Karaoke Ice

Karaoke Ice is a game/art project, produced by the
San Jose State Cadre Laboratory for New Media. What is Karaoke Ice? "Imagine an ice cream truck transformed into a mobile karaoke unit, driven by a squirrel cub with a penchant for cheap magic, deployed to spark spontaneous interaction between passersby in Chavez Plaza and surrounding neighborhoods.

"The truck, or Lucci as she is known, is a tasty pop culture hybrid, one that brings three familiar expressions of "network culture" — ice cream trucks, datasets, and karaoke bars — into conversation. Dressed in song and shimmer, Lucci broadcasts twinkly pop songs in endless, repetitive loops as she weaves her way through the zone of the festival. At nighttime, once her work for the day is done, it’s time to let loose. She finds a party to join, dispatches the squirrel to hustle some more karaoke, and enjoys the festival entertainment."

Karaoke Ice provides precisely the kind of play experience that I believe represents the best and least of what this "New Media" movement - yes, it's another movement all right - has to bring into the world. Best, because it funny and empowering, because, as easily as it crosses technology and art, it crosses culture and neighborhood. Least, because I want to believe that there will be more, and better, and bigger.



Thanks, Fun Scout Noise for the, um, fun-scouting.