Eno (film)
To Brian Eno, there seems to be an eternal sense of wonder about the world.
An artist without even trying to be one, it's just something he was born to
do. And a relatable artist at that. The packed cinema enjoyed frequent
outbursts of laughter watching the famous innovator swearing "Fuck off" at
YouTube while waiting for the ads to end. This generative film can be viewed
over and over again as the segments are randomly selected for each
individual screening. Some folks who viewed both screenings of Eno at Big
Ears estimated that around 50% of the movie was different in the second
version- a section about Eno's love of the omnichord was not in the first
showing, for example. Another fan was overheard saying that the version they
saw last year had a stronger focus on Roxy Music and vintage Eno.
Oblique Strategies are a deck of cards developed by Peter Schmidt and Eno,
designed to prompt new, creative solutions to artistic conundrums. As a
proud owner of my own deck, (fifth edition 2001), I was pleased to see the
cards appearing in different segments. Learning that Eno and David Bowie
used to take a card each and not tell each other its contents, and then try
work on the same track in secret resulted in some terrifically creative
dichotomies, especially when both cards worked in polar opposition to each
other. These small vignettes were a joy to experience. I could have kept
watching all day.
Nels Cline Singers at the Mill & Mine
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| Nels Cline |
Nels Cline- guitar
Skerik- saxophone
Trevor Dunn- bass
Scott Amendola- drums
Cyro Baptista- percussion
A little sunburn was a small price to pay for a front row spot on the
railing for Nels's spectacular experimental band. Not that there was any
shortage of talent onstage. Keyboard player Brian Marsella was notably
absent, but becoming a first-time father is a legitimate excuse. The crowd
cheered when Nels announced this happy news. This psychedelic group explored
a range of props and accessories with their instruments, resulting in an
array of unique textural squonks amongst the grooves. Me and my friends had
fun dancing and imitating the different wah-wah's, click-clacks, and more.
Cyro Baptista was blowing into a tiny whistle, clanging one of his many
gongs, rustling handmade shakers, or providing odd vocal accompaniment. His
bag of bizarre percussive tricks seemed infinite. He was endlessly
entertaining and brought a fun, trippy spice to the already eclectic group.
Frontman Nels was just as fun to watch, cycling through different effects
and jamming out on his git. Some passionate moments saw him go momentarily
punk, ripping at his axe dramatically, as if momentarily possessed. Watching
Nels's wild flashes was exciting. The sound in the front row was difficult
and it was almost impossible to hear Skerik’s saxophone. It's a strange
thing to be two meters away from a wailing sax and not to hear it.
Thankfully there were a few quieter moments where the sax could be made out.
I'm sure it sounded fantastic everywhere else in the hall. But standing
directly under the truss speakers, for a great live view, I suppose this is
the unfortunate price to pay.
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet at the Bijou Theatre
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| Jeff Parker - Bijou. Photo by Taryn Ferro |
Jeff Parker- guitar
Josh Johnson- saxophone
Anna Butterss- bass
Jay Bellerose- drums
I only managed to catch a few songs from this set, but I really enjoyed Jeff Parker’s smooth, easy guitar grooves. After the busy freak-out with Nels, a funky loop with a minimalist vibe was the perfect way to calm back down and ease into the rest of the day. The infectious repetitions of “Freakadelic” had the audience grooving away, their heads nodding along to the beat in the darkness. Unpretentious, understated, and really easy to enjoy. I hadn’t previously heard the long jams from their 2024 release “The Way Out of Easy” but I can see this becoming my soundtrack to a hot, loungey summer’s day.
I had heard, however, great things about Australian bass player Anna Butterss, and they did not disappoint with their soulful approach to the upright bass (and super cool pink buzz-cut.) A true original in the scene today and – after a quick chat after the show – a lovely person too.
Thor Harris at the First Presbyterian Sanctuary
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| Thor Harris |
Thor has his little keyboard right up front in the middle, in contrast to
Kramer and Shahzad who were hidden behind the grand piano, stage left. I
can't tell if its little speaker is busted or if it's meant to be subtly
distorted like that. The slight buzzing is a little off-putting against the
angel clarity of the keys. When Thor comes in on an equally bright and clear
clarinet, the buzzing continues. I've come to the conclusion that it was
just an added effect by choice, as it did fade out over time. The toy piano
sound is much more pleasant. I'm not sure what I expected from a former
Swans percussionist, but certainly a toy piano looped with live clarinet was
not on my radar. Even though his live playing kept it interesting, for me
the loops are a little repetitive. For others this is surely entrancing.
"What an honor to play in the best festival in the United States!" Thor
seems like a really positive person, shouting out friends in the audience,
giving people big warm hugs. He seems genuinely nice. It's hardly any wonder
he has seven musician friends to invite, joining him for an ensemble piece.
The band is Water Damage and they play a soft looping piece which is mellow,
calm, and subtly evolving. The numerous stringed instruments swirl around
each other as the plinky toy piano descends like tiny snowflakes. Thor joins
in on a melodica, and adds a bassline. This time, when the loops are played
by musicians, it has a less mechanical feel to it.
The jam eventually begins to lift into a crescendo which is quite loud.
Several people in the audience are nodding along with the musicians. The
intensity is welcomed after the long start. At the conclusion of the show,
one man launches to his feet, clapping maniacally into the sky with pure
elation.
In between shows our crew heads over to Good Golly Tamale for vegan tamales
which we then took over to eat at Pretentious Beer Co. – perhaps the most
creative brewery in town, widely known for their unbeatable selection of
delicious and inventive craft beers. As an Australian based in Bavaria, the
opportunity for me to experience a real Tamale had not yet presented itself
in this lifetime, so I was thrilled to be experiencing one for the first
time. Scrumptious, and highly recommended!
Bill Frisell "In My Dreams" at the Tennessee Theatre
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| Bill Frisell's In My Dreams. Photo by Eli Johnson |
Bill Frisell- guitar
Jenny Scheinman- violin
Eyvind Kang- viola
Hank Roberts- cello
Tony Scherr- bass
Rudy Royston- drums
Greg Tardy- clarinet and tenor saxophone
Despite having six friends on stage alongside, Bill is given all the sonic
space he needs to stand out as the feature of this very listenable ensemble.
The addition of strings makes it magical. They take a good thing and make it
even better. The songs waft along like a warm spring breeze- the ideal
accompaniment to the unusually hot weather outside. Bill is all smiles
jamming with this group: the groove is smooth and elite. It's classy.
Rudy Royston's drum solo is a dynamic feast. Bill is clearly ecstatic at
Rudy's immaculate demonstration and the joy is contagious. People are
clapping before it's even over. Granted, it's after 8 pm on a Friday and
beers are flowing. Everyone in the audience is loving it. Solo after solo
elicits joyful applause. The composition has taken a turn for the ballad,
and everyone is down for the ride.
The pieces are quite long, and have a typical Frisell groove to them, but
they meander along with a relaxing, but not chill vibe- there is plenty of
tension and suspense, but it's universally enjoyable.
(Turntable Trio) Miriam Rezaei, Maria Chà vez, Victoria Shen (aka
Evicshen) at the Standard
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| Victoria Shen |
The only downside to this incredible, provocative, electrifying performance is that there are no deck-cams to observe all the exciting, busy creativity happening atop the tables. A heavily male-dominated instrument, this all-female turntable noise trio is a miracle to behold. Maria to the right providing ambience and effects, physically dropping crumbled vinyl onto the deck to produce loud booms and manipulating her own voice via microphone. Miriam in the middle conjuring incredibly choppy beats and lightning-fast scratches and manipulations with speed and precision. And then there is Victoria Shen (Evicshen), unquestionably having the hottest theatrics of the festival, combined with a dominant stage outfit, and a mad-scientist’s collection of homemade noise instruments and devices. When she began combing her hair with a comb microphone, producing a loud gritty distortion, the guy next to me must have been tripping balls because he absolutely lost his shit. Contorting her body, using her mouth, nails, legs, squatting over her homemade turntable with a small trumpet, and finally cracking an actual whip, she had the enthralled audience in the palm of her hand. Or rather, under the heel of her boot. Exceptional.
Together, the three digital sirens interacted with each other, sometimes
swapping places, constantly experimenting. The drum 'n' bass finale saw
Maria excitedly jumping and smiling- in exuberance. It was contagious.
When the show ended, a man called out, "That's how you do it!" which I'm sure was meant well, but left me thinking, "Male confirmation not required." They clearly already know how it's done.
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