On Friday, October 18, the MOCAD (a Knight Arts grantee) hosted the first Detroit installment of Brain Frame, an ongoing series of performative comix readings started in Chicago by art student and experimental filmmaker Lyra Hill. As with the Chicago event, which takes place regularly every other month, Hill was on hand to host an evening of mostly Detroit performers, as well as deliver an impactful and disturbing performance, “Go Down,” to close the show (video clip above).

From Lyra Hill’s show-closing performance, “Go Down.”

Locals on Friday’s bill included Tom Carey with a shadow puppet remix of traditional Hindu mythology; Suzanne Bauman narrating from her “As Eavesdropped” series; Davin Brainard, whose live drawings from audience requests were a crowd favorite; Cabaret Black Eye, which treated the audience to a surreal piece of performance art par excellence; and Steve Hughes of Public Pool, who did a dramatic reading with slide show from his ‘zine, Stupor. Accompanying Hill from Chicago was Ann Arbor native Emma Rand, with an audience-directed “Choose Your Own Adventure” comic.

From Tom Carey’s performance.

Suzanne Bauman, with “As Eavesdropped.”

Davin Brainard, drawing “three baby raccoons riding a wildebeast into battle with a yeti,” for artist Mary Fortuna.

Ryan Standfest (center) of Cabaret Black Eye, engaged in some qausi-literal turd-polishing.

Emma Rand (far right)  and company (including Jen David on keyboard), narrating a “Choose Your Own Adventure” that you can play along with here.

Overall, it was a fascinating and highly engaging show, showing the wide range of expressive modes stemming from and expanding on the comix medium. Hats off to Lyra Hill, MOCAD, and the whole Brain Frame crew!