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Subtle signals, overlooked objects, and the occasional musical detour in Meow Wolf Houston’s Radio Tave.
Claw Machine, Creative Leads: Brandon Schmidt, Karen Lembke, Photographer: Marco Torres
The end of May marks 7 months since the opening of Radio Tave. To celebrate here’s 7 things you might have missed in Meow Wolf Houston:
Radio Tave is a love letter to music and sound - and there are so many melodies in the exhibition that it can be hard to to focus on one particular frequency. Let’s be honest; the vaguely disorienting yet beautiful cacophony is part of the fun. But, there is one spot that lending your ear for a few extra moments might be worth it. Head into the Dugout Plasmaplex within the Middling Market and over the arcade machines and raucous group of Undermallers sure to be hanging out, you’ll hear an original soundtrack from one of Houston’s own Anthony Obi, better known as Fat Tony.
Fat Tony composed an original soundtrack for the Plasmaplex that perfectly captures that unique H-Town and Undermaller ethos and blends them together for a soundtrack that is worth spending some extra time in the ‘plex to fully enjoy.
It’s understandable if your eye (and wallet) is pulled towards the retail shop immediately after exiting the exhibition. Meow Wolf merch is, after all, aggressively good (and I’m biased, but I think Radio Tave has some of the best).
Before you decide if you need the Cowboix Hevvven Playing Card + Tarot Deck or the ETNL Community Radio Shirt, meander up to the stained glass-esque window and look down - below your feet is the Plasmic Echo. Seen from your birds-eye view, Plasmic Echo is an array of towers and dishes that transmit and receive the echoes of the multiverse as digital fluids, resembling glowing rivers, ebb and flow. It's mildly hypnotic to watch, which absolutely had no bearing on you buying both the cards and shirt.
At first glance, Theta Theatre is an open space with wondrous murals from our local collaborating artists framing a stage with otherworldly creatures. Get a little closer to these enchanting beings and then wander down the pathway located stage-right. Inside is a figure in stasis. Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty) floats in a multicolored cosmos blanketed by fantastic dreams. They exist outside our illusion of linear time, pursuing their dreams that then turn to memories; inviting you to do the same.
Tucked inside an inconspicuous cabinet in the ETNL station break room is a portal to a mysterious being that is said to know the future. Whether or not the oracle is inaccurate or simply cursed to always be disregarded is up for debate. You can try asking the acolytes that call the toaster oven home but you’re unlikely to receive an answer.
Grotto of the Oracle is one of many hidden dioramas throughout the exhibition (Siri, make a note to check out this BLOB article on all the dioramas in Meow Wolf) but perhaps the only one with the potential power to tell you your fate. Whether or not you ask a question out loud is up to you. And whether the answer is given out loud or not is far beyond anyone’s control.
Getting trapped in a realm between universes is one thing, getting trapped in a time loop in said realm is another. The Infinite Loop Diffuser keeps the radio station in a linear timeline so they can focus on how to get home.
This piece is located just outside the ETNL Roof shed and you’d be forgiven for overlooking the small white container that looks like a cross between a transponder box, transformer box, and a breaker box. It embodies a little suburbia core that many of us have actually let ourselves be programmed to ignore after seeing so many times, like glazing over a terms & conditions’ email. It’s worth stopping for and exploring what’s inside. Perhaps creating your own is the key to solving the problem of endless Mondays.
A feast for the senses, Amalgam is Meow Wolf Maximalism at its finest - but don’t let the overwhelming centerpiece distract you from exploring every nook and cranny that surrounds the space. Hidden behind an ornate frame with perfectly arranged feathers lies The Weight of Gold, lyrically explained by artist Joel Vargas with the following verse: “To lift feathers in gold // Crevices where hidden pleasures consume creation // The weight of gold // Unfold inspiration // Weightless in gold as a feather.”
The Jukebox in Cowboix Hevvven is an ever-expanding catalog of songs gathered across universes, though there’s another layer to this integral creator of atmosphere. If you enter the correct code, it will trigger a brief but unmistakable shift in tone. The lights adjust. The music changes. A sudden wave of distorted guitar floods the air. What’s the code you ask? Well we’re not usually one for spoilers - but I’ll slide a hint your way. It’s a lucky number repeated 3 times and if you’re reading this, you’ve seen it at least three times here already.
These are just seven of the often overlooked wonders tucked into Radio Tave, but they’re far from the only ones. Next time you’re wandering through the multiverse, take a little extra time to explore the smaller details—from unique soundscapes and secret codes to dioramas tucked behind cabinet doors and disguised breaker boxes. There’s always something new to discover in our ever-growing universes.
