Have you ever had multiple hallucinations in one day, over and over again? Do you ever find your car on the Bipolar Express, screeching off the rails? I do every now and then. And on those occasions, I find the best way to cope is by drinking, and diving into the loony abyss, soaking in the visions. And what better place to really embrace these sights than the Zand Collective’s Dorian Gray Wednesdays at The DL! Kayvon Zand and his dark brethren are amongst my favorites because they look more like sculptures than humans and have the most impeccable manners. These nightmares in wax pour from the lush walls, hypnotize me with their beauty, hand me a glass of champagne, and spin me right round, like a record, baby. I dance with dark shadows to Soft Cell and New Order, I nearly trip over the Human Carpet. Is this real life? Lubed latex creatures prowl through the crowd, burlesque performances grow and stretch beyond the stage. I feel skin all around me like a flesh cocoon, and I go deeper, deeper, staring into the abyss.
And you know, it stares back into you, so they say.
(From top, left: Kayvon Zand, Dylan Monroe, Johanna Constantine, Jess Daly, The Human Carpet, and Kelly Lee DeKay)
