RANDOM LUNACY: videos from the road less traveled
SCRIPT
01;00;15;07 – 01;00;20;01
POPPA NEUTRINO: I’M POPPA NEUTRINO…I’M VIDEOTAPING THIS ALL OFF MY RAFT.
01;00;21;29 – 01;00;30;26
TODD: WELL, POPPA NEUTRINO ALWAYS SAID THAT HE’S EITHER GOING TO LIVE LIKE A BUM OR LIVE LIKE A KING. NOT ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
01;00;33;08 – 01;00;37;18
POPPA NEUTRINO: I WAS AWARE THAT THE RENT WOULD RUIN A MAN.
01;00;40;02 – 01;00;48;07
BETSY: WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS NOW…WE’VE RAISED FIVE CHILDREN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY…AND WE’VE NEVER HAD A JOB.
01;00;49;27 – 01;01;03;01
TODD: WE WERE LIVING LIKE BUMS MOST OF OUR LIVES. BUT HE WAS ALWAYS ON THAT SCHEME TO GET RICH. IN FACT DOCUMENTING OUR LIVES WITH A VIDEO CAMERA – THAT WAS ONE OF HIS GRAND SCHEMES.
01;01;03;02 – 01;01;04;06
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): SAY HELLO TO DAVID LETTERMAN!
01;01;05;00 – 01;01;06;12
BETSY (SOT): HELLO DAVID LETTERMAN!
01;01;06;13 – 01;01;08;22
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): HI NEW YORK! HI 42ND STREET!
01;01;09;13 – 01;01;15;11
POPPA NEUTRINO: I HAVE RECORDED VIDEO AFTER VIDEO BEYOND THE WILDEST IMAGINATION.
TITLE UP
01;01;29;24 – 01;01;37;24
TODD: POPPA NEUTRINO WAS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS LOOKING THROUGH THE GARBAGE CANS, FASCINATED WITH WHAT PEOPLE WOULD THROW OUT, AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF IT, ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK.
01;01;38;28 – 01;01;51;28
POPPA NEUTRINO: WHEN YOU SEE HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH THEIR CARTS FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF STUFF, THAT SEEMS USELESS TO THEM, YOU KNOW…BUT IT ISN’T. IN THE BACK OF THEIR MIND THEY’RE THINKING WELL, IF I GOT THIS I COULD DO THIS…IF I GOT THIS I COULD DO THAT.
01;01;52;30 – 01;01;55;19
MAN IN STORE (SOT): HEY, DON’T TAKE THE BED, BRO!
01;01;56;14 – 01;01;58;02
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): CAN I HAVE THE BED AFTER YOU’RE DONE?
01;01;59;03 – 01;02;05;19
MAN IN STORE (SOT): YOU GOTTA WAIT TIL WE PUT IT OUT IN THE DUMPSTER OUT THERE. CAN’T GIVE IT TO YOU, MAN. IF IT’S OUT THERE, THE DUMPSTER GONNA BE THERE, YOU CAN JUST GO AND GET IT.
01;02;09;24 – 01;02;17;01
POPPA NEUTRINO: MY LIFE IS A CONTRADICTION TO THE AVERAGE CITIZEN. I’M RANDOM AND MOST PEOPLE ARE SEQUENTIAL.
01;02;19;08 – 01;02;26;04
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): IT’S TOO BIG TO CARRY RIGHT NOW. I’M NOT CRAZY, I’M NOT GONNA TAKE THAT, IT’S TOO BIG TO CARRY. I HAVE TO WAIT. MORE WHEELS, MORE WHEELS.
01;02;26;06 – 01;02;35;17
POPPA NEUTRINO: MY LIFE DOESN’T REQUIRE MORE THAN SIMPLE CLOTHING, A PLACE TO SLEEP AND SECLUSION, AND SOME REALLY GOOD BASIC FOOD AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
01;02;37;00 – 01;03;12;05
ALEC WILKINSON: I ALWAYS THINK OF NEUTRINO AS BEING LIKE A CUBIST PORTRAIT. I’VE BEEN AT THE NEW YORKER NOW ALMOST TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS AND I SPECIALIZED IN FINDING EXOTIC AND I – CHARACTERS, AND I’VE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS AND WRITERS WHO HAVE SPECIALIZED IN THE SAME THING, AND THERE’S NOBODY IN THE CATALOGUE THAT COMES CLOSE TO THIS. IT’S SEVENTY-FOUR YEARS OF THIS QUEST FOR THE INDIVIDUAL LIFE, THE SELF-CREATED LIFE. WHICH IS A LIFE LIVED BY, YOU KNOW, SOME ARTISTS PERHAPS…
01;03;13;13 – 01;03;20;14
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): I WOULD TEACH YOU HOW TO DO THIS IF I COULD. ALL I COULD SAY IS YOU HAVE TO WALK A ROAD.
01;03;21;10 – 01;03;33;01
ALEC WILKINSON: DESPITE THE ENORMOUS HARDSHIPS THAT HIS POVERTY HAS SUBJECTED HIM TO, HE ESSENTIALLY BELIEVES THAT NO ONE IN THE WORLD COULD BE AS LUCKY AS HE IS WITH A WHOLE LONG DAY TO INVENT.
01;03;37;08 – 01;03;56;16
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): IT’S BEAUTIFUL – BUT IF I TOOK IT I WOULD BE INSANE. I’M STILL SANE. I’M STILL WORKING FOR REAL THINGS IN LIFE. I STILL HAVE A VALUE SYSTEM. I DON’T WANT SOMETHING I CAN’T USE EVEN THOUGH IT’S PRETTY. IT WILL JUST BURDEN ME.
01;03;57;00 – 01;04;04;15
BETSY: HE HAS THIS THING, HE’LL JUST LOOK, IT’S JUST LOOK AT THE THING, THAT TO ME, EVEN TO ME LOOKS LIKE JUNK, HE’S JUST LIKE, ‘WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THIS?’
01;04;05;27 – 01;04;09;03
POPPA NEUTRINO: THIS CHAIR WAS THROWN AWAY IN CHINATOWN. BEAUTIFUL CHAIR.
01;04;09;07 – 01;04;21;27
BETSY: IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE SO PERFECT. IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE SO, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL BY WHOSE STANDARDS? YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONALITY IS THE THING, CAN IT FUNCTION?
01;04;57;23 – 01;05;17;28
POPPA NEUTRINO: PEOPLE THEY SAY I’M GONNA WORK ALL MY LIFE SO I CAN GO LIVE IN THE WOODS, GO HUNT AND LIVE IN THE WOODS. WHY DON’T YOU JUST GO LIVE IN THE WOODS RIGHT AWAY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? GO RIGHT TO THE WOODS. SO WHAT IF I GET TIRED OF THE WOODS? BUILD YOURSELF A BOX. MAKE A LITTLE APARTMENT ON WHEELS. AND PUSH IT AROUND MANHATTAN.
01;05;19;11 – 01;05;26;27
INGRID: MY FATHER CHOSE THIS LIFESTYLE. HE COULD HAVE GOT A REGULAR JOB AND GONE AND MADE A LOT OF MONEY AND HAD A HOUSE. HE DIDN’T WANT TO DO THAT, HE WANTED AN ALTERNATE LIFE.
01;05;28;03 – 01;05;35;04
POPPA NEUTRINO: I COULD NEVER WORK FOR ANYBODY. I COULD WORK A DAY OR TWO – THAT’S ALL I’VE EVER WORKED IS A DAY OR TWO.
01;05;36;03 – 01;06;20;16
BETSY: IF YOU WANT THAT KIND OF FREEDOM YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, TO THE AVERAGE PERSON, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP NOT TO GO AND SHOW UP TO THE JOB THAT YOU WOULDN’T GO TO IF YOU WEREN’T BEING PAID? EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF NEEDS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE TO KIND OF EXAMINE YOUR NEEDS. YOU DON’T WANT TO GO WITHOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY NEED. AND THEN YOU START BUILDING UP FROM THERE. THERE’S ALL THE WANTS. YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE TO REALLY EXAMINE, HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT ARE HELPING ME FOLLOW MY HEART’S DESIRE, AND HOW MANY OF THEM ARE THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY BURDENING ME AND KEEPING ME FROM BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW MY HEART’S DESIRE.
01;06;21;26 – 01;06;29;08
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): I NEVER BELIEVED I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BUY EGG SALAD IN HERE. THREE DOLLARS AND FORTY FIVE CENTS FOR A QUARTER POUND OF EGG SALAD.
01;06;29;28 – 01;06;54;05
ALEC WILKINSON: I HAVE NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT IF HE CARED TO HE COULD HAVE BEEN RICH. HE HAS NOT A SHRED OF MATERIALISM IN HIM. BUT I HAVE NO – HE HAS ALL OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANY PERSON WHO’S EVER BUILT A FORTUNE. CUNNING. OPPORTUNISTIC. HE’S GOT GOOD IDEAS, HE WORKS INCREDIBLY HARD WHEN HE’S – I THINK HE’S – I HAVE NO DOUBT HE COULD HAVE BEEN A WEALTHY MAN. BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONVENTIONAL LIFE THAT WOULDN’T HAVE INTERESTED HIM.
01;06;56;23 – 01;06;58;29
POPPA NEUTRINO: THE STORY STARTS WITH A DOG BITE.
01;06;59;08 – 01;07;06;10
INGRID: THERE WAS THIS DOBERMAN ON THE BEACH. IT WAS VERY SKINNY AND VERY SICK AND MY DAD WALKED OVER TO IT TO MOVE IT TO THE SHADE ‘CAUSE IT WAS LAYING IN THE SUN.
01;07;06;11 – 01;07;08;03
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): HEY BABY, AWWWWW….
01;07;08;12 – 01;07;18;17
POPPA NEUTRINO: AND I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT LOOK ON THE DOG’S FACE, IT WAS LIKE ‘THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU,’ AND HE BIT ME, AND THEN DIED. AND I GOT THIS SHUDDER LIKE, WOW!
01;07;20;11 – 01;07;25;03
INGRID: HE STARTED TO LOSE A LOT OF WEIGHT, HE STARTED GETTING REALLY REALLY ILL, HE COULDN’T EAT ANY FOOD…
01;07;25;08 – 01;07;35;09
POPPA NEUTRINO: I LOOKED LIKE I HAD AIDS, I LOOKED LIKE I WAS SHRIVELED UP, I WENT FROM 220 POUNDS DOWN TO 137 POUNDS. AND IT WENT ON FOR YEARS.
01;07;37;03 – 01;07;50;03
INGRID: HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM AND HE ACTUALLY WENT TO A GYPSY FORTUNE TELLER IN MEXICO, AND SHE TOLD HIM, HE WAS BITTEN BY A DOG, SHE KNEW THE WHOLE THING, LIKE SHE COULD JUST SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND SHE WAS LIKE, ‘YOU’RE VERY SICK, YOU’RE GOING TO’ – I THINK SHE TOLD HIM HE WAS GONNA DIE.
01;07;52;00 – 01;08;25;07
BETSY: WE TOOK HIM TO VET’S HOSPITALS…WE TOOK HIM ALL KINDS OF PLACES AND NOBODY COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM, THEY DID ALL KINDS OF TESTS. IN THE VET’S HOSPITAL THEY SAID IT COULD BE PSYCHOLOGICAL SO THEY PUT HIM IN THE PSYCH WARD. BUT NOBODY WAS HELPING HIM THERE SO I HELPED HIM ESCAPE FROM THE PSYCH WARD. AND ONE DAY HE SAID, ‘I’M GONNA MAKE A TRIP. I’M GONNA TAKE A BICYCLE TRIP.
01;08;30;00 – 01;08;35;00
POPPA NEUTRINO: AND WE PACKED MY BICYCLE AND I HAD A COUPLE OF DOLLARS, FOUR OR FIVE DOLLARS ON ME…
01;08;39;25 – 01;09;21;26
BETSY: WE FIGURED HE WAS GONNA GO OFF ON THAT BICYCLE ‘CAUSE HE NEEDED TO DIE ALONE. SO WE SAID OUR GOODBYES AS BEST WE COULD AND HE PEDALED OFF ON THE BICYCLE. WELL TWO WEEKS LATER HE WAS AT THE MEETING SPOT AND HE LOOKED WORSE THAN EVER. (LAUGHS THROUGH TEARS) YOU COULDN’T EVEN TOUCH HIM WITHOUT GIVING HIM PAIN. BUT HE TOLD US HE HAD HAD THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE OF HIS LIFE. THAT HE WAS NO LONGER AFRAID OF DEATH OR OLD AGE. OR BEING SICK…
01;09;25;03 – 01;10;53;17
POPPA NEUTRINO: AND I SAID THANK YOU, GOD, THANK YOU. I WILL NEVER GET OLD AGAIN, EVER. I KNEW THAT AGE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY INNER LIFE. I COULD GET SO OLD, AND SO DECREPIT, TILL, ‘OHH, OH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY,’ AND STILL BE OUT STALKING MY THREE DEEPEST DESIRES. YOU KNOW THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE OLD AGE AND DEATH IN EVERY INCARNATION. WELL, I’VE HAD MY OLD AGE. ONLY DEATH IS WAITING NOW. DEATH IS AT YOUR DOOR AND YOU CAN’T AVOID IT. IF YOU CAN GET RID OF THE FEAR, IF YOU CAN GET OUT OF THE FEAR AND GET INTO THE ACCEPTANCE – OK, DEATH IS COMING, WHAT CAN I DO BEFORE IT HAPPENS? IF YOU SPEND IT PUTZING AROUND, DOING JOBS YOU DON’T WANT TO DO, DOING CHORES YOU DON’T WANT TO – DON’T HAVE TO DO, YOU GOT A BIG SURPRISE COMING FOR YOU. IF YOU REALLY REALLY REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT AS A CHILD – THE OPTIMISM YOU HAD, THE POSSIBILITIES YOU HAD, TO REACH YOUR EXPRESSION IN LIFE, YOU’LL GO FOR THAT.
01;10;54;03 – 01;10;57;16
Chyron: With very little money, Poppa and his family have traveled the world
01;10;57;25 – 01;11;04;09
JESSICA: WE’VE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE…WE’VE BEEN ALL OVER PART OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, WE EVEN MADE A TRIP TO EUROPE.
01;11;04;14 – 01;11;09;05
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): WE’RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER SONG FOR THE LOVELY PEOPLE HERE IN BARCELONA, SPAIN.
01;11;10;00 – 01;11;25;19
ALEC WILKINSON: THE DEGREE AND THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE ADVENTURES THAT NEUTRINO HAD WERE NOTHING LIKE THOSE OF A GUY WITH MONEY IN HIS POCKET AND A CAR TO DRIVE. THIS GUY MAKES JACK KEROUAC LOOK LIKE HE LIVED AT HOME WITH HIS MOTHER AND WENT OUT ON THE ROAD ON THE WEEKENDS.
01;11;26;27 – 01;11;29;24
POPPA NEUTRINO: MY THREE DEEPEST GOALS ARE FREEDOM, JOY, AND ART.
01;11;31;14 – 01;11;33;20
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): IT’S AUTOGRAPH TIME IN MOSCOW…
01;11;34;11 – 01;12;35;16
POPPA NEUTRINO: AND I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR FREEDOM, ANYTHING FOR JOY, AND ANYTHING FOR ART. WHEN YOU GO FOR YOUR THREE DEEPEST DESIRES YOU’LL KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. WHETHER YOU WANT TO PAY RENT…PAY TAXES…THE RENT IS THE THING THAT REALLY BEATS US, YOU KNOW. THE KINGS OF ENGLAND, THEY SAID WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE ARMIES, WE CAN HAVE LANDLORDS TAKING CARE OF THE WHOLE THING. HAVE THEM PAY RENT AND WE HAVE THEM, THEN THEY HAVE TO WORK IN THE FACTORIES, IT’S ALL STRUCTURED. IF YOU TAKE POOR FAMILIES WHEN THE RENT IS A KILLER, WHEN THE RENT IS SIXTY AND SEVENTY PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME, AND CHILDREN AREN’T SAFE COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL, AND YOU’RE PAYING THE MAJORITY OF YOUR MONEY – THAT’S A HORROR. IF YOU TOOK A – IF A FAMILY JUST STARTED WALKING OUT OF TOWN, I GUARANTEE YOU, THERE WOULD BE HELPING HANDS THAT WOULD COME DOWN AND HELP THAT FAMILY.
01;12;35;29 – 01;12;41;08
Chyron: Poppa and his family were homeless by choice
01;12;38;05 – 01;12;53;06
POPPA NEUTRINO: THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT PLACES TO START WHEN YOU’RE POOR. YOU JUST WALK OUT. AND JUST SAY, NO, I’M NOT GONNA TAKE THIS STUFF ANYMORE. AND YOU JUST WALK OUT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR KIDS. AND I’VE SHOWN THAT WITH MY FAMILY AND MY KIDS.
01;12;54;00 – 01;13;04;01
INGRID: WE STARTED GOING TO MEXICO WHEN I WAS NINE EVERY YEAR. MOSTLY BECAUSE MY DAD JUST LOVED THE MEXICAN PEOPLE. THEY’RE VERY GENEROUS, JUST REALLY SWEET, NICE PEOPLE, THERE’S A BIG SENSE OF COMMUNITY THERE.
01;13;06;06 – 01;13;14;13
POPPA NEUTRINO: THE MEXICANS ARE INCREDIBLE. THE MEXICANS WILL OPEN UP TO YOU AND SUPPORT YOU AND GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOTHING.
01;13;14;17 – 01;13;25;18
TODD: WHEN HE GOT BITTEN BY THE DOG AND BECAME MYSTERIOUSLY ILL, IT WAS AROUND THAT TIME THAT BETSY PICKED UP A SAXOPHONE, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH A SAXOPHONE.
01;13;26;01 – 01;13;42;02
BETSY: I PLAYED ONE SONG WHEN I STARTED – MEXICALI ROSE. AND I SOUNDED LIKE A QUACKING DUCK, IT WAS TERRIBLE. IT WAS REALLY TERRIBLE. IT WAS EMBARRASSING. BUT THE MIRACLE OF IT WAS THAT THE MEXICAN PEOPLE WOULD PAY FOR THAT ENOUGH TO KEEP US ALIVE.
01;13;42;05 – 01;13;45;16
Chyron: The family dropped its odd jobs to become self-taught musicians
01;13;46;08 – 01;13;49;13
Chyron: Busking would now be the primary source of income
01;13;45;16 – 01;13;57;07
DONNA: MUSIC IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. YOU CAN BUILD A BRIDGE BETWEEN YOU AND THEM WITHOUT EVER KNOWING HOW TO SAY THEIR NAME.
01;14;01;21 – 01;14;05;21
Chyron: They called themselves THE FLYING NEUTRINOS
01;13;59;19 – 01;14;13;04
TODD: IN MEXICO WE WERE JUST LOOKED AT AS A REAL CURIOSITY, A REAL ODDITY. AND WE WERE ACTUALLY! ESPECIALLY FOR LITTLE MEXICAN KIDS WHO, IN A LOT OF THE PLACES WE WENT, THEY’D NEVER EVEN SEEN A WHITE PERSON.
01;14;11;21 – 01;14;15;06
Chyron: NEUTRINOS: subatomic particles that travel the earth unobstructed
01;14;18;21 – 01;14;23;24
TODD: WE WERE KINDA GROSS…AT TIMES WE WERE REALLY, REALLY DIRTY.
01;14;25;01 – 01;14;32;07
INGRID: WE MADE PROBABLY THE WHOLE BAND I THINK, EIGHT DOLLARS A DAY? I MEAN WE HAD TO SAVE UP FOR A MONTH FOR A PAIR OF SHOES. THAT’S HOW BROKE WE WERE.
01;14;33;18 – 01;15;09;03
TODD: I WAS GROWING AND OF COURSE I GREW OUT OF MY SHOES, I GREW RIGHT OUT OF THEM…THE SHOES SEPARATED AND MY TOES KEPT GOING. AND SO I’M SPENDING MONTHS RUNNING AROUND IN MEXICO WITH THE SAME PAIR OF SHOES ON SCOOPING UP DIRT! EVERYWHERE I WENT. AND I THINK I ONLY HAD ONE OR TWO PAIR OF SOCKS. BUT I WAS KIND OF ON MY OWN AT THAT TIME. WE’D BUY OUR OWN FOOD…MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO EAT…AND OF COURSE I GOT VERY VERY SICK. AND I WAS CONSTANTLY RUNNING FOR THE HILLS BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY BATHROOMS…OF COURSE!
01;15;18;13 – 01;15;37;28
TODD: WE WERE PLAYING MUSIC IN A LITTLE RESTAURANT. I THINK IT WAS A BEACH TOWN. AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A COMMOTION OUTSIDE. THERE WAS MUSIC PLAYING. THERE WAS A PARADE GOING BY. THERE WERE THREE ELEPHANTS. THERE WERE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN COSTUME.
01;15;39;05 – 01;15;47;24
MARISA: THE KIDS AND I WERE VERY EXCITED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET TO GO TO THE CIRCUS, AND YOU KNOW, SEE THE CIRCUS, AS TOURISTS! WHICH WE NEVER EVER DID.
01;15;51;11 – 01;15;57;05
TODD: POPPA NEUTRINO FOUND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN CHARGE. TOLD THEM WE WERE A BAND AND WE WANTED TO JOIN THE CIRCUS.
01;15;58;09 – 01;16;02;05
BETSY: FOR THE KIDS IT WAS LIKE PARADISE.
01;16;05;23 – 01;16;14;02
TODD: THE BEGINNING OF THE CIRCUS TIME WAS PRETTY HEADY. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF SETTING UP THE TENT AND THE KIDS WERE AROUND ALL THESE ANIMALS AND CLOWNS.
01;16;20;09 – 01;16;24;04
MARISA: WE JOINED UP WITH THE CIRCUS, AND WE WOULD PLAY THE INTERMISSION.
01;16;24;01 – 01;16;30;14
INGRID: WE CAME ON WHEN PEOPLE WERE GETTING THEIR PHOTOS TAKEN WITH THE ELEPHANTS. WE PLAYED!
01;16;33;26 – 01;16;59;11
MARISA: WE WERE ACTUALLY…SORT OF A HIT. WE WERE VERY ODD I’M SURE TO ALL THE MEXICANS WHO HAD NEVER HEARD OF NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH AN INTERESTING GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CIRCUS. BUT WE FIT IN GREAT! AND IT WAS ONE OF THE TIMES WHEN THE KIDS AND I HAD A SOCIAL LIFE.
01;17;00;23 – 01;17;08;11
TODD: WE HAD A GOOD TIME IN THE CIRCUS, THE KIDS HAD A GOOD TIME. AND OF COURSE I HAD CRUSHES ON EVERY LITTLE DANCER, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MY AGE.
01;17;15;06 – 01;17;18;23
INGRID: IT WAS THE BEST TIME OF A CHILD’S LIFE.
01;17;18;24 – 01;17;22;25
JESSICA: IN THE CIRCUS IT’S LIKE YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE VILLAGE THAT TRAVELS AROUND WITH YOU…
01;17;22;26 – 01;17;23;29
INGRID: FULL OF KIDS THAT UNDERSTAND YOU…
01;17;24;00 –
JESSICA (OVERLAPPING): FULL OF KIDS THAT UNDERSTAND YOU-!
INGRID: THEY’RE FROM THE SAME PLACE. 01;17;25;15
01;17;26;18 – 01;17;47;06
BETSY: IN THE CIRCUS THEY HAD OTHER KIDS THEIR AGE THAT THEY COULD INTERACT WITH AND SOCIALIZE WITH WHO WERE JUST LIKE THEM. WHO LIVED IN TRUCKS, WHO TRAVELED AROUND, WHO PERFORMED, YOU KNOW, ON A STAGE…EVERYWHERE ELSE THEY WENT THEY WERE THE WEIRDOS, THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WERE DIFFERENT.
01;17;49;00 – 01;18;09;21
TODD: I THINK AS KIDS WE KNEW THAT WE WERE FREAKS. WE’D LOOK AT OTHER KIDS AND THEY WERE IN CARS AND THEY HAD NICE CLOTHES AND THEY HAD THESE SOCIAL NETWORKS AND THERE WERE A LOT OF FEELINGS OF INSECURITY REGARDING OTHER KIDS. BUT I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE I WAS TERRIFIED OF OTHER CHILDREN.
01;18;11;05 – 01;18;14;11
Chyron: Todd
11 years old
01;18;10;04 – 01;18;16;16
TODD: YOU MEET A LOT OF FRIENDS, BUT YOU DON’T GET TO STAY WITH THEM VERY LONG, YOU KNOW? YOU GET TO PLAY WITH THEM FOR A WHILE AND THEN YOU MOVE ON.
01;18;18;29 – 01;18;21;25
Chyron: Marisa
9 years old
01;18;16;20 – 01;18;22;10
MARISA: SAME WITH ME, I GET A COUPLE OF PEN PALS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE… AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON.
01;18;23;24 – 01;18;27;07
Chyron: Ingrid
16 years old
01;18;22;25 – 01;18;47;20
INGRID: I THINK THE HARDEST PART IS GOING OUT AND PUTTING IN THE EFFORT TO MEET PEOPLE. IT TAKES MORE OF AN EFFORT BECAUSE YOU MEET THEM AND THEN YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PUT OUT THAT EFFORT TO YOU KNOW, MAKE THINGS GO. WHICH IN A WAY I GUESS IS GOOD BECAUSE IN THE FUTURE YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE THAT, YOU CAN GO OUT AND MEET DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS…BUT IT TAKES TIME! AND YOU CAN’T BE SHY ABOUT IT!
01;18;52;27 – 01;19;00;15
TODD: EVENTUALLY POPPA NEUTRINO BURNED HIS BRIDGES WITH THE OWNERS OF THE CIRCUS…JUST INTERJECTED HIMSELF IN THERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH…
01;19;05;03 – 01;20;16;19
POPPA NEUTRINO: I CONVINCED THE CIRCUS OWNER THAT IF HE PUT ME IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING THAT I COULD DOUBLE UP – DOUBLE HIS ATTENDANCE. AND HE DID. SO I SAID THE FIRST THING THAT WE’RE GONNA DO IS CUT OUT THE TYPICAL CIRCUS PARADE. WE’RE GONNA HAVE GLENN MILLER MUSIC. WE WENT DOWN THE STREET WITH TWO ELEPHANTS AND WE WERE PLAYING THE ORIGINAL GLENN MILLER MUSIC ON RECORDS. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE FOLLOWING THESE TWO ELEPHANTS AND GLENN MILLER MUSIC BEING PIPED THROUGH THE SPEAKER ON THE TRUCK. IT WAS MAGIC. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY MAGIC. I SAID, ‘I’VE DONE IT, I’VE DONE IT! I’M A GENIUS! I’LL DOUBLE THE CROWD!’ THAT NIGHT THEY HAD A DANCE IN TOWN. AND THE MUSIC HAD INSPIRED EVERYBODY TO GO TO THE DANCE AND NOT TO THE CIRCUS AND NOBODY SHOWED UP AT THE CIRCUS.
01;20;25;21 – 01;20;30;27
TODD: SO WE MADE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WERE LEAVING AND ANYONE WHO WANTED TO GO WITH US WAS WELCOME TO.
01;20;30;28 – 01;20;31;26
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): ADIOS!
01;20;34;07 – 01;20;45;00
TODD: AND SO HALF THE CIRCUS LEFT WITH US. AND WE ALL PILED INTO THIS BUS. I’M SURE IT WAS ALMOST TWENTY PEOPLE. AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF ARTISTS AND A NUMBER OF TRABAJADORES. THE WORKERS.
01;20;45;19 – 01;20;47;10
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): OK, SO WE’RE A CIRCUS.
01;20;47;11 – 01;20;49;08
TODD: IT WAS DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO MAKE OUR OWN CIRCUS.
01;20;49;29 – 01;20;54;27
POPPA NEUTRINO (SOT): WE FORMED OUR CHARTER, AND WE’RE A CIRCUS AND WE’RE ALL THE OWNERS. LET’S SEE WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
01;20;55;01 – 01;20;57;05
INGRID (SOT): I’D LIKE TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE COSTUMES AND THE DANCE.
01;20;59;04 – 01;21;02;27
INGRID: THE MEXICAN CIRCUS HAD A CAST OF CHARACTERS OF A MUTE NINJA…
01;21;14;20 – 01;21;21;26
MARISA: NOBODY BELIEVES ME WHEN I TELL THEM IT, BUT THE NINJA WAS ACTUALLY A DEAF, MUTE, NINJA. A DEAF/MUTE MEXICAN NINJA.
01;21;23;28 – 01;21;28;17
INGRID: DRUNK CLOWN, SWABICITO, IT WAS MY JOB TO CLEAN UP AFTER HIM!
01;21;28;23 – 01;21;31;26
JESSICA: AND THEN THERE WAS THIS COOK, AND HER HUSBAND, AND HER FOUR KIDS…
01;21;33;14 – 01;21;34;18
INGRID : I FORGOT ABOUT THAT.
01;21;34;19 – 01;21;37;04
JESSICA: AND OUR FAMILY AT THE TIME WAS LIKE ELEVEN OR TWELVE PEOPLE.
01;21;42;28 – 01;21;58;08
TODD: WE DIDN’T HAVE A TENT, BUT WE JUST PERFORMED IN THE PLAYAS AND THE VARIOUS LITTLE TOWNS…PLAYING MUSIC. MOST OF THE TIME WE WERE PERFORMING TO KIDS, AND THAT WAS HARD, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY…
01;22;05;04 – 01;22;22;11
BETSY: THE DIFFICULTY WAS IT WAS JUST HUGE, WE WERE LIKE EIGHTEEN PEOPLE, AND WE COULD NEVER GET AHEAD, EVEN A PESO AHEAD. WE’RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE ENOUGH TO EAT, NOT QUITE ENOUGH GAS TO GET TO WHERE WE WANTED TO GO, AND YOU KNOW…
01;22;23;09 – 01;22;28;28
TODD: IT WAS A LITTLE MORE DESPERATE TIMES AND WE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING, WE WERE JUST KIND OF WANDERING MEXICO, AND WE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT OUR GOAL WAS.
01;22;31;03 – 01;22;42;19
INGRID: I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA LOSE MY MIND. AFTER WE LEFT THE CIRCUS I GOT REALLY DEPRESSED. I JUST, I WAS LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING IN MEXICO, RIGHT NOW, WE CANNOT EAT, THERE’S NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO EAT WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE, AND I WAS REALLY DEPRESSED.
01;22;46;06 – 01;22;54;25
POPPA NEUTRINO: WE WERE JUST THE EPITOME OF HOPE. AND WE’D GO FROM TOWN TO TOWN, WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE, TRAINING THEM.
01;22;56;16 – 01;23;00;26