Announcement
July 23, 8PM at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on the University of Pittsburgh campus, as part of Steve Pellegrino's Alexander Berkman Festival, I'll be doing a 15-minute micro-set, debuting my new ensemble consisting of myself, composer/bassist Julian Krishnamurti, and Stem Cell Liberation Front drummer/percussionist Ryan Sigesmund. We'll be doing a composition I've been working on which combines drone metal with Morton Feldman. I'm thinking of calling it MO)))RTY. Not sure when we're on, but the whole thing starts at 8PM, and includes the talents of Daryl Fleming, Underwater Culprit and the House of Assassins, Chris Geer, Smoke Stack Lightening, Dragging the Stone, Robert Qualter and Tony Buba, among others.
Announcement
Things have been quite busy of late, but there's time for a live show tomorrow morning--and you won't even have to leave your chair for it. I'll be live on the radio, at WRCT as part of their 24 hours of live bands. I'm on at 10am EDT/9am CDT/1400 GMT, doing a set of the BuyExpensiveDrinksCore/Fripp-hop that I've been working on lately. And I'll be seriously under-rehearsed, so be sure to tune in and snort derisively if you have the chance.
Also stick around, because Unfinished Symphonies are up at 11am, Karl Hendricks at 2, Narse at 3, Steve Pellegrino's Dragging the Stone at 4, the Harlan Twins at 5, Amoeba Knievel at 8, hell--they're all worth hearing. Here's the full list:
12 am - The Skirt Tasters
1 am - Buddy Nutt
2 am - All By Myself
3 am - Dronetastic
4 am - Ladybeard Vs Several Conclusions
5 am - Engines
6 am - Flying Death Head
7 am - Anita Fix
8 am - Wizzard Mountain
9 am - Triangle & Rhino
10 am - Maurice Rickard
11 am - Unfinished Symphonies/ Mr & Mrs Funky
Noon - The House Of Assassins
1 pm - The Beagle Brothers
2 pm - Karl Hendricks
3 pm - Narse
4 pm - Dragging The Stone
5 pm - The Harlan Twins
6 pm - Boca Chica
7 pm - The 4 Roses
8 pm - Amoeba Knievel
9 pm - Dreadnots
10 pm - Weird Paul
11 pm - Emily Rodgers
I'm getting ready for the Bureau of Nonstandards gig tonight
Announcement
All your clocks up to date? Calendars turned over? Car tuned up? Electronic devices all calibrated? Yes? Hm. You're going to have to trash all that--here comes another transmission from the Bureau of Nonstandards. Circuit bender Kevin Smith and I will be bringing the decalibration devices to the Garfield Artworks for another bending + live remix performance. Expect confusing missives from liberated toys, stuttering uncertainty from educational electronics, and looped, poked, and tweaked sounds from many other sources.
We'll be opening for the gorgeous malletized jazz of the Deep End Ensemble, and also for the improvisations of Woodlab experimenters Bernabo/Harris/Masterman. C'mon down and get out of sync. Not everybody's doing it.
Garfield Artworks, 4931 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 8PM, $7, all ages.
Announcement
Here's another installment (actually two installments) of my new, very listener-friendly, swanky, loungy, trip-hoppy BuyExpensiveDrinksCore (aka Fripp-hop). The occasion is a fundraiser/art/wine-crawl in the (believe it or not) dry town of Bellevue, PA (so it's BYO). I'm appearing once again at the stunningly full-of-character 517/521 Lincoln Avenue shop+gallery+office+thing: I'm playing on the third floor from 5PM to 5:30, and then again on the second floor from 6:30 to 7PM. So you'll have a chance to check out a fencing competition (!), someone calling her- or himself Ginger, and a belly dancing troupe (why am I not playing that? I dunno...dunno who the dancers are, either) before I go on again. I'll venture that enough is going to be happening that you'll be pleasurably entranced--or at least distracted from the inevitable--from start to finish. You can find out who all's playing by checking out the official site.
Will Ableton Live hold up under the processing load? Will my 70s-era EHX Big Muff pedal not crap out on me? Will I have enough hands/feet/fingers to manage all this stuff live? There's only one way to find out, I guess, and that's to show up.
517/521 Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, PA, 5-7PM (times are exact!). $5 donation; BYO, or at least it was last time I checked.
Announcement
Come on out immediately after the polls close to celebrate your having voted in a primary that may actually...something! I'll be joining My Boyfriend the Pilot (the Dolly Parton of dark ambient) and Ivenfeint (the not-Dolly Parton of dark ambient) for my first Club Cafe show in quite some time. (Maybe four years? Geez.) This time, we're doing an experiment: expect listener-friendly atmospheric grooviness and swankerie, with occasional bursts of spicy noise.
I'll be debuting some new pieces that have a kind of loungy, even trip-hoppy vibe. I've also found a very satisfying distorted guitar tone I've been enjoying, so that'll go over the top of everything else. (Should I call this Fripp-hop?) Kevin Smith of the Bureau of Nonstandards heard one of these pieces and said it made him feel like he should be buying expensive drinks, so rather than Dark Ambient, we're thinking of calling this Buy Expensive DrinksCore--the kind of thing sure to go over well in an establishment that serves drinks at all kinds of price points.
Show time is 8PM DRT (Daylight Rock Time), so I'll go on at 8:30 PM ED/LNT (Eastern Daylight/Local Network Time). See you there...and my set will be early enough that you should still be able to see me, even considering that you may be consuming expensive drinks.
8PM Tuesday April 22, 2008. Club Cafe, 56 S 12th St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 21+.
Announcement
I'll be joining trancemasters Life In Balance for their winter solstice show, Om for the Holidays, Solstice Blessing for Sacred Space, Saturday December 22, at the excellent new space Your Inner Vagabond. Life In Balance will recalibrate your energy for the new year with an ambient set of synths, flutes, and quartz crystal singing bowls. The current plan for me is to start ambient, but move into belly dance rhythms in 9/8. I'll be joined by belly dancer Steffi, and possibly a few others from Tribe Taksim. Right now I'm making the one a bit easier to find, so I'm not throwing the dancers off. Previous sets were a bit tougher to dance to, but this one should be much more inviting. Feel free to dance, or just lounge on the many pillows, cushions, and rugs around the space.
There will also be some speakers, discussing the solstice, the turnover of the Mayan Calendar in 2012, and other things. (From what I understand, you should be able to pick up your new Mayan Calendar at any Mayan gas station or Mayan bank.) Also available will be Your Inner Vagabond's excellent Middle Eastern desserts and teas--perfect for a chilly winter night in Pennsylvania. See you there.
4130 Butler St. (42nd and Butler), Pittsburgh, PA 15201 (Lawrenceville). Saturday, December 22, 8 PM. All ages, $10.
Announcement
I'll be doing a short 20-minute set at the Globalista Jam at the fine Your Inner Vagabond. Check out an eclectic mix of performers while enjoying amazing tea and desserts--it's really quite something. This set's going to be research and development for some recent ideas: a new tuning, possibly, as well as some reconfiguring of my recent sets. It should be fun.
Announcement
It's that time of year again--leaves on the weaker trees are turning, and every so many days you have to wear long sleeves. It's also time to polish up a Jandek cover or three and head to this year's Open Mic Jandek Cover Night--the fifth annual one!
When: Monday, November 5 (Jandek Day), 8PM.
Where: Te Cafe, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh PA, USA, at the corner of Murray Avenue and Beacon Street.
How much: Free! But it'd be cool if you showed some support for the room by buying some tea or something. There are plenty of exotic teas to set the right frame of mind, and one variety of coffee.
Other logistics: there'll be time for two or three covers from each person. I'll have lyrics available. There's room for one, maybe two people to play at the same time. Drum kits, unfortunately, are out. There will be low-powered amplification, which is all we need. It's a small room.
Anyone can come and play...but you have to cover a Jandek tune. Come on over for an evening that's by turns poppy, swanky, creepy, and deeply alienating. We most likely won't see The Representative himself there, but we'd like to see you.
Te Cafe, 2000 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Monday, November 5, 2007. 8 PM. All Ages. Free.
Announcement
After a bit of a break, it's back to performing--this time with belly dancer Steffi and drummer Mike Yaklich. We'll be playing from 7 to 11 at this month's Final Fridays in Lawrenceville event, at the fine store Divertido. Expect some ambience, loose improvisation, dance music (of course), food and beverages, and a festive vibe. See you there.
Divertido, 3701 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201. 7-11, Friday, October 26, all ages, free.
Announcement
Circuit bender Kevin Smith and I are at it again, this time at the new store/venue in hipper-every-day Bellvue, 517521. Kevin will bring his box of deviously modified electronic toys and instruments, and I'll remix them live. An exclusive audience at the Garfield Artworks really dug this in July, so check it out tonight.
517-521 Lincoln Ave. Bellevue, Pa 15202 412-223-2552. Friday, August 24, 6PM. All ages. Free.
Announcement
I'll be joining Steve and Ami of Life In Balance, reprising my contributions to their new CD Om to Ohm tonight, at the glorious Kelly-Strayhorn theater! Expect some reflective ambience, psychedelic nursery rhymes, and some serious trance grooves. It's going to be a good one.
5941 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. $10, all ages, 7PM.
Announcement
Circuit bender Kevin Smith and I will be doing our live bending + remix experiments under the name The Bureau of Nonstandards. Speak-n-Spells, twisted Casios, and other common sound-making electronics are given a whole new context through hardware changes and the live remix. The improvised results range from an exploration of a landscape of tense sonic alienation, to abstract IDM, to light comedy. We'll be opening up for internationally known sprocket scientist tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE and a special appearance by composer and trombonist Dick Turner.
tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE will be presenting "Last Man on Earth," a triple projection movie that references his own improvising on multiple instruments in 1992, the life of writer Mary Shelley, & various related offshoots. He'll play a live soundtrack for his movie using samples from the original improvisation.
Garfield Artworks, 4931 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 8PM, $6, all ages.
Announcement
It looks like I'll be bringing the electronic belly dance music back to Modern Formations, for a short (20-minute) set during the Globalista Jam. More as I know it!
Announcement
The LOSER (the Loose Organization of Surreal Ethereal Realists) Chamber Ensemble returns to the Three Rivers Arts Festival, this time rocking the PPG Plaza, notable as a location for Inspector Gadget, during the late lunch hour. We're going to be doing extended versions of Steve Pellegrino's recent works: the "Work" song, "Pound them Nails," and others--much like what we did on First Night, except this time it's during the day and not raining. I'll be playing psychedelic uke, and possibly wearing a top hat. Steve will be on vocals and concertmeistering, and we'll have an assortment of fellow LOSERs on percussion and other instruments. C'mon over and remind yourself about why you're skipping out on work for a bit.
PPG Plaza, between Third and Fourth Avenues, and Stanwix and Wood Streets. 12:30 PM, for those of you who can have lunch away from your desk.
Announcement
A cluster of performances! It's the "Work While You Still Can" tour, doing Music For Workers: it's Pittsburgh's avant-gardiste-about-town Stephen Pellegrino and the rest of the LOSER Chamber Ensemble doing a number of the Work Pieces, as well as some new compositions. I'll be playing psychedelic uke and--for this evening show only--rocking the baglama-tuned guitar. So check it out: you have nothing to lose but your parking fee.
7:30 PM, Stanwix Street Triangle, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Announcement
I'll be performing a short piece to accompany Tribe Taksim as part of their performance at Art All Night. I'll be doing guitar and uke through the laptop as usual, though I may concentrate on the saz-tuned guitar this time out. Also, if we find an amenable spot, we may park ourselves there for an unscheduled performance and improv or two.
3rd floor, 41st and Foster, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. All ages. We're on at 9:20.
Announcement
The return of Guitar Clouds! Part of the Woodlab series at Modern Formations.
Announcement
A bit more than a month after the glorious Electrobelly 2, I'm returning to the Rex stage, and once again collaborating with Life In Balance for a short (20-30-minute) improv set of organic tribal electronica...with belly dancers! And it's all to benefit the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force!
We're going to be mixing things up a bit--Steve with his newest synth, and I with my baglama-tuned guitar and my latest Tabla percussion patterns. (As well as the regular guitar and uke.) Things may get pretty psychedelic, actually. We'll be playing first or second, so get there early.
Also on the bill: Tribal fusion belly dance by Amethyst, Shanti, Astarte, Aviva, and the Inoor Dance company! Indian classical dance by Salimbam Dance School! Flamenco dance by Barbara Jo York, Ellen York, Eva Ramirez and Anjali Soi! Rock by The What Else?, Paul Tabachneck, Kevin Finn, and Chris Kleiner. Jazz/blues by Barbara Jo York! And Pittsburgh's own inimitable Phat Man Dee! And vegan baked goods, courtesy of the Vegan Goddess! (I'm telling you, the Peppermint Annies are worth checking out if you have any interest at all in desserts.) There's no reason not to go, unless you hate music, belly dance, or people with AIDS, in which case, well, you suck. But that's not you, so come on out. See you there!
Friday, March 9, 2007, The Rex (South Side), 1602 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203, 8 p.m. - midnight, $10 Cover, 21+. Proceeds benefit Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
Announcement
I'll be performing with circuit bender (and fellow Branca ensemble member) Kevin Smith at the opening of the Make/Do show at Future Tenant. Life is complex, and one often must manipulate materials at hand in order to...well, you know. So we'll be manipulating materials at hand--Kevin through circuit bends (and many of his bends are quite ingenious) and me through live manipulation of the bent sounds. Rehearsals have been particularly promising, with results ranging from ambient to beat-driven abstract electronica, so we're pretty psyched about this show.
Also on hand will be bicycle advocacy collective Free Ride and their human-powered margarita blender. And of course the manipulated materials of the show itself.
So come on down to Future Tenant, and get your circuits bent. You know you want to.
Friday, March 2, 2007, Future Tenant Gallery, 801 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, 6 to 9 PM. Free, all ages.
Report
Kevin and I met in 2004, at the abortive Kaufman-Astoria sessions for Branca's 13; now that Kevin's relocated to the 'burgh, it only seemed natural to collaborate. Kevin does circuit bending of various toys (Speak-n'spells, toy megaphones, Casio keyboards, and other amusing stuff), which I've been processing through the laptop.
Generally, a pretty good set--doing the show was lots of fun, even though monitoring was nonexistent, and I had to rely on what was bouncing back off the walls of this long, narrow, cinderblock space. Still, no agenda, lots of time to fill, and free drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The end result: a bit meandering, perhaps, but undeniably atmospheric and full of possibilities for mixing down. So, a success. Ryan of the SCLF was there, and I'd come down with Mr. Funky, so it was a social occasion as well. (Rob convinced us to join him with some other friends at a karaoke night, so we did...though neither Kevin nor I actually sang anything. We're letting the bends do the talking.)
