Photo by Greg Gorman
By Robert Burke Warren Ever since filmmaker-performer-author John Waters unleashed his transgressive 1972 cult classic Pink Flamingos on an unsuspecting public, he’s accepted numerous titles: The Pope of Trash, The Baron of Bad Taste, The Prince of Puke. With a reputation like that, attendees to his one-man show This Filthy World, Volume 2, at Basilica Hudson on Saturday, October 18 may be surprised to discover he’s actually quite the charming raconteur. Outsider shock remains his calling card, yes, but as a presence, he’s genuine and warm, a skilled and often hilarious storyteller. (The performance is a benefit for the Basilica film program and the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York.) Waters is excited about coming to Hudson. “I understand it used to be a center of vice," he says with relish from his Manhattan apartment. Upon finding the once-tawdry town has become a Williamsburg-esque arts mecca, he says, “So it’s hipster; the men all look like they just kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. They’re really cute but they work really hard to be ugly to prove they’re so cute they can’t be ugly. That’s what that look is about. I love hipsters. I’ll be fine." Waters has reason to be sanguine about this gig. Although he achieved fame as a screenwriter and director, he’s always been a performer; back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, he often did stand-up before film screenings, and as an actor, he appeared in Something Wild, Homicide: Life On the Street, and The Simpsons, to name a few. All those showfolk chops came in handy when he first presented This Filthy World in 2006. (The acclaimed documentary of the same name is streaming on Netflix.) “I sold out Sydney Opera House and the Southbank Centre in London, a huge place," he says. “I didn’t see how big Southbank was until I did the Q and A, because when you’re onstage you just see black. It was amazing."
Although he’s not made a movie since 2004’s A Dirty Shame, this Basilica engagement – his only local appearance – comes at the tail end of a particularly busy year. 2014 has included the release of the bestselling Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, a chronicle of his recent adventures thumbing it, and a Lincoln Center retrospective, Fifty Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take? He says all this action keeps him fit: “I’m the only gay man you’ll meet who’s never been to a gym in his life." (Waters will be signing copies of his book at Finch on Warren Street in Hudson at 2 p.m. prior to the Basilica show.) Basilica owner and former Smashing Pumpkins and Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur couldn’t be happier about This Filthy World coming to her establishment. “As an original, independent risk taker, Waters captures the spirit of a large part of our mission," she says. Waters promises This Filthy World, Volume 2 will be completely different from the 2006 version. “I’m always on tour," he says. “And I’m constantly upgrading the show, putting in new stuff and rewriting." Along with his Carsick adventures, the Lincoln Center retrospective will likely make its way into his monologue. “It was exciting," he says of the event, with wonder. “No irony, for once. It was like being at my funeral." Speaking of funerals, Waters has dealt with his share of death this year. First, his beloved mother passed away in February at the age of 89. “She always made me feel safe," he says. “My parents were horrified by what I did, but they gave me a good foundation." In addition to his mother, Waters lost his friend Joan Rivers. “I was with her just before she died," he says. “And it’s not such a terrible story. She performed the night before, and she didn’t even know she died. I hope that happens to me. And now her family can sue the hospital, and they’ll be doubly rich! It’s sad, because she was so vital, and believe me, she didn’t want to die, but she didn’t know she died, and that is so important, having gone through my parents’ deaths. [Waters’ father passed away in 2008.] The last four years of old age can really be ugly. I couldn’t imagine Joan like that, and now I don’t have to." As for himself, Waters plans to be buried near his dearly departed muse, Divine, whom he discovered (and named) in the ‘60s. Divine was the star player in a troupe of oddballs that included actors Mink Stole, Pat Moran and Mary Vivian Pearce, all of whom remain close. “We all bought a plot where Divine’s buried," he says. “Friends don’t usually get buried together, but we will be. We call it Disgraceland." But that’s all far in the future, of course. For now, John Waters, visionary filmmaker, author, and raconteur, is quite well, thank you, and ready to remind us how deliciously shocking life can be. John Waters’ This Filthy World, Part 2A benefit performance for Basilica Arts and The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. Basilica Hudson110 South Front Street, Hudson (518) 822-1050 Saturday, October 18, 8 p.m. $125 General admission | $175 Preferred Seating with Open Bar $50 Students (with valid ID)
