Patches and Gretchen Invite You to an Unconventional Performance

Part rock and roll, part performance art, all Patches and Gretchen. Prolific painter, musician and all around performer Gretchen Seichrist and her band-mate and co-conspirator Tommy Tousey are rejecting convention and blurring artistic lines with a show this Saturday at the Loring Theater. 

Dubbed “Headquarters and Dimes,” the surrealist variety show began early this summer in Seichrist’s garage in Southwest Minneapolis as a Friday evening webcast presented by Seichrist and Tousey–two permanent members of Seichrist’s band Patches and Gretchen–along with a rotating selection of local musicians and artists.

Beginning as an experiment in artistic improv and because Seichrist was “in a bad mood” about the conventions of being a working musician, “Headquarters and Dimes” quickly picked up speed and popularity, with Seichrist and Tousey soon writing scripts and doing art direction and advertising for the webcast in addition to their performances. 

Tired Of Not Being Paid

As a musician, Seichrist said the competitive and largely unpaid performance scene in Minneapolis was wearing on her. She was tired of playing by other people’s rules and doing things a certain way–like fighting for sets at clubs and playing for free–just because that’s the way they’ve always been done.

“I even got bored with the concept of saying, ‘Hey, come see our band, our band is great, let’s try to get more people to come to the club, our band is cool.' That just became like, is that what we’re going to spend our time doing?” Seichrist said.

The answer was no. Instead, Seichrist and Tousey decided to try something different.

As Patches and Gretchen, they set up shop in Seichrist’s garage and backyard and set to work making art, ignoring convention and following their own creative drives.

Venues Everywhere

After several successful webcasts, Patches and Gretchen took their show to the streets, performing outside local gas stations and inviting friends to take part in the unconventional performance spree, webcasting from there as well.   

“It’s not that I’m so ambitious for success,” Seichrist said, “it's that I’m so against somebody telling me what I can’t do.” 

Steve Barberio of the Loring Theater was not one of those people. Barberio gave Seichrist and Tousey the go ahead to translate their online show to the stage and had this to say about the upcoming performance:

“I’ve followed the progress of Patches and Gretchen’s work for some time now so I’m excited to have them here on the Loring Theater stage. The theater was first built as a silent film and vaudeville house, so when I heard about this group’s surrealist variety show concept I thought it would work brilliantly in our space. We’re keen to see the direction the piece takes. It should be great fun.” 

A Jam-Packed Evening

Saturday evening’s show will also serve as a CD release party for not one but two new albums, I Steal Carrots and Blue Skin. 

“We had all this material, Tommy and I decided why make one album? Let’s make two,” Seichrist said. 

“Actually, we said let’s make six,” Tousey said. 

So goes the ambition of this pair. The other four albums, Seichrist and Tousey promise, are on the way. 

Expect the unexpected at “Headquarters and Dimes.” Previous webcasts have involved everything from garage rock shows to a comedian being interviewed while tied to a tree.

Here’s what we know about Saturday’s show: appearances from the likes of Adam Levy of The Honeydogs, Dan Israel and Scarlet Rivera, former violinist for Bob Dylan who is flying in specially for this show; and audience involvement in the form of free ice cream.

On that note, Seichrist and Tousey said they are still looking for a local ice cream sponsor for the show, as well as someone to do Seichrist’s hair. 

If you go: 

What: Headquarters and Dimes  

When: Saturday, September 3, Doors at 7PM, Show at 8PM

Where: Loring Theater 

Cost: $12 in advance; $15 at the door