Cruz missile

Tyler Clark Burke brings her off-kilter
party ethos to Montreal

PARTY MAVENS: Santa Cruz Eagle Eyes

by SACHA JACKSON

Toronto artist Tyler Clark Burke is known for her innovative and over the top projects. For example, A Few Bricks Short of a House, in which she enlisted the help of friends like Peaches, Feist and Broken Social Scene, who auctioned off thongs and songs to help Burke put a down payment on a house (20 per cent of the money went to Habitat for Humanity.)

>Since 2003, she’s been organizing Santa Cruz, a party that defies all expectations. Part dance party, part art show and overall get-together, every event boasts something different. Santa Cruz Eagle Eyes, for example, was a two-day scavenger hunt, co-hosted by Feist and offering a $500 prize. Burke brings the party to Montreal for the first time this Saturday, July 5. She spoke to the Mirror via e-mail.

Mirror: How did Santa Cruz start?

Tyler Clark Burke: Years ago, Feist and Royal City—a band on my old label Three Gut Records—went to the Yukon to play a show at a winter festival. On Valentine’s Day, some of the locals took them to a bar and they had a game where everyone who came in had a number, which corresponded to a mailbox, and people sent friends or strangers (insert exciting possibilities here) notes.

I had left the label and was trying to dive into a million projects to keep myself busy, and to have the courage to do art projects outside of the hooplah of the music business. Someone asked me to do a reading/performance tour up the coast of the U.S. and I (in a moment of true bravery) accepted.

I then needed to raise money for the flight and decided to throw the kind of party I’d always wanted to go to. I wanted it to reflect all the good times I’d ever had—nights where the music was good and I met new people and did things slightly, or totally, outside of my normal life.

I decided to introduce the messageboards for this reason. I thought it would be great if people just started talking and found a way to joke around or introduce themselves to the person across the room. I thought nobody would come, but it was crazy. I was shocked.

My dad’s a film professor who specialized in Fellini, so I spent my childhood with these movies playing in the background. I think this has influenced how I see events. I love smoke and mirrors.

M: Why bring the party to Montreal?

TCB: Because I love the city. I get excited when I do Santa Cruz parties out of town. It’s new to everyone and feels new to me too. I thrive on this kind of electricity. I’m bringing a gang of friends like Mysterion, [the Mirror’s] Sasha, Amanda Burt—she’s doing an “advice” booth with [the Dears’] Natalia Yanchak—and Jeremy Stewart [half of FuckDeath.org and the Grey Sweatsuit Revolution], and DJs Ian McGettigan and Rob Benvie [ex-Thursh Hermit].

M: Santa Cruz is known for pulling a few tricks out of its sleeve. Can Montrealers expect a little something special?

TCB: I can’t yet reveal plans—as they won’t be surprises. But in the past, I’ve had abductions of guests, secret songs [where a bunch of non-dancers meet beforehand and learn a choreography to a song], various art booths, mind readers, tattoo parlours, group chants and special guests.

Saturday, July 5 at Club Lambi
(4465 St-Laurent), info:
www.santacruzforever.com