Crib Notes

Over Memorial Day Weekend (Sat., May 23 and Sun., May 24) the third annual Who Fest returns to Chattanooga, Tenn., for a two-day outdoor festival of folk, outsider, visionary and self-taught art at Renaissance Park (directly across the Tennessee River from the Tennessee Aquarium).

The local art weirdos/fine Southern gentleman associated with the Shaking Ray Levi Society are overseeing the festival, and are setting up workshops on the various strains of folk/outsider art and music, including a workshop on disabilities in the arts.

The SRL’s are also curating the musical portion of the festival, which includes performances from dozens of acts, including Duet for Theremin & Lapsteel, Jennie Knaggs of the Sure Shots and a headlining performance from the one and only Eugene Chadbourne.

Chadbourne is a guitarist/banjo player and off-kilter songwriter who has been deeply entrenched on the outskirts of outsider music since the mid ’70s. His body of work reflects all of the social, political and musical upheaval of the times — from the Vietnam War to the War on Terror. He’s a musician who is equally comfortable dabbling in bluegrass, folk and free jazz, and has worked with everyone from Camper Van Beethoven, John Zorn and They Might Be Giants to the Sun City Girls.

For this show Chadbourne will be collaborating with the Shaking Ray Levis.

Sat., May 23 and Sun., May 24. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information contact Winder Binder Gallery of Folk Art at 423-413-8999.

Schedule of performances after the jump.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

By Omar Khalid

Why Knoxville? Why Knoxville? The question was asked and subsequently answered more than a few times during last weekend’s ambitious avant-garde/outer music festival dubbed “Big Ears.” Fennesz, Jon Hassell, Matmos, the Necks, Neil Hamburger, Antony & the Johnsons, Negativland, Philip Glass and many others. Would people really come to Knoxville from all over the country — all over the world — for a music festival with, yes, a wide variety of music, but all somewhat in the “weird music” vein? Would the community support it? The answer: A resounding yes.

Festival organizer Ashley Capps — whose company AC Entertainment is responsible for the success that has become Bonaroo — lives in Knoxville and apparently has roots in promoting free jazz and experimental music in the area.

If one thing stood out about the festival, it was how professional, yet easy the whole experience was. There were as many as 10 venues involved, all seeming to be just blocks from each other, with everything starting on or near on time. Go have a huge $2.50 bloody mary at the Bistro for a brunch performance from the Balkan-gypsy inspired Luminescent Orchestrii; walk down the street to catch some of the film Powaqqatsi at the beautiful Tennessee Theatre (Knoxville’s own version of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre); a few blocks over there’s a performance from NYC clarinet/saxophone circular-breathing virtuoso Ned Rothenberg; stroll back down to the Bijou for the Phillip Glass concert. It was a busy weekend, but everything was so well-planned and the acts were so thoughtfully scheduled. The fluke weather in the high 60s couldn’t have hurt either. The only hangup was probably when Saturday’s 10 p.m. show with the Baltimore combo Matmos had to suddenly be moved from the Square Room to “Old City’s” Catalyst. Apparently the proprietors of the Square Room were, uh, squares. Something in the video to be shown during the Matmos performance they found offensive (probably the naked dude getting into the hot tub). Regardless, that show at the Catalyst was one of the better experiences of the whole festival (no, not because of the naked hot tub video).

(more…)

Bookmark to: