This weekend, check out Exene Cervenka in more ways than one as the L.A. punk rock legend launches a three-part show at the DCKT Contemporary in the Lower East Side and performs with her band X at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza on May 24. Formed by Dennis Christie and Ken Tyburski, DCKT shows emerging and established contemporary artists and first presented Cervenka's America the Beautiful in 2006.
With opening act The Detroit Cobras (everyone buy or download Baby, now), the Filmore New York show is also part of X's anniversary tour 13x 31. "13 is our lucky number, always has been. 31 years of playing together!" says Cervenka.
But after years and years of playing songs like "Nausea" and "White Girl" all over the world, does Exene Cervenka -- also the former wife of Viggo Mortensen -- ever get sick of singing them? "I never get sick of playing the songs, some are more fun than others."
Read more from Exene below:
You have an exhibition opening at DCKT Contemporary (195 Bowery) on May 23rd. Can you briefly describe the exhibition?
"Sleep In Spite Of Thunder" is a three part show. A three ring circus of the soul. "The Spirits Are Alive and Well" uses photographs and portraits to illustrate the theme of death and surviving death. The number "46" appears in each piece, a reference to Psalm 46, which some claim was written by William Shakespeare.
The second part of the show is a spray-painted series of the words "EPIC HERO". It references popular culture and its search for the hero in movies, literature, and celebrity-obsessed media. The third aspect of the show will be three collages of a more general nature, exhibited for the first time at DCKT. The show opens May 23 with an artist's reception on June 20th.
Relating to Obama's "bitter" comment: Given the current conditions of our time (climate change, rampant government corruption, etc), do you feel like most Americans are depressed?
Yes, I do. I think most people are just a few steps away from losing whatever security they have. savings and investments are dwindling, home values are diving, insurance is expensive and hard to get, medical costs are staggering, and there's more divorce and bankruptcy than ever before. It goes on and on.
What's more punk rock: Trust fund babies living in shitty lofts in Brooklyn or trust fund babies living in shitty lofts in Echo Park?
I'm not here to judge the lifestyles of others, I can only live my life.