Sharp-Dressed Men

New York-based performance and visual artist Rafael Sanchez has discovered the risks that scraggly chin fur can pose in post-9/11 America. “I began growing my beard in 2004 and realized that in the current political climate, I couldn’t even grab a cab with my beard,” Sanchez rues. The artist, who says he has done a lot of drag and was used to keeping his face and body closely shaved, discovered his hirsute mug was a ticket to political discourse. “The beard itself became a symbol of power. I was listening to ZZ Top with Jim Fletcher, my longtime collaborator, and we decided the band offered an interesting way to approach beard-dom,” he laughs.

Sanchez and Fletcher will perform the legendary rock group’s 1974 album Fandango at 8 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the “Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967” exhibit. “It’s kind of like Abbott and Costello meeting ZZ Top,” Sanchez says. “We will have a moody background film and will be lip-synching songs from the album.” Tickets cost five dollars, three bucks for students and seniors.
Sat., Aug. 16, 2008