“An artist’s task is often to creatively work within the confines of their medium, such as the syllabic limitations of a haiku or only having 12 notes with which to work on the chromatic scale. But when there are ostensibly no confines and the sky’s the limit, how does an idea take shape without boundaries?”
WHO: Aaron Nemo
WHAT: “They cloned Mozart, it went horribly wrong and now we’re stuck with the consequences. Making his UK debut in a cheap wig, Shitty Mozart (Aaron Nemo, a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) performs a dazzlingly chaotic, vulgar one-man multimedia concerto. Terrified that the audience will realize he lacks the musical genius of his predecessor, Shitty Mozart shows off his own talents – playing makeshift instruments he’s invented, performing duets with cartoons he drew, even conducting a brief laser light show – in a futile attempt to escape Wolfgang’s shadow and make a name for himself.”
WHERE: Gilded Balloon Patter House – Nip (Venue 24)
WHEN: 23:00 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Yes, it’s my first time. Everyone I know who has been to Edinburgh won’t stop telling me how “magical” it is. “Magical castles” and “magical streets” — it seems to be the only adjective my friends know. My goal is to return stateside armed with a different description of Edinburgh. Unless it’s really magical there, then I’ll probably just say “magical.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I’m repeatedly needing to recalibrate my understanding of my medium. I share the stage with projections of my own cartoons, and—brace yourself for accidental rhymes—the only limitation in animation is your imagination. An artist’s task is often to creatively work within the confines of their medium, such as the syllabic limitations of a haiku or only having 12 notes with which to work on the chromatic scale. But when there are ostensibly no confines and the sky’s the limit, how does an idea take shape without boundaries? Can an idea have ever reached its fullest potential if any imaginable adjustment could be made to improve it? If anything is possible, surely there must be something I could alter to make it better! Anyway, I guess the main lesson I’ve learned is not to eat a weed gummy before filling out a Q&A.
Tell us about your show.
Shitty Mozart is the best way I’ve found to package my novice interests in music and animation with my lifelong passions for making mischief and unnecessary vulgarity. My first public performance was May 2023, but the origins of the project and some of its parts date back to my early stand-up days in 2009. The show tells the story of Shitty Mozart, the botched clone of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is physically identical to the great composer except for the fact that he lacks any semblance of actual talent. He now has to resort to outlandish gimmicks—animated rat orgies, interdimensional sword fights, and laser light displays—in order to get the attention he desperately needs.
I recently teamed up with Reed Kavner, a New York City producer enthusiastic about projects that use multimedia to create exciting live experiences, to bring the show to Fringe. We think this 27-day run at the festival will further refine the show and have it ready to take to more cities. Or I’ll die from 27 consecutive days of performances. Definitely one or the other.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
I’m a big fan of performers who, for lack of a better term, go apeshit onstage. Give me full-on depravity! I’m impressed when someone seemingly loses their mind onstage committing to an outlanding idea, but still maintains control over their show and their audience’s attention.
Natalie Palimades is someone I’ve admired from afar ever since enjoying her Netflix special Nate and catching a live performance of Bill O’Neil’s The Amazing Banana Brothers, which she directed. The snippets I’ve seen of her new project, WEER, playing at Soho Theatre this Fringe, promise similarly big swings.
I’m also circling Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going to Do One (1) Backflip on my list of shows to see. Demi’s annual September 21st tweets are something worth looking up if you’ve never had the privilege. It’s the gold standard for maximal commitment to a simple idea. From those videos alone and no knowledge of his show outside of its dangerous-sounding title, I’m pumped to see what he has in store.
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