Next time you find yourself at Ultra or Electric Daisy and you're met with a painted-up character on stilts that resembles something out of a Guillermo del Toro film, thank Sean Wildchild.
Via his Wildchild World production company, he designs and creates spectacle performances at electronic dance music festivals.
Lucky for Miami, where he lives and his production team is based, he also creates fantasy sideshows at local nightclubs like Space, Mansion, and Set.
You may have seen him or one of his 300 performers in a giant inflatable bubble soaring over the crowd, on aerial silk twirling above, or gliding on stage and off in one of his insane costumes that he describes as a "little bit of camp drag, a little bit of horror."
Who are you:
Wildchild: Subversive artist, hustler of culture, brother, and son -- OCD CEO.
Years in Miami:
Four and half
What's your first Miami memory?
My early memories of Miami were during Winter Music Conference. Every hotel, storefront, and pizza parlor turned into a nightclub, with celebrity DJs on every corner. The music was so good back then but I still feel as if I missed out on the glory days at legendary hotspots such as Crobar, Liquid, and Salvation.
I moved here from the Redneck Riviera on Halloween 2008. I pulled onto South Beach with a trailer and hitch stacked full of Halloween Decor for a nightclub on Washington Avenue. We decorated the venue in a fetish theme, and later that night, I was the host and emcee for the evening, I wore a big old stack of fake hair on my head and a jockstrap.
Current Neighborhood:
Little River Design District
Current Gig:
I travel a lot, working as Creative Director for mostly festivals and concert tours. Currently we have over 300 performers that actively participate in our many events, so there's a lot more to it than just little old me. But when I am in Miami, I am primarily focused on providing art and entertainment for clubs like Space, Mansion, and Set.
Favorite 'Only in Miami' moment?
Going to a hip-hop night where no one dances. So bourgeois! Only in Miami!
What's your idea of a perfect day in Miami?
Waking up at 6 p.m., making lots of costumes, having dinner on the water, and hearing seven different languages spoken at the same time.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Our entertainment and environments have been described as "art in motion" that combines the qualities of sculpture with those of movement. Each costume is designed with the motion of the performer in mind, so that performer and costume are one. I provide the means for the limited human body to express its limitless imagination. Our range of event design reaches beyond the pretty lights and sexed-out dancers in suits. We exercise total theater -- relying heavily on innovative production and skill -- employing music, drama, dance, and visual spectacle to communicate a metaphor-rich narrative. The intention is to transcend identifiable space and time.
What we do is a bit like theater, but its not scripted. It’s a little bit of camp drag, a little bit of horror. We try to create costumes and decor that are nebulous and otherworldly. I draw inspiration from my scandalous subconscious, often from moments of delirium and exhaustion.
I am also inspired by Miami Icons -- Adora, Mike Lee, Alan T, Chyna, Circ X, DJ Kidd Madonny, TP Lords, and all the tropical people of Miami. These legendary personalities helped open doors for me in Miami, by introducing the beach to certain style of insanity.
Last big project you did:
We just finished working on Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas! We were featured on the largest stage in the country -- 450 feet wide. We were given a full hour to present this finale performance, aptly titled "The Night Owl Experience," with over 400 costumed performers.
Upcoming projects you're working on:
Paradiso Seattle, Shiny Toy Guns World Tour, Life In Color Tour, Clive Barker Collaboration, Space Saturdays, and Mansion Wednesdays.
Outfit that got the most response?
Horrific, gender-bending costumes generally tend to shock and therefore pull out the most vocal responses from onlookers.
The larger spectacles, like some of the carnival-sized pieces that we make, tend to impact the audience in such a way, that it drives them to a point of love and hate and awe. They aren't always the most vocal reactions, but their facial expressions are very clear to me, as I peer into the crowd.
Most difficult costume you've worn?
I'd have to say, being nearly naked is always a difficult one for me... got to hold everything in! And I'm just not myself without my duds. For me, the more uncomfortable the garment, the more interested I am in wearing it. I tell my performers all the time: "You have to familiarize yourself with the pain."
Where do you buy your masks, wigs, etc.?
I love Beatnix on Washington Avenue. The owner, Frank, has even personally delivered items to me in a pinch! I prefer to make beautiful things out of found objects. I have as much love for hardware stores, as I have for thrift stores and dumpsters.
What are three local meals you can't live without:
Nasi Goreng from Bali Cafe, salad with everything at La Sandwicherie, caviar from the Russian grocery and lobster bisque from Art Deco Supermarket are tied for third place.
What music do you listen to when you get ready?
James Brown, Portishead, The Presets, Guns N Roses, Shirley Bassey, Pavarotti. The basic rule is: if we are heading to an EDM event, then no EDM is allowed beforehand. I prefer to save it for the stage...
In a word, Miami is…
H-O-T!
Check out images of Wildchild, his costumes, studio, and performers:
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