The Transbay Creative Music Calendar

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transbay
the
Creative Music Calendar
the
Creative Music Calendar
3111 Deakin St., Berkeley, CA 94705
AUGUST 2010
REVIEW BY AMAR CHAUDHARY / CATSYNTH | JULY 22
Outsound Music Summit: Blurred Lines
Last night was the first full concert of the Outsound
Music Summit. “Blurred Lines” focused on the combination of music and visual media, i.e. film and video. The
pieces were more of a collaboration between film and
music rather than one serving the other per se, although
in each case the music making and film/video making
were done independently .
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August 2010
The first half of the concert featured films by Martha
Colburn with live piano improvisation by “local Bay
Area pianist impresario” Thollem McDonas. Colburn’s
films employ stop animation with original artwork and
found images, as well as found footage. The overall
look reminded me of Terry Gilliam’s animations (e.g.,
from Monty Python), though the material was generally
much darker. Several of the films dealt with death and
violence, particularly in U.S. history and current events.
Destiny Manifesto in particular juxtaposed images
of western settlers in conflict with Native Americans
alongside contemporary looking soldiers and scenes that
could have been from the Middle East or Central Asia.
Images of people being killed and dismembered abound
in these films. Other films, such as Meet Me in Witchita
with its images inspired by the Wizard of Oz, but here
again things turned dark with Osama Bin Laden’s head
superimposed on the Wicked Witch and then being killed
and collapsing in a mess of bloody body parts. There
were lighter images in some of the films, such as figures
that seemed influenced by South Asian shadow puppets
and even abstract graphic squares reminiscent of a
disco dance floor.
McDonas’ piano veered between more classical or
film-score inspired music and more percussive prepared
piano. The music did not follow each film structurally per se (i.e., in the manner of a film score), but did
evolve over time and present a particular character in
each film. Initially, it started off lighter with fast runs and
anxious chords, later on being more percussive and
employing prepared piano or plucked strings. As the set
progressed, the piano music became dense and darker,
with large clusters of fast patterns and arpeggios in
lower registers, every so often punctuated by more percussive and plucked elements. Overall the music had an
aggressive feel which both showed of McDonas’ piano
skills and fit with the violent nature of the films.
The second half of the program featured the 2009 60×60
international compilation. This is a set of 60 one-minute
compositions that were selected and ordered into a
continuous hour-long performance. For this program,
each piece was set to a one-minute video) by Patrick
Liddel. I had actually heard the 2009 60×60 compilation
before (without the videos) at the Long Night’s Moon
Concert last December, and recognized several of the
pieces from that performance. Many of the videos were
abstract graphics, such as the pixelated images that accompanied the opening pieces by Halsey Burgund and
Matthew Dotson, or the abstract kaleidoscopic images
set to Polly Moller’s “Abdominal Cyclist Ultra”. Others
had more representational images. #16 by Jane Wang
featured toy piano and was set to footage of a toy piano
being played.
Some were less directly representational and more
evocative of the music, such as the scenes from 1950s
television commercials set to Gregory Yasinitsky’s jazz
piece. Although it was far more abstract, I would put
the constantly moving gray rectangles against Patrica
Walsh’s electronica dance music in the same category.
Among my favorite of the combined video+music pieces
were Brian Lindgren’s music set to a slowly moving film of a woman in a black dress in front of a brick
wall; and Enrico Francioni’s sounds featuring strong
NEW
FREQUENCIES
resonance and feedback that were set to a beautiful
film of forward motion in a dark industrial hallway. Also
of note were Jay Batzner’s music (which reminded me
of Xenakis) set to geometric views of industrial girders,
perhaps power lines; and the intricate grid (along with
spiders) set to Anton Killin’s metallic sounds.
Overall, with 60 sets of constantly changing visuals
and music, and my attempt to take at least few notes
on each, the experience became one of sensory
overload. Looking back on the notes, it is interesting in
looking at my previous review of the 2009 60×60 mix
how different pieces stood out more in the mix without
the visuals while others seemed more prominent in the
music+visuals mix.●
X (Equis) Alfonso. Photo courtesy of Nina Menendez, La Nina Productions
DIRECT FROM CUBA!
X (EQUIS) ALFONSO
CUBA AFRO-ROCK REVOLUXION W/ OSAMU & PEDRITO CALVO
Sat, Aug 20 & Sun, Aug 21, 8 pm
DANCE PARTY: $28 Reg/$23 Mem
VIP: $50 Reg/$45 Mem dance party + reception with artists, complimentary cocktails and Cuban tapas
Heat up the dance floor with Equis’ funky Afro-Cuban dance beats and cutting-edge video art, then cool off with
cocktails (cash bar) and Cuban tapas. Osamu, one of Havana’s leading rockeros, opens the performance, along
with legendary singer Pedrito Calvo, formerly of Los Van Van.
ESTAMOS ENSEMBLE
ESTAMOS PORQUE SOMOS
Fri, Aug 19, 8 pm » YBCA Forum » 701 Mission @ 3rd » $25 Reg/$23 Mem
An evening of international avante-garde musical exploration, with world-class improvisers from Mexico and
the US, this nine-piece chamber ensemble will perform world premiere works written for them by Mexican
composers Ana Lara and Jorge Torres Sáenz, as well as US composers William Parker, Joan Jeanrenaud, Nels
Cline and Pauline Oliveros.
@
YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
701 Mission @ 3rd, SF, CA 94103
415.978.ARTS or www.YBCA.org
the san francisco bay area monthly publication for
experimental/improvised/noise/electronic/freejazz/outrock/21st century transgenred music and sonic art
AUGUST
transbay
the persistent caveat
Schedules are subject to change, and the
reasons can be totally appalling, flying in the
face of human reason.
Please confirm details provided in this
publication
by visiting transbaycalendar.org.
the
Creative Music Calendar
Sunday August 1
Battery Townsley at Fort Cronkhite • 6pm $15 ($25
with bus fare)
Soundwave Festival ((4)) : Viscera at Battery
Townsley. Curated by Jorge Bachmann featuring
Takahiro Kawaguchi (Japan) with [rudiobello], Raub
Roy (HoraFlora), and Jim Haynes
Monday August 2
Makeout Room • 8pm free
ZOYRES. MATT INGALLS, solo clarinet. DAVE
MIHALY’S Shimmering Leaves Ensemble
Ara Anderson, trumpet + sousaphone / David
Boyce, tenor sax / Dave Mihaly, drums + percussion
Wednesday August 4
Kingman’s Ivy Room • 9pm free
Light A Fire: Eine kleine Nachtmusik
The Deconstruction of What You Know (Josh Allen/
Henry Kaiser/Timothy Orr/William Winant)
Frog Levitation Standards Trio (Michael Dale/Karl
A.D. Evangelista/Chris Golinski)
Tuesday August 10
Uptown • 9pm free
The Oakland Active Orchestra performs
improvisations in large and small group settings.
Matt Ingalls / Cory Wright / Tom Djll / Rob Ewing
/ Kristian Aspelin / Marielle Jakobsons / Hillary
Overburg / Scott Walton / Kjell Nordeson / Sam
Ospovat / Jordan Glenn. PLUS: Dynosoar: Tom Djll
/ Ron Heglin / Karen Stackpole
Thursday August 12
Luggage Store New Music Series • 8pm $6-10
8pm INSTAGON
9pm Richard Bonnet (France) solo guitar
Friday August 13
de Young Museum • 6:30pm free
Soundwave Festival ((4)) : Green Sound Finale
at the de Young. Season Closing Event featuring
The Drift (drums, guitar, keyboard, trumpet, electric
bass)
Friday August 6
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
(BAM/PFA) • 7:30pm $5
Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) and Film Program by Max
Goldberg: Xiu Xiu front man Jamie Stewart takes
the opportunity to step back from his song craft and
debut a new composition in field recording inspired
by the night, animal calls, and quietness. Local film
critic Max Goldberg responds with a selection of
short 16mm films from Canyon Cinema archive that
“materialize the call of the wild and give ecstatic
form to the way of nature.”
The Lab • 8pm $10-15
Soundwave Festival ((4)) : Re-velations in the
Illuminated Forest
Featuring Extraordinary Forest, Géraud Bec
(France), Takahiro Kawaguchi (Japan)
NOTA THE MILK BAR at The Biscuit Factory •
8:30pm $5-10
MilkBar #2 for 2010 features new music,
performance and film work. Artists TBA. http://www.
milkbar.org.
Meridian Gallery • 8pm $10/5
(em)Powered by Deep Listening: a performance
by participants in the 20th Deep Listening Retreat.
Saturday August 14
Thursday August 5
Luggage Store New Music Series • 8pm $6-10
8pm Key West Brian Pedersen - reeds, Jason
Ricci - drums, David Dupuis - stand up bass, Mark
Blatnick - cello, Dan Nachtrab - reeds
9pm tptflm - Films by Allen D. Glass music w/Kris
Tiner - trumpet
Saturday August 7
The Lab • 6pm free event
Soundwave Festival ((4)) : Illuminated Forest
Closing Night Featuring DJ Danimals and exhibition
artists Jorge Bachmann, Agnes Szelag, Ben
Bracken, Alan So, Suzanne Husky, Sam Easterson,
Alyce Santoro, Reenie Charrière, Vaughn Bell, Elin
Øyen Vister and Jessica Resmond
Church of the Incarnation • 8:30pm $15-20
Manfred Bleffert will be playing new music
specifically composed to be performed in the
Church of the Incarnation. The program will
consist of organ music and pieces performed on
instruments created for the event. A reception will
follow the concert, and you will have the opportunity
to meet Manfred Bleffert.
Community Music Center • 8pm $15/10
In a cross-cultural evening of improvised new
music, Rova Saxophone Quartet will perform with
an extraordinary group of visiting improvisers
from Mexico for a special musical collaboration. In
addition, the concert will feature the four Mexican
members of Estamos Ensemble: Julián Martínez
Vázquez, violin; Alexander Bruck, viola; Carmina
Escobar, electronics/voice; and Emilio Tamez,
percussion.
Thursday August 19
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts • 8pm $23-25
Estamos Ensemble - The verb estamos in Spanish
means “we are in the non-permanent sense” and
this concept is intrinsic to the nature of Estamos
Ensemble whose intention is to foster and facilitate
more musical exchange between improvisers and
composers across the borders of The Americas.
Luggage Store New Music Series • 8pm $6-10
8pm Drew Boles - voice/synths/electronics (http://
www.drewboles.com)
9pm Tiny Owl: Sebastian Krawczuk - bass, Suki
O’Kane - drums, Lance Grabmiller - electronics,
Matt Davignon - drum machine
Friday August 20
Old First Church • 8pm $17/14
sfSound plays music by Brian Ferneyhough,
Matthias Spahlinger, Christian Wolff, Matthew
Shlomowitz, Erik Ulman, and Matt Ingalls
Saturday August 21
First Church of the Buzzard • 3pm donation
Haiti Benefit: Kreamy ‘Lectric Santa, Grass
widow, No Babies, Saything, Severance Package,
Shannon and the Clams, CHT, Tastyville, Instant,
Heule+Dryer, Rubber (0 Cement, Dirty Marquee ,
Space Brrgrr , Gaze, Diamicton , Funyons ,
Omnivorous Sincillium, & Mokele Mbembe (3pm1am)
Monday August 23
Kingman’s Ivy Room • 9pm donation
Active Music Series presents saxophonist Jon
Raskin’s quartet with percussionist Gino Robair
and guitarists John Shiurba and Ava Mendoza.
Saxophonist Aram Shelton also performs in a duo
with percussionist Kjell Nordeson.
Thursday August 26
Yoshi’s San Francisco • 8pm
8pm TERRY RILEY / JOHN ZORN duo
10pm Fred Frith, MIKE PATTON, JOHN ZORN trio
Luggage Store New Music Series • 8pm $6-10
Outsound Presents Full Moon Concerts Corn Moon :: Waving fields of corn, prairie heat
evaporating into the night
8pm Dina Emerson, voice
9pm Myles Boisen, solo guitar
Friday August 27
Yoshi’s San Francisco • 8pm
8pm ALHAMBRA LOVE SONGS with Rob Burger
piano, Trevor Dunn bass, Kenny Wollesen drums
10pm ALEPH TRIO plays for Wallace Berman...
with John Zorn sax , Trevor Dunn bass, Kenny
Wollesen drums and films by Wallace Berman
INTRODUCED BY TOSH BERMAN
21 Grand
416 25th Street, Oakland [near Broadway]
African American Arts and Culture Complex
762 Fulton Street, San Francisco
Battery Townsley
Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands (off Rodeo Beach)
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
2625 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
Berkeley Arts Festival
22121 Allston Way, Berkeley
The Biscuit Factory
81st and San Leandro Oakland
Church of the Incarnation
550 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
Community Music Center
544 Capp Street, San Francisco
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco
First Church of the Buzzard
2601 Adeline, Oakland [@ 26th]
Flux 53
5306 Foothill Boulevard, Oakland [at Fairfax]
Ivy Room
860 San Pablo Avenue, Albany
The Lab
2948 16th Street, Berkeley
Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market Street, San Francisco [@ 6th]
Makeout Room
22nd Street, San Francisco [btwn Mission & Valencia]
Meridian Gallery
535 Powell Street, San Francisco
Musicians Union Hall
116 9th Street, San Francisco [at Mission]
Oasis
135 12th Street, Oakland
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom Street,
San Francisco 9 [@ 23rd]
Southern Exposure
3030 20th Street, San Francisco
Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave, Oakland [@ 19th]
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
701 Mission Street, San Francisco [@ 3rd]
Yoshi’s San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
Meridian Gallery • 8pm $10/5
Meridian Gallery presents Addleds: Kyle
Bruckmann/Tony Dryer/Jacob Felix Heule/Kanoko
Nishi, with TBA.
Saturday August 28
21 Grand • 1pm free
10th Annual Transbay Skronkathon BBQ, all-day
continuous music and BBQ
Yoshi’s San Francisco • 8pm $30
8pm Rova Saxophone Quartet will be joined by
John Zorn. In town for a three-night residency at
Yoshi’s SF, Zorn will hit the stage with Rova in a
reprise of their recent quintet session at the Stone
in New York City. Rova’s perennial collaborations
with Zorn are highly charged, exhilarating blow
fests. 10pm: COBRA
GUERILLA RECORDING
Outsound Presents the Full Moon Concert Series
August 26, 2010 – Corn Moon
Waving fields of corn, prairie heat evaporating into the night
8 PM: Dina Emerson, voice
9 PM: Myles boisen, guitar
Sunday August 15
SIMM Series • 8pm $10/8
Estamos Ensemble - Made up equally of
musicians from Mexico and the U.S., is one of
two components of the Americas Comprovisers
Exchange Network (ACEN), whose intention is
to foster more communication and collaboration
between musicians of our two bordering countries
as well as a better understanding of and
appreciation for the citizens of our countries in
general.
venue information
16 TRACK ANALOG RECORDING • CD MASTERING AND DIGITAL EDITING
great sounds • low rates
MYLES BOISEN 510.835.9333
www.transbaycalendar.org
at the Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market Street @ 6th Street
San Francisco, CA
Admission: $6.00 - $10.00 sliding scale