UPDATE: AVN's Mark Kernes was invited by Jiz Lee to attend a dress rehearsal of God In 3 Persons. What follows are his reactions to the performance:
"Simply put, I was completely blown away, almost in a way I hadn't experienced since a few acid trips Way Back When. I'd been vaguely aware of The Residents since the 1980s, though I thought they were simply a band that wore giant eyeballs as masks while they played—but I was wrong: Rather, they are performance artists, and nowhere was that more evident than during their God In 3 Persons show. First of all, it's a multi-media event, with a video production largely featuring Jiz Lee, entirely attired in white gauze-like veils, often two or three (or more) of them at a time, thanks to superimposition, playing almost continuously in the background. Lee managed to convey a whole range of emotions without saying a word, just through their body language and facial expressions. At the same time, two of The Residents, this time in "old man" masks and dated business suits, deliver dialog at the front of the stage—dialog that more resembled a tone poem, rarely making linear sense but nonetheless conveying thoughts on everything from religion to politics to human suffering—the list goes on, and I think I'd really need to see a transcript of the performance to get its full impact. The performance, which runs just under an hour, is accompanied by other Residents (I'm assuming), this time in wolf masks, adding often-atonal music as background to the events on stage. Below are some photographs of the show, taken by top photographer Roger Jones:
Sadly, I'm told that the MoMA show may be sold out already, though tickets may still be available from scalpers—but worry not: The Residents tell me that they'll be taking the show "on the road" in the not-too-distant future. Fans of the visual performing arts, not to mention survivors of the psychedelic wars of the 20th century, definitely won't want to miss this if they can possibly get to a show.
SAN FRANCISCO—Californians, New Yorkers and alt-music fans from the '80s and '90s are sure to remember the iconic rock band The Residents, probably because images of the giant eyeballs they used for heads in their performances were unlike anything seen before. And now, those fans (not to mention fans of adult actor Jiz Lee) can get to witness the "terrifying gospel" of Mr. X and The Holy Twins, brought to life by the legendary SF-based art rockers and celebrated video artist John Sanborn. A live video-concert performance of God In 3 Persons, featuring a seven-piece ensemble, adapted from The Residents’ groundbreaking 1988 album of the same name, will receive its world premiere at New York City's Museum of Modern Art on January 24 and 25, 2020. The work is presented in co-production with The Cryptic Corporation.
In this propulsive and brooding rock oratorio, The Residents’ anonymous lead singer, performing as Mr. X, preaches of his encounters with a pair of ambiguously gendered conjoined twins, portrayed on video by noted nonbinary porn star Jiz Lee. Their physical union has magical healing powers…or so he claims. A confession of faith-mongering complicated by a crisis of desire, God in 3 Persons functions as a darkly twisted cautionary tale about the risk of losing yourself in the process of refusing to accept others in their entirety.
"I’m honored to be a part of such a legendary album, and the role of The Twins was a perfect fit," Lee told AVN in an email. "I’ve long been drawn to twinned characters. The theme was central in my past performance work in the art duo Twincest (Syd Blakovich and myself). To be invited to perform alongside The Residents as gender-fluid characters recognized my own nonbinary identity, and acting in this dark tale afforded me an opportunity to perform a range of emotions, and utilized my background in dance to push my physical expressions. It’s my second time working with John Sanborn (after Mythic Status, 2015) and I have a lot of trust in his video art. Can’t wait to see the final show!"
The story will be told using fabulously lurid multi-layered video projections created by Sanborn. The Residents, who have remained anonymous since their 1972 debut, will provide live accompaniment, performing here as a six-piece musical ensemble with vocalist Laurie Amat, reprising her role as "the Chorus" from the original album. The piece will be directed for performance by Travis Chamberlain with musical direction by Joshua Raoul Brody, with puppetry and background design by Leigh Barbier. Steve Saporito produces.
God in 3 Persons is sung in rhythmic spoken word fashion, similar to the talking blues, and driven by a bombastic and dynamic score derived entirely from the first few bars of the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy,” along with the melodic hook from the Swinging Medallions 1966 hit “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love.” Despite being one of their most critically successful albums and a fan favorite, God in 3 Persons has never toured as a concert or live performance.
God in 3 Persons is organized by Ron Magliozzi, Curator and Sophie Cavoulacos, Assistant Curator, Department of Film, and produced by Sean Egan, Senior Producer, Film Exhibitions and Projects with Carson Parish, Theater Manager, The Museum of Modern Art. Performances are January 24 and January 25. Tickets are $12 for the general public and free for museum members. Tickets will go on sale at MoMA’s website on January 10 at 9:30 a.m. (for the Jan. 24 show) and January 11 at 9:30 a.m. (for the Jan. 25 shows) at the Museum's website MoMA.org.
