[ december 9, 2012 ]
Music For Yugen: Darling Song Cycle & Cordelia
Added a double-trio performance of Cordelia to Edward Schocker’s Darling Song Cycle. Both works were composed for Theatre of Yugen (mine for Soulographie and Edward’s for A Minor Cycle) and were presented tonight in music-only versions with an array of performers. Cordelia was performed by Mantra Plonsey (vocals), Steve Adams and Polly Moller (flutes), Anna Wray and Nava Dunkelman (piccolo snares), and Joy Sue Hutchinson and me (sruti boxes). At the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley.
[ december 5, 2012 ]
Biggi Vinkeloe: Bay Stories | California On Fire
Biggi convened many musicians in small and large groups, including her instant composition California On Fire, which pays homage to firefighters. I joined along side Gino Robair, Brenda Usher-Carpino, Phillip Greenlief, Alisha LaNegra Calhoun, Queen Michelle Jordan, Mark Weaver, and Walt Szalva. At the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley/
[ november 20, 2012 ]
Bandelion at 8x8x8
Returned to kit drums in Bandelion, the band component of Dandelion Dance Theater, providing the barn burner in an evening of eight dance pieces presented by paufve | dance. The last time I did this I got to wear a sparkly velvet tri-corner hippy renaissance hat that looked a little like an effective rodent trap from afar. This time I got to wear my father’s lab coat and back up the spit game of Modern Dance Inferno II. When I say Pina you say Bausch. Pina. Bausch. Pina. Bausch. At the Uptown in Oakland
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[ november 14 & 18, 2012 ]
Cordelia at Soulographie: Our Genocides
Theatre of Yugen joined the assembly of 16 other companies to present a commemorative performance cycle of 17 plays by Erik Ehn. I composed the music for Cordelia, performed by Polly Moller, Anna Wray, Sheila Berotti, and Jubilith Moore. At La MaMa, New York.
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[ october 14, 2012 ]
The Che Guevara Memorial Marching (and Stationary) Accordion Band
On Sunday October 14 around 11am, the Free Reed Vibrating Society marched under the original parent name of the Che Guevara Memorial Marching (and Stationary) Accordion Band. This is mostly because it was occurring in Berkeley to remind them that they once had liberal pretensions. Also because it was a celebration of the revolutionary mood that is stirring in the world. Sunday Streets, Berkeley.
[ If you had an accordion, you could have marched with us using this score: ]
Either Here or There
Play short burst from one note or cluster to short phrases.
Vary dynamics and length. Leave lots of space between for other’s ideas and contributions while being mindful of the whole so that the sound travels through the space and changes densities, etc.
[october 14, 2012 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group at the East Bay Mini-Maker Faire
Ran over to Park Day School and found Dylan and Edward under a tree at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire, holding a stone and a hichiriki, respectively and looking bewildered at the low-rider car booming to the left, the yurt with a tesla coil inside playing a bon jovi song to the right, and Andy Strain’s brass ensemble ripping through a crowdpleaser up ahead. I had a set of timpani mallets and a violin bow, no rosin. We talked things through four or five times, kind of unwilling to admit the East Bay Mini Maker Faire might not be ready for our sound, man, then headed out for a walk to find other places to play:
- under a giant magnolia tree with shimmering ribbons descending from its interior branches
No. A couple had just sat down there to eat lunch - Inside the Magnolia Building near some lockers, we thought, but actually in front of the bathroom entrance
Yes. We tore it up on the bathroom stage, to point where people had to dance a little to hold it because they were too polite to walk by and get to the toilets. - Inside the elevator to the 2nd Floor of the Magnolia Building
No. Ride was too brief and thinking too slow. - On the 2nd floor of the Magnolia Building, vacant and under construction
Yes Indeed. We tried to ride the elevator back down but it was locked, so we walked around until we found an exit that looked very Alarm Will Sound, but acted very Alarm Not Gonna Sound. It led to a sunny courtyard above the fray, and a flight of stairs into the fray. We stowed our momentary anxiety of being locked on the second floor of the Magnolia Building forever, having to extend this piece. - Under the sign that said “Math Stage”
No. Only because something else caught our eye. - On the stairs to the 2nd Floor of another building
Yes. Railings. Nuff said. - Back to the original location.
Yes Minus One.
We then found and ate the delicious food the festival organizers had arranged for us, then hightailed it to Inverness to hang out in Bart Hopkins’ back yard and play all his invented instruments, drink continuously, and talk to friends old and new. As I walked back down the dirt road to get home, I noticed a woman playing a banged up baritone while sitting on a stump. Her eyes were closed, transported.
What a fucking great day.
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[ october 7, 2012 ]
15th Annual Music for People & Thingamajigs Festival
Kicked off the MfP&T with a Sunday Matinee performance of the Thingamajigs Performance Group featuring Dylan Bolles, Edward Schocker, and Zachary Watkins Also on the bill: Phyllis Chen and her toy pianos. At the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley
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[ october 6, 2012 ]
Rock Lotto
The return of Moe! Staiano’s chaordic project that literally pulled new bands from names in a hat and gave them a short window to create performable songs. Featuring (at least) Micah Ball, Chris Broderick, Amar Chaudhary, George Chen, Katherine Copenhaver, Tom Duff, Karl Alfonso Evangelista, Warren Huegel, Steve Kirk, Dominique Leone, Stephen Lew, Sarah Lockhart, Mark Miller, Polly Moller, JoJo Razor, Kimric Smythe, Nick Tamburro, Neal Trembath, Karry Walker, Tim Walters, and Bill Wolter. I was in the band with Micah, Steve, Karry and Ralph Carney, who I see is not in the above list. Interloper. At the Starry Plough, Berkeley.
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[ october 4, 2012 ]
Lucio Menegon: Quiet Night
Performing quietly with the prodigal Lucio Menegon and the quartet version of Reverend Screaming Fingers Big Band (John Hanes and Wil Hendricks). With performances by Andrew Weathers and Hollywood Launderette (Myles Boisen and Karry Walker) at at the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley 8pm, $10 – $20 sliding scale.
[ october 3, 2012 ]
Lucio Menegon: Loud Night
Performied loudly with the prodigal Lucio Menegon in a new edition of Strangelet (featuring Stephanie Lak and John Hanes). Other loud people on the bill included Stanosaur (really very loud!) at the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley
[ september 14, 2012 ]
Soundwave ((5)): Polly Moller’s Genesis
Soundwave’s Revelations: Body + Space featured the large ensemble performance of Polly Moller’s Genesis on the bill with the sonic dance collaborations of [ruidobello] + Monique Goldwater and Matt Stines + Megan Trout. That piece was in 11 dimensions, and I was responsible for the fourth one. At Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco.
[ september 5, 2012 ]
Kaiju-Scope East
Played controlled and uncontrolled percussion in Jayn Pettingill and Michele Graffieti’s new work for Godzilla featuring Michelle Alexander, Steve Adams, Vijay Anderson, Chris Grady, Lisa Mezzacappa, Matt Plummer, Jameson Swanagon, Carolyn Walter and Cory Wright. The night had a ripping trio of Vijay with Ben Goldberg and Sheldon Brown, which you must see when they assemble again. Dang. Etc. It went down at the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley.
[ september 3, 2012 ]
Kaiju-Scope West
Played controlled and uncontrolled percussion in Jayn Pettingill and Michele Graffieti’s new work for Godzilla featuring Michelle Alexander, Steve Adams, Vijay Anderson, Chris Grady, Lisa Mezzacappa, Matt Plummer, Jameson Swanagon, Carolyn Walter and Cory Wright. At The Makeout Room, San Francisco.
[ august 25, 2012 ]
Dry Patch
Debut of brief, unintelligible noise with Pat Dry at the 11th (and 12th) Annual Transbay Skronkathon, which lasted from 1pm to 11m that day. The event included a community BBQ, providing a nice alternative activity for everyone who forgot to bring earplugs to our set. At the (seemingly infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival, Berkeley, donations directly supported production of the Transbay Creative Music Calendar.
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[ august 24, 2012 ]
Vegan Butcher
Played a methadone-drenched drum kit in John Shiurba’s elegiac stun rock project based on five compositions completed in January 2011 set against his personal somniloquy. With Wil Hendricks on bass and Val Esway on vocals. John describes it thusly. Reconnaisance Fly and Jack O’ The Clock were also on the bill at The Starry Plough, Berkeley.
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[ august 23, 2012 ]
Matcha: Shamanism
Continued the exploration of MAGO with Dohee Lee and Adria Otte at the Asian Art Museum, SF. We ended up in Samsung Hall after conducting gallery interventions, accompanied by flocks of documentarians.
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[ july 29, 2012 ]
MAGO
Open House performance of Dohee Lee’s residency at The Headlands, with Adria Otte.
[ july 7, 2012 – august 17, 2012 ]
Transfiguration: Uncovering the Hidden
Environmental sound for photographer Pak Han’s solo exhibition at the icTus gallery, SF with properties by Keriann Egeland and video installation edited by Alejandro Acosta. Includes a remix of the trio performance at the opening with Adria Otte, Dohee Lee and Theresa Wong.
[soundcloud id=’2183043′ color=’#0f1262′ format=’set’]
[ june 21, 2012 ]
Daniel Popsicle at Garden of Memory: The Vivian Edition
Returned with an open heart to the gig I love to hate: Daniel Popsicle in the outdoor courtyard of Garden of Memory, the annual Solstice occupation of Julia Morgan’s Columbarium, Oakland. We froze.
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[ june 20, 2012 ]
Vegan Butcher
Played a methadone-drenched drum kit in John Shiurba’s elegiac stun rock project based on five compositions completed in January 2011 set against his personal somniloquy. With Wil Hendricks on bass and Val Esway on vocals. John describes it thusly. Reconnaisance Fly was also on the bill at (The Seemingly Infinite) Berkeley Arts Festival.
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[ june 7, 2012 ]
Shapeshifters Cinema: Cinepimps
Joined Wayne Grim to accompany the 16mm performative projection duo of Alfonso Alvarez and Keith Arnold. This was the opening of a new first Thursdays film and music series curated by Kathleen Quillian and Gilbert Guerrero at the Arbor Cafe in the Temescal, Oakland.
[ may 26, 2012 ]
Temporality
The concluding (?) volume of Stephen Ratcliffe’s trilogy of 1,000-page books featuring the Thingamajigs Performance Group and special guests accompanying Stephen as he read out 1,000 poems written over 1,000 days. At the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, from 6am (yes, am) to 8pm. I joined the trilogy at its second convening in May 2010 for Remarks on Color / Sound, performing for 14 hours, never, one might be totally confident in noting this about me, turning back.
[ may 17, 2012 ]
Tiny Owl
Giant bass drum and tiny piccolo snare in the electro-acoustic quartet blending non-idiomatic improvisation with non-non-idiomatic improvisation [Matt Davignon, Lance Grabmiller, and Sebastian Krawczuk] on the bill with Dapplegray (April-Jeanie Tang – electronics & Nava Dunkelman – percussion) and Kadet Kuhne (CD release, not to be missed). At the Luggage Store Gallery, SF.
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[ may 6, 2012 ]
This Is Not A Show
Performing This Is Not A Drum Solo with John Hanes and Dohee Lee at this evening of notShowing, including This Is Not A Monologue and This Is Not An Installation convened by Collage Theater as part of the International Home Theater Festival whose manifesto you should all immediately not adopt. I didn’t. At 3400 Ulloa in the Sunset, SF.
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[ apr 30, 2012 ]
Tiny Owl Dinner Radio
The live streaming show you attended from your own kitchen as you prepared your Monday night meal, as we did, and ate, as we did too. Featuring the electro-acoustic quartet blending non-idiomatic improvisation with non-non-idiomatic improvisation [Matt Davignon, Lance Grabmiller, and Sebastian Krawczuk].
[ apr 22, 2012 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group: Pacific Exchange North
With Edward Schocker, and Zachary Watkins for an apotheosis at Cape Disappointment on the Long Beach Peninsula, Washington
[ apr 21, 2012 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group: Pacific Exchange North
With Dylan Bolles, Edward Schocker, Zachary Watkins on the bill with Portable Sanctuary (Paul Kikuchi, Stuart Dempster, Bill Horist) at the Chapel Performance Space in Seattle
[ apr 20, 2012 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group: Pacific Exchange North
With Dylan Bolles, Edward Schocker, Zachary Watkins on the bill with Tracy Cockrell’s Poemophones at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, 8pm
[ mar 11, 18, 25 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group
Three Sundays at the Oakland Museum of California with Dylan Bolles, Edward Schocker, Zachary Watkins and special guests Paul Stapleton, Paul Kikuchi, Tatsuya Nakatani, and with Gretchen Jude.
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[ mar 17, 2012 ]
Thingamajigs Performance Group: Pacific Exchange South
With Dylan Bolles, Edward Schocker, Zachary Watkins sharing the bill with Tide Tables (Paul Kikuchi & Alex Vittum) and Tatsuya Nakatani. At Meridian Gallery in SF.
[ mar 14, 2012 ]
RecardiacsFly
More angular goodness in the Cardiac‘s cover band (with Chris Broderick, Amar Chaudhary, Marc Laspina, Polly Moller, Moe! Staiano, and Tim Walters) convening with the additional angular goodness of Surplus 1980 and the additional additional angular and additionally dense thrash goodness of PG13. At the Hemlock Tavern in SF. I got a ticket for not curbing my wheels when I parked right outside the Hemlock’s front door. Apparently Polk Street is on a hill.
[ mar 13, 2012 ]
Moe!kestra!
Among the percussionists among the reed players among the guitar players among the electronic musicians performing Piece No. 9 When Terrie Had Six conducted by Moe! Staiano. Also on the bill: the quartet of Mark Clifford, vibraphone; Jacob Wick, trumpet; Anton Hatwich, bass; and Aram Shelton, clarinets, all part of the Active Music Series at the Uptown, Oakland.
[ mar 6-7, 2012 ]
The Line Between at Vancouver International Dance Festival
Inkboat’s performance work The Line Between, co-composed with Jason Ditzian as part of a collaboration of artists directed by Inkboat’s Dana Iova-Koga and featuring Shinichi Ioga-Kova and Dohee Lee with installation by Amy Rathbone and Frank Lee and lights and shadow design by Allen Willner. At the Roundhouse Performance Centre in Vancouver, BC.
[ jan 31, 2012 ]
Daniel Popsicle at the Berkeley Arts Festival
More slightly odd music. Returning to the early parts of the New Monsters book at a festival that appears to be ceaseless, infinite, nearly, oh, how do you say acquisitive in its creative alignments, wherein if you happen to be walking by, singing, like, you know, a song you may well be caught in the gravitational pull of the Berkeley Arts Festival. That’s just my feeling. Played at the top of University Avenue (2133) right next to Ace Hardware, Berkeley.
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[ jan 26, 2012 ]
Responding: Gina Osterloh
Played jurassic electronics in a new ensemble convened by Dohee Lee with Haruko Nishimura, Adria Otte and Theresa Wong plays in response to the Gina Osterloh exhibition Anonymous Front at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts., San Francisco.
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[ jan 19, 2012 ]
The Mutts
The literary trio of Michael Wertz (vocals, illustation), Andy Cowitt (ukulele) and myself (toy drum kit) pointlessly excite the barking machine at Michael’s upcoming book reading and signing. At the Bookshop Santa Cruz.