Mid-Century Mermaids

Things are getting mighty marine at Modernism Week.

ROADSIDE CLASSIC: The roadside stop mermaid, Florida, and the 1950s go hand in hand in hand. (If Florida and the 1950s can be said to have hands.) Talk to anyone who has ever seen the Weeki Wachee Mermaids and they can speak in detail of the wondrous and quirky experience. The great Weeki Wachee is still in business, but a 1950s-style glamor still permeates the underwater mermaid show. Making it a perfect fit for Modernism Week in Palm Springs. Nope, Palm Springs isn't known for its mermaids, what with that lack of ocean and all (props, Salton Sea); but it is known for its pools. And in one special pool, on Friday, Feb. 24, a special mermaid named Marina will be doing her tail-flipping thing.

MARINE LOVELY: Marina the Fire-Eating Mermaid is not a Weeki Wacheen, we'll note, though she has swum at the famous Florida landmark (she also performs at Fort Lauderdale's Wreck Bar). She also has "fire-eating" in her name, which is dang cool, she shimmies with grace, and she'll be wowing Modernism Week attendees at the Ace Hotel on Feb. 24. Joining Ms. Marina will be Kelly Burg and Jeff Kunkle, who are experts on the mid-century mermaid phenom; they'll be talking about the intriguing, scale-shimmery topic. One final note: Marina works toward the preservation efforts of this funky tradition. If you want to know more follow at her site.

And we just go word that a few tickets are still available, so we'd swim very quickly toward one. On a related Modernism Week topic, there are a few tickets left for the Elrod House tours going on from Feb. 24-26. You remember this house from "Diamonds Are Forever," right? It's only one of the sleekest abodes in all of California, not just the P.S. area.

Modernism Week wraps on Sunday, Feb. 26.

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