Rangda Follow-Up

Wow!

That was a hell of a show!

John Allingham of legendary Nashville psych outfit Cherry Blossoms opened up the set with a solo electric set, also playing the staple kazoo and harmonica. The last two songs he performed, he asked Chris Corsano (Corsano Flower Duo) to join him. What a treat it was to see that occur. John's style of guitar is so fresh and expressive. He holds nothing back.

As it turns out, no one holding a guitar tonight had any other idea in mind but to play to the bitter end! It was a night full full full of incredibly talented and inventive guitars ... and more.

Following John's set was Seattle, Washington's Diminished Men. Just read these reviews to get a feel.... I had no idea what I was getting myself in to. Indeed it was a really wild carnival-surf-psych-dub event. A great and talented trio. These guys had a great connection which lent itself to some impeccably braided guitar and very physical drumming. Pretty seamless and space surfy....truly the best of combinations.

If it could get better than that, something along the lines of Rangda would have had to follow-up. Headlining convincingly, they jumped right into two great songs off of their record, False Flag. Long, endless, swimmy, mile-deep guitar drones of Ben Chasny and Richard Bishop. Chris Corsano behind them choreographing a distant battalion of independently moving boulders and lightning bolts somehow steeped in the wold's finest improvisational music. Kudos to both of these touring groups, Best of luck on the Road, and everyone should check them out. They're coming up to NY in a couple of weeks and many points in between.

The last set of the night was the other local bookend for the evening. Two more highly motivated and talented artists we've got on lock-down here in Nashville - Leslie Keffer (Laundromat Squelchers) and Scott Martin (Forrest Bride, Hands Off Cuba) finished the night off with some swervy electric music from deep within their individual foggy skulls. Just how we like 'em.
Thanks to all, to Open Lot and Chris Davis.

Rangda does Nashville, Monday September 13th

Rangda is an incredible psych and rock trio consisting of Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls, Eddy Detroit, Alvarius B), Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets On Fire), and Chris Corsano (Flower Corsano Duo, Jailbreak). They have released their only record so far on Drag City records, and goddamn it is beautiful! The trance elements and rough, swelling compositions are hypnotic and enchanting.

Rangda is coming to Nashville to play Open Lot fresh off of this year's Boomslang Fest courtesy, I hear, of the ever hard-working Chris Davis.

Rangda was Reviewed this year by the BBC in May, and Here is a whole slew of video of their live performances.

The performance is to start promptly at 9 and the suggested price is $15, $10 if you can't. Though, you are way welcome to pay more than that. 

It is incredibly important for Nashville to be able to get shows like this, so come out and if you're not in the area, spread the word. This is gonna be big!

Rounding out the evening we have many great sonic treats!

John Allingham (Cherry Blossoms) will be playing. John is one of my top guitar players locally and otherwise! His style is so real and uninhbited, a pure and free guitar sound certainly folky and pretty surfy to boot!

Leslie Keffer (Laundromat Squelchers) and Scott Martin (Hands Off Cuba, Forrest Bride) will also be duo'ing it up! Two great minds and busy busy hard-working artists coming together! Together, they're going to fry your mind, or what's left of it, just as separately they never fail to impress.

Diminished Men on Abduction records will be sharing the bill with them all. Their lp Shadow Instrumentals is sold out on Forced Exposure (they only pressed 500), so you gotta come and see if you can get one! They're on their way down on a tour that will be putting them back up in Brooklyn here shortly. I am very excited to see what they're showing around the East Coast these days.....

Among this constituency of John, Leslie, Scott, and Chris, one has an irreplaceable production unit generating some of the best music programming in the city currently. Thank you guys for all you do -- officially! Thanks!

Third Live Projection 2010, Little Hamilton, July 26th

Film Projection for, and in-between, live music performances by:
Sugar Skulls (Ben Marcantel)
Kelli Shay Hix (w/ Amy Marcantel & Kyle Xavier)
Sons of an Illustrious Father (New York)

Kelli Shay gave me a call over the weekend to ask if we would be interested in projecting for these live bands she had booked at the Nashville art space, Little Hamilton. Of course I said yes, and as usual with no consulting my partner. To be asked by such talented artists to assist in augmenting an artistic performance is  a very gratifying sensation which, if taken seriously, can completely alter the performance and elevate the propensity for full effect. The audience is also often engaging and stimulated and vocal, as was the case this evening. The reception was incredible, again....
The previous screenings, albeit successful, culminated on this showing. It was the most last-minute one yet, but one for which my partner and I were well prepared. On this occasion, Alcamy played the initial set of composite film images for both Ben and Kelli's sets, while perpendicular to those images, I screened segments of more known films and some rare Chris Marker early VHS projects. I also played a really psychedelic Wim Wenders short, "Ten Miles to Trona," off of the very interesting project reproached from the 1978 original in 2002 in two 10-film projects titled "Trumpet: Ten Minutes Older," the other film set simultaneously released was "Cello: Ten Minutes Older." Incredible short films there.
It was a great success. Some great hosting was done, particularly by those at Little Hamilton, Dave I believe it was. But, we had a ton of fun, got some great film in front of some great people, and all the while, got some projects out there of ours while instigating new collaborations.
The folks of Sons of an Illustrious Father were very talented and open young people, loving their travels and playing music that seems to me to have been very emotionally cathartic. Best of luck to them, as I hope they've had a safe return, and thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments and questions, namely Scott Zeman of Vanderbilt University and Holly, whose comments are never taken lightly. Lastly, thanks to the great performers Marcantels and Kyle and Kelli Shay, thanks for the invite!!!!
Below are some stills from Chris Marker's "2084," which insitigated a lot of questions and comments...a great work of Marker's VHS output!