OCT. 18, 2002

All of the sudden there’s a chill in the air and the sun is knocking off a couple of hours early. The fading, after-work twilight is filled with the Hitchcockian screeches of grackles and the faint, Fall smell of burning wood. In Austin, Fall lasts until about mid-February, although it’s occasionally punctuated by a few over-hyped, whimsical snow flurries that remind us of chillier climes. Regardless of where the Autumnal Exquinox falls (so to speak), the official beginning of Fall in Austin is Halloween, when Austinites finally have an excuse to dress like the freaks they are in their heads. Excitement and anticipation abounds and understandably, a few people jump the gun. This Friday at the Blue Theater, a gun-jumper named Jennifer Haley will bring you Edmundo, a sharp-dressed, “metaphorical cannibal”/creepy lothario brought to life by a frightening combination of large, fake yellow teeth (reportedly hewn by Haley’s mother), deep, dark eye shadow, and just enough estrogen to warrant a package check. For an hour and some change, Edmundo will regale you with sweet serenades and tales of “love and carnage.” Billed as a “musical dalliance,” Edmundo is written and performed by Haley and directed by Katie Pearl with original music by Will Walden of the Barkers. The show won “Best of Fest” at Austin’s 2002 Fronterafest and was showcased at the Seattle and Vancouver Fringe Festivals in September. If you miss Edmundo this Friday, you can still join him weekends at the Blue Theater through November 9.