the dotmatrix project

Not exactly, Yo-Yo Ma the cellist. Rather 100 people dressed like yo’ “ma” in hair curlers and house coats walking down Elm Street with glow in the dark yo-yos tonight at 8 pm.

That Yo-Yo Ma.

It’s all part of a public arts project and collaboration between Elsewhere Artist Collaborative, ArtBeat Greensboro, Monkeywhale and Walker and Dabney Sanders (who sponsored the logo-ed yo-yos).

Want to get in on the glow? Here’s how:

• Meet at Elsewhere Artist Collaborative (map) around 8 pm.
• Dress yourself in the wide selection of house coats, curlers and wigs available at Elsewhere.
• Give yourself a few lessons on the yo-yo.
• Walk down Elm Street to Center City Park at dusk.
• City officials worked together to turn the lights off at the park for a special glow in the dark performance, which will be captured on film by the fine folks at Monkeywhale.

Have fun!

UPDATE: Things didn’t quite turn out as expected. Larry Owens at Center City Park was kind enough to stay late and turn off the lights, but the rain haze and the city’s street lamps actually made the perimeter of the park glow, diffusing any chance of seeing the yo yos glow.

We did yo yo in a nice circle and horseshoe formation, however.

There’s one more Yo! project Saturday night May 9 when a group will yo yo up and down Elm Street and back. We’ll meet again at Elsewhere at 8 pm (see above for directions). Harvey and Carolyn with Monkeywhale will try and see if the cameras aren’t a bit more pleased about that one.

As I left the park, I felt myself craving songs with “Yo.” Rap songs – anything. You Tube only turned up a bunch of Yo! MTV Raps episodes and a drunk Ol’ Dirty Bastard. I wanted something like, “Yo. Yo. Listen to this: Yo.”

No luck.

But I found this song and video by The Osmonds and had no idea how hard the The Osmonds tried to rip off the Jackson 5.

Yo. Checkkit. I think Donnie sings “I used to be a swinger.”