#Machine Dazzle

[thesearenotphotographs]

Pigeon Fest at The High Line

Full gallery can be found on my website.

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Pigeon Fest took place at The High Line in New York City. The event was in honor of the rock dove, a.k.a. pigeons, which are associated with our town. The High Line currently has a 17 foot pigeon sculpture Dinosaur by Iván Argote on view and the festival was the first event centered around the animal New Yorkers come across on a daily basis. Despite the rainy weather, many people came out to enjoy the pigeon festivities, which was free to attend.

The High Line scheduled day long programming for Pigeon Fest, but I only attended two back-to-back events: Mother Pigeon’s Impeckable Puppet Show at 1PM followed by the Pigeon Impersonation Pageant hosted by costume designer Machine Dazzle who created an outfit based on the idea of Argote’s Dinosaur’s excrement.

Images that were made during my time at Pigeon Fest can be found in this gallery, kudos to everyone who made this such a fun and successful event!

[longlistshort]

Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music Trailer

In 2016, Taylor Mac performed his immersive 24-Decade History of Popular Music in a theater in Brooklyn for a full twenty four hours. Normally performed in sections, this was the first and only time this had been done. Decade by decade, from 1776-2016, the history of popular music and the history of America merge, with a decidedly queer slant.

The documentary, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, includes footage from the show combined with interviews with Mac, his incredible costume designer Machine Dazzle, his musical director Matt Ray, and his co-director Niegel Smith. Although Mac is the main performer, the show includes a stage full of musicians, additional singers, and his "Dandy Minions" who can often be found offstage interacting with the audience. Mac's desire to draw people together and build community is highlighted during several moments focused on the audience's participation.

Throughout the many hours, performers leave the stage for good leaving only Mac by the end of the show. This is meant to mirror the losses from the AIDS epidemic. Even with only a small selection of these moments, you can feel the effect this creates.

Inventive, beautiful, funny, and often moving, this documentary provides a small taste of the performance and will leave you wanting more.

Mac's costume for the 1980s

Taylor Mac and Machine Dazzle

Mac's costume photo shoot for the 1950s

Mac with an audience member

[thequeereview]

Emmys 2024 FYC Exclusive Interview: Machine Dazzle on his creations for Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music "the costumes are living sculptures"

In 2016, Taylor Mac performed a one-time-only, 24-hour immersive theatrical experience in front of a live audience at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The concert offered an alternative take on U.S. history, narrated through music that was popular from the nation’s founding to the present, with Mac transforming hourly by changing into elaborate, decade-specific costumes by Mac’s longtime…

[artisthewolf]

Catalyst Quartet: “Bassline Fabulous” with Machine Dazzle 

In December 2022, as part of their Met residency, Catalyst Quartet presented an immersive dive into Bach’s behemoth Goldberg Variations, featuring their acclaimed string quartet arrangement of the beloved keyboard work. Performance artist and “theatrical genius” (The New Yorker) Machine Dazzle responded in real-time, interpreting the music’s inescapable evolution through a personal, emotional…

[vixpunix]

I love my ex girlfriends

[kyzmya]

Idk...........

[the-auguer]

whyyyyyyy is it a running theme to have the Good Guys fight the Bad Guys in a battle of music and just have the Bad Guys absolutely slay the song they sing?? they put out absolute cunt into the world, really put their whole villainussy into it— and we as an audience have to pretend that the mushy feelings ballad that the Good Guys put out was enough to save the world (or win whatever competition)????

[eldritch-circus-sillies]

Dance baby dance, they never had a chance 🎶

[wendolyniguess]

Are claw machines rigged ?

[lunasilvis]

New Swiss mean bean morning machine. Approved ✅️

[moonlightla10]

Doodles with friends!! In both photos my drawings are in pen and the pencil is my friends. :]

[katmo333]

Chicken.

[wewontbesleeping]

beauty is a beast that roars, down on all fours, demanding more.

[spockvarietyhour]

I'm dying we keep retconning Kanaan and Teyla's feelings for him and I guess he would have had to have been there since the beginning with the other Athosians but it's just funnier as the writers keep adding details. They should have a done an episode a la Lost where he's there in every critical scene, fiddling with a toilet in the next room

[dazzlingqwq]

"i wont distract till floor 5" AND THEN I FUCKING DIE

[sol-flo]

tenet might be the first movie to make me wanna watch an explained video and it's not because it's too clever for me. it's because i think it's dumb as bricks