August 24th was no "Ordinary" day in Philadelphia. Resurrection of Screamin' Jay Hawkins Band had put a spell on PhilaMOCA. The band arriving from NYC like a ghost coming to town has shock rocked there fans. The band came not only armed with musical instruments but with coffin / toilet bowl to be used to perform Hawkins famous blues tune Constipation Blues. No one knows better than Eric Bresler, Director/Curator of the PhilaMOCA a concert and arts venue which has sky rocketed to the top of Philadelphia's underground music scene in recent years. Asked Eric what made you decide to have the Resurrection of Screamin' Jay Hawkins Band perform at your venue. He says "I've been a big Screamin' Jay Hawkins admirer since I was in high school having discovered him through the films of Jim Jarmusch and was excited about the idea of celebrating the release of the new biography as well as having Screamin' Jay's original guitarist perform live at my venue".
Mike Armando was Screamin' Jay Hawkins guitarist back in the 70's. Other members of the band who performed were: Shakar " TheRealShakar" Brumfield - vocals, Tim Price - sax, Andrew Golba - bass, Michael Fox - drums. Kicking off the event was author/writer Steve Bergsman author of the new release, I Put A Spell On You: The Bizarre Life of Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Steve spoke about his new release, had a Q&A session after his speech. After the show books of his new release could be purchased. What was really great any books purchased were autographed by Steve and Mike.
Eric said " the audience was on their feet dancing and singing along, it was a high energy night and the band was fantastic. We've been operating for seven years and plan to continue hosting alternative and underground events that can't be seen elsewhere in the city of Philadelphia. We embrace a lot of non-mainstream, cult classic performers and movies". Eric Bresler said "I hope to host the Resurrection again in the future". Credit must be given to Steve Frumkin owner of JWP Agency who are the agents for Resurrection of Screamin' Jay Hawkins Band who made this performance possible.
Housed in the historic Finney & Son building, a former showroom for mausoleums that dates back to 1865, The Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (PhilaMOCA) is a multipurpose art space that proudly showcases the best in underground, alternative, and DIY culture with a concentration on film and performance. PhilaMOCA hosts 250+ events a year ranging from film premieres to art exhibitions to fashion showcases. The mission is a mystery.
The PhilaMOCA is located at 531 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123.