photos by Lori Baily

Martin Bisi and Larkin Grimm played Mercury Lounge on January 24th. Lori got some pictures. They're in this post. They both also shared a bill at the Knitting Facory about three week's prior (at the end of December).

Martin Bisi's next show is tonight (2/1) at Small Beast, a weekly show hosted by Paul Wallfisch, Mondays at The Delancey. Upcoming acts on Small Beast's diverse schedule include kitchen-sink punk Bad Credit No Credit, cabaret singer Little Annie, and punk jazz group Gutbucket. The full schedule for that and more pictures are below...

Continue reading "Larkin Grimm & Martin Bisi pics, Small Beast schedule..."

photos by Ryan Muir

"In a special Celebrate Brooklyn! commission, the nation's premier rock-infused, postclassical string quartet, the immensely acclaimed Ethel, teams up with the wild art-rock group Gutbucket to perform a new original score to the vintage Mexican science fiction classic La Nave De Los Monstruos (The Monsters' Ship, 1959). In the film, the last male on Venus has died, and two Venusian hotties embark on a quest to find men on other planets. The bands premiere the new work this evening after developing the project at a BRIClab residency this spring. Gutbucket will also perform an opening set."

That was the description of Saturday night's Celebrate Brooklyn show at the Prospect Park bandshell, that, despite the rain, still happened. Next up on the 2009 schedule of free shows in the park: Femi Kuti & The Positive Force/Melvin Gibbs¹ Elevated Entity on Thursday, June 25th. More pictures from Saturday's show below...

Continue reading "Gutbucket & Ethel @ the Prospect Park Bandshell, NYC - pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

At the June 11th Bang on a Can benefit at (Le) Poisson Rouge, Gutbucket played a set of prog jazz tunes that drew on influences that included Charlie Parker, electronica, Ornette Coleman, '80s metal and more. The quartet's No Wave-inspired ecclectism was aided by a clear melodic voice and musical virtuosity. Those were all amped up by the unbridled stage presence of saxist Ken Thomson, whose swinging baritone sax was both a musical and literal weapon.

Gutbucket will be playing two sets at a free Celebrate Brooklyn show this Saturday, June 20th. The series, which kicked off with David Byrne on June 9th, has shows booked all summer. First, Gutbucket will play an opening set that'll include material from the band's newest record, A Modest Proposal, which came out on Cuneiform Records at the beginning of this year. Then the group supports the string quartet ETHEL as they perform a live score to the sci-fi film La Nave de los Monstruos. The piece was demoed as a work-in-progress at BAM's BRIClab earlier this year -- this show will be the completed work's debut...

ETHEL, the nation's premier rock-infused, postclassical string quartet, teams up with the avant-squonk art-rock wild men of Gutbucket to tackle the vintage Mexican science fiction classic La Nave De Los Monstruos (The Monsters' Ship, 1959). In the film, the last male on Venus has died and the planet's regent sends Gamma and Beta, two gorgeous aliens, on a quest to find men on other planets. ETHEL and Gutbucket dig into this fertile ground and create a new original score which will be performed live to the film. [BAM]

More photos of Gutbucket at the BoaC benefit below...

Continue reading "Gutbucket - free Brooklyn show Saturday + LPR benefit pics "

by Andrew Frisicano

Steve Reich clapping

Tonight (5/22) the Undiscovered Islands/New Amsterdam Records series at Galapagos continues with two sets: Sarah Kirkland Snider's Penelope performed by Signal, guitarist Steven Mackey and singer Rachel Calloway (conducted by Brad Lubman), and an opening performance by So Percussion. Tickets are still on sale.

So Percussion, who played with Dan Deacon at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple in December, was to premiere a new Deacon piece, but that debut has been postponed. Instead, Jason Treuting from So Percussion, writes...

we are playing some new music that we've been working on as meditations on the concept of city. the music has been focusing on the task oriented nature of a city and the parallel task-oriented nature of playing music. loops are made out of tasks and we have taken to transforming mundane objects into musical instruments like we haven't before. turning on lamps, writing on paper, pouring gravel, putting down ordinary objects in rhythm, etc. a few new videos by my sister jenise treuting will be busted out as well.

The other ensemble on that bill, Signal, has several other gigs coming up. They're performing Michael Gordon's Trance, for a second time, at the Bang on a Can Marathon on May 31st.

Signal just did the music of Philip Glass at (Le) Poisson Rouge on May 17th. They'll return to the venue on Friday, June 22nd for a concert and party to celebrate Steve Reich's 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Double Sextet. Reich's original Sextet (1984) will be performed at that show, presented by Wordless Music, as well. Tickets are on sale.

That gig is your only way to check out the piece (except for streaming excerpts), as there's currently no way to buy a recording of it. Reich discussed this in a recent interview...

Newsweek: I missed the premiere of "Double Sextet" last year, and when I heard it had won, I found myself upset that there was no way to buy the piece yet.

Reich: Yeah, that's just part of the recording business. When you have a 24-minute piece, the official recording hinges on finishing and recording two other pieces to go with it [on a CD]. I'm working on two other pieces right now, and have to finish writing the second one, actually. I've got a piece for all rock-and-roll people already completed, and it's going to premiere later this year. [Nico Muhly's blog]

Commenters on Nico Muhly's post about the situation rightly point out that Double Sextet should be released ASAP to capitalize on the Pulitzer publicity. The 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music, won by Bang on a Can cofounder David Lang for his the little match girl passion (streaming here), is just seeing a CD release, with four other Lang works, on June 9th via Harmonia Mundi.

Speaking of Reich and Bang on a Can, the composer will perform his own "Clapping Music" at the Bang on a Can Big Benefit Bash taking place Wednesday, June 3rd at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Other special guests include Meredith Monk, David Cossin, Wu Man, Maya Beiser, Talujon and Doug Aitken. Tickets will run you a $400 donation to the non-profit...

...which is why the regular-people-friendly festival is hosting a "Bang on a Can't Afford the Other Benefit" show at LPR later that same night (6/3) with So Percussion, Gutbucket, Newspeak and NOW Ensemble. Tickets for that are a more reasonable $20.

Speaking of new ensembles, Bang on a Can is forming a new street band called Asphalt Orchestra. That group will make its debut later this summer at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival.

Full info on BoaC's Asphalt Orchestra, and its Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival plans, below...

Continue reading "So Percussion (but not Dan Deacon) tonight, Steve Reich's Double Sextet, Bang on a Can benefits, street band & more"

A performing arts program of BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn, Celebrate Brooklyn! is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals. Launched in 1979, as a catalyst for a Brooklyn performing arts scene and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, Celebrate Brooklyn has been an anchor in the park's revitalization and has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. Over the course of its history Celebrate Brooklyn has presented over 1,700 artists and ensembles reflective of the borough's diversity, ranging from internationally acclaimed performers to emerging, cutting-edge artists. All Celebrate Brooklyn performances are free. The festival attracts upwards of 250,000 attendees from across New York City to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer.

All performances except Benefit Concerts are free with a $3 suggested contribution. They are listed below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn! 2009 Prospect Park concert schedule "