On the edge

I have to preface this by saying -- at the risk of undermining his performance persona -- that Mikhail Horowitz is a sweet guy. He's also an incredibly talented writer and editor. We used to work together, long long ago, and his influence helped make me a better journalist. (If he is reading this he's probably plotzing, heehee. But he'll get over that.)

Here are the details about an upcoming gig. Mik's shows are thought provoking and drop-dead funny, and they are not to be missed. So go, get tickets already.

The profoundly shallow, hermetically soiled, and metaphysically unfit comic duo of Mikhail Horowitz & Gilles Malkine will once again lower property values at the Woodstock Guild’s Kleinert-James Art Center, 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock, on Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. The pair, who have married great literary works to hip hop, blues, bluegrass, and Mongolian tongue drumming, and who have ruffled the scales of political regressives and religious poltroons of every persuasion with their socially savvy songs and screeds, will be accompanied by bassist John Menegon.

Horowitz & Malkine have shared bills and/or collaborated with Peter Schickele, Ed Sanders, Robert Bly, Jim Hightower, Amy Goodman, Natalie Merchant, Kate Pierson, David Amram, Happy & Artie Traum, and Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, among many other living national treasures. They are personally responsible for the defunding of (at the latest count) 53 arts organizations, the closing and condemning of a dozen clubs, and the suicide of the music critic for Modern Maturity magazine.

Admission is $20, $15 for Guild members. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. For reservations or more info, call 679-2079, or stop by the box office, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.