We were somewhat easily seduced into holding a last-minute sneak attack CLAW this Friday, Nov. 6th, as part of a Virginia Film Festival event honoring director John Waters who will be in attendance. The party, which will take place at The Southern Music Hall & Cafe, is called “DIRTY PINK POLYESTER,” and features CLAW, the Derby Dames, and two DJs from New York. Because we are part of a larger event, there is a $10 ticket price (available at the door only) or $5 if you are a UVA student. We are still waiting to hear back from Mr. Waters about which of our local charity nominees gets his vote.

Starting at around 10:30, we will begin a half-CLAW, with four of our most formidable wrasslers:

Stiletto Southpaw
Purple Haze
The Homewrecker
Pitbull

We plan to use this event to promote the debut of Brian Wimer’s hilarious CLAW Docu(mocku)mentary (volume 1) at the Virginia Film Festival. It will be screened on Saturday, Nov. 7th, at 11:15 PM at the Regal Downtown Cinemas.

Please plan to arrive early and bring cash for betting, bribing, and classy CLAW merch. There are 300 tickets available at the door, so we expect this to sell out. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, July 25rd, 8pm.

Wrasslers!
Morton Assault Girl
Spawn of Bridezilla
The Punctuator
Stiletto Southpaw
Pitbull
Purple Haze
Jock (B)Itch
Kaity the Harrible

Also on duty:
Trixie “The Vault” Mancini
She-Ref
The Empire
Nurse Cheryl
MC Rosie the Wrist Twister
house band Straight Punch to the Crotch

Celebrity Judges:
Jim Waive (Musician & Permanent Lifetime Judge)
Ty Cooper (Film Producer & Entrepreneur)
Amy Gardner (Entrepreneur & Light House board prez)

Light House Mission statement:

Light House Studio is an independent youth media center dedicated to local youth who want to make movies with an emphasis on personal expression and local stories.

Light House has helped young filmmakers create more than 150 documentary, dramatic, and animated films. Our student work has been broadcast on PBS, CNN, IFC (Independent Film Channel) and Public Access Television and featured at film festivals around the world. Our workshops are held in our studio in the City Center for Contemporary Arts and on site in public housing and local schools.

For more info contact Sam Baker, sam@lighthousestudio.org, 293.6992

Light House Studio 121 Water Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902

www.lighthousestudio.org

After the overwhelming crowds and success of the 2008 smackdown in November, CLAW made a decision to go from monthly matches to annual reunion showdowns. Our first reunion is Saturday, July 25th, at 8:00 p.m. under a big tent behind the Blue Moon Diner. We will be joined by house band Straight Punch to the Crotch. More details about who’s wrestling and what’s new coming soon…

This is it, folks! The final CLAW of 2008 and maybe… EVER. All stops will be pulled out, if you know what I’m sayin’. This all-champion edition features the winners of the 2008 physical competitions in the most ferocious, bloodthirsty battle for the ultimate crown. Who knows what will happen as these champs claw their way to the fakest victory yet. The contestants are:

Kaity “The Harrible” Harr
Kara “The Homewrecker” Dawson
Serena “Bridezilla” Gruia
Reagan “Tragedy Ann” Greenfield
Steph “Trixie the Vault Mancini” Finn
Tara “Pitbull” Hodges
Kristin “Tinkerhell” Solomon
Jennifer “Cville Knievel” Tidwell

(Champ Amy “Bunny Hampton” Ferguson will not be participating on account of being three minutes away from delivering her baby.)

Did I mention we’re doing it for the children? Well, technically for Computers for the Children aka Computers 4 Kids?

We are thrilled to announce that our celebrity judges include Rita Mae Brown and Permament Lifetime Judge Jim Waive.

As always, we’ll be accompanied by our house band Straight Punch to the Crotch. The smackdown will be followed by a dance party, featuring DJ Western Front.

**Empty your bank account. REMEMBER TO BRING $$ for betting, bribing, fancy new CLAW books, CLAW film, fancy new trading cards & t-shirts. And drinks.**

**DRESS WARMLY. We’ll be outside under a large heated tent.**

Thanks to the folks at Monkeyclaus, the CLAW Anthem by Straight Punch to the Crotch is now available for download on the Monkeyclaus website.  Just click on the album cover below. Thanks, Abel and Peter!

CLAW Anthem by Straight Punch to the Crotch

While we’re eagerly awaiting the numbers from the Blue Moon in order to determine our fundraising total for this past Tuesday’s CLAW 9, I wanted to let you know that Billy Hunt’s beautiful A CLAW To Remember: The Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers 2008 Retrospective is done! The lovely layout is by our friends at Alloy Workshop. You can buy your copy at Billy’s art opening at The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative on Friday, November 7th, starting at 6:00 p.m.  This will be a CLAW-tastic art opening with wrestlers signing your copies (with their fists) and demonstrating how to safely dominate in the field of Ladies Arm Wrestling. After that, you can perhaps snag a copy at CLAW X: The Final Smackdown on November 11th behind the Blue Moon Diner. Check back tomorrow for the CLAW 9 Wrapup!

CLAW 9, the last regular tournament of 2008, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 14th, at the Blue Moon Diner from 8-10 p.m.  Funds raised will go to Performers Exchange Project, one of Charlottesville’s only professional theater ensembles. Founded by Martha Mendenhall, Sian Richards, Jennifer Tidwell, Doreen Bechtol, and Kara Burke, PEP co-produced with Zen Monkey Project the performance art carnivals A Charlottesville Wunderkammer and Shentai. Two of PEP’s members are CLAW regulars (MC Rosie and Nurse Cheryl). PEP is currently working on a new original piece tentatively called America Transcendental, which will premiere in fall of 2009.

Check out the CLAW 9 lineup here. Celebrity judges are Daryl, Grady, and Satch from Live Arts and Permanent Lifetime Judge Jim Waive.

If you like to move your body, stay until 11 and break out to DJ Western Front.

**!Achtung! This is your last chance to see new wrestler blood before the magnificent CLAW X: Smackdown of Champions, which happens Nov. 11th.**

Deepak Singh, a local reporter for NPR’s WVTF, stumbled upon CLAW while walking by the Blue Moon Diner on Sept. 9th. He went back to his house to get his equipment and made this piece, which aired on Friday afternoon during All Things Considered, Sept. 26th. Thanks, Deepak!