I didn’t set out to do this, originally. I think I set it up as a ‘pop up’ experiment that proceeded to surprise and fuel so many and just kept growing item by item, week by week. There were times when it felt like a folly, times when just dealing with all of the remotes for the screens we kept adding was a twenty minute nightmare, and times when just two people showed up for a tour and it felt foolish perhaps – then, usually, ending up re-fueled by having spent a few deep hours with fans of this genre. Early, early mornings and constant battles to juggle everything needed to keep things going.
I talk a lot about a moment that felt pivotal – our first Whiskey Pancake Brunch during the Cold Waves festival in 2021. I remember thinking we’d have a big blow out, wave the flag “Yeah, we did it! We had a museum for a few months!” then close it down (it’s a LOT!).
The response was amazing – we had to add two more seatings throughout the day to accommodate everyone, and I ended up very tired, sitting and chatting with Rob from Florida and his daughter Skylar. Rob mentioned some items he wanted to donate to the Museum. That moment, like so many other stepping stone moments, the Year Zero exhibit from Jay Bushman, so many moments of interwoven pieces, spending time hanging and chatting, radical generosity from the likes of Kevin Kapala, Ted Cohen, Jimmy Chamberlain, Shani and Tronnie at Goss Advertising, Katie Crain, Jesse at Dark Matter Coffee, Martha Kohlstrand, Maria, Larry White, Paul Sowadski and so many others inspired me to keep doing it for a little bit longer, and a little bit longer and here we are.
1500 founders.
5 years old.
I LOVE the addition of the scrolling Founders List in the foyer and the Air Bnb upstairs, increasing our sq footage to 5000+, the new Paolucci speaker system to blow your minds and necessitate more Kleenex. I couldn’t have imagined performing the Extremities album or Flowers Of Romance again, much less rehearsing at the Museum, itself, and now that’s just a part of what happens there, sweaty and vibrating, its fucking magic and I love it.
I used to end Pigface shows sweaty and bloody from punching my glass mirror ball saying – “Invisible is not my label – it’s your label.” Well, that works here. This is so obviously not my Museum, it’s yours, thank you so much.
There will be more mentions, ideas and ramblings from me during this special, special week
Stay tuned.
MA
Chicago Illannoys
