Meow Meow: I’m a little flustered at being made by the editors of Next Magazine to interview you like this. Usually it’s the paparazzi begging me for photo ops and answers, not me having to get all investigative and do their work for them! [Note to the Editor: Journalists are getting so lazy these days! And possibly reckless. Leaving me the task of probing Josh and David deeply could be dangerous. Who knows what will come out of them (I won’t take that image any further…)]
David/Josh/Readers, I suggest we all start with a martini, and then possibly a bottle of whiskey. Each. I don’t care if you’re stylishly tea-totalling producers. It just helps. We want answers and we want them fast! [Further note: the editor has actually given me some interview guidelines, so readers, be assured the witty techniques and questions are mine and the others are his. Sigh…] Give us the low-down on the High Line! (mine)
Josh Wood: I don’t feel like I can beat that at all. Well, the actual High Line park won’t open till 2008. But once it does, it’s going to be giant fairground of gaydom.
David Binder: It’s going to be the place for the coming of the hotties in spring 2008. It’s going to be a gay promenade through Chelsea and the West Village.
JW: But really, I think the High Line is going to be a defining feature of New York City once it opens. Imagine an elevated parkway that combines all of the elements that gay men love: gardens, architecture, “sight” seeing, etc. Both David and I feel that it’s going to transform the neighborhood while simultaneously serving as a major landmark across the city where people can congregate and experience all of the elements which make New York what it is. Not to mention that we decided to base the festival along the west side of Manhattan because it’s a very easy area for David Binder to find a boyfriend…
DB: That’s true.
JW: …and we thought we could raise money for the park in the process. So a portion of each ticket sold will benefit the Friends of the High Line. DB: Then we’re not only cute, but we’re also altruistic. JW: We’re following the Angelina Jolie model of producing and gaining publicity.
MM: Even for a world-weary jet-legger like me, this High Line festival is over-exciting! Tell us about its genesis.
DB: Well, Josh and I used to have breakfast every Tuesday morning at the diner on Greenwich Avenue—they have really good breakfast specials there—and we would go there and talk about projects and ideas. And we had this idea that we would create a new festival for New York City that shifts the focus on artists and how an artist sees the world.
JW: We thought that with my background in music and nightlife and David’s background in producing theater we could come up with a festival, not only so that we could have a job every year, but also so we could do something great for New Yorkers like us who are interested in cultural events but don’t want to go up to Lincoln Center.
DB: So we took this idea of having an artist-centered festival and made a list of the most amazing people in the entire world who we wanted to be our curator. And at the top of the list was David Bowie.
MM: Not to draw the focus to myself at all, but I assume “High Line” refers to the pedigree of talent in the programme? It’s a stunning bevy of artists. Super-varied....
DB: The idea of the festival is that if you were to spend ten days in New York City with David Bowie these are all the things that he would show you. Some artists are world-famous like Ricky Gervais and Arcade Fire and some artists you may not ever have heard of like the Legendary Stardust Cowboy or the work of Claude Cahun. So in a way it’s a mixture of high and low and the combination of things that are very famous and things that are emerging. It’s an opportunity to showcase all the innovative and avant-garde artists that David Bowie loves, some who might be a little bit esoteric and obscure, but who definitely everyone should know—like you darlin’!
MM: To continue with thematics biblical (Keep up! Keep up! “Genesis” and all), there obviously is a god. What’s it like working with him? (Of course I’ve been too busy to take his calls of late. Send him my regards). How did you select God as your inaugural curator? Is his number listed? Will his number come up? Who could possibly follow God? Does he talk in tongues? (Would he like to, do you think?)
JW: Yes, his number is unlisted. He doesn’t speak in tongues. He speaks in a very handsome British accent and he does seem to appear magically.
DB: David’s amazing because he’s a fashion icon, an art collector, a rock star, and he’s appeared on Broadway and acted in film. He’s the consummate New Yorker. He knows a lot about a lot of things.
MM: Oh, I should stop being sycophantic and come right out with it. Has D.B. been stalking little Meow? Do you think he’s obsessed with the artistic/poetic possibilities (or at least typographical similarities) of Bow-ie and Meow-ie in collaboration at all? Please tell him to just speak to my manager about this—I’m overwhelmed with politics and avant-garde art right now…
Josh your biography is almost sickeningly politically perfect (in my books). You’ve produced amazing works commercial and political: the Bring’Em Home Now! concert for Peace, the Wedrock marriage equality tour, Kushner’s Laura Bush play, Margaret Cho’s State of Emergency shows, Tsunami Relief concerts, productions of Sedaris stories to raise money for children’s literacy. Have you ever thought of running for president? I’d feel much safer with the world in yours and God’s hands.
JW: I’m actually running for president in 2008 on the Obama ticket.
DB: Wait, you mean Obama is going to be your vice president? What about Hillary?
JW: I’m not interested in Hillary.
MM: Speaking of hands, how large are yours? I’m sure the readers would love to know. There’s a saying in my country… (It just helps)
[DB and JW are in stitches]
Never mind, your brain is clearly big and that’s very sexy too... How about your business partner? His politics? (His hand size?....)
DB: What do I say? Josh help me. I feel like we should have done this thing with drinks. Hang on, I’m getting drinks.
JW: Your politics are?
DB: My politics are the same as yours!
JW: Say big, your politics are big. And so are your hands.
DB: My politics are big, and so are my hands.
Experience the full, brilliant insanity of Meow Meow's kamikaze cabaret on Friday, May 18 at Hiro Ballroom (371 W 16th St). Visit highlinefestival.com for more info.
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