Who knew year numbers could get so big? Yet here we are, even surpassing the rare OCTADIGIT PALINDROME date of 02/02/2020. (Not to mention Groundhog Day/Superbowl Sunday Octadigit Palindrome Day.)
The year previous was memorable for lots of good reasons. One, being released by my employer in March to re-discover the joys of having time to create. Two, the results of creative time: more time with my co-creators.
KOKUO at VAMP in Oakland, January – Kyle Bruckmann, Kanoko Nishi-Smith, and Jacob Felix Heule. We’ve been trying to release an album for awhile now.
EUPHOTIC tourette from SF to LA in April, with Cheryl Leonard and Bryan Day.
Wendy Reid’s AMBIENT BIRD 433 at Frank Ogawa Plaza, on a cold afternoon in April, with many many folks chirping in the chill air, to the delight/puzzlement of onlookers and homeless people
MICROFESTIVAL OF INSTANT COMPOSITION – Michael Fischer from Vienna provided the spark for this joyous occasion, with Matt Ingalls, Phillip Greenlief, gabby fluke-mogul, Kanoko Nishi-Smith, Kevin CK Lo, Lisa Mezzacappa, Brett Carson, Gino Robair, Kim Nucci, Jordan Glenn, J-F Heule, Karl Evangelista, and John Shiurba. Jordan Glenn has a nice post about it on his page.
Gino Robair’s UNPOPULAR ELECTRONICS – a series of interlocking sets with ROVA at Garden of Memory, in the memorable California Columbarium room (surrounded by the ashes of the departed), which turned into a complex, uninterrupted 4-hour collaborative piece, then a separate recording session, and — YAY! —concerts in San Francisco in June 2020! Stay tuned at Rova’s page.
Polly Moller’s TOMOGRAPHY FORTUNAE with 7 guys named Tom, at the Outsound Festival in July. Besides Djll, the Toms: Duff, Dambly, Dimuzio, Scandura, Nunn, Weeks!
Tim Rowe’s MY PAL KRUPA episode of “How to Play the Drums,” featuring my (mysteriously) highly regarded John Cage impersonation.
DAY AFTER THE DEAD INCANTATION, an arbitrary name I gave to this large group put together by Tom Nunn for the occasion of Ed Herrmann’s visit to the Bay Area (a much too infrequent occurrence), with Thomas Dimuzio, Andrew Voigt, David Michalak, Ron Heglin, Ed Herrmann, Scott Looney, and instrument maker/genius Tom Nunn. Video by Djll, in Nunn’s studio, which is why Djll does not appear in the video.
PGLRG playing Phillip Greenlief’s compositions and guided improvisations, at Center for New Music, and I’m still meeting new people! w/ Greenlief, Michael Dessen, gabby fluke-mogul, David Boyce, Thomas Dimuzio, Cory Wright, Mark Clifford, Kim Nucci, Matt Ingalls, J-F Heule, Sharkiface, (?) Cargill. A possibly larger orchestra did PG’s “Los Angeles” score in February 2020 at the Active Music Series in Oakland. Beautiful creations from a beautiful soul.
Birgit Ulher’s visit in November, which sparked a number of gigs and logistical improvising as well. A new trio was born out of it, with Bill Hsu and Matt Ingalls. We quite like the sounds we make together, which span the entire electronic and acoustic spectrum.
2020 got off to a great start with RDuck at KZSU on his New Year’s Eve SOUND WHEELS show, with Ernesto Diaz-Infante and Clarke Robinson.
Finally, Tender Buttons had a great week in February. Tania Caroline Chen made it happen, and four memorable shows resulted:
Godwaffle Noise Pancakes, 2/8 (no Gino – out sick)
KZSU Day of Noise, also 2/8 (also without Gino)
Stanford CCRMA, 2/13, with Gino and with video artist Bill Thibault! (very nice concert video at the link) Organizer Constantin did an outstanding job, and fellow CCRMA worker David Kerr treated us to wonderful late-night tapas in downtown Palo Alto.
Tom’s Place in Berkeley, 2/15, to a sold-out house. Tim Perkis and Madalyn Merkey delivered an breathtaking opening set.
