anniversary Party

6/23 Havin fun to raise money for T.H.O.N.G.
NEW 8/06! Read the review in the Chicago Tribune with some references to EE

6/04 Check out our PRIDE Photos and Page.

5/14-6 Thanks to Rusty Nails for another successful MovieSide Film Festival

3/17 NeighborFood: sponsored by GeneWise and Illinois Stewardship Alliance:
thanks to the participants: connoisseurs of taste, both in palate and in music.
The Day was Fantastic in the park, and night was great at the Heartland
FOOD!

3/28 _click here to see photos from Alyce Henson
Music and Mediation talk given by EE member Bret Lortie at Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple
Thank you to the Oak Park Unitarians who danced, sang, and were an amazing audience and host!
ESPECIALLY the KIDS!

3/20 Environmental Encroachment marchers at the March 20 noon protest
3/15, EE had a big weekend at Blake's movie, "Where We Stood", photos soon

2/26 EE et all had a Happy Mardis Gras, thanks to The Viaduct Theater, dj Wil B I!

1/30/2004 thanks to T.H.O.N.G. "Capes And Thongs":

-----Last of 2003! 12/19/2003 Gnome show! Thanks Amorey's!

12-13/14-2003 Thanks to Rusty Nails and the staff of the MovieSide Festival with Jim Jarmusch. More Photos soon!
EE's ready to remake Down by Law with Whitey, Robin and Miguelito. Here's us with Jim.

12-12-2003 John Santoro sold ten of his paintings at his opening at Thomas McCormick Gallery. EE marched in, scared a few people off, but added some great energy to John's show: FLOWERS AND MONSTERS. Congrats John!

11/22 Thanks to Erin, Open-End Art and all the designers that made the Shipwreck Fashion Show a real fun night.

11/15 Thaks to International Capoeria Angola Foundation for having us funk up their annual conference at the Quilombo Cultural Center.

10/30-11/1 2003 EE had its seasonal, action-packed, onslaught of performances for the Halloween season, starting with a private ceremony for the opening of an ancestral shrine, Halloween parades with Critical Mass and the evil Clown posse later that night. EE also hosted its annual Day of the Dead party with Capoeira Angola and dj Wil B I. Halloween is the best!

9/20 2003 "The Snake Charmer" was a skit by EE at the fabulous "Burlesque Tartare" show at HotHouse. Could be a first for naked Gaita playing. Dan Miles has the video. Hopefully we'll see this all time classic someday. DeCorps, the hosts Angela Altenhofen and Michael Bulka, were just featured on PBS!

9/19 2003 Quentin and Heather joined EE's marching band all the way from Hereford, England for a total of 19 players (with A.J. Santoro at age five on quacaba), ten drums, seven horns and our happenin majorette Robin at this year's Chicago World Music Festival. Photos soon.

9/13 Burning Man 2003 - see the Images page-new ones from Robin-

8/9,10 Children's Music Festival sponsored by the City of Chicago,
Highlights included EE walking accross Michigan Avenue to march with the workers on strike from the Congress Hotel, the 4 1/2 year old female Taiko drummer, our march with the African drumming kids, Whitey and Jane's outfits, our new rendition of "Everybody Dance Now/FairaJaka.

8/2 EE had fun at Thrill 3: The Party
Highlights included Michael Bulka's Gazpacho, The water-slide, TJ sleeping overnight in the Caterpillar Tent, and of course, the sculpture walk, which is much better, and more clever art than Navy Pier.

7/25 EE marched through the huge lobby of the Congress Theater with our giant Caterpillar puppet. TJ, the head, knocked into a few people, mainly security, but no one could get angry at a giant Caterpillar. Photos already in courtesy of Saverio Truglia.

7/13 EE was invited for marching in Lollapalooza 2003. WeE hooked up with The DREAM CIRCUS, performers from LA, and led a 50+ person march with horns, drums, outrageous costumes and dancers. An old man told us we were re-viving rock-n-roll.

6/29, 2003 This was EE's participation in UnderShortsFilmFest's Pride Parade Float, built by Alexander primarily, of a pick-up Truck with multiple decks pulling a flatbed trailer decked out like a boat, with a prow and sail. Robin Leah and Janet were in back, with inlated baloon dresses, EE drum and hornee crew were at the prow, while costumed and minimally costumed dancers rode the float. It was too fast of a two hour parade. Success in promoting the upcoming UnderShorts Fest (see show above).

6/27, 2003 Brazilian Bossanova Bowl was a BBBlast. Los Diablos Guapos provided mucho entertainment as one of EE's own won the esteemed Guapo Thong contest.

6-21, 22, 23, 2003 FREEDOM Festival sponsored by Buddy Gallery and Lumpen Times was a sensation. The Fashion show entitled, "Ready to be Surveilled" was incredible, "politically sexy". The Sunday Parade and scavenger hunt for weapons of mass destruction was a hoot. We even jumped in the new Wicker Park fountain. Photos up already on our IMAGES page.

6-7, 2003 The CATERPILLAR Costume debut, a four-person backpack puppet! The caterpillar and insectoid attendant drummers marched around The Collaboraction space, shared with painter Wesley Kimler. It was kind of like the worm in dune, but definitely a caterpillar, followed by dance performances by C.A.M.P. of butterflies and cocoon silhouette dancers. It was super-fly and we danced all night. Thanks to Anthony and everyone in Collaboraction. Photos up on our IMAGES page.

5-24-03 Thanks for coming out dancing at Rhythm. We had the addition of Leo from Cuba, and special guests Jeni Swerdlow and Jamie Topper join us.

5-17-2003 EE was there for the Ravenswood Buddhist Temple's second annual Buddha's Birthday Parade. We provided music and bright colors to go along with lotus flowers designed by Blair Thomas. It was a beautiful day, as it always seems to be for EE and our continuing parade luck.

Our May 10th show was a "mini-undershorts festival", a fundraiser for the upcoming Undershorts Film Festival. The space (1446 West Huron) is the Undershorts HQ, and only has three months till it will be demolished by its new condo-minded owner. What a shame, but, for these three months, THE SPACE will be having bi-weekly parties, with dj's, live music, films, fun, and a number of cool things to see. EE did our "Los Radioactive Muchachos" skit, with some funny projections by Larry Mu, and dancing and balloon dress performance by Robin Barcus, as well as gettin funky with the future-primitive sounds of EE.

April 12th 2003, Earth Day celebration at People's market was surreal. The horn section dressed up in a carrot, pumpkin, and grape outfits, while the therimin player and percussionists were farmers and forest druids. Renee and Robin were dancing sprites. We marched through the supermarket, did a Clash song, everybody dance now, and some of our more ethnic favorites. The market has never been rocked so hard. We were "steppin" along with the dude behind the fish counter. Thanks to Jordan Karol and Alyce Henson for the great photos.

March 2003

*EE marching band members took place in the historic 10,000+++ person non-violent and peaceful march, occupying eight lanes of Lake Shore Drive as far as the eye could see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was historic and a great showing for Chicago.
A "skeleton, and antiwar marching band has formed with anyone who wishes to participate. It is an art statement. For information on the skeleton marching band, click here.
The march was amazing, never seen anything like it. Unfortunately, at the end, the police had split the protester groups in two, and started arresting us in small groups, while we COULD NOT PEACABLY DISPERSE!!!!! The media claimed that we would not go, but in defiance of basic rights of a US citizen, we were not able to go. Police were in three lines, with stun guns and clubs, and would not even let senior citizens or babies leave. The police arrested who they wanted to, and after scaring us for three hours, penned in, surrounded, we were let free. There was only one casualty I was aware of of a young man getting hit with a club resulting in a fracture or break in his arm. This was quite an unjust thing for our city to do.

*EE members Charly, Mike, Whitey and Renee had a fun workshop focussed on "La Clave". For those who wish to continue with these workshops at the new club RHYTHM:
click here for details on www.DrumWorkshops.com

*We talked with TrevorChaos in Maui, The UNDERSHORTS Film Fest returns in July to the unbelievably huge, beautiful, and historic Congress Theatre. (they don't make em like this anymore). A must see. The last UnderShorts fest was at the Congress, and EE pulled out the giant, menacing, Snotgurgle the troll, to battle the urban gnomes for rights to the mushroom forest.
(There were lots of short cool films too) check their new web site is up, linked above.
The show date has been changed to JULY 26th as of April 2003.

February 2003
*Our February 27th SPECTACLE Party! Update.
There are some pics on the Guapos and Nipporn sites Thanks Ten by Ten and Open-End Art (where EE's March 27th show is as well). Performers included Los Diablos Gaupos and Bobby Conn, as well as the Ofays and Nipporn, and yours truly, Environmental Encroachment.

*The Cubicle show was great fun. Over fifty artists produced installations throughout three stories of an abandoned office building in downtown Hammond. EE took over the third floor with Therimin, tuba, Renee, and trombone. Look to be involved in the next Hammond Arts Inside-Out Festival.

December 2002
SnowGlobe 1 and 2, happened on November 30 and December 21st.
Tourists, kids, and friends packed into the five story giant white tent for a continual seasonal music series for adults and children at the brand spankin new Millenial Park right on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, 55 South Michigan Avenue. Check out the new movie on the MOVIE page.

We're gonna be in the upcoming issue of Ten by Ten Magazine, which is a great arts magazine based here in Chicago doing features on local artists.

-Lots of stuff, new movie for the Sno-Globe.
-Party for Geman financeers at Riva restaurant on Navy Pier.
-Performance at Funky Buddha Lounge.

November 2002
EE had a Day of the Dead dance party, with lots of fun people who came and danced. Its what its all about. The Che Luis Gallery dance floor has been lighting em up on a consistent basis. We're so happy, another party at our space is being planned for January, when we'll all be approaching stir-crazy.

October 2002
EE had a fun show for Halloween at Old Town School. The main stage was alive with haunted puppets and musical magic.

EE's tour to Pittsburgh was a great success. The Fourth Annual Black Sheep Puppet Festival included many of our old puppetry friends and talents from years past, including new talents and shows and adventures.

September 2002
FRISBEE Party was a huge success. We payed tribute to frisbee great E.E. Headrick.

August 2002

READ MORE BY CLICKING PHOTO
The Hammond Parade became more of a ride and then land for street party and water balloon, chocolate syrup and shaving cream assault between kids and the various costumed artist freaks. There were some great costumes, one by a robot weilding roach, a true American float, members of de Corps and EE, and all sorts of unique Characters!
Photos coming soon.

Our other event on August 24th was a great event with the Association House, Chicago, for their annual puppet parade. Later, EE members joined up with Afro-Carribean Funk Ensemble, MOFOE, to entertain. Also playing was an Ancient Folkloric Aztec dance and music group, and a folkloric Bomba group from Chicago.

Starts with JULY 2002

PRIDE PARADE with LoveChaos was an unexpected Happening, but 350,000 got way into it. Our horns were rockin, with a full float full of LoveChaos. Video soon on site.

EE has concluded its four puppet workshops and puppet performance with the John K. Garvey elementary school. Photos and movies will be coming to the site soon. It was a great performance put on by Ms. Chrissy Grey-Rodriguez and her 8th grade art students. The students did a spectacular job making large scale puppets and putting together a large scale puppet contemporary rendition of the epic tale, Paul Bunyan.
VIDEO AVAILABLE!
NEW: Read about it , we're building a page.

BUSKERFEST was a blast, we could do our thing right on Michigan avenue. It was a very hilarious imporvisation and inter-action with Chicago. Movie out sooon. I know I keep saying that.

EE and NASCAR!: Our marching band invaded the 90,000 people at the Chicago Motor Speedway NASCAR Tropicana 400. It could have been NASCAR's strangest performance courtesy of SaverioTruglia.com.

FOLK and ROOTS Fest was a great time for all, great dancing, thank you for being a receptive audience.