My hometown of Montreal has gotta be the hippest place on the continent. It's the birthplace and home of both Cirque du Soleil and Arcade Fire. It's where the smash blood-and-guts film 300 was shot and spun. And on this coming Saturday, it becomes home to the Faceless Invasion, a SurpriseFest if there ever was one.
To quote Wired's Regina Lynn, Faceless Invasion is a:
"12-hour 'scavenger hunt on crack' in which co-ed teams perform a number of tasks to earn points, competing for a $500 grand prize.
"Participants wear the masks throughout the contest to protect their identities, and the list of tasks ranges from cute -- like getting everyone in a coffee house to sing in unison -- to risqué -- like getting the entire team involved in an orgy.
"The more outrageous or daring the activity, the more potential points for the team. Judges determine the exact score when they review the videos."
I don't know if my death-defying stunt of composing blog posts in my underwear counts, but I will be trying to track down a Mexican Wrestling Mask just in case (ironically, the two that I bought for my kids in L.A. years ago were sold in a community garage sale last fall. Ahh, the poor timing...).
Coming off last week's St. Patrick's Day parade and this week's election, the Faceless Invasion is yet another obtuse event in a city that celebrates the unconventional and absurd (just ask Richard Florida). Have fun and just don't do anything to screw up the Habs-Sabres game, okay kids? (Leave the mask-wearing to Huet or Halak.) Can't wait to see those videos. I think...
(And Jon, mask or no mask, I WILL recognize you!)