Send your Valentines to John Waters 

Dear John …

Has trash cinema auteur John Waters touched you in ways you’ll never forget?

Let me rephrase that.

Do you love cult filmmaker John Waters? Do you love his movies, like Mondo Trasho, Crybaby, and even the one in which the late drag-queen diva Divine eats dog poop? Especially that one? Do you love his caustic wit, pinstripe suits, and pencil mustache? Do you wish you could express all the love in your heart in a fittingly tasteless way?

Well, never fear, SLO County, your opportunity has arrived. The king of good bad taste will be bring his one-man show This Filthy World to the historic Fremont Theater on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.—and on Thursday, Feb. 13, we’ll be publishing our own Waters homage in the form of a cover story.

But there’s more: We’d like to invite the community to share their love of all things Waters by sending us an adorably chintzy Valentine, love letter, fan artwork, or any other piece of printed, drawn, written, photocopied, or painted ephemera. (Actually, we don’t want to restrict your creativity. Whatever “Valentine to John Waters” means to you, send that, and we’ll see what we can do with it.) The best, most outlandish, and most hilarious submissions will be published as part of our cover story.

Send your professions of love to New Times’ Arts Editor Anna Weltner (OK, that sounded weird, but you know what we mean) by Monday, Feb. 3. These can be emailed to aweltner@newtimes slo.com or hand-delivered to our offices at 1010 Marsh St. in downtown SLO (on the corner of Marsh and Osos St.).

So get out that construction paper and glue, SLO County! We look forward to seeing what’s in that filthy mind of yours!

Klez-merriment

Looking for some more Yiddishkeit in your life since the SLO Jewish Film Festival wrapped earlier this month?  Look no further than Atascadero’s Congregation Ohr Tzafon, where on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m., New York’s Yiddish Art Trio will bring their blend of “infectious traditional melodies with new compositions, sumptuous chamber music-like arrangements and breathtaking improvisations,” according to press materials. Accordionist Patrick Farrell, bassist and vocalist Benjy-Fox-Rosen, and clarinetist Michael Winograd create a unique sound that melds classical and cantorial influences with the music of the theater and Yiddish vocal music.

To preview the Yiddish Art Trio’s music, purchase your $15 tickets, or for more information, visit congregationohrtzafon.org or call 466-0329. The concert starts at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6. Congregation Ohr Tzafon is located at 2605 Traffic Way in Atascadero.