“Rob!”

At this, Rob Perez looked up. Another friend of his was walking up to him, drinks in one hand and a flyer in the other. Rob put down the can of spray paint he had been working with to shake his hand, then thought better of it when he realized his own hand was covered in paint. By mutual agreement, they just nodded heads instead.

“Rob, what up dude?”

“Hey man, nothing much, just doing the usual. Enjoying this?” He motioned toward the crowd around him that had congregated outside of the club. Apparently it was either too full or too loud inside. The drum solo could be clearly heard outside the club where Rob was.

“Yeah, it’s awesome. Pirate theme- awesome. Arrggh-Slam.” At this, he put the on an eye-patch and walked away. Rob took a deep breath to clear his head of the fumes that were enveloping him, picked up the can of spray paint and continued working on the mermaid he had started earlier.

The “arrggh-slam” is ArtSlam, a monthly event held at the LimeLight club at 2718 N. St. Mary’s on Saturday nights. For one night a month, San Antonio’s best artists, disk jockeys, and bands come together to create a unique experience. It’s completely different than any other concert or gallery, and it’s the creation of the one man now standing in front of me, Rob Perez, with his own eye-patch flipped up.

***

“I would describe it [ArtSlam] as contemporary artists, getting together in an un-contemporary way and doing art.”- Diana Gutierrez, waitress

***

Every night is a theme, and this night it’s Pirate, in honor of Talk-Like-A-Pirate-Day. Live music plays in back of the club, on a small stage barely big enough for four people and their equipment. The artists, usually painters but others are encouraged, set up at the front of the club, by the door, or even outside against a wall. The electronica-heavy music is loud in the art foyer, so much so that to talk to somebody you have to lean in close to their ear, but nobody seems to mind.

There are people everywhere, outside the club, in the art foyer, near the bar, and especially at the stage. Sometimes it seems as if the people rival the band in their intensity, but again, nobody seems to mind. This is a night to celebrate the other side of the coin, alternative music and alternative art, and for Rob “DeadBeat Hero” Perez it’s just another night for him and his little “side job”.

***

“It’s about meeting new artists locally.” -Rob Perez, ArtSlam creator

***

I met up with Rob soon after he finished his mermaids- five or six of them, basically the same but done in different colors. He propped them against the outside of the club so people could admire them and make offers on them. “I’m trying to live the life’s dream of being an artist, but having to work the nine-to-five.” The nine-to-five is a job at UPS, package handler where he claims to be he man assigned to smashing any packages that come through. He says this in a laid-back voice leaning against the wall as he talks, half finished cigarette in one hand. There’s a relaxed air around him, and it feeds into the whole atmosphere at LimeLight.

Every artist there works at their own pace on their work. Some work with wood, some with ink, and some with canvas, but there are really no guidelines. In previous ArtSlams, somebody used a blow-up doll as their medium, while others used discarded television sets. It’s different every time, and people always show up.

“I think its doing really well. I’m happy with everything that’s going on. I get more people all the time asking me stuff about. More artists come up to me, and that’s what it’s all about.” Rob has been pushing it for nearly three years, and it has gotten more and more popular. “In the beginning we had a few shows that were kinda, meh, but you know, it’s just different now. I’m more into the scene. I have more artists that back me up. It’s been a good turn out these past few years.”

***

“[ArtSlam] is a musical, artistic, collective…ah…local talents together, painting- two vibes actually. Two vibes.” -John Reynosa, artist

“When I think of ArtSlam, I always think of art and music. “Cause there”s always artists and they’re accompanied by DJs or bands who follow the art, or during the art show” -Brian Torres, barista

***

The music, even though it can clearly be heard outside the club, can only be experienced inside. Once inside, the first thing you see is the people. There’s people gathered around the pool table in the left corner of the room that’s never used to play any game, only as another table to hold and showcase art. There are artists crammed into whatever corner they can find by the table, some sitting on the floor, some having brought their own tables and chairs. There are people gathered around an untouched Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man arcade cabinet in the center of the art foyer, and there are people gathered on a red leather couch in the right corner, around a television set that’s hardly ever on, instead used as another makeshift table for people to display their art around.

The music doesn’t seem as loud back here, but that’s because the sheer number of people help dampen the sound. To get the full effect, you have to push and navigate yourself through the crowd by the stocked bar just behind the TV, to where the stage is. This night however, the stage isn’t used, and the band is set up on the floor. They’re in full rocking mode with heavy guitar solos and explosive drum beats. The lead guitarist moves wildly, often times nearly hitting a listener with the fret board, before finishing out on a sustained chord that disintegrates into pure machine static. The gathered crowd loves it, and it all seems to fit perfectly with the entire night.

Its not accident that it does that either. Rob picks the bands that show up. “Music-wise, I like a wide variety; I like everything from hip-hop to rock to indie. I try to collaborate the music to go with the art work. I get these bands to go with the theme.” The band starts another set, and the people listen. Its local music and local artists, and its good.

***

“I’m think I’m gonna keep doing it. As long as people keep showing up, I’m gonna keep doing it.” -Rob Perez

***

Its well past midnight by the time Rob finished his mermaids, and people are still walking in. Some came in pirate costume, some came in work uniforms, and some looked like they just rolled out of bed. They all came just in time because it seems that ArtSlam has barely started, even though “barely starting” was over two hours ago. Some of these people greeted Rob when they walked in, and he has an amazing memory for knowing who they are. Most people seem to know who he is, either by direct association or by “friend of a friend”, but he treats everybody the same. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons ArtSlam has become more popular over time; it’s an art gallery and concert, but there’s none of the usual vibe associated with either. There are no hardcore fans, no snobbish critics. Its just normal people coming together.

“I love how everything is coming about, and hopefully ArtSlam can grow to be bigger than it is. Right now I like it being an “underground” thing, and I hope it becomes one of those celebrity underground things that you hear about. Stuff you hear about when you’re older and you’re kids will be talking about it and you’re like “yeah, I remember when that stuff was going on back in San Antonio”. You know, the legacy lives on after me.”