Saturday, June 12

Circus of Crap

503 N. Greensboro Street, Chapel Hill

Celebrating Central North Carolina’s diverse musical talent through its exclusion.

By Scott Highlanders

Carrboro, North Carolina-- Drunk bastards will be watching their step as RBi hosts the 4^th Annual Circus of Crap this summer at the Woodstock of the Piedmont, 503 North Greensboro Street.

Born as a bad idea in the Spring of 1996, the Circus of Crap has left a mark on the Town of Carrboro that ordinary carpet shampoo just can’t get out. The fetid festival was originally an excuse for horrible singer/songwriter Jonathan Mitchell to lower audience expectations by inviting the homeless and mentally ill to babble and fart before his performance at the Skylight Exchange in Carrboro, NC.

The Circus became chronic when in 1997, Mitchell teamed up with Barlow Jenkins to leverage the Circus as a tool to raise money for the fight against colon cancer. Following a blistering media blitz, and with the hesitant backing of the American Cancer Society, the Circus sold out the Skylight Exchange. Dozens of astonished fans winced at the tunes of Lisa the Jamaica Lady, Dr. David Oakroot, Ralph Sullender’s Children’s Choir, Little Rubber Crack Duckies, Los Americanos Ignorantes and Reluctant Beating, all backed by the bone-chilling left-handed percussion of Crazy John Metcalf, who served a four-letter term as the COC’s House Drummer. While the evening was, as one optimist offered, a mild success, only $21.32 was raised to combat one of the most painful and mortifying diseases known to man.

1998 was a new year. Nearly unable to remember the COC from the year before, Mitchell and Jenkins knew that it was time for a change. "We might not be able to save this world from cancer," said Mr. Jenkins in an exclusive interview. "But at least it’s 4:00 and I’m drunk." With two kegs of beer and a change of venue to a community park at 503 North Greensboro Street in Carrboro, the 3rd annual Circus of Crap was very much a new animal. By the early afternoon, this animal had drunk twice its weight in Pabst Blue Ribbon, and was slurring and slobbering an excuse to local law enforcement about how the mayor’s poor leadership, not the animal’s energy-hungry musical equipment and faulty wiring, was responsible for the blackout on Main Street.

1998’s performance lasted an attendance-challenging 7 hours, featuring painfully close looks at Dr. Oakroot, Lisa the Jamaica Lady, RBi, The Half-Baked Beans, Dr. Rock, Greggy Greggy Greggy Greggy Greggy, RBi again, Ashley and a grrrl, and Austin’s World Famous Todd Wilkins. Portions of the festivities were videotaped and edited into a 30-minute documentary on perverse behavior.

The creators of the Circus believe they have found a formula for success. "Pretty much, everyone shows up, plays shitty music, gets drunk, and then listens to shitty music," said Mitchell, tugging on his scrotum. "In the morning, everyone is ashamed and suicidal. It’s a hoot."