M.Ward

at Birchmere, 9/15/2006

The review in the Post (quoted below) covers the basics... The show was excellent. This guy has really found his voice, and is at the top of his game. He's got crazy skills with the fingerpicking guitar. He's a great singer. Not bad at the electric piano either. He's not much for banter and chatting between songs. The set was pretty much all business - just blowing through the songs with hardly enough time for his band to keep up. And they nailed it. Each song really came to life perfectly - the uptempo ones totally rocked, but with nice subtle touches which also transferred to the slower material.

There was much instrument swapping. Band consisted of M.Ward plus two guitarists who switched often among acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and electric bass, plus two drummers - one female who also did backing vocals, and one male who spent about half the show at the vibraphone, and half behind a drum kit (and one song at the piano). Funny, another band with two drummers... used very effectively, they did quite a bit of unison playing, but really for emphasis. At one point, a quick stream of steady 16th notes doubled by both drummers added a cool sounding layer of strange high harmonics.

One of the encores began with M.Ward solo, doing "I'll Be Yr Bird." Gorgeous. He changed the lyrics at one point - from "I'm not your chestnut, I'm not your mole" to "I'm no Vic Chestnutt, I'm no Bob Mould." A few of us old folks in the audience chuckled, and hopefully picked up on that as a local reference. The crowd was really quite strange - young, old, everywhere inbetween.

There are many reasons to dislike the Birchmere, and I'm happy to go on about many of them. For now, let's just complain about $5 for a 10oz. solo cup of beer. On the other hand, they have Shiner on tap. Mmmm. Also, sound was quite good and we got there a bit late, but still were able to get a spot right up front where we could see (and hear) very well.

If you don't know about M. Ward, you can watch the video of "Chinese Translation" on YouTube. And/or download the title track of his new album, Post-War, at Salon.com's "Audiofile."

From the Washington Post, Monday, September 18, 2006; C05

Shortly after M. Ward played "A Voice at the End of the Line" and "Poor Boy, Minor Key" at the Birchmere on Friday night, it seemed he longed to be a soft-rock troubadour. Then, back-to-back Daniel Johnston covers indicated he was bent on embracing the eccentric singer-songwriter model. Later, as he waved his band into a galloping trifecta ("Right in the Head," "Flaming Heart," "Four Hours in Washington") of indie rock, he sounded as if he could be the savior of that musty genre. But unlike the Ward of, say, five years ago, this hour-long set was far more than just a series of clever genre-hopping tricks: It was cohesive and stirring in the manner of an artist whose vision has crystallized.

Ward's artistic maturation isn't readily apparent on his discs; this year's "Post-War" is only sporadically excellent. But supported as he was Friday by a sympathetic band (a percussion-centric quartet featuring two drum kits) in a judicious investigation of his back catalogue, his live show was revelatory. His song structures suddenly made sense -- an aesthetic that equally values John Fahey, Fleetwood Mac and Sonic Youth. His voice buzzed uniquely -- an oddly rousing paste of John Fogerty and Popeye. And though the show wasn't perfect -- "Post-War's" title track was sluggish, and taking a second encore was unnecessary -- it was close enough to warrant a serious escalation in Ward's musical standing.

-- Patrick Foster

Beauty Pill

at The Black Cat (mainstage), 9/2/2006


An expanded Beauty Pill put on quite a show. They're up to six people now, including two drummers for most of the set. Aaron cracked me up by referring to them as the "indie rock Steely Dan." Not really a bad analogy... The band is driven by Chad Clark who happens to be a studio wizard who makes gorgeous recordings with very high production values, then the band is pulled together to realize the songs live. I'm not 100% certain about their creative process, so I'm assuming that's an oversimplification, but maybe not so far off?

Set seemed really short, but maybe I was just cranky after waiting so long (Soccer Team and Aquarium were fine, but seemed totally rudimentary in comparison with the headliners). Highlights included "Lifeguard in Wintertime," and "Prison Song" delivered by Jean Cook and a rippin' version of "The Western Prayer."

Devin Ocampo on drums = always rock solid. Chad Molter also on drums = sometimes overkill, but sometimes cool. With the large band, they're able to double lots of things, recreating some of the lush textures on the records. And another band in town featuring two-thrids of Medications... Ubiquitous is an understatement.

Excellent performance - really well put together and well executed. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the most sophisticated bands in DC. They operate, technically, on a level that most of their peers simply can't reach.

Photo by Flickr user goodgovernor.

Shellac

at The Black Cat (mainstage), 8/31/2006

Not sure where to start this one... If you're unfamiliar, the wikipedia entry about the band seems dead-on to me. They certainly sound unique - from Albini's very strange guitar sound (like a nasally chainsaw?), to the bad vocals, all delivered over-top the rock solid bass and drums. Their songs rely so heavily on repetition of short riffs (including nifty off-balance rhythms and odd meters), that they take on a certain kind of inevitability - and then when a small change occurs, it takes on great significance.

Todd Trainer (drums) really makes it all work. He's magnificent. When they're locked in together, it's quite a machine. And they didn't disappoint live. I think they sounded every bit as good as the records (which sound really good, in my opinion).

Bob Weston's bass tone (and playing) are perfect. His sound is full and heavy - but with no mud. Albini's guitar tone mystifies me - I'm not sure why he wants it to sound so shrill and tinny... but maybe so there's no guitar overlapping the bass guitar frequencies? His sound is certainly intentional, and getting past my own preferences, you can certainly hear every note very clearly - which has pros and cons. You can hear every flub and mis-hit note as well as the "right" ones. I can't quite figure him out. Some of the guitar lines seem quite difficult and he sails right through them perfectly, but other things come off as so sloppy? Maybe the slop has it's place too - since there's none to be found in Trainer or Weston's playing...

Unfortunately, they took several Q & A breaks that dragged on too long. Eventually, I found Albini's idiosyncrasies a bit tiring. So, I guess I have mixed feelings about the show. On one hand, they totally rocked. On the other hand, the show dragged at points (and an as-yet unreleased song, "Lulabelle" really didn't go anywhere). Maybe I'm just getting too old for club shows on weeknights?

Photo by Flickr user haydn sweterlitsch.

Aloha

aloha @ northstarbar in philadelphia
Originally uploaded by marcymakesaparty.

at The Black Cat (backstage), 8/27/2006

(note: this photo is from a show in philly, not the show I'm writing about in DC)

The sound on the backstage at Black Cat is really bad. It's a room that doesn't deal well with loudness. Sad, since most shows in there are pretty damn loud. This worked against Aloha - which is a real shame since they're an excellent band, and their new record sounds fabulous.

Their music is intricately crafted and meticulously executed - but without sounding cold and calculated. They're just a group of damn fine players. Drummer is really excellent (comparisons to Alan White might be deserved?), bass player is totally solid (Stupid Pitchfork compares him to Chris Squire... seriously). Guitarist / keyboardist / singer is good at all three. His voice sounds kind of like David Gray, although music is completely different - I just mean timbre of his voice, and I mean that as a complement. And then there's TJ Lipple playing marimba and keyboard. That's right, marimba. They're a rock band with a marimba. Chew on that for a minute.

So, you may have noticed two mentions comparing them to Yes in the previous paragraph. I think we need to coin a new term: Indie-prock, meaning indie rock infused with the good aspects of prog rock, and eschewing the genre's overblown theatricality and posturing as well as the abundance of lyrics about mythological creatures. I think Aloha would make a shining example of "indie prock." Plenty of odd meters, nifty interlocking patterns, surprsingly complex harmonic and melodic ideas - somehow merged into the framework of totally approachable indie rock (and no lyrics about mythological creatures).

One song borrowed heavily from Phillip Glass, with several interlocking ostinati - and they even switched instruments mid-stream on that one. Several songs were played without a break between them, giving the feel of some kind of large-scale epic (in the grand prog-rock tradition, but with no pretense). Between other songs, some free-from improv filled the gap while singer switched from keyboard to guitar.

This was the last show of their tour - which followed fairly soon on the heels of a longer tour earlier in the summer, and they looked pretty tired. Seemed like a square meal and a good night's sleep would do them all some good, but even though they looked road-weary they put on a great show.

I picked up "Some Echoes" on vinyl at the show. Sounds nice.

Photo by Flickr user marcymakesaparty

Mary Timony, Garland of Hours

at Fort Reno, 8/17/2006

20060817_EPS0019
Originally uploaded by furcafe.

Oh the sadness. The last Fort Reno show of the summer. Actually, not so much sadness for us. We packed a picnic, the dog, and headed out to enjoy a beautiful evening and some nice music. Also provided a great head-start to our vacation (we went away for the weekend as a little anniversary treat).

Show was good. I've heard Garland of Hours several times. Consistently, there are technical problems with the sound equipment. Fort Reno is always a little sketchy in terms of buzz and interference, but somehow Amy Domingues brings the hum and buzz and unintentional noises to any venue. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to get in the way of the music. Amy opened her set with a couple of solo pieces, including a Lungfish song arranged for cello and voice, with some looping. Very nice. Her band this time out included Mary Timony (guitar) and Devin Ocampo (drums) plus a bass player who's name I don't know. The band was solid. Amy's strange mix of rock music oddly colored by early music came together in it's usual fragile way - which is a good thing.

20060817_EPS0032Crop
Originally uploaded by furcafe.

Mary Timony played with a trio: herself on guitar/voice, Devin Ocampo, drums (this was the lineup for the last show I saw) but now they've added a bass player - Chad Molter, who also plays with Devin in the band "Medications." I prefer the trio over the duo lineup - especially with two-thirds of Medications included. They played mostly new material, I think... I only recognized one song from "Ex-Hex" - Backwards and Forwards, with a nifty new intro. The new material asks the question: is prog-rock cool again? And the answer is yes, with certain limitations. Seems like her live shows are sloppier than the records so it's hard to read too much into the new material beyond the obvious. It's following the trajectory of Ex-Hex - but (as you might expect with two-thirds of Medications) nifty shifting patterns bordering on "math rock" appear frequently and to great effect. The last tune, which was the last song of the summer at the park, ended the season with a psychedelic flavor, Chad played synth-organ, and the guitar part was fed through some kind of filter effect - providing a tasty swirly combination.

Photos by Flickr user furcafe.

X and Rollins Band

at 9:30 club, 8/15/2006

We saw X a few months ago, same club, same "greatest hits revue" style show. The good news: they still sound great. The other news: well, we'd seen it before - and recently.

Rollins band raised some issues for me. Let's start with the easy stuff:

1. They totally rocked.
   
2. The band is excellent, Marvin Gibbs (bass) and Chris Haskett (guitar) are terrific - and make for a super heavy combination. I always loved Haskett's approach to guitar lines - he rarely plays chords (fairly unusual for a hardcore / metal type sound, but Gibbs has it covered for him) and his lines are interesting. Sim Cain is a heckuva drummer, although it seemed a little over the top with metal cliches (two china cymbals, two floor toms, double bass pedal - all used exactly as you might expect) but let's not overlook the fact that they are a super-tight well oiled machine and they rocked as they are known to do, which is better than most.
3. Rollins performed with incredible intensity.

Now the harder issues to sort through: I guess part of the problem is nostalgia. Much of my motivation for going to this concert was to rectify the fact that I hadn't seen Rollins live before - back when his work was of greater importance to me than it is now. Not that the work is any less relevant; adrenaline fueled songs about hate, anger, deception, and various shades of misanthropy are as timeless as ever. My own appetite for punk / hardcore / metal has diminished over the years, and I'm wondering what that means now?

The opening act, The Riverboat Gamblers, play straight ahead (retro?) punk, but they're young guys. It's as if they are trading only in signifiers: we are punks, we wear skinny jeans and all black, we play kinda sloppy but fast and loud and the singer romps all over the club, climbing up anything he can get his hands or feet on. The music? not much there... So what does this mean? Does "punk rock" not mean anything anymore? Has it been so fully assimilated into mainstream culture that there is no viable way for the music to retain any sort of meaning as cultural criticism? Maybe they were just a bad example?

It was with this preface that Rollins took the stage, playing a rapid fire litany of old songs. Good old songs that I have a special fondness for. And they were played as well as ever, and with the same intensity. But the context is different now, isn't it? Maybe that's the issue... 20 years ago, the 9:30 club was a very different place (literally), and it represented a certain "scene." There was a certain type of music that thrived there, and there was a certain subculture around that. Now it's a much much larger venue with no particular stylistic focus. Any act that can fill the place will play there, whether it's rock, punk, pop, alt-country, hip-hop, reggae, etc. Isn't this also an analogy for a concurrent cultural shift? Is there really any particular subculture around "underground" rock music, or is it just a fashion statement?

I don't have any answers.. haven't really figured out what the questions are either, but the evening left me kind of confused.

Mark Jenkins covered the show for the Washington Post. Click Here for his review.

catching up

missed my chance to keep up with the shows... won't get to writing about:
I.E.D. - Improvised Experimental Diva (Susan Oetgen's Fringe show)
Prufbox (another Fringe show)
The Evens at Fort Reno 7/31
Joe Lally at Warehouse Theater 8/5
"Four Islands" - a vocal recital presented by Stephen Blier and the Wolftrap Opera Company, 8/12. There's an exhaustive review on DCist. My comments aren't so much about the program as about the audience. Maybe I'll get my rant written down at some point.

Never Swim Alone

at the Canadian Embassy, 7/24/2006. (Part of the Capital Fringe Festival)

Well executed - clever writing, good acting. The show was a hit at the Edmonton Fringe. However, seemed to just present two stereotypical characters: Men. Business Men. Not much substance beyond that. Interesting use of rhythm, unison delivery, etc. - but not much substance?

Luxury Lofts Coming Soon

at Woolly Mammoth Theater, 7/23/2006 (Part of the Capital Fringe Festival)

It's a show by Arachne Aerial Arts. They were fabuloso. Live music by Alvin Hill. He rocked - perfect match for the show. Andrea and Sharon were amazing. The only trouble is that I have a hard time watching them because I get nervous - they're up very high in the air and doing things like Sharon hanging off a trapeze, with Andrea suspended only by Sharon's feet. I can't really describe it... one of those things that you just have to see for yourself. Anyway, great job folks! So glad I got a chance to see it.

Jolie Holland

at Jammin Java, 7/15/2006

Jolie Holland rules. This show was so damn good. I'm soooo glad I made the trip out to Vienna, Virginia. Jammin Java is in a strip mall in the northern Virginia suburbs - not exactly the hippest spot for cool music, but on this particular night it was the place to be.

Sean Hayes opened. I had mixed feelings about his set - really liked a couple of his songs, particuarly the more surreal / mystical ones. Halfway through his set, Ms. Holland joined him and provided backing vocals. She quietly, unobtrusively, totally stole the show with her inventive and surprising harmony lines. I have a theory that she treats perfect fourths as consonant intervals, and that's at the root of her strange melodies - and especially true when she sings harmony.

Her set was terrific from start to finish. She played with a trio: drums and lead guitar. She played piano, guitar, and a cigar box fiddle. That fiddle thing sounds crazy, and good. Good. Real good. Everything she did sounded real real good. She's simply dynamite - super talented performer.

More importantly (to me) she's also one of the most gifted songwriters around these days. My friend Dave wrote an interesting essay about two songs from her album Escondida - "Black Stars" and "Goodbye California" - two of my favorites. Unfortunately, she didn't play "Black Stars," saying something like "...it has so many crazy key changes in it. I don't want to mess it up." I guess that makes me feel a little better. I taught myself that song a few months ago (because it totally slays me and I wanted a peek "under the hood") and I can't sing it very well. Mostly, that's due to the fact that I'm a very bad singer, but I'm happy to hear that she's a little reluctant to tackle it live herself...

If I had more time, I'd write lots more about this show because it was so wonderful in so many ways. But for now we'll have to leave it like so. She's great. The show was great. A very special evening. Go hear her yourself - you won't regret it. Buy her albums - they are all exceptional and worth every penny and then some. In a perfect world, she would be the most popular songwriter - and singer -in the world. Oh well. Our gain, I guess, since this way we get to hear her in small venues. Her new record, "Springtime Can Kill You" is as good as "Escondida." You should buy them both. And "Catalpa" too. Get 'em all. "Black Stars" is one of the most gorgeous, profound, darkly wonderful love songs ever written. And on the new record, the closer, "Mexican Blue" is another love song of equally stunning greatness. The opening track, "Crush in the Ghetto" is also too fine to miss out on.

Kallmeyer, Merella, Sebastian, Whitehead & Zook

at Sangha, 7/10/2006

Nice event. Wonderful that Ted Zook put together a benefit show for Sangha - they've donated space to host so many outstanding performances and events, it was nice to finally give a little something back...

Mark Merella is a genius drummer. Totally fantastic. Mike Sebastian, well, I'm a big fan... Mr. Whitehead is someone I hadn't heard before - played trumpet and various related horns, with great patience (he was great at sitting out when necessary) and has a great ear. His interactions with Mike (tenor sax and saxello) were wonderful. I've only heard Doug Kallmeyer once, with his group 302Acid. I had no idea he was such a good improviser. Ted's monster gizmo rig was very impressive, even though it wasn't functioning properly (so he said, I thought it sounded good).

Shadow Puppet Drama from Java

at the Freer Gallery's Meyer Auditorium, 7/6/2006

This was really cool. It's been a few weeks now since the show - so only time for quick thoughts...
1. What a great opportunity. I've never seen anything like this live.
2. Too bad the gamelan players were mostly Americans - I'm no expert but I thought some of it was a little shaky. I could be wrong - see the "i'm no expert" clause above.
3. Damn that was long (two hours +)
4. Thank you Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian and Michael Wilpers. This show rocked.

Sean McArdle

at the Black Cat, 7/3/2006


(i'm very late getting to this... so it's gonna be a quickie) Sean McArdle performed with a nice little band (Ben Azarra, drums; Lida Husik, bass; lead guitarist who I don't know by name). Band was great - characterized primarily by what I'll call "elegant restraint." All working together clearly in service of the songs themselves. McArdle is a local performer who actually writes good, thoughtful songs. Too bad vocals were buried in the mix (typical Black Cat Backstage bad sound). Promising performance and I'm eager to hear him again... missed him at Fort Reno, but hopefully there will be another chance soon.

Songs from the Nitrate Hymnal

at Warehouse Theater, 7/1/2006

Back in 2003, Bob Massey and company staged an ambitious, genre defying, rock / chamber / opera show called the Nitrate Hymnal. Some of the backstory about the production, and this new concert version is covered in a feature in last week's Washington Post Weekend section...

Originally, the work was presented by Washington Performing Arts Society, and supported by a grant from Creative Capital. Now, they've successfully raised the dough (Jean Cook is a genius) for a recording from the Copland Fund, and got some Meet the Composer money to pay for two performances, one in Brooklyn and this event in DC (plus an informal brunch the following day which I missed, sadly).

Several "numbers" from the show have been reworked, and turned into a song cycle. This plays to Bob's strengths as a songwriter - and the new arrangements are really well done. Performers included members of Gutbucket, Anti Social Music, and Bob's group, the Gena Rowlands Band.

The performance was excellent. The ensemble was very strong, and pulled off a truly inspiring performance of DIY / Punk influenced chamber orchestra music. Personally, I preferred hearing Bob sing many of the songs himself vs. the original staged version that he didn't perform in. Hai-Ting Chinn was spectacular - bringing bona-fide operatic chops to the stage, which actually (surprisingly) worked perfectly with the more "natural" rock/folk style singing of Bob and Daisy Press.

The theater was full (no surprise after they sold out four shows at a larger venue for the staged version) - and this was not your typical classical music audience.

The recording is on sale now on Lujo records.

Washington Musica Viva

at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 6/25/2006

Another winner from WMV... the third, and final, concert in this season's series at Atlas - exploring "Jazz at Our Roots," showcasing music by DC composers past and present.

The show opened with an instrumental arrangement of a song by Dr. Ysaye Barnwell, "Song of the Exile." It turned out to be the first of several outstanding arrangements by Charley Gerard.

Next up, "Six Short Pieces" by Lawrence Moss. I think they did these pieces at the Rattner a couple of years ago? A collection of charming miniatures for alto sax and piano, rendered beautifully by Rhonda Buckley (sax) and Carl Banner (piano) - who always make a great team.

Mary Howe's "Two Rilke Songs" were the most traditional fare on the program, basically standard German romantic art song. Not my personal cup of tea, but still nice to hear her music. Howe made many important contributions to musical life in Washington, but I haven't actually heard her music before. Not sure I need to hear it again... (ouch that was mean)

Michael Strand's "Tango Affligido" was given an energetic and ballsy reading by Jodi Beder (cello) and Carl Banner (piano). It's hard for me to hear "nuevo tango" and not instantly compare the music to Astor Piazzolla, which is unfair and unfortunate to any composer. That being said, Strand's work certainly was effective.

The first half of the program closed with three Duke Ellington songs, arranged by Charley Gerard for voice with clarinet, violin, and cello. Very interesting choice of instruments, and the arrangements were superb. The ensemble also did a great job... Bringing jazz to the concert stage via "classical" players presents many problems and first on my list is rhythm: classical players often have trouble swinging - Jodi Beder (cello) and Sonya Hayes (violin) had no trouble finding the pocket, and even executing some inventive pizzicato comping together - including a short violin phrase played pizzicato "quasi guitara" which was a nifty effect, and used sparingly which made it work nicely. Jodi handled the walking bass lines perfectly, juggling her role as timekepper (since there's no drummer in this combo) and harmony (since there's no comping instrument in this combo either). She was clearly up to the task. Clarinetist Ben Redwine is equally at home in jazz or classical contexts, so this whole thing is a non-issue for him... and he dropped several burning solos so there wasn't any doubt. "In My Solitude" was arranged simply for voice and clarinet. Well, deceptively simply, I should say. Delicious. My only hang-up is on the singing. Mezzo soprano Karyn Friedman is spectacular, and has delivered knock-out after knock-out on WMV programs. However, the "classical players struggling to play jazz" thing reared its ugly head when it came to singing the Ellington songs. Her usual assured poise was weakened, maybe lack of rehearsal? Maybe she was just out of her element. Personally, I'd rather hear jazz singers handle the singing - not really a fair criticism in this case, just my own personal bias. In any event, I want to heap praises on WMV for bringing Ellington to the concert hall. I have a personal "grudge" of sorts that Ellington's music (especially his concert music) has never found a regular home in the concert halls of the United States. He was clearly one of the greatest composers in American history and it's about time that the mostly-white classical music "establishment" dug into his work more often than a perfunctory black history month offering.
(end Ellington rant) (for more, check out Graham Lock's "Blutopia" for an enlightening account of Ellington's reception in the press and concert halls of the US during his lifetime)

Intermission was also a hit, thanks to Cameron's Cookie Cubby. Vegan cookies!!! What could be better?

After intermission, came Charlie Barnett's "Memphis TN" for violin and piano. A "nice" piece, very engaging and accessible. I shouldn't be such a backseat composer, but I would've handled the form differently: the piece starts with one idea (a bluesy melody with a two-step country flavored piano accompaniment), then eventually moves into a contrasting slow / open "B" section that's really perfectly constructed. Unfortunately, the "A" section returns (without much of a transition) and then the piece closes with a cliche-ridden blues cadenza. Sonya Hayes (violin) brought out all the blues and other "popular" music elements nicely - with genuine feel and nuance, not cold imitation which so often happens when classical music invokes popular music. But the material suggested more depth than we got from the finished product. Why did the "A" section have to come back? I was so happy in "B" section-land.

Poet Brandon Johnson then read a selection of his works. I'm no literary critic, for sure, so I'll just say, it was good stuff, although a bit too long given that there was still more music to come...

The show closed with "Black Bottom Stomp" by Jelly Roll Morton, another perfect arrangement by Charley Gerard for soprano sax, clarinet, trombone, tuba, and piano. The ensemble really shined on this one - lots of energy, and a real freewheeling dixieland / ragtime sound. Not your average chamber music group!

All the living composers on the program were present for the concert - a nice bonus. Plus many more living composers in the audience. I can't wait until Atlas gets a grand piano (hopefully before next season's WMV series at the Atlas), and I'm looking forward to next year's "WMV at the Atlas" programs.

Day and Taxi

at The Red and The Black, 6/13/2006

Swiss jazz trio featuring Christoph Gallio (soprano & alto saxophone), Christian Weber (double-bass), and Michael Griener (drums). I think they're in the States now because of an appearance at this year's Vision festival in New York City. Lucky for us, they came to DC as well...

They played a collection of compositions by Gallio. Somewhat difficult to describe - his style is very thorny and fragmented. Very few lyrical passages or what might come off as "lines." Mostly skittering bursts of notes, but still with a very clear contour and logic. Much of the music is notated - it was hard to tell what was notated and what was improvised, with the exception of a few bass solos. The sax "solos" were much in the same style as the notated material. In some ways, Anthony Braxton comes to mind as a reference point, but the actual musical vocabulary is quite different. Sort of like post-classical music, mixed with the jazz idiom, put through an atom smasher, and then carefully notated.

The ensemble was very strong - really tight playing. The show proved to be an interesting composition lesson, although after a while a certain same-ness among the pieces became apparent. That's not necessarily a criticism -- just seems like Gallio has found a very specific niche to work in, and is exploring this narrow area in great detail.

The venue is quite nice - hopefully it will last, and continue to host cutting-edge music.

Washington Musica Viva

at The Dennis & Phillip Ratner Museum, 5/23/2006

Another winning concert from WMV... Opened with Bach's Cantata No. 82 - sung beautifully by Gary Poster. It was done as a chamber piece - one player per part, which created a gorgeous kind of intimacy. Soprano saxophone was substituted for oboe, which really worked nicely. Rhonda Buckley played it beautifully. Her soprano sax playing has a warm, rich tone that blended nicely with the strings - a much more luxurious sound than an oboe. I hope they made a recording - I wish I could link to an mp3 so you can hear how that worked...

Next up, Faure's La Bonne Chanson. As I've written before, I'm not such a huge fan of classical vocal music, but this piece is an exception to my rule (and now I can add Cantata no. 82 to that list as well - seems like anything Gary Poster sings winds up on my growing list of exceptions). Mezzo soprano Karyn Friedman delivered a rock solid performance - teetering on the edge of losing control, just as the poems are. I think this is the first time I've heard this set of songs done by a female voice? Well, it works just fine that way. The ensemble was excellent (string quartet and piano).

After intermission (where all of Cameron's cookies were enthusiastically devoured), we heard Ernest Bloch's Piano Quintet #1. It was given an energetic and convincing performance, but I wasn't really won over by the piece. Lots of homophonic string writing, there were very few sections where the strings really got to function independently of one another. There were a small handful of "modern" elements and effects, but overall it sounds pretty conservative to me. I think that might be my hang-up with Bloch's work overall... it's not "modern" enough to be interesting for unique sounds and textures, and not conservative enough to stand up as "neo-classical" either. The quintet certainly has its moments, but I felt like it's a bit longer than it needs to be. That being said, the performance was super. Carl Banner (piano) was joined by Sally McLain (violin), June Huang (violin), Betty Hauck (viola), and Amy Leung (cello).

Aw shucks

I missed this show on Monday night because I had a gig at the same time. Hopefully Pretty Girls Make Graves will appear in DC again soon?

National Symphony Orchestra

at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 5/11/2006

Thanks to an online 75th anniversary promotion, Cameron and I enjoyed a special treat: tickets to hear the NSO for only $19.30. We got to sit in "prime orchestra" seats, normally $65 each - way out of reach. Thanks NSO! Greg Sandow is right... offer cheaper tickets, program some interesting music, and young people (like us) will be delighted to hear orchestra concerts.
Stravinsky + Bartok + $20 = sign me up.

There's a review in today's Washington Post. One comment about the ticket price promotion: just because we're "young" and not subscribers, please don't assume that we don't know anything about classical music. That wasn't an issue with the concert at all... but the tone of the review made me nervous.

So about the music: two words - hell yes. Stravinsky's "Symphonies of Wind Instruments" is a treat to hear live, I've only heard recordings. Contrary to Post critic Ginsberg, this piece never occurred to me as an "academic study" (although I did study it in grad. school) - I felt like it came off exactly as promised in the program notes: a series of "short litanies." The winds and brass instruments all sounded warm and gorgeous. Even the bassoons.

The Mendelssohn Octet in E-Flat, Op. 20 was performed by the entire string section and sounded great. Now I'm curious to hear Leonard Bernstein's string orchestra treatment of Beethoven's C-Sharp quartet, Op. 131 -- I know he recorded it, but I haven't actually heard it yet. I was always suspicious of performing chamber pieces with a zillion players doubling each part -- but this totally won me over. Any "infelicities of ensemble" noted by Mr. Ginsberg went totally unnoticed by me. I was quite mesmerized with their ability to maintain the clarity of the chamber piece, and deliver the added lushness of a full string orchestra. Delicious.

I had mixed feelings about the Chavez "Toccata for Percussion Instruments." Slatkin introduced the piece by calling it the second important percussion piece in the repertoire after Varese's "Ionisations." I'm not so sure about that, but who am I to argue with the Maestro. I'm spoiled, I guess. Hearing the So Percussion Ensemble playing music by John Luther Adams at last year's Otherminds festival made this piece so very tame in comparison. And maybe hearing the automated "Ballet Mechanique" at the National Gallery last weekend didn't help either?

The program ended with Bartok's "Suite from the Miraculous Mandarin" which just plain rocked. I think Bartok is to classical music as Caspar Brotzmann is to rock music. His work is rigorous, and quite satisfying intellectually, but as you're listening it doesn't hit you in the cerebellum, it punches you in the gut and leaves you totally breathless. This was an especially nice bit of programming by Slatkin and Co. - after hearing the sections of the orchestra on display, the Bartok made for an amazing showpiece - that's not just a showpiece. Also a nice choice to do this one instead of his Concerto for Orchestra, which I think is a little less "accessible" (although still plenty accessible) - and also would have been too long to tack onto the end of this particular program.

So, wow. That was a real treat. I hope us "young people" will have more chances to hear the NSO before Slatkin retires.

Sarah Azzara

at the Black Cat, 5/4/2006

Sarah rocked the Black Cat - it was a low-key CD release party for their new album, "It Turns Us On." The new record is quite excellent. Hear some of it and buy it at sarahazzara.com.

The band is a trio now, since their lead guitarist left to go back to school to become a CPA. I'm all for accountants that rock, but I think I preferred the quartet lineup. Two guitars really helped keep the balance - this time the bass and drums seemed a little overpowering. But seriously, check out the record. It's a winner.

John Vanderslice

at Iota, 4/29/2006

I got behind and haven't posted about any shows for a while... I'm not going to take the time to go back and catch up... we'll just have to deal with the gap in coverage.

John Vanderslice and his fabulous band played to a packed house at Iota. Damn his band is good. He's a very engaging performer, clearly very comfortable on stage, and immediately likeable. He conducts the performance as though we're all longtime friends and actually pulls it off. Of course it helps that the music is solid - and beautifully performed. Did I mention that his band is awesome? They are.

They've been on the road for a while, and it shows (in a good way). Everything sounded tight, but there was still enough room for all of the players to mix up some details and keep things fresh. At one point, Vanderslice stopped the show to listen to a change the keyboard player made to a delay setting, that changed the rhythm of a small accompaniment figure - this was followed by a demonstration so we all knew what he was talking about, and the drummer reluctantly gave a quick lesson in hemiola (and the drummer added a little triplet lick at the end of the following song to put it in context).

Basically, every song sounded lovely. They played for a good long while, and still didn't have time for a few favorites (no "dear sara shu" or "bill gates must die" or "speedlab" for example) but they delivered many of my personal favorites (i.e. "me and my 424," "angela," "time travel is lonely" and many others).

I splurged and bought a vinyl copy of his latest album, Pixel Revolt. It's pressed on two 180 gram discs that run at 45rpm -- and the sound quality is really spectacular (to be expected from an artist who's known as much for being a studio dork as he is a songwriter and performer). So much better than hearing the album as mp3's. But if you want to hear some mp3's, he's got loads of them on his site, including a few tracks from Pixel Revolt. Start here, but it's worth browsing the site for some older stuff too. (and I mean "studio dork" in the most respectful and affectionate way)

Page France opened. Stupid Pitchfork retains the well-deserved "stupid" prefix with this review. (although they did get a high score) I'm not sure why the review is so caught up in their music being "Christian." Certainly most of the songs deal with themes such as faith and love, served up with generous helpings of biblical imagery - but does that mean someone like Leonard Cohen was writing Christian music?

Arts Advocacy Day

When I started this little blog excercise, I made a decision to keep it focused very narrowly - only thoughts and impressions of live performances that I've seen. I have intentionally avoided posting anything about arts management - which is a significant portion of how I earn a living.

I'm going to bend my rules a bit for this quickie: Today's Post has a nice article by Phillip Kennicot about the lecture at the Kennedy Center last Monday, presented by Americans for the Arts as part of their Arts Advocacy Day activities. He really put his finger on the "big questions" facing the arts in America - but I think failed to make one important distinction: Who is the audience for this arts advocacy message?

Americans for the Arts has been very effective lobbying congress regarding arts funding - and has found similar success at the state and local level around the country based on a strategy of using an "instrumental" approach: meaning they talk up the economic impact of investing in the arts, and the benefits of arts education -- as opposed to talking up the "intrinsic" value of the arts (like how the arts provides an opportunity for transformational personal experiences - you know, the powerful stuff... I'm sure everyone can name some artworks that have changed and/or shaped their lives: a book, a play, a poem, painting, an album that you couldn't live without, etc). This strategy is working in the legislative arena.

Over the last few years, the Wallace Foundation and others have dumped lots of money into a study dealing with arts advocacy - it's simply referred to as the "Rand Study" by those in the know... it was conducted and published by the Rand Corporation. This study claims that existing arts advocacy efforts are missing an important component: namely the intrinsic value of the arts. Here's where things get a little dicey. Americans for the Arts have proven that nuts and bolts tangible benefits make a compelling case for legislators - so they're sticking with that (and rightly so, I think). However, there's certainly a need to have a broader public conversation about the value of the arts -- especially these intrinsic values.

Some efforts are underway in this area... a national initiative called LiNC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity) has been formed to address the needs of individual artists - as indicated in a large national study that was originally under the same name. (That study used to be online here, but it's gone missing?) There's a local initiative as part of this project, being housed at the Community Foundation, called the "Creative Communities Initiative." I have mixed feelings about how that's progressing... but can't really talk about it because I'm on the steering committee and we are, I think, under some vague confidentiality agreement -- so I'm not really sure I'm supposed to mention that it exists? Well, they're having a public event in April so I think I can at least say that and not be breaking any rules...

Anyway, blah blah blah... just wanted to point out the Kennicot piece in the Post really...

Here in DC, since there's no voting representation in congress, we spend Arts Advocacy Day at the Wilson building lobbying the City Council. Strange that this local advocacy effort is missing some key players... did anyone spot any staff members of the Cultural Alliance? I don't think so... and I won't name other names here in public... but there are a few other notable local arts leaders who were absent.

Ok, no more arts management rants on this blog.

Beth Orton with Willy Mason

At 9:30 Club, 3/12/2006
(guest blogged by Cameron Mcphee)

Jon told me I could guest blog about this show because I was the one who “dragged” him to it. Ok, that is not actually how he put it, but I figure it’s only fair that he go to a few chick concerts with me since I am often the only "chick" in the room at some of his shows.

Actually, I think Patrick Foster wrote a really right-on review of the show in the Washington Post

I won’t try to repeat that. Bottom line, she really was fantastic. Cough or not, she not only has such a powerful voice, but I think she has a really unique sound. As the article hints at as well, the most striking thing about this show was that all of her new songs (from her latest album Comfort of Strangers) sounded even better live than they do on the CD. Honestly, as a lover of her older stuff, I had my doubts when I first heard this album, but after Sunday night, I have decided that these songs are at least as good, deep, and powerful as her older hits. Interestingly, I was... not disappointed... but under-whelmed by her acoustic renditions of her older stuff including two of my three all-time favorite Beth Orton songs, "Sugar Boy" and "Feel to Believe." Maybe it was because it just sounds so different without all the electronic mixing or maybe her new stuff coupled with her terrific back-up band just sounded so darn good. For the record my favorite new songs from the show had to be her opener, "Rectify" and "Safe in Your Arms."

Singer-songwriter Willy Mason opened in a duo performance with violist and singer Nina Violet. While I feel like his set was neither here nor there, I did learn one thing... If you recall from one of Jon’s previous show blogs, I think every band benefits from the deft use of the accordion. Well, it turns out the same is true for a well-played viola. It's just such a great sound and I think Mason and Violet take advantage of this fact very dexterously. Other than that, I think Jon and I agree that Mason doesn't really get the crowd's attention as an opening act. His songs are subtle and quiet and in most instances redundant. And the fact that I was continually distracted by the annoying woman at the bar below me, speaks to his inability to engage the crowd. Apparently Nina Violet has just released her first solo CD which I actually look forward to hearing. She has a very beautiful voice and is a great string player (I think she also plays the cello).

All in all, this show definitely re-vitalized my love of Beth Orton's music and I am glad she is not stagnant in her style, that she is allowing her music to grow with her.

Heart of Gold

at E Street Cinema, 3/1/2006

The film, "Heart of Gold," is a Neil Young concert, filmed by Jonathan Demme. Normally, I wouldn't post about a movie, but Demme has a way of making films of live performances that really capture the essence of the live performance experience, and use all the tricks and tools at his disposal to create a kind of hyper-real experience. Remember "Stop Making Sense" and "Swimming to Cambodia"? The guy's got a gift... and more obscure, remember the PBS performance art series, "Alive from off center"? That was too good to last - and he had a hand in that too...

Anyway, there are many good resources already online where you can learn more about this beautiful film. I first heard about it thanks to Greg Sandow's blog post. There's also an interview w/ Young and Demme on Studio 360:
[link to transcript]
[or stream the segment, requires RealPlayer]
[or download the Studio 360 podcast for 2/12/06 - this is the segment included as the podcast for that week. here's the feed address]
They were also on "Fresh Air." Someone's got a good publicist...

I love the new songs in "Prairie Wind" - and many of his old "hits" sounded fabulous as well. Kudos to Neil Young (and the audio mixing team) for achieving the impossible: not letting Emmylou Harris steal the show. She certainly added a great deal, but her presence wasn't overpowering. (I only mean that as a huge compliment re: Ms. Harris' abilities...)

The performance was staged in a bizarrely anachronistic way - I guess to make it seem timeless? Costumes were a bit over the top, but the performance was so fabulous, and the cinematic treatment of it so perfectly executed, I really have no complaints. It's an absorbing document of a mature artist at the top of his game. 4 stars. A must see. Better than Cats.

unrelated: a hilarious review of Scott Stapp's show at 9:30 club thanks to DCist.

There is No More Firmament

At the Warehouse Theater, 2/24/2006
Produced by Theatre Du Jour

[Note: This post is written by special guest blogger, Cameron McPhee.]

Yay, I have always wanted to be a guest blogger!

To preface, I should say that both Jonathan and I agree that any serious attempt to perform this kind of experimental theater in Washington is an asset to the DC arts scene. Setting aside, for the moment, that this piece has often been referred to as theatrically “unstageable,” it is certainly not something that the traditional DC theater audience is used to seeing (or paying for), making it, in some ways regionally unstagable. So I thank B. Stanley for taking on this project and I hope that there is more to come.

That said, I think this production “missed the point” a bit when it comes to creating the sort of theater Artaud called for. Artaud’s theater was, in most simplistic terms, grotesque. It is a “pre-logical” theater, which exists “halfway between thought and gesture”. Artaud’s mission was to create theater that physically (possibly violently) engages the audience and changes their perceptions of reality. Artaud’s technique is grounded in movement, breath, gesture, in essence – in the body. And while Stanley clearly understands this and articulates it when discussing the evolution of this piece, it does not seem to have translated to the stage. His actors were entirely too self-conscious, concerned about being “actors” and worrying about how they look on stage. This sort of vanity is the opposite of the theater of Artaud, which is about baseness, vulgarity, and often the more disgusting bodily functions. It is not about looking pretty.

My first justification for this was that this is a very amateur cast (demanded, of course, by the fact that, unfortunately, no-one can make any money off such a project). Many of the performers are young, some still in school. However, I don’t think inexperience is necessarily the problem. The best members of the ensemble, the ones I felt were the least concerned with “looking good on stage,” were actually those cast members who have never been in a theatrical production. Both Jerry Herbilla and Aaron O. Martin seemed to give themselves fully to the ensemble.

Along similar lines, I felt that the cast could have spent much less time changing costumes and moving back and forth various props and more time trying to work symbolically. B. Stanley’s bio in the program states that he was a student of Jerzy Grotowski (another theater director and theorist who explored many of the same issues about theater and it’s role as a manipulator of consciousness). Where Artaud called it “Theater of cruelty,” Grotowski’s was a “poor theater” by which he meant a theater that eliminated all that was superfluous and extraneous (props, costumes, etc.) and in its place left a “stripped” and vulnerable actor. An actor who can abandon the ego-protection provided by such amenities and transform themselves and the audience. He, like Artaud, desired a theater that was simultaneously a ritual. And I think the sparseness and open-endedness of There is No More Firmament could lend itself to just such a ritual experience.

This is not to say that there were not glimpses of true Artaudian theater in this production. At one point, three actors, draped in some kind of gray fabric onto which has been sewn several disembodied limbs, slither across the stage like war-ravaged slugs. This, more than any other moment, elicited the sensation that our society is slowly adjusting to increasing levels of violence, which we have learned to ignore just like we ignore, say, poverty -- covered in blankets and freezing on the street.

Similarly, one member of the ensemble, towards the end (during a scene in which the cast all wear lab coats and listen to the “scientific explanation” of the catastrophe they are experiencing) used gesture and movement in an exaggerated fashion, much like what I had hoped this whole production would attempt. Too bad she just seemed so out of place doing so.

B. Stanley and the Theater Du Jour ensemble have taken a much-needed step towards destroying the very rigid boundaries of Washington DC theater. I hope (though doubt) that this production will inspire other experiments along similar lines.

Vijay Iyer Quartet

at the Kennedy Center "KC Jazz Club," 2/23/2006


Pianist / Composer / Genius Vijay Iyer came to town with his quartet, which included: Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax), Stephan Crump (bass), and Marcus Gilmore (drums).

Yow. It was quite a performance. Olympics O'schmipics... the real skillz were on display right here at home. This was a group of virtuoso players / improvisers. Iyer's music is pretty damn complicated: intricate layers of polyrhythms, thorny twisting melodic lines, and surprising harmonic changes -- but woven together with real purpose and meaning. This wasn't simply a show of cerebral-dexterity-pyrotechnics, this was some heady music that also had great depth.

I'd love to write something that explains the rhythmic complexity in simple terms, but honestly, I couldn't do the math... lots of odd meters and cool juxtapositions, but that was just the basis for further exploration, not an end in itself. These players have all been in the orbit of Steve Coleman, and his M-Base collective. I think the rhythmic vocabulary, especially, is heavily influenced by that work.

Most of the set was devoted to a suite of pieces called "Tragicomedy" (he explained the title as a reference to Cornel West's use of the term to describe our current situation in the world). It was powerful and effective stuff - very well played. I don't know how these guys could solo over all of these tricky rhythmic patterns. The through-composed form also caused some confusion in the audience - people who wanted to applaud after every solo were somewhat stymied by the unconventional forms. It wasn't always clear when one solo had ended, or even started for that matter... It wasn't always obvious what was composed and what was being improvised.

Anyway, there's been a lot written about Vijay, and particularly about this group, since their album, "Reimagining" was on so many top-ten lists of last year (JazzTimes, ArtForum, Village Voice, and many more) - so I don't have to duplicate anything... I guess all I have to say is: damn. That was something. I'm dizzy.

Chris Porter wrote a review in the Post. Also up on his blog.

Washington Musica Viva

at the Czech Embassy, 2/21/2006

(note: I'm on the board of directors of Washington Musica Viva, so once again, I can't really be impartial. ok?)

After a brief hiatus, WMV has returned to the Czech Embassy to present a series of concerts presenting a nice mix of music by Czech composers. This program included one composer I hadn't heard before: Petr Eben. He's referred to as, "one of the leading composers of the Czech Republic," so I guess that's good that his work was included... His "Six Minnelieder" was performed by Karyn Friedman (mezzo-soprano) with Carl Banner at the piano. This collection of six short songs are all settings of medieval texts, in Czech, English, German, Italian, and French. Since I'm not multi-lingual myself, I found that to be somewhat alienating. The songs were sung beautifully, but I've never been really drawn to "art song" per se, and this was no exception. Just my own personal bias... but that being said, WMV has performed lots of vocal music that I really loved - which is pretty impressive since I'm really hard to please in this area. I just couldn't really get into these songs.

Next up was the "Rhapsody-Concerto" by Bohuslav Martinu. The piece, originally for viola and orchestra, was performed in a transcription for viola and piano. I'm really curious to hear the orchestra version (and I'm in luck... it's not in the DC Library, or Montgomery County Library, but there's a recording at eMusic.com) WMV has performed quite a bit of Martinu's music in the past, and I've always found it to be totally captivating. This work, however, didn't have as much fast material. He's a composer who really knows how to write fast music... and his jazz-inflected style keeps me more engaged than most classical music. This piece is overall, more moderate in tempo, but there are a few rockin' parts - and even slowed down a bit, Martinu's music is still very engaging. Philippe Chao did a super job with the viola. Someday I'll write something for viola... when it's played well, it's totally worth the trouble of dealing with the damn C-clef.

The program closed with Dvorak's "Piano Quartet No.1," played by Carl along with Hasse Borup (violin), Amy Leung (cello), and Phillipe Chao (viola). So far, I've led a seriously blessed life - some evidence of that is the fact that I've been able to hear Hasse and Amy play several times over the last few years. While I was in grad. school at Hartt, they were there with their string quartet - the Coolidge Quartet - studying with the Emerson Quartet. Then they followed me to Maryland, where they were studying with the Guarneri Quartet. Unfortunately, the Coolidge Quartet is no longer, but these two are really fabulous musicians and when they're playing in the area you would be well served by dropping everything and going to hear them. This was a crisp and lively rendition of the Dvorak. Sometimes I have a hard time with his longwindedness, but this performance kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I'm not just saying that because I want to publish nice things about WMV...

Hasse has a project in the works to record a CD of violin and piano music by Schoenberg, as well as music by Schoenberg's American pupils. It's an interesting concept - and we're now "in conversation" about bringing him in to perform in next season's "New Music Salon" series presented by the American Composers Forum. Hopefully we can make the dates work out!

WMV's next concert is coming up on March 19th at the Atlas, click here for more info.

Will Scruggs, featuring Charles Phaneuf

at Twins, 2/18/2006

Will Scruggs is a sax player from Atlanta. He was in town, playing with a group of local musicians, including my friend Charles. I met Charles because he's helping out with the upcoming Capital Fringe Festival. This was the first time I got to hear him play. Turns out Will is an old buddy of his.

Scruggs has a really nice sound - on tenor, alto, and soprano. No easy feat. His tenor sound has the smoky, full bodied goodness of someone like Joe Henderson. His alto playing had the lightness and agility of someone more like Michael Brecker. I'm not suggesting his playing is quite what those guys do... but he's got a wide ranging set of skills (and he can sing pretty well too).

Unfortunately, this was an ad-hoc group playing mostly standards - pretty straight ahead. My personal preference is for something a little more out-there, but they were good. Most of the solos of the evening were really clear and logically structured. I appreciate that kind of composing, but I also want something a little more visceral. The pianist especially - he has a fondness for circular little sequential patterns, and uses them quite creatively, but it struck me as kind of cold (although technically very solid).


Scruggs, on the other hand, pulled off a few Jimmy Smith like tricks - sitting on a single trill or ornament for a really really long time and making it sound powerful. That wasn't something he did often, which helped make it work.

I was impressed - and I think he's a promising talent. I hope he has the chance to stretch out some more, and play some more original music. The one original that was included in the set I heard was good (but still very straight-forward). Certainly someone to keep an eye on.

Great Noise Ensemble

at the Charles Sumner School, 2/17/2006

A new, local, chamber group dedicated to contemporary repertoire? Am I dreaming? No. It turns out this town has enough classically trained performers who have a collective screw loose to form a unique little chamber orchestra of sorts.

The program featured some nice tasty morsels: Steve Reich's "Clapping Music," Adam Silverman's "In Another Man's Skin," a chamber concerto in progress by Blair Goins, "Tango Variations" by one of the founding members of the group (and conductor), Armando Bayolo, and a goofy setting of "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Tom Schnauber.

Full disclosure: I'm working with the group to figure out how they might function as an "ensemble in residence" for the ACF Chapter, so I'm a little biased.

The room at the Sumner School is fairly dry sounding, which made it difficult to achieve a nice ensemble sound, I'm not sure if that was made worse by the fact that this is only their second (I think?) performance. But overall, this was a promising evening and I'm looking forward to their upcoming concerts: next one in DC is May 12 at the Sitar Center - presented by ACF.

Mary Timony, The Aquarium, Picture is Dead

at Black Cat, 2/9/2006

The Picture is Dead sucked. I want to do this briefly, so as not to waste bandwidth or time - they don't deserve either. They violated both cardinal rules of being an opening band:
1. Don't Suck (more about that in a moment)
2. Don't play too long (they plodded through an interminable 8 songs)

Wow did they suck. We knew we were in trouble when they took the stage in "costume" of white lab coats... two synth players, one violin/guitar player, and vocalist. Plus one other lab-coated "video artist" who played DVD tracks of slideshows related to each song in terribly obvious ways. Imagine if you will, Devo - with no sense of humor and no drums. Or maybe one of those old Brian Eno albums with all the interesting qualities removed, so all you're left with is electronic "experimentation" and bad vocals. Watching their set was like watching a train wreck. They were so blissfully unaware of their suckitude it was like watching American Idol or something...

The Aquarium was ok. Their performances are kind of charming, with Jason Hutto flopping around like a muppet and Laura Harris rocking out on the drums. Unfortunately, Jason really can't sing. Seems like they are a successful local band more because of hipster credentials than quality rockin', but they're still kinda fun. And the projected old-timey science class films were amusing as well.

Maybe it was because it was so late by the time Mary Timony took the stage, or maybe I was just tired after going out to shows too many nights this week, but I didn't stay for her whole set. Her vocals were pretty sloppy - she actually can sing, but was choosing not to sing very carefully, it seems... Devin Ocampo is a great drummer and he delivered the perfect mix of ferocity and accuracy (two of my favorite qualities in a drummer). I guess it was my own fatigue, but I felt like I'd rather have been listening to Ex Hex at home then hearing it sloppified in an overcrowded club. That being said, Mary Timony still rocked and was pretty good.

Feist and Jason Collett

at Black Cat, 2/8/2006

Hooray! There's a decent review of the show at DCist, so that saves me some time...

They missed Jason Collett's set, so I'll add a bit about that:
He's a good singer (kind of a mix of Dylan, back when he could sing, and M.Ward with a few less marbles in the mouth). His band was quite good, and I suspect his new record is pretty solid although I haven't heard it yet. The style seemed to me like alt-country / indie rock, but more on the alt-country side. He'd make a perfect opening act for Lucinda Williams. During the last song, he un-ironically invoked The Boss, quoting the refrain of "Prove it All Night" in the midst of his own song. Curious. At several points, he took advantage of the Broken Social Scene "guitar orchestra" effect (five people on stage playing guitars, playing pretty much the same thing) - which created a nice wall-of-sound sorta thing. The poor man's alt-country Glenn Branca perhaps.

Note to extremely tall latecomers who weren't even interested in the show: please don't stand in front of me, or Cameron. It should be self-evident, but she's kinda small and can't see past you! And niether can I.

Cutest Puppy in the World, Insect Factory, Big Cats

at Black Cat, 2/5/2006

Big Cats played a very short set, hard to say much about it, other than I don't think I "got" it... maybe with a little more time I would've caught on, or things might have jelled a bit? Sean Peoples is such a driving force in the local indie/experimental/post-punk scene that I'm reluctant to post negative things about his work, since I wholeheartedly endorse what he's doing. So let's give 'em the benefit of the doubt and just leave it at "I was confused by their set."

Insect Factory was a pleasant surprise... they performed as a guitar/drum duo. Nice guitar textures and some good interaction between them. At times I wished the drummer either played much less, or much more intensely, instead of somewhere in the middle - but their set was promising (also really short).

Cutest Puppy seemed to have some troubles. Lots of feedback, and it looked like Layne was having a hard time with his microphone? Overall, not their best work - I think.

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble

at Sangha, 2/4/2006

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, led by drummer Kahil El'Zabar, has performed in DC every February for the last five years. What a treat. I've been there for the last three and hope to be there for the next ones too...

I won't try to describe what happened, I'm sure I couldn't really give a sense for what this music does. But I will tell you my overall impression: yes... Yes... an overwhelming, life-affirming YES. This broken world is heading the right direction if four humans can join together and do what these folks did.

This show differed a bit from the last two performances of theirs that I heard. Things were more funk-driven, but that's maybe not the best term. The addition of trumpeter Corey Wilkes pushed the group towards the funk universe. He's an outrageous show-off, but that's not a criticism - given what he can do with a horn (or two, even) it's really something hearing him show off. I almost lost my girlfriend, but ultimately she decided he's not really her type... Anyway, he's got incredible chops (and be careful if you go hear him on a date)

The group was touring with a "special guest," guitarist Fareed Haque. I have one album of theirs which he's featured on, so I had high expectations going in... expectations which were met, exceeded, blown to pieces and shot out to the city limits. So this guy has incredible technique, but that's not ultimately what's special about his playing. He's got IDEAS. Beautiful, wonderful, from all over the world ideas.

And, as usual, Ernest Khabeer Dawkins gave several lessons / sermons on alto and tenor sax as well as accompanying other soloists with a variety of small percussion instruments (and on once occasion, accompanying Corey Wilkes' solo with two saxes at the same time).

And then there's Kahil El'Zabar... A true master musician and all around inspiring performer. I hope you have a chance to hear him (and this group) play live at some point. Don't miss it.

Pup Tent and The Beatings

at Black Cat, 2/2/2006

Pup Tent rocked. I'm not exactly impartial since the drummer is also the drummer in DC Improvisers Collective... but I think it's clear that the rhythm section is solid. I'd call them "garage rock" - although I'm no expert on what means, exactly. The majority of their material is tight songs, but they also took the opportunity for a few longer improvised excursions. Sort of garage rock via the Grateful Dead? Phil's vocals seemed problematic, though.

The Beatings, well, let's just say they're not my thing. Cameron and I left after 2 1/2 songs.

Dave Holland

at Birdland (NYC), January 22

Since this wasn't a "D.C." show I'll keep it short... just don't want to forget it! Cameron and I heard a gorgeous set of standards reinterpreted by Dave Holland and Steve Nelson (vibraphone). This was the final night of a week-long Dave Holland "festival" at Birdland that also featured his big band and quintet.

I was up in New York for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, and Cameron went up to meet with the production director for New York's Fringe. We had the best seat in the house right up front. Concert was amazing, lived up to high expectations. The duo texture necessitated thoughtful reductions at every turn - no piano and no drums meant these two had lots of work to do to keep the tunes clear and the rhythm swinging. They made it look easy.

There was the obligatory jazz club applause after every solo -- and these were remarkable solos. However, after one particularly thorny vibraphone solo which was done mostly with chords rather than a single melodic line, there wasn't applause - which seemed crazy to me since Mr. Nelson had just navigated the most outrageous trip through some otherworldly harmonic substitutions and I really couldn't believe it. Strange that this particular effort - which sounded like the most astonishing solo of the night to me, was not properly acknowledged. Wacky. Anyway, it was a real treat to hear them (and even worth the super high prices).

Craig Wedren

at the Black Cat, 1/15/2006


If you don't know who this is... Craig Wedren was the lead singer for a band called Shudder to Think. They were a favorite of mine, and I think their album, "Pony Express Record," is a must-have (as well as some of their others... but let's pretend the "must-have" list is short).

I'm short on time so I gotta make this quick... The show also featured Amy Miles. Her opening set was hit or miss in my opinion. This was the last night of their little tour, and I think they drank a little too much. Miles is a great singer, but I felt like she sounded her best when singing other people's songs. Apparently Craig is producing her next album - I'm curious to hear the results, I suspect it will be quite good. They sounded great singing together.

Miles and Wedren shared the same band - which must have made for an efficient tour. They also did a taping for Pancake Mountain earlier that day (see photo)- so the business end of this tour should've worked out pretty well?


Wedren played much of his new record, "Lapland." (you can stream some of the songs on his myspace page)

He also gave the crowd a thrill by playing a few "hits" from the Shudder to Think catalog. That sounded good -- but couldn't live up to my own memory of hearing them play live multiplied by the years of associating their performance on the Pony Express Record Tour that I heard in Austin as one of the greatest shows ever. My perception of that night still serves as a kind of benchmark by which other concerts are judged. Shudder To Think just played with such incredible precision, and gorgeous subtlety - plus Wedren's tremendous vocals = the best thing ever.

"Hit Liquor" sounded really nice. He re-arranged the grinding bridge part of the song: I thought that was a place where he played with a vibrator originally? (could be remembering wrong) but he did it using a delay to create a grinding wall of sound, and added some impressive vocal looping - as impressive as what I heard Feist do a few months ago.

That voice. He still sounds great, and he's writing interesting songs. I would probably praise this show more heavily, but it's hard to compare to my own expectations given my opinions about his old band. The Shudder to Think songs sounded strong, but the second guitarist was no Nathan Larson.

'Capers

at the Mead Theater Lab (Flashpoint), 1/12/2006

Saw an interesting new play called 'Capers last night at a special preview showing. It's a solo show written and performed by Anu Yadav. I don't know jack about her, but after seeing the show I think she can safely be referred to as a dynamite performer and highly successful writer of political theater. That's no easy feat. Most political art tends to collapse under the weight of the politics (in my opinion) - so making this work is a major challenge. I think in this case, it's definitely working.

'Capers is a one-woman show based on the stories of families at the Arthur Capper/Carrollsburg public housing projects - also known as 'Capers - in southeast DC who protested the government-funded relocation and demolition of their neighborhood.

Ms. Yadav spent several years as a volunteer and organizer at Arthur Capper/Carrollsburg and created a performance built around composite characters based on the people she met and worked with. Her performance is excellent, especially her voice work. A solo performance with a cast of characters could so easily be terribly confusing - but she clearly articulates each individual character using voice, gestures, posture, etc.

I'm no expert in theater, but I thought it worked well and it's easily worth an evening of your time and $10.

Supersystem

at Black Cat, 1/7/2006



Chris Porter wrote a nice review of the show that ran in the Post, so I'll try not to duplicate.

This show was crazy packed. I saw them a few months ago at Warehouse Next Door, which wasn't quite full - maybe 75 people? A few months (and lots of good press) later, and the Black Cat is jammed to capacity. It was the place to be, apparently. Both DC punk icons named Ian were there (MacKaye and Svenious) as well as a few hundred other scenesters. The show was excellent. I think I liked the Warehouse show better mostly because it was a smaller crowd.

Stupid Pitchfork wrote a dumb-ass review of their record and gave them a 4.9. The reviewer really doesn't get it. I guess it's time for name-dropping... Back in 2000, I did a short East Coast tour with Ty Braxton and Eric Bernasek. At our Pittsburgh show, one of the openers was a dynamite avant punk-ish group called El Guapo. Now they are Supersystem and they rock. They rocked before, but Rafael played oboe in addition to guitar, and Justin played drums, electronics, bass clarinet, and probably other things that I don't remember. Back then, they were a duo. Now it's a quartet. And they rock.

All the reviews I've read of the last record say disparaging things about El Guapo - and they're so wrong. Also, all the reviews I've read don't seem to understand what's going on. In the Audiofile column in Salon.com, they thought the guitar parts to "Born into the world" were lifted off some African record (they're not, Rafael is a great guitarist and writes interesting music and plays that stuff himself). Stupid Pitchfork criticizes the lyrics to "Everybody Sings" suggesting that they are random and just "hoping to find meaning by accident." Um, actually that song is probably the one on the record that is MOST CLEARLY ABOUT SOMETHING and it's pretty damn obvious. Stupid Pitchfork. I think from now on I will only refer to the dumb ass website called Pitchfork Media as "Stupid Pitchfork" and I urge you to do the same. For more evidence, read the stupid review of Bob Massey's record... or the one for Travis Morrison's Travistan, which scored a big fat zero. Stupid Pitchfork. There's a review of Travis Morrison's show at Black Cat the other night in today's Post... Mark Jenkins tastefully refers to them as "an inexplicably influential Web site." Stupid Pitchfork.

ps. you can stream both songs I mentioned here.

Postsecret

at the former Staples store, Georgetown, 1/7/2006

Lots is already written about this show, so I don't feel like I need to add to it.
You can see the project's website,
and thoughtful discussion here
and here (I added my two cents in the comments of this one)

Happeningistime

at Spare Room, Baltimore, 1/7/2006

Ginger Wagg presented a multi-media performance / installation piece. I can't really write about her work as an outsider, since I've had the good fortune of working with her over the past few years, and also helped her make some recordings for this event.

Anyway, I can try to describe some of what I saw: For the last few months, Ginger has been traveling around the country and sending packages to the Spare Room. She made an installation of all the mailed materials, and did a two-hour performance.

A room in performance artist Cindy Rehm's house was the venue. The floor was covered with long pieces of white paper (like from a roll of butcher paper or something). Envelopes and packages were arranged in pathways on the floor. Ginger was wearing a costume - a crochet bodysuit by Agata Olek featuring a crocheted balloon person attached. During the performance, she opened packages and envelopes, arranging the contents, and writing on them, writing on the floor, etc.

At first, I was unsure how this was working. When I arrived, the audience was standing outside the room, peeking in from the living room through closed french doors, or peeking through the doorway from the kitchen. Eventually, a few brave spectators ventured into the performance space to view the installation more carefully. At one point, Ginger handed me an envelope to open. It had a few receipts in it: snacks from a grocery store, a purchase from a liquor store, an ATM receipt for a cash withdrawal, etc. Being the bookkeeper that I am, I put them in alphabetical order by vendor and put them back on the floor. Later I thought I should have arranged them by date - or maybe "coded" them like I would a reimbursement request at work? The piece was about the trail we leave behind as moments slip into the past. Not sure what it meant that this person-sculpture was attached to Ginger? Maybe a reference to baggage from the past we carry with us? Maybe a representation of the person we used to be in the past?

I was trying to get to three different events that night - the other two in DC - so I only stayed for about twenty minutes. During that time, I saw Ginger open a small padded envelope that contained a pair of black pants, a package full of maps, and envelopes with letters, receipts, notes, airplane boarding passes. I didn't see enough to really speak to the big ideas in the piece, or the success or failure of the work... but it was certainly an interesting investigation of time passing and the associated detritus that we leave behind.