Last Cosmists gig up at Archive.org

That was probably Cosmists last gig, at least for the foreseeable future.

Infinite Plastic Internal Live at Luna's up at Archive.org

This was my first ever solo show. I put a lot of preparation in for it.
Hard to believe it was three years ago!
Many thanks to Charles Smith for recording this set.

Census Designated Place video!

I'm mostly happy with the playing on this song. Thanks to Amanda and Jason Berry for documenting this set!

Pure Finder-Luggage Store Gallery, SF CA; 3/16/17

A very musically busy month of March came to end for me last night at the Luggage Store, at least as far as performances go.
A fun way to wrap it up, too.
Andrew and I were not able to get a rehearsal for Pure Finder's first gig of 2017 in. However, we did formulate a plan: keep things stripped down and simple. As such, I brought only a few percussion items: waterphone, singing bowl, 18" roto tom, a few small gongs. Enough gear to have to make only one mercifully short trip from my parked car on 6th St. to the Luggage Store's interior. Andrew had three very small synth-type modules. Easy.
We started out with some pretty quiet sounds, as per plan; this lead to a few more dense spaces. I had fun coaxing long tones out of the singing bowl, mic'd and plugged in to the house pa, with a long screw. Andrew got percussive blips and chatters. After a bit of this action, I switched to the roto tom, getting bending notes from its very malleable head.
This action cruised a long for a while until mad genius sound producer Philip Everett joined us on his synth rig, still set up from his Skull Krusher set. Louder trio interaction was the result. We generated some real mayhem! Totally fun and noisy! Call it Pure Krusher I guess!
Inside of this maelstrom, I stopped to read a few short lyrics from Tu Fu. I wasn't sure how that would go down, but Andrew didn't mind, thankfully. The set ended with a nice organic full stop, after which I recited my haiku for Herbie Lewis. It was on my mind to do so for some reason.
Another fun night of music at the Luggage Store, thanks to Outsound.
I have no gigs lined up for April, so may have to go quiet here for a while. We'll see....

Below: minimal set ups for Pure Finder

Above: one of my all-time favorite SF buildings. Not sure of its name, glad it's not been blocked by the rapid high rise development yet

Lingua Incognita Session #3; St. Cyprian's Church, San Francisco CA; 3/14/17

This event was advertised as a show, but it had more of the feeling of a workshop to be honest. Not that that's a bad thing at all, it's just how things felt, seeing as that it was in the basement of a church. I had fun walking around the neighborhood around St. Cyprian's before the music started. In the 1990's, I lived a few blocks away from its location. I saw places of some relevance to me: the garage that Dan Laks rented for the Birdsaw tour vehicle, a musician's house where I hung out a lot, an apartment that brought back embarrassing memories of personal trauma. That's all ancient history now, though.
Anyway, as for the Lingua Incognita Session #3, it was a fun community event. I think that I've been lucky enough to play with all of the members of the group: Mika Pontecorvo, Eli Pontecorvo, Kersti Abrams, Amanda Chaudhary, Jack Hertz, Jaroba, Josh Marshall, CJ McCaslin, Aaron Levin, and Tim Orr at least once respectively. This is the scene that I'm in now in many ways. I like that. Definitely starting to know these peoples' sounds. It was great especially to pair up with Tim and Aaron on drums. Those guys teach me a lot.
We must have done about four pieces, all based upon Mika's Miles-influenced sketches. Some seemed better realized than others. For a relatively large sized group, it seemed as though we mostly listened and interacted. I recall some really cool, swelling woodwind ensemble figures and spaced out synth solos.  Mika also got some really grungy guitar tones going. At times I felt as though the pieces stretched a bit too long: one can only take so much heaviness before needing a pause! That said, I had a nice time playing a small back line with that had a really sweet Zildjian ride cymbal. It was fun to dig in to that cymbal, especially during this kind of pseud-Latin figure that I lead off one tune with.
All told, a fun evening of community music in a nice, comfortable space. Thanks to Mika for putting it together!

Below: Mika tunes

Above: some band members run down the vibe
Below: Tim Orr sets up to break it down

Above: small back line kit with a sweet ride cymbal

Hare & Arrow-Hare and Arrow Arts Factory, Richmond CA; 3/11/17

For starters, it's just really cool that a place for the music that I like is happening a few short miles from my home. I was stoked to drive down the Richmond Parkway to Sung Kim's warehouse. It may not be PC, but I love the meshed industrial/wetland vibe of the area that that thoroughfare runs through. Add in a full moon, pastel sunset, and the lovely lights of the hills to the east......bliss.
As for Hare & Arrow's second ever performance, it went through a few changes in planned personnel, but settled with Sung on two of his beautiful self-designed instruments, the Ozokuri and Thee Nuns Horn, and Dan Gottwald on the Divine Horseman. All are stringed, with the later being this amazing variation of the hurdy gurdy, hand-cranked and full of deep drone tones. Dan and Sung are pretty visionary with their aesthetics. I was pretty blown away to be playing alongside them and their creations.
In rehearsing for our set, we spoke about leaving tons of space for the drone of the Divine Horseman to emerge from. Additionally, I changed up my drum set up: no hi hat, double bass drum, minimal cymbals, and an added concert bass drum. I also rocked the wrench that Moe! Staiano gave me last year.
Definitely a lot of low end on my part. My role was essentially to color, shift, and comment, but not drive the music. I felt as though I fulfilled my mission for the most part. Indeed, at the end of the set Sung announced that I'd "played with great restraint"! In my perceptual experience of our somewhat short set, I tried to get away from certain habits that I've developed within improvisational music, instead really trying to leave gaps and moving my own line within the form. Not sure if this was achieved, but I know that a satisfying, relaxed feeling was with me throughout.
For me, it was a night of clear thinking and playing under the cool full moon of March.
Hopefully the projected quarterly series of music at Hare and Arrow Arts Factory will continue. I'll go even if my name ain't on the bill!

Below: the Divine Horseman and my amended drum kit with large concert bass drum

Above: Dan and Sung test out their strings

Upcoming shows!

Lots of activity over the next week or so!
Details:

Sat., 3/11/17
Hare & Arrow
Hare & Arrow Arts
1200 Harbor Way South
Suite 117
Richmond CA 94804
8:30 PM-12:30 AM
$?
Also on the bill will by Jim Haynes, Sharkiface, Bran Pos Trio, and Solo Organ

Tue., 3/14/17
Lingua Incognita Session #3
Cyprian's Center
2097 Turk Blvd.
San Francisco CA 94115
7-10 PM
$
Also on the bill will be Dancin' Baby

Thu., 3/16/17
Pure Finder
Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market St.
San Francisco CA 94103
7-10 PM
$
Also on the bill will be Skull Krusher

Very much looking forward to all of this upcoming musical action. March Madness!