Spotlight Briefs: Dayna Hanson, “The Dark Side of Oz” and the Dusty 45’s

Meet Your Maker
Artist:: Dayna Hanson
choreographer, filmmaker, musician, performance artist
Show: Gloria’s Cause, a contemporary dance-driven rock musical about
the American Revolution and modern inequality see it: 12/2–12/5. 8 p.m.
$20. On the Boards, 100 W Roy St.; 206.217.9888; ontheboards.org

B.D. The American Revolution as rock musical. How did we get here?
D.H. Specifically, it was the issue of marriage equality that got me and my collaborators, Dave Proscia and Peggy Piacenza, thinking about the past. How society evolves, how standards of decency evolve. And while I thought the piece was going to include a series of modern stories, the historical ones took precedence. It’s a fascinating period, and the complexities and contradictions of the words “all men are created equal” stagger me. Rock is the perfect idiom—partly because it was such a manifestation and a tool of revolution in the 20th century.

B.D. Is the piece funny or serious? Patriotic?
D.H. The work is serious and funny at the same time. After the TBA [arts festival] showing [in Portland], a Polish artist said to me, “You probably don’t feel like you’re American.” Maybe there’s a perception that artists in America have such a conflict with the United States’ public image that we can’t even identify. From my perspective, we can’t get away from it. I do love this country. And I think we deal with a huge amount of cognitive dissonance here. It sounds sweeping, but I mean this—I hope people walk away thinking, on a very personal level, about what it is to be an American.

Duuude!
The wizard meets Roger Waters in “The Dark Side of Oz”
If you missed out on the mid-1990s meme of playing Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon while simultaneously screening the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz and totally freaking out about how perfectly matched the music and visuals are—seriously, it is pretty trippy—here’s your chance to up your pop-culture cred. SIFF Cinema is synching them up for you (no more fumbling with the CD player) on the big screen and pro speakers. Sure, band members say the synchronicity is mere coincidence, but they would say that, wouldn’t they? 12/3–12/4. 9:30 p.m. Prices vary. SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St.; 206.448.2186; siff.net

Dust Devils
Seattle’s iconic Americana band rings in 2011 rockabilly style
Since releasing their first record in 1998, the Dusty 45s have been intoxicating audiences with their inimitable cocktail of country twang, roots rock, honky-tonk, jumpin’ jive and swing with a twist of punk. The local quartet—Jerry Battista (recently named “Best Guitarist 2010” by Seattle Weekly), Billy Joe Huels, Kelly Van Camp and Jeff Gray—may just be the hardest-working boys in the rockabilly biz. They’ve toured the East Coast and Southwest this year (in support of their May 2010 album, Fortunate Man), but we prefer it when they stick close to home. And here they are, ready to carry us into 2011 on the wings of infectious rhythms and tasty trumpet riffs. 12/31. 7 (all ages) and 10:30 p.m. Prices vary. The Triple Door, 216 Union St.; 206.838.4333; tripledoor.net