James Franco’s performance art slash musical duo with Kalup Linzy, Kalup and Franco, hasn’t yet recorded a full EP, but those who attended Cynthia Rowley’s fashion show at Lincoln Center yesterday got a sneak preview. A song called “I Love You,†one of the three funklike tracks obtained by Rowley, played during the finale, as Linzy watched from the front row. “I was surprised by the song they picked. I sent in three songs and the song that they chose was, like, the last one that I had sent,†Linzy told us afterward. “But I liked the way it was put into the mix.†He hadn’t heard Rowley’s version until that moment. “The Mishaps mixed it,†he informed us, before being corrected by a friend. “Sorry! The Misshapes! Ha!â€
As for Franco’s many, many other side projects, Linzy says he hasn’t been asked to participate in the Columbia College Hollywood course, “Master Class: Editing James Franco… With James Francoâ€, but he will be doing some sort of performance on the night of the Oscars. “I’m going to be doing a performance, but I don’t know if I’m gonna make it to the show. I wish. But we’ll see,†Linzy revealed. “I’m definitely going to be in L.A. and I’ll be around. That’s all I can say. Right now I think it will be for the after-after-after party.â€
Linzy said that the Kalup and Franco CD, whenever it comes out, will be an extension of their performance art, which has included work on General Hospital and a memorable performance of Linzy’s song “Chewing Gum,†sung while the two wore blond wigs, at Sundance last month. Of their songwriting process, Linzy said he plays piano and comes up with basic chords, and Franco sends him music he likes and they riff off of that. Both do vocals and produce their own tracks. They’re also in the process of producing videos to run with their live performances.
As for the location of Franco’s secret new bar, the alleged locale of a mysterious Oscars after-after-after party, Linzy had no answers: “Over the summer there was was a location we went to, but I don’t know if that’s where the bar opened up,†he said. “I was given an address over the summer, but I don’t know if that’s the space they settled on. I’m sure I’ll get an e-mail closer to the time, but right now I don’t know anything about it.â€
Related: Cynthia Rowley’s Show Is Open to Artistic Interpretation [The Cut]