52nd City

It Beats; It Sweeps; It Cleans

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stan Kann for a little local celebrity restaurant piece. All I remember is that Stan said his least favorite dish was "fishy fish," and being from an inland state that's far from fresh water (though brackish was in plentiful supply), I agreed with him completely.

While digging up background info, I found an interview, "A Visit With Stan Kann," originally published in Vaccum Cleaner Collector Club News. It's one of my favorite interviews, possibly ever. There's some fascinating backstory on Stan's early interactions with vacuum cleaners. Here he is, describing how he got his vaccum fix when he was a kid (his family didn't actually own one; he dismisses his mom for cleaning carpets with a "sweeper...one of those Bissel things"):

"I’d just run around the neighborhood listening to them run. I’d ask people to let me come in and watch them run their vacuum cleaner... I remember in the middle building, the woman on the first floor had a Eureka with a red bag. Another friend of my mother’s lived at the other end, the last building. I ran around with her sons Billy and Lloyd Rupp. They had a Royal Standard."

Now you see why Mike Steinberg filmed a documentary about this man. The other reason, of course, is that Kann's a damn talented organ player, one of the best in the world. He's one of the few humans left on earth who really understands how to play a silent movie theater organ to best effect.

If you think $27 is a lot of money to spend to see a movie, you would be right, except in the case of "1925: It Beats; It Sweeps; It Cleans," the kick-off for this year's Crossings Concerts Series. Friday's concert features Buster Keaton on the screen, Stan on the organ plus "eight gems from [Stan's] famous collection of vacuum cleaners." Said vacuums will also be part of a world premiere by the Nuclear Percussion Ensemble, who will accompany their beautiful roaring with a "ragtime arrangements for mallet instruments." Superstar jazz guys Scott Alberici, Dan Rubright and Steve Schenkel are also listed on the program, though I'm assuming they're not playing with the vacuum cleaners. The whole thing goes down at Frank Schwaiger's Columbia Movie House, an old '20s theater on the hill that's been converted into a private residence. From what I can tell, it sounds they're projecting it onto an outside wall? Because Mad Art's listed as an alternate venue in case of bad weather. I am bummed out, because I'm already obligated that night (though who knows; they may be sold out already. If you, lucky reader, are not in the same sad state, call 'em at 314-721-8940).

I have made one promise to myself, though: if it starts raining, I will spirit myself away to help them carry Stan's Eurekas and Royals into the van heading to Mad Art.