Clay Harper’s Month of Tuesdays

A multi-media series of events, hosted each Tuesday in May at the Avondale Towne Cinema, builds up to the May 29 release of local musician and restaurateur Clay Harper’s deeply personal new album, bleak beauty. With the album, Harper reflects back on recent tough times, including the recent passing of his life partner, with the help of his famous friends. Collaborators range from the Georgia Satellites’ Rick Richards to Ian Dury cohort Chaz Jankel.

Events include a May 1st look at the convict persona with attorney Daniel Kane, complimented by music from Muleskinner MacQueen and Harper joined by Marshall Ruffin, Chris Case and Jordan Dayan. The following week, it’s a custom motorcycle meet-up hosted by Tom Zarilli, with live music by Harper and crew. The third Tuesday, Anthony DeCurtis will DJ and read from his new Lou Reed biography, paired with live music by the equally cool and vampiric Clay Reed (Subsonics). On May 22nd, there’s the incredibly named 50 Shades of Clay: An Erotic Journey (!?!?!???). And, for the grand finale on May 29th, it’s a release show co-starring famed Clash pitch-man Kosmo Vinyl, live music by Harper, Kevn Kinney, Murray Attaway, Errol Moore and special guests and a performance of a one-act play titled Coke Out the Window: The Gene Tracy Story.

Of course, I have to back up and take a closer look at that fearfully- and wonderfully-made week-four event. That’s not some bad joke to break the monotony of a news blurb about a month-long series. It’s legitimately the name of the event, featuring Jeff Calder of the Swimming Pool Q’s’ “international examination of American erotic literature,” along with performances from Harper and the Sexual Healing Band, and after-party music selected by Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore from Goldfinger) (!?!?) Hopefully, that’ll be as aurally pleasing as those Fellini’s Sicilian slices are tasty!