My Almost Pekar

WP recently reminded of this piece I was happy to collaborate on for Signal to Noise magazine, so I thought I'd put it up here. And since he asked, I'll say here too, it's a true story. Thanks Jed McGowan for working on it with me, and Pete Gershon for making it possible.

August Showers, September Flowers

Yeah, the Rhys Chatham thing? Didn't happen. Rain didn't go away, we'll play again some other day. But I'm curating one of the WFMU nights at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn next month. Sweet. I asked some people to play and they said OK. And I'll be visibly playing records between sets.

The Brother Lucy Show with Kurt Gottschalk Presents
A Neil Peart Birthday Celebration
Friday, Sept. 12, 8 pm, $10

With Brown Wing Overdrive and David Watson / Sean Meehan


Brown Wing Overdrive is Chuck Bettis (electronics + vocals), Mikey IQ Jones (electronics + jaw harps + percussion + objects + vocals) and Derek Morton (electronics + banjo). They cite as influences pollution, angry shamans, burning circuitry, lonely poltergeists, sandpaper, dental work, alarm clocks, hallucinogenic banjo claw hammer, trash trucks, beat box'in, synthy modular meltdown and chaotic analog. Their CD ESP Organism will be released in October on Tzadik.




Sean Meehan and David Watson Drum/Bagpipe duo

Sean Meehan has been active in improvised music in New York since the late 80s. He plays a single snare drum, sometimes augmented with cymbals or other objects, in a manner that sheds conventional usage and reconstructs the conception and function of the instrument. His concerts around the world are often staged in unobserved and unconsidered outdoor locations. He has recorded solo and with Sachiko M, Ellen Fullman, Tetuzi Akiyama, Toshimaru Nakamura and others. His artistic output also includes the construction of "performance objects" that serve as "compositional things," such as "gift iii'" which musically activated a sink full of dishes, and a boxed set of four sculpted cassettes to be played in the mind.



Guitarist and bagpiper David Watson hails from New Zealand, where he was a member of Primitive Arts Group and co-founded Braille Records. He released three LPs on Braille, and did much to create an improv/noise-music scene where previously there was none. In 1987 he moved to New York and has performed in clubs, new music and concert venues throughout New York, Europe, Australia, NZ and Japan. He has worked with Ikue Mori, Marc Ribot, Zeena Parkins, Kato Hideki, Cecil Taylor, Andrea Parkins and others, and has curated music series at Roulette, Experimental Intermedia, St. Marks Church, Greenwich House, Bang-on-a-Can, PS 1, and PS 122. In 2007, he released Fingering an Idea (XI), a two-disc set for multiple guitars and bagpipes, and Throats (Ecstatic Peace) with Shelley Hirsch and Makagami Koichi.

Check the whole schedule there.

Electric Chaircut Monday Night!

I'll be doing an Electric Chaircut duet with the most awesome Nelson this Monday around 11 at Rehab. You should come.

http://www.chaircut.com

Rehab used to be Club Midway at 25 Ave. B. In fact, they haven't even changed the URL!

http://www.clubmidway.com/indexfull.htm

A Crimson Grail

I am very, very excited to be a part of the 200 electric guitar (and 16 electric basses!) orchestra that will perform Rhys Chatham's A Crimson Grail August 15 at Lincoln Center. Here's the official words:

Composer Rhys Chatham and section leaders John King, Ned Sublette, David Daniell, and Seth Olinsky (Akron/Family) lead an oversized orchestra of 200 volunteer guitarists and electric bassists in the world premiere of A Crimson Grail for 200 Electric Guitars (Outdoor Version) performed on on the Bandshell stage but along the sides of the audience at Damrosch Park, to heighten the work's polyphonic effect. The work, originally composed for Paris' famed Sacre-Coeur, has been extensively revised to suit the dynamics of the Park's outdoor acoustic.

I'll be the one playing a sparkly gold Gretsch.

John Cage's Music

Not talking about John Cage's music is like not playing John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like listening to John Cage's music. Not playing John Cage's music is like playing John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like listening to John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not writing about John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like playing John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not playing John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Not talking about John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like writing about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like listening to John Cage's music. Listening to John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like talking about John Cage's music. Not playing John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like not writing about John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Not playing John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like not writing about John Cage's music. Not talking about John Cage's music is like listening to John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like talking about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like talking about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Not listening to John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like not playing John Cage's music. Not writing about John Cage's music is like not talking about John Cage's music. Not talking about John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Listening to John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Listening to John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Listening to John Cage's music is like talking about John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like not playing John Cage's music. Listening to John Cage's music is like playing John Cage's music. Thinking about John Cage's music is like writing about John Cage's music. Not playing John Cage's music is like not writing about John Cage's music. Talking about John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like writing about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like not listening to John Cage's music. Writing about John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like not thinking about John Cage's music. Playing John Cage's music is like talking about John Cage's music.

More Waltzes Later, More Cage Now

The waltz project will continue. Things are in the works. And there was a nice article in the NY Times about it thus far.


I'll update this at some point with how the project will continue. In the meantime, I'm up to more, namely:

Music of John Cage

Thursday, June 5, 2008
9PM $10
Like the Spice Gallery
www.likethespice.com/
224 Roebling Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
between S 2nd and S 3rd streets

* Variations I / Indeterminancy
Performed by Twiceband
(Kurt Gottschalk, Barry Chabala, Kerry Farias, Kristen Persinos, Russell Scholl)

* Radio Music
* Landscape Under Construction
for 1 to 42 CD Players (by John McDonough)
(ensembles led by John McDonough)

(I'll be playing on all three pieces)

49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs

This is still underway. The post is old. It will all happen.

On April 26 at 3 pm (rain date April 27), Twiceband will stage what is most likely the second performance ever of John Cage's 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs. Documentation of the event will be posted after the fact (check back for details). The complete score is below, and is published in Waltzes by 25 American Composers, published by C.F. Peters in 1979. We thank Peters for their support of this project.

49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs
For Performer(s) or Listener(s) or Record Maker(s)
John Cage, 1977

The addresses below are transcribed from Cage's original, handwritten score. Some street names may have changed, or disappeared, in the ensuing three decades. In some instances, Cage didn't note what borough they are in; I'm working on filling those gaps. Text in yellow was added by me. Text in red marks an address already taken (and the other two have been deleted). All "Richmond" locations are on Staten Island.

I
McDonald St. btw Washington and Sunset (Richmond);
Center St. (Douglaston, Queens);
114th Pl. (South Ozone Park, Queens)

II: Jeffrey Herman (record-maker)
52nd Ave. near 108th St. (Queens);

III: Bill Bahng Boyer (record-maker)
Madison Avenue between 70th and 71st Sts. (Manhattan);

IV
St. Paul Ave (Bronx); Between Hutchinson River Pkwy and Westchester Ave., crossing 196th St.
Cooper Terrace (Richmond);
Sheldon Ave. between Walker Pl. and Powell St. (Richmond)

V: Emily Gertz (record-maker)
45th St. and 14th Ave. (Borough Park, Brooklyn);

VI: David Herman (record maker)
37th St. at Nautilus Avenue (Coney Island, Brooklyn);

VII: Linden Renz (performance)
Cherry St. (Manhattan);

VIII: Andrew Farrell (record-maker)
500 Block on 48th St. (Brooklyn);

IX: Richard Kamerman (performer)
60th St. between Fifth and Madison Aves. (Manhattan)

X: Joshua Convey (performer)
31st St. at Tenth Ave. (Manhattan)

XI: Michael Andre (performer)
Trinity Place at James St. (Manhattan);

XII: Sarah Galloway (performer)
21st St. btw 10th & 11th Ave (M);

XIII: Donna Blicharz (listener)
Carteret St. and Billop Ave. (Richmond)

XIV: Roberta Friedman, Arleen Schloss and Anja Kostler (listeners)
Warren St. between Broadway and Church (Manhattan);

XV: Pixies of Doom (performer)
86th St. and Fifth Ave. (Manhattan);

XVI: Bryan Eubanks (performer)
Broad and Stone Sts. (Manhattan)

XVII: Phil Zampino (record-maker)
Loring Place between Fordham Rd. and West 183rd St. (Bronx)

XVIII: cis-AB (performers)
Evergreen Ave. and Grove St. (Brooklyn)

XIX: Dan Bodah (record-maker)
Ditmas Ave. and E. 18th St. (Flatbush, Brooklyn);

XX Michael Shanley (performer)
St. Andrews Rd. at Lighthouse Ave. (Richmond)

XXI: Len Siegfried (record-maker)
186th St. between Amsterdam and Audubon Aves. (Manhattan);

XXII: Robert Hardin (record-maker)
83rd St. near Cooper Ave. (Queens);

XXIII: Michelle Nagai
2700 block on 23rd Ave. (Queens);
Burgher Ave. & Richmond Rd. (Richmond);
Ten Eyck St. near Varick Ave. (Brooklyn)

XXIV: Russell Scholl
42nd St. & 7th Ave. (Manhattan);
157th St. btw Memorial & 59th Aves. (Queens);
69th Pl. near Garfield Ave. (Queens)

XXV: James Ilgenfritz
Riverdale Btw Bristol and Chester Sts. (Brooklyn)

XXVI: Brian Olewnick (listener)
Katan and Ridgewood Aves. (Richmond);

XXVII: Kirk Knuffke (performance)
30th Ave. at 34th St. (Queens);

XXVIII: Mary Campbell
Klondike Ave near Bridgetown St. (Richmond)

XXIX: Marc Thorman (record-maker)
8th Ave btw 133 & 134 (Manhattan);

XXX: Kurt Gottschalk (listener)
Macombs Rd. at Featherbed Lane (Bronx)

XXXI: Steven Koplin (listener)
Columbus btw 96th and 97th Sts. (Manhattan)

XXXII
153rd. St. near LI Expressway (Queens);
E. 96th St. btw Ave N and Seaview Ave. (Brooklyn); one block off Rockaways Pkwy, Canarsie
Arthur Kill Rd. btw Drumgoole Blvd & Outerbridge Crossing (Richmond) at Richmond Ave. in Greenridge

XXXIII: Bryce Kretschmann (performer)
221st St. and 38th Ave. (Queens);

XXXIV
Pratt Ct. (Richmond); west of South Shore Golf Club, just south of Arthur Kill Rd.
Liberty Ave. and 121st St. (Queens); between Van Wyck Expwy and Lefferts Blvd.
Cartledge and Dean Aves (Richmond)

XXXV
Cloverdale Blvd. at Horatio Pkwy (Queens); traffic circle at 49th Road, north of the LIE, west of Cross Island Pkwy, Oakland Gardens
Balsam Pl. and Rossville Ave. (Richmond); west of South Shore Golf Club, Rossville
Robinson and Harding Aves. (Bronx) East of Ferry Point Park and the Hutchinson River Pkwy, south of 295

XXXVI: Doug Chang and Paula Puhak Chang (performers)
140st St. btw 7th and 8th Aves. (Manhattan);

XXXVII: Flaming Tulip Family Circus (performers)
Claremont Ave. btw BQE and Myrtle Ave. (Bklyn)

XXXVIII: Debra Levine and Noemie Solomon (record-makers)
5th Ave. at Prospect Pl. (Brooklyn);

XXXIX: Carrie Stern (listener)
Baruch Dr. (Manhattan)

XL: Brett Laurence
47th Ave. & 59th Pl. (Queens);
98th St. btw Jamaica & 89th Aves. (Queens);
Fieldstone Rd. & Oliver Pl. (Richmond) west of Arlene St., north of Victory Blvd., Bloomfield

XLI: Tonino Miano (record-maker)
First Ave btw 87th and 88th Sts. (Manhattan);

XLII: The Evan Gallagher Reading Ensemble: etg; Conductor and Provider of Page Turns, David Watson, Andrea Pryor, Michael Attias, Joe Gallant, Dan Barret, Frank Keeley, members of CPAC II at NYU and of the 1214 IDMI and Polyphonics Music Club at Polytech of Broolyn; readers (or not) - plus unannounced and/or unaware others. (performer)
59th St. near Amsterdam (Manhattan)

XLIII: Teri Tynes (record-maker)
Jane St. btw Greenwich and Washington (Manhattan);

XLIV: John Carnes (record-maker)
69th and Second Ave (Manhattan)

XLV
Forrestal Ave. (Richmond);
W. 225th St. & Berry (Bronx);
Main St. btw Craig Ave. and Ambrose Rd. (Richmond)

XLVI: Sam Meyer (record-maker)
International Arrival at JFK International Airport (Queens);

XLVII: Billy Gomberg (record-maker)
Kane St. btw Court and Jay (Brooklyn);

XLVIII: Reid Gray with Dory Bergman and Karen Ruelle (performers)
First Ave & E. 11th St. (Manhattan)

XLIX: Michael Evans and Bill Bowen (performers)
Columbus Ave in Park West Village (Manhattan, W. 98th St.);

What is Spearmint Music?

The most exciting music in the world has always been innovative. Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, John Cage, John Lee Hooker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Karleinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Residents, Derek Bailey, Christian Marclay, AMM, John Fahey, Jon Rose, Brian Eno, The Slits, The Sex Pistols, Gang of Four, The Ex, Talking Heads, Guns 'N' Roses, Fela, P-Funk, Prince, Kahil El'Zabar, William Parker, Ikue Mori, Otomo Yoshihide, People Like Us: all of them and many, many more are infused with the excitement of the new. They're all, in one way or another, "experimental."

My favorite music often gets called "experimental," and while it's probably the most apt of the many terms bandied about, it's also clinical and ugly. I like to think of it as "spearmint." Refreshing. New.

I haven't decided what I'll do with this blog yet. I might write about music, but I already do that enough. I might just complain about petty things that happen to me day to day, or I might make up lies. But that's why I named it what I did.