Dr. Sketchy was started by the New York City-based artist Molly Crabapple in an effort to mix an art class and burlesque and has since blown up.
They say art can be good therapy so maybe it's time for another house call from the good doctor of drawing.
I refer, of course, to Dr. Sketchy and the "house" being The Elevens in Northampton on April 5. For those who are not familiar with this concept, here's the deal: Every so often, the club transforms itself into an unstructured, figure-sketching art class combined with a burlesque atmosphere. There are models who change poses over time, and in burlesque spirit, engage in various states of undress as the evening goes on.
"Its like a burlesque act that freezes at opportune drawing moments," said event organizer Kyle Gintzler.
The evening also involves contests, one involving a technical challenge–such as drawing with your off hand, or draw without lifting your drawing implement from the paper–and one a creative challenge related to the theme. The prizes are donated from local businesses like FOE, Oh My Sensuality Shop, RetroGenie, and topatoco.com. The even is sponsored by Babytattoo books, who distribute art books.
Dr. Sketchy was started by the New York City-based artist Molly Crabapple in an effort to mix an art class and burlesque and has since blown up. It is now in over 100 cities across the country. The hub site for the organization is drsketchy.com and the Facebook page to get the latest news for the local branch is at facebook.com/drsketchynorthampton
The Elevens is at 140 Pleasant St.
SCOUTING REPORT
While the Dr. Sketchy show may be featuring some male models, this week's Reanimate the Baystate show at Sierra Grille has a definite female bent. Old (but still young) friends The True Jacqueline are back at the club, opening for two California-based bands fronted by women, Sourpatch and Joyride. This show seems like an indie-pop/rock dream, so if that's how your tastes run, I wouldn't miss it. The music starts at 10 p.m. And the cover is just $3. Sierra Grille is at 41 Strong Ave. in Northampton.
Usually, when I write about Moe's Tavern in Lee, I'm doing so in my Beer Nut column. Moe's a great craft beer bar, after all. But this week, the venue fits this space better, as for the first time, Moe's is hosting live music. This semi-momentous event will take place on April 1 (leading some people to think its an April Fool's joke) and will feature the Pioneer Valley's own Zeller Brown. Zeller Brown is a Northampton based trio made up of Wayne Gates on drums, Big Daddy on bass and Steve Bilodeau (he of Northampton Brewery fame) on guitar and vocals. Moe's Tavern is at 10 Railroad St.
Maximum Capacity is now featuring Bud Light bottles every day for just $2.25. Maximum Capacity is at 116 School St. in Chicopee.