Monday, August 22, 2016

The Bleeding Edge: 8/22/2016

The good news is that things are starting to pick up this week. Unfortunately, those who like their music on the adventurous side may have to contend with overlaps or near-overlaps. In addition, the one concert at the Center for New Music (C4NM), the program We Insist! Freedom Now!: Free Improvisations for Revolution was announced at the beginning of this month in the summary of August activities. Other events this week are as follows:

Thursday, August 25, 8:15 p.m., Luggage Store Gallery: This week’s offering will be two sets involving electronic technology. The opening set will be taken by Philip Everett performing as Skullkrusher:

Philip Everett with his electronic gear (courtesy of Peter B Kaars)

In this “incarnation” he uses both analog and digital technology to create improvised soundscapes and noise loop sculptures. His instruments include an electro-acoustic 36-string lap harp, a xlarinet, a brass snare drum, and a gong. The second set will begin at 9:15 p.m. presenting Genre Peak, a trio created by Martin Birke on electronic percussion and providing lead vocals. Backing vocals are provided by Stephen Sullivan playing on synthesizer-enhanced guitars. The third member of the trio is Daniel Panasenko on Chapman Stick. The Luggage Store Gallery is at 1007 Market Street, directly across from the Golden Gate Theatre at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Taylor Street. As always admission will be on a sliding scale between $6 and $15.

Friday, August 26, 7 p.m., Adobe Books: The new venue for Adobe Books will host a three-set evening entitled New Frontiers in Song. The first set will be taken by the Grex duo of Karl Evangelista and Rei Scampavia, both of whom perform as both vocalists and percussionists. In addition Evangelista will play guitar and Scampavia will be on keyboards. They will be followed by the post-punk Spider Garage led by Scott Quay as both vocalist and guitarist. The final set will be the experimental folk music of the Andrew Weathers Ensemble, led by Weathers as both vocalist and guitarist. There is no cover charge for this event, but donations will be gratefully accepted. Adobe Books is still in the Mission, but it is now located at 3130 24th Street.

Friday, August 26, 8 p.m., The Lab: This is less a concert than an installation, but it will definitely involve some serious listening. It is based on a radio program entitled The World According to Sound, every episode of which lasts only 90 seconds, structured in such a way that a single sound tells a story. The Lab will present all of these episodes in a one-hour event. The result will be neither music nor narrative; and all lights will be turned off, meaning that sound will be the only medium. The installation itself will be a surround-sound system navigated by each member of the audience based entirely on auditory stimuli. Those stimuli will include (according to the description provided by The Lab) “the sound of auctioneers, high school debaters, washing machine music, mudpots and bridges and ants, silence, voices inside your head, dead languages, Wikipedia’s data, and all sorts of other audio treats.”

The Lab is located in the Mission at 2948 16th Street. This is a short walk from the corner of Mission Street, where there is both a BART station and bus stops for both north-south and east-west travel. Admission will be $15 with a $12 charge for members of The Lab. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.; and, since there is usually a large turnout for these events, early arrival and/or advance registration are highly recommended. For those who have not paid in advance, admission at the door will be $20.

Sunday, August 28, 4 p.m., Old First Church: For those who missed the performance at C4NM yesterday afternoon, Thomas Schultz will give a second concert of the complete piano music of Arnold Schoenberg in the Old First Concerts recital series at Old First Church. However, while yesterday’s concert also featured compositions by Schoenberg’s successors, the Old First program will present two significant predecessors. Schultz will play the Opus 117 set of three intermezzi by Johannes Brahms, a composer that Schoenberg admired for his progressive approach to making music. There will also be three compositions that Franz Liszt composed relatively late in life, which many view as anticipations of Schoenberg’s move to atonality.

The Old First Church is located at 1751 Sacramento Street on the southeast corner of Van Ness Boulevard. General admission is $20 with a $17 rate for seniors and a $5 charge for full-time students showing valid identification. Tickets purchased online in advance receive a $2 discount for the general admission and senior rates. There is also a discount available for those parking at the Old First Parking Garage at 1725 Sacramento Street, just up the street for the church.

Sunday, August 28, 7:30 p.m., The Musicians Union Hall: The next concert to be presented in the Outsound Presents SIMM (Static Illusion Methodical Madness) Series will be devoted entirely to Joshua Allen’s Deconstruction Orchestra, led by Allen on tenor saxophone. This is a 25-piece ensemble performing a series of cell structure game compositions. Inspiring influences for Allen’s approach include Marco Eneidi, Cecil Taylor, Butch Morris, and Kim Richmond. The Musicians Union Hall is located at 116 9th Street, near the corner of Mission Street. Admission is on a sliding scale between $10 and $15.

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