If you liked ArthurFest, get ready for ArthurBall (Feb. 24-26, LA)

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

ArthurBall to follow ArthurFest
By Steve Hochman
Special to The Times

December 11, 2005

THE outsiders are moving indoors.

ArthurFest, in its mostly alfresco inaugural edition Labor Day weekend on the grounds of the Barnsdall Art Park, showcased leading artists in a variety of underground, avant-garde and outsider movements, with Yoko Ono and Sonic Youth topping the bill. Now it has spawned a winter edition. Dubbed ArthurBall, the event will take place Feb. 24 to 26 in a series of venues along several blocks of Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

Among those being booked are Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme (who will team with longtime collaborator Chris Goss for a special project), weird-folk harpist Joanna Newsom and ArthurFest returnees Josephine Foster and Brightblack Morning Light. More acts, from headliners to cult favorites, are being secured, and the event will also include film, spoken word and art installations.

The Echo club will be the central venue, with nearby Taix restaurant, Jensen Recreation Center and perhaps other shops and galleries being used as well. Attendees will be allowed to stroll from spot to spot.

ArthurBall will be smaller than ArthurFest (which drew more than 4,000 people in its two days), but the philosophy is the same. Both draw on the aesthetic of Arthur magazine, which is co-presenting the weekend with Spaceland Productions.

"We're just trying to find people who love what they do and who are good at it," says Arthur founder-editor Jay Babcock. "And we're asking, expecting the audience to be curious or open enough to at least check them out."

Babcock says ticket sales and feedback far exceeded his expectations at ArthurFest, not just for such better-known acts as Ono, Sleater-Kinney, Devendra Banhart and Spoon, but also for a wide-ranging roster of cult figures and newcomers including Japanese noise manipulator Merzbow and neo-folkie Marissa Nadler. Plans for a 2006 ArthurFest are already being made, again on Labor Day weekend, but at a new site, as Babcock says it's already outgrown Barnsdall's Hollywood hilltop. A film from the 2005 festival is being edited by director Lance Bangs, who shot all 42 acts that performed.

"We wanted to do another kind of event, something with a lower ticket price, something that ranged more outside of music with films and spoken word," Babcock says of the February plans. "It will be really fun — people walking around. All the venues are indoors, but you'll be able to walk outdoors, go from one venue to the next. We might use more spaces. And there are restaurants all along there people can check out. We might even run a shuttle bus if we end up using more places farther away."

Among the other confirmed acts at this point are rock band Pearls and Brass, avant-jazz ensemble Unknown Instructors (featuring Mike Watt, George Hurley and Joe Baiza), French-Swedish neo-folk duo Mi & L'au, veteran piano man Biff Rose and Tarantula A.D. Also on board are the Legs & Pants Dans Theatre, ethnomusical films from the Sublime Frequencies team and a "vibrational healing" installation by White Rainbow.

"It will be the mix of people you would expect from reading our magazine and coming to ArthurFest," Babcock says. "You have to stretch your mind in order for it to grow."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

Revive cause there should be further news soon.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 January 2006 00:58 (twenty years ago)

Ah, and there is -- from the TicketWeb link:

February 25 - 26
ARTHUR MAGAZINE & SPACELAND PRODUCTIONS PRESENT: Arthurball - 2 Day Pass
at Echo, California - Southern

Saturday, February 25
JOANNA NEWSOM
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT
UNKNOWN INSTRUCTORS
GROWING
PEARLS & BRASS
COLLEEN
ENTRANCE
MI & L'AU
STARTER SET DANCERS
WINTER FLOWERS
SOCIETY OF ROCKETS

plus: World Premiere of three films from Sublime Frequencies! Alan Bishop & other filmmakers will be in attendance.

Sunday, February 26
THE 5:15ers feat. Josh Homme & Chris Goss
BORN HELLER feat. Josephine Foster
OM
TARANTULA A.D.
LAVENDER DIAMOND
AFROBEATDOWN
PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND
INDIAN JEWELRY
TOWN & COUNTRY
CITAY

plus: An entire day of rarely screened mind blowing films.
plus: All day 'Vibrational Healing Chamber' by White Rainbow!
U.S.$40.00

(Individual day costs are $22 each.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 January 2006 01:00 (twenty years ago)

Thanks Ned!

― Lukas (lukas), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:06 (twenty years ago)

where are all teh good bands

― howell huser (chaki), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:09 (twenty years ago)

check your adolescence

― Lukas (lukas), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:15 (twenty years ago)

More info about what we've got on tap...

On Saturday, we've got World Premieres of three new full-length documentary films from Sublime Frequencies: "PHI TA KHON: GHOSTS OF ISAN" (dir. Robert Millis), "SUMATRAN FOLK CINEMA" (dir. Mark Gergis & Alan Bishop), and "MOROCCO: MUSICAL BROTHERHOODS FROM THE TRANS-SAHARAN HIGHWAY" (dir. Hisham Mayet). All filmmakers will be in attendance.

On Sunday, we've got a screening of "KEEPINTIME" and an exclusive preview of "BRASILINTIME." Filmmaker B+ will be in attendance. There will also be a selection of extremely rarely screened mindblowing films, curated by the Arthur braintrust.

also: All-day 'Full-Spectrum Vibrational Healing Center' designed by WHITE RAINBOW...

Also appearing at various points and places during ArthurBall will be ERIK DAVIS, GRANT MORRISON, LEWIS MACADAMS, TRINIE DALTON, BYRON COLEY, THE MARS SOCIETY and many more poets, thinkers, artists, jokers, yappers and typers TBA.

There's 1,000 tix available per day.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:21 (twenty years ago)

Also, UNKNOWN INSTRUCTORS features Dan McGuire, Mike Watt, George Hurley and Joe Baiza.
Yep.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:22 (twenty years ago)

where are all teh good bands

C'mon, man, I'll be there. That's reason enough to attend. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 January 2006 04:55 (twenty years ago)

BORN HELLER feat. Josephine Foster

Go for this alone. Gorgeous folk. Released my fave album of '04.

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Thursday, 12 January 2006 05:47 (twenty years ago)

Ticketweb tells me this is 18+. Say it isn't so.

― Mose, Thursday, 12 January 2006 06:22 (twenty years ago)

Yes it is 18+. No other way to swing it. Sucks, I know.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 12 January 2006 08:11 (twenty years ago)

Are Pearls and Brass the band from the Allentown area?

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 12 January 2006 19:12 (twenty years ago)

Forget it, I answered my own question. Has to be the same band. Awesome high powered psych blues.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 12 January 2006 19:19 (twenty years ago)

mike watt and ned? ok im so there.

― howell huser (chaki), Thursday, 12 January 2006 19:26 (twenty years ago)

hiya folks this will be fun

― jeff rosenberg (pukeandburn), Thursday, 12 January 2006 20:42 (twenty years ago)

Heya Jeff, it'll be good to see yer again. And rah the Chaki!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 January 2006 20:50 (twenty years ago)

huzzah! I will also be on hand

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 12 January 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

Didn't I read something about some guy in Utah banning Brightblack Morning from his theater?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 12 January 2006 21:07 (twenty years ago)

HUR HUR HUR

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 January 2006 21:08 (twenty years ago)

Descriptions of the Sublime Frequencies films that will be world premiered at ArthurBall, courtesy of the SF team:

PHI TA KHON: GHOSTS OF ISAN
A Film by Robert Millis (75 minutes)
"Described as 'The Mardi Gras from Hell' and 'Thai Halloween' PHI TA KHON is a ghost festival that takes place every year in the Isan province of Northern Thailand. Meaning 'ghosts with human eyes' or 'ghost into human,' Phi Ta Khon features magnificent costumes, ornate masks, decorative phallic icons of all sizes, ceremony, drinking, dancing and endless addictive Molam music in higher doses than most souls can process. A mind-blowing and obscure tradition hidden in the interior of the Indochine peninsula. Filmed on location by Robert Millis and Richard Bishop in June 2004."

SUMATRAN FOLK CINEMA
A Film by Mark Gergis & Alan Bishop (60 minutes)
"A psychedelic collage of images and sounds from the heart and soul of Sumatran culture. Witness classic Dangdut rock music, street and country scenes, Pop culture, raw TV excerpts, Minang Orchestras, night markets, folk music, and much more wrapped in a 60-minute kaleidoscope complete with an epic soundtrack. Filmed in and around Medan, Padang, Bukitinggi and beyond with some of the most amazing pre-tsunami footage ever captured from Aceh province. Shot by Mark Gergis and Alan Bishop on location in 2004 with a segment from Bandah Aceh filmed by David Martinez in 2003."

MOROCCO: MUSICAL BROTHERHOODS FROM THE TRANS-SAHARAN HIGHWAY
A Film by Hisham Mayet (60 Minutes)
"An assortment of spectacular musical dramas presented live and unfiltered on the home turf of the world's most dynamic string/drum specialists performing and manifesting the ecstatic truth! Ancient mystical brotherhoods have been flourishing for centuries in and around the cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira in Morocco where the trade caravans have gathered from their long journeys across the Trans-Saharan Highway. This is some of the last great street music on Earth. A must see for string aficionados looking for inspiration as electric ouds, banjos, mandolins and the gnawa sentir peel flesh from bone right before your eyes! Filmed by Hisham Mayet in 2005."

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 12 January 2006 21:19 (twenty years ago)

very psyched about all the sublime frequencies films, jay. i have been hooked on the cambodian cassette archives and the radio comps-- had no idea there was actually video to accompany most of these!

also maybe you can convince sir richard bishop to do a solo guitar show

― jeff rosenberg (pukeandburn), Friday, 13 January 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Ah, now that would be nice! :-) I've only seen the Niger film from Sublime F but it was a total treat -- Hisham Mayet filmed that one so I'll be very intrigued by this Morocco film.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 13 January 2006 19:11 (twenty years ago)

This looks like fun -- wish I could go. Am really psyched to see my homie WHITE RAINBOW is gonna be doing his thing, too! If you go, don't miss his "zome" environments. Lovely modern psychedelic art.

Ned, Hisham's films have been the absolute highlights of the Sublime DVDs thus far. He's a really rad guy and plays in the Sea Donkeys, too! http://www.suncitygirls.com/abduction/sea_donkeys.php

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Friday, 13 January 2006 19:25 (twenty years ago)

1. Stephen Perkins is replacing George Hurley on drums for this gig, apparently there was a scheduling conflict.

2. Hi Jeff. I agree, it'd be great to have a Sir Richard Bishop solo guitar show.

3. On Sunday, Erik Davis will give a multimedia presentation/lecture on "visionary media," visuals from Biomorphica and sound manipulations by Nalepa.

4. Also on Sunday, B+ will screen his filmf "KEEPINTIME," as well as a 20-minute exclusive preview of "BRASILINTIME."

Yep.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 13 January 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

CRY @ STEPHEN PERKINS :(

― howell huser (chaki), Friday, 13 January 2006 23:23 (twenty years ago)

He and Watt have played together before at least. But yeah, Hurley would have been nice.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 14 January 2006 03:17 (twenty years ago)

Watt and Perkins have been playing together for years in both their Stooges cover band HELLRIDE and in Perkins' BANYAN project...

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Saturday, 14 January 2006 03:56 (twenty years ago)

For those keeping score: Hurley's back on, Perkins is out.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:11 (twenty years ago)

Two drummer jam. Fall tribute. Or .38 Special.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

or B.A.L.L.
or the allman Brothers
or Califone
or the Dead

(i kind of love double drummers)

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 21:20 (twenty years ago)

who's indian jewelry exactly?

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 21:46 (twenty years ago)

http://www.myspace.com/indianjewelry

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 21:53 (twenty years ago)

Just added some more folks -- including MORIS TEPPER -- for Sunday, Feb 26. So we've got:

In The Ex_Plex and The Echo:

THE 5:15ERS
feat. Josh Homme & Chris Goss

BORN HELLER
feat. Josephine Foster

GROWING

MORIS TEPPER

LAVENDER DIAMOND

TARANTULA A.D.

AFROBEATDOWN

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND

TOWN & COUNTRY

CITAY
feat. Ezra Feinberg & Tim Green

INDIAN JEWELRY

At Jensen's Rec Center:

Author ERIK DAVIS will give a multimedia presentation/lecture on "Visionary Media," accompanied with visuals by Biomorphica and sound manipulations by Nalepa...

Comics author GRANT MORRISON (cover subject of Arthur No. 12) will do some sort of reading/presentation and a chat with Erik Davis and the audience...

Filmmaker B+ will screen "keepintime" and an exclusive preview of his new film, "brasilintime."

The Arthur braintrust will screen a selection of extremely rare mindblowing films that can't be announced.

At Machine:

WHITE RAINBOW will run an all-day 'Full-Spectrum Vibrational Healing Center' environment...

At the Taix Champagne Room:

LEWIS MACADAMS & KRISTINE MCKENNA, TRINIE DALTON, BYRON COLEY, THE MARS SOCIETY and many more poets, thinkers, artists, jokers, yappers and typers TBA.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 18:23 (twenty years ago)

morris tepper is great live!

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 19:13 (twenty years ago)

Grant Morrison's speeches are a-mazing

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Hey people,

Just wanted to give everyone a head's up -- there's apparently gonna be a color (!) advertisement for ArthurBall in this coming Thursday's LAWeekly, which a couple hundred thousand people will see, plus we're starting some other um "marketing intiatives," and I'm told that once the big promotional push gets going, tix will go fast and we're not going to be saving any to put on sale at the door and so on. SO. If you've been thinking of attending but haven't bought a ticket ($22 for one day $40/two days), you might want to before this whole thing gets crazy.

Event and ticket purchase info for ArthurBall is now up at

www.arthurmag.com

or go directly to the TicketWeb site at

http://ticketweb.com/user/?region=xxx&query=search&interface=ticketweb&newhps=1&search=arthurball&x=0&y=0

ALSO, ATTN SST HEADS -- the lineup for UNKNOWN INSTRUCTORS (Sat night) has been finalized. It's gonna feature (in alphabet order) Joe Baiza, Jack Brewer, George Hurley, Dan McGuire and Mike Watt. First-time-ever show by these mighties...

Don't say we didn't warn ya...

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Monday, 30 January 2006 01:51 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah -- one more thing -- there's a special pre-ArthurBall concert on Friday night, Geb 24 by ESG. Incredibly, this is their first-ever L.A. gig.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Monday, 30 January 2006 01:53 (twenty years ago)

I like the idea of the date being Geb 24, it sounds appropriately unique.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 30 January 2006 01:56 (twenty years ago)

A few adjustments to the schedule, plus some amazing additions... One-day passes are $22, two-day passes are $40...

****ARTHURBALL LINEUP ****

** SATURDAY, FEB. 25, 4PM **

In The Ex_Plx and The Echo:

JOANNA NEWSOM
acclaimed singer-songwriter-harpist

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT
late-night rural Rhodes organ hush vibers and ArthurFest alumni

UNKNOWN INSTRUCTORS
Joe Baiza & Jack Brewer (Saccharine Trust), George Hurley & Mike Watt (minutemen) and Dan McGuire in art-rock-spiel throwdown, first-ever performance anywhere

OM
thundering mantra/drone metal from Bay Area bass-drums-vocal duo (co-founders of legendary bong-in-handers Sleep)

PEARLS & BRASS
astonishing Nazareth, PA post-Cream blues rawk riffers who are putting the proverbial power back in power trio

COLLEEN
spellbinding Parisian acoustic-electronic composer makes her L.A. debut (and exclusive North American appearance)

ENTRANCE
preternaturally gifted whiteskinned sundown blues singer-guitarist

MI & L'AU
forest-dwelling coed acoustic duo from Europe, first-ever LA show

STARTER SET feat. leg & pants dans theeatre
experimental art-dance performance ensemble with debut DVD just out

WINTER FLOWERS
Echo Park's own hilltop troubadours of Incredible String Band-style folkways

SOCIETY OF ROCKETS
psych-dappled country rock from San Francisco bros

At Machine, starting at 4pm:
WHITE RAINBOW will run an all-day 'Full-Spectrum Vibrational Healing Center' environment...

At Jensen's Rec Center, starting at 4pm:

World Premieres of three new full-length documentary films from Sublime Frequencies. All filmmakers will be in attendance and will talk about their work at each film's conclusion in a discussion moderated by author Erik Davis! Here are the films:

PHI TA KHON: GHOSTS OF ISAN
A film by Robert Millis (75 min)
Described as 'The Mardi Gras from Hell' and 'Thai Halloween' Phi Ta Khon is a ghost festival that takes place every year in the Isan province of Northern Thailand. Meaning 'ghosts with human eyes' or 'ghost into human,' Phi Ta Khon features magnificent costumes, ornate masks, decorative phallic icons of all sizes, ceremony, drinking, dancing and endless addictive Molam music in higher doses than most souls can process. A mind-blowing and obscure tradition hidden in the interior of the Indochine peninsula. Filmed on location by Robert Millis and Richard Bishop in June 2004.

SUMATRAN FOLK CINEMA
A film by Mark Gergis & Alan Bishop (60 min)
A psychedelic collage of images and sounds from the heart and soul of Sumatran culture. Witness classic Dangdut rock music, street and country scenes, Pop culture, raw TV excerpts, Minang Orchestras, night markets, folk music, and much more wrapped in a 60-minute kaleidoscope complete with an epic soundtrack. Filmed in and around Medan, Padang, Bukitinggi and beyond with some of the most amazing pre-tsunami footage ever captured from Aceh province. Shot by Mark Gergis and Alan Bishop on location in 2004 with a segment from Bandah Aceh filmed by David Martinez in 2003.

MOROCCO: MUSICAL BROTHERHOODS FROM THE TRANS-SAHARAN HIGHWAY
A Film by Hisham Mayet (60 min)
An assortment of spectacular musical dramas presented live and unfiltered on the home turf of the world's most dynamic string/drum specialists performing and manifesting the ecstatic truth! Ancient mystical brotherhoods have been flourishing for centuries in and around the cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira in Morocco where the trade caravans have gathered from their long journeys across the Trans-Saharan Highway. This is some of the last great street music on Earth. A must see for string aficionados looking for inspiration as electric ouds, banjos, mandolins and the gnawa sentir peel flesh from bone right before your eyes! Filmed by Hisham Mayet in 2005.

** SUNDAY, FEB. 26, 4PM **
In The Ex_Plx and The Echo:

THE 5:15ERS
first-ever appearance by new collaboration between longtime compatriots Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Desert Sessions, Kyuss) & Chris Goss (Masters of Reality, Goon Moon)

BORN HELLER
feat. Josephine Foster, one of our nation's most captivating young folksinger-songsters

LAVENDER DIAMOND
Becky Stark and her cynicism-melting peace-love actionist band in a special performance

GROWING
mindchatter-silencing nature drone duo, and ArthurFest favorites

MORIS TEPPER
legendary Capt. Beefheart & the Magic Band alumnus guitar genius, with band [note current bassist]

TARANTULA A.D.
thrilling, high romantic King Crimson-style art-rock newcomers

CITAY
L.A. debut from fresh S.F. cats working in the hallowed tradition of Sabbath and Zeppelin's weed-tinged acoustic/electric countryside tabla songs

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND
super-charged psychedelic/out fringe rock from lauded Chicago ensemble

EARTHLESS
Epic power krautrock in the tradition of Ash Ra Tempel

TOWN & COUNTRY
experimental contemplative instrumental quiet time soundtracks from Chicago

INDIAN JEWELRY
Los Angeles' most reverbed band

AFROBEAT DOWN
Fela Kuti covers and original band jams from this spiritually committed L.A. massive

At Jensen's Rec Center:

Filmmaker B+ will screen his film "keepintime" and an exclusive preview of his forthcoming "brasilintime".

A performance-lecture by author ERIK DAVIS on "Visionary Media," with visuals by Biomorphica, sound manipulations by Nalepa, and some spectral mountain guitar by himself.

The amazing comics-magick-mage GRANT MORRISON will give a talk, followed by a Q & A with Erik Davis.

Poet, author and Friends of the Los Angeles River founder LEWIS MACADAMS will be interviewed by journalist/curator KRISTINE MCKENNA.

A multimedia presentation by THE MARS SOCIETY.

Plus: Screenings of of extremely rare mindblowing films, curated by the Arthur braintrust, including Ira Cohen's legendary "INVASION OF THUNDERBOLT PAGODA."

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Sunday, 12 February 2006 20:16 (twenty years ago)

Earthless! Great band, it'll be a pleasure to see them again.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 February 2006 20:41 (twenty years ago)

burning man for dorks. wait, burning man is already for dorks.
mensa bonnaroo?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh heavens no. That's Terrastock.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:43 (twenty years ago)

ned, you know i kid. this looks pretty cool.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:47 (twenty years ago)

Heheh.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:52 (twenty years ago)

hey i want to see the keepingintime at the jensen center how much is that?

― charlie bucket (charlie bucket), Monday, 13 February 2006 03:25 (twenty years ago)

Two days! But that said I am starting to feel very under the weather, been sneezing off and on all day. I've dodged colds this season so far; what rotten timing if it happens now...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 February 2006 20:04 (twenty years ago)

DRINK YO EMERGEN-C AND SHIT, NED RAGGETT.

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Thursday, 23 February 2006 20:37 (twenty years ago)

Don't think I'm not thinking of it!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 February 2006 21:03 (twenty years ago)

earthless-- mario rubalcaba on drums !!

― jeff rosenberg (pukeandburn), Thursday, 23 February 2006 21:17 (twenty years ago)

Great band, them.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 February 2006 21:19 (twenty years ago)

Must say everyone came together and did a great job pulling this off

― jeff rosenberg (pukeandburn), Monday, 27 February 2006 19:15 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I was hoping it was a success! The cold laid me low the entire weekend, I was in no state to go anywhere.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 19:24 (twenty years ago)

we had a great time - but no chaki and no ned! = me sad.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 27 February 2006 19:38 (twenty years ago)

Reviews?

― Harpal (harpal), Monday, 27 February 2006 23:09 (twenty years ago)

I only got to see a handful of folks, but from what I did see highlights were Watt/Hurley's krautrock-beatnik set, Winter Flowers (also super-nice folks), and Om's doom riffin. Also Sumatran Folk Cinema film was great great great - reminded me a lot of India, cool "street" footage stuff intercut with totally bizarre pop culture tidbits taped off the TV (soap opera of women torturing each other to the tune of "Careless Whispers" for ex.) But that was just the first night.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 27 February 2006 23:14 (twenty years ago)

but no chaki and no ned! = me sad

Sorry! :-( Trust me, I would have loved to have gone, but I strongly suspect most others would have not loved me coughing, sneezing on them, constantly blowing my nose and needing to lie down.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 23:16 (twenty years ago)

I would've loved to see OM. I'm so stoked for their new album.

― Harpal (harpal), Monday, 27 February 2006 23:21 (twenty years ago)

I got to see a few other sets. OM was not my cup of tea, but pretty kick-ass. Mi and Lau were the quietest band I've ever seen, but they had a cool quiet-folk thing happening. There were a few very quiet bands, and the crowd was very respectful. The Mike Watt thing was pretty out-there (bass, noodly free-jazzy guitar, and beat-poetry-slammin' vocals), but impressive. Joanna Newsom was amazing. She had to put up with the boom-boom of the hip hop party going on upstairs, which didn't really go with her style of music, but she persevered, and blew me away. She played all new material from her new album, which she said will be over an hour long, but consist of only five tracks. So, they were ... long. But beautiful. Her harp playing is incredible - swooping intricate rhythms up and down the harp, evoking a whole orchestra made of pianos and plucking string instruments. And her singing was out-of-this-world - Bjorkish and powerful. I couldn't stay for Sunday :(

― schwantz (schwantz), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 00:13 (twenty years ago)

http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-arthur28feb28,0,3132874.story?coll=cl-music-top-right

― schwantz (schwantz), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 00:30 (twenty years ago)

Unknown Instructors were a respite of ugly edges and sarcasm on too-quiet Saturday(no knock on the individual acts, necessarily), and it's not like me to say something like that. The vibrational healing center was healing and I had to tear myself from the Sumatran festival footage to see Joanna, whose performance was...admirable. The length was punishing, punishing, I resigned myself to waiting-for-the-old-stuff philistinism about 30 minutes in, but what schwantz said goes too, there was beauty and guts there. Sunday was the shit! Earthless and Indian Jewelry bookended my night(IJ gave massive dub drone disco, I'm so glad I stayed)and were probably the highlights, Afrobeatdown was fun(and slept on! unforgivable sort-of-blackness! in february!) Becky from Lavender Diamond was perfectly charming, even when she was trying to be perfectly charming. I always mean to go and see her, think I might be hooked now.
I rolled my eyes at Invasion Thunderbolt Pagoda for all of 30 seconds, then the intensity struck me numb. Missed most of the live Jensen Center pieces but caught Lewis McAdams, be glad to discuss it but I'm babbling. Arthurball - Very Nice and Good events.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 09:10 (twenty years ago)

Joanna Newsom was amazing. She had to put up with the boom-boom of the hip hop party going on upstairs, which didn't really go with her style of music, but she persevered, and blew me away. She played all new material from her new album, which she said will be over an hour long, but consist of only five tracks. So, they were ... long. But beautiful.

Great news... Hopefully somebody taped her set. It's been really interesting to hear how the new material has evolved over the past year. Can't wait for the new album.

Here's her ArthurBall setlist poached from another board:

Emily
Dance My Darlin'
Sawdust and Diamonds
Only Skin
Cosmia
What We Have Known
Sadie
Peach, Plum, Pear
Bridges and Balloons

― Edward III (edward iii), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 15:53 (twenty years ago)

did anybody see the full-band debut of the new entrance?

― bb (bbrz), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 16:46 (twenty years ago)

Tons of gorgeous photos (Joanna Newsom, 515ers [Homme & Goss], Mi & L'au, Moris Tepper & Polly Harvey, Lavender Diamond, etc) from the festival at the free ice cream man site. I just put a link to them via the arthurmag.com. Yep.

― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 3 March 2006 19:50 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.