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Big Ears Fest Day 2 - Joanna Newsom, Clogs w/ Sufjan, Fred Armisen, Nico Muhly, Terry Riley, more (pics, video, review)

by Andrew Frisicano

Sufjan Stevens
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Collaborations were the order of the day on Big Ears‘ Saturday, March 27th schedule (day two). At 1pm, the 802 TourNico Muhly, Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) and Sam Amidon with violist Nadia Sirota – performed songs written by each. The National‘s Dessner brothers and drummer Bryan Devendorf joined for a selection of full-band Doveman songs, and the finale was a clamoring, epic version of the folk song “The Two Sisters” arranged by Nico (part of the percussion included Nico combing Thomas’s hair). Sam played his own set with help from Thomas one day earlier, and later Saturday night.

Before that, the day started with Andrew W.K.‘s Q&A-heavy lecture at the Knoxville Museum of Art (he played a set of music the night before) and a Bang on a Can All-Stars set that included works by Dave Longstreth, both at noon. Dirty Projectors performed later in the day (3:45pm) at Tennessee Theatre on a bill that also included DJ/Rupture and William Basinski who went on at the same time as Liturgy (who played at the Big Ears Annex at 2pm and then again at Pilot Light at midnight).

Clogs took the stage at the Bijou Theater with guests as well. Rumors of a solo set by Sufjan Steven circulated, but he only played one of his own songs, “Barn Owl Night Killer,” on piano. Clogs were also assisted by Shara Worden, Aaron Dessner and Calder Quartet. Matt Berninger was delayed en route to Knoxville, so he didn’t make his duet on “Last Song,” for which main Clog Padma Newsome filled in. That wasn’t the actual last song – new-album closer “We Were Here” was, which featured Sufjan on vocals and banjo along with Shara Worden and guitar by Aaron Dessner. A similar show happened in Brooklyn a few days earlier.

Joanna Newsom
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The Saturday headliners – Vampire Weekend and Joanna Newsom – both played to sold out crowds (Vampire Weekend at the sprawling, ornate-adorned 1600 seat Tennessee Theater with opener Abe Vigoda). Joanna Newsom’s set was opened by Fred Armisen aka Jens Hannemann, a master of “complicated drummer technique.” Armisen also joined her set for one song to play awkward and out-of-place cowbell.

At the Tennessee, the night ended with Terry Riley‘s Autodreamagraphical Tales – music from Bang on a Can over Terry reading from his actual dreams (Eastern religion and weed popped up frequently) – and In C, led by BoaC’s Evan Ziporyn and featuring the rest of Bang on a Can All-Stars as well as Calder Quartet, Clogs, Nico Muhly, Nadia Sirota, Gyan Riley, and Terry on voice. The open-ended song stretched to an hour, canceling out any chance to catch late night sets from Javelin and Gang Gang Dance. Gang Gang was stil going when I arrived, but the club shut down the power mid-song and flipped on the lights promptly at 3am, sending everyone home.

A recap of Friday is HERE. More pictures and videos from Saturday are below…

802 Tour…

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Dirty Projectors

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Clogs

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Abe Vigoda

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Terry Riley

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Jens Hannemann & Joanna Newsom

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Terry Riley

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Gang Gang Dance

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802 Tour (Nico Muhly) – "The Only Tune" at Big Ears 2010
Uploaded by brooklynvegan


Clogs – "We Were Here" at Big Ears 2010
Uploaded by brooklynvegan