The Bowery Presents

The Bowery Ballroom upcoming shows

Vic Chesnutt Band Feat. Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) and members of Thee Silver Mt. Zion / Godspeed you! black emperor and Witchies

Clare And The Reasons / Liz Durrett

Venue:
The Bowery Ballroom
Date:
Mon 10/26
Notes:
18+
Doors: 8:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
$15 advance / $18 day of show
Tickets
Vic Chesnutt
official website
myspace
Though Michael Stipe had been a fan of Vic Chesnutt since the late '80s, producing his first two full-lengths, it took the Sweet Relief Two tribute album to make a star of him in mid-1996. The album featured artists such as Madonna, Hootie & the Blowfish, Smashing Pumpkins and R.E.M. covering the songs of Chesnutt, a paraplegic who was injured in a car accident when he was 18. The singer/songwriter began playing contemporary acoustic folk around Athens, GA soon after his injury.
--John Bush
Guy Picciotto
myspace
Born in D.C. on September 17, 1965, it was a local Cramps show in 1979 that inspired Picciotto to get involved in the punk scene (strangely enough, MacKaye was at the same show and also lists it as a life-changing event), while further Clash and Bad Brains gigs convinced him to form his own band. Soon after, Picciotto befriended school classmate/drummer Brendan Canty, resulting in the formation of such obscure groups as Black Light Panthers and Insurrection. It was also around this time that Picciotto first met MacKaye, right around the time of the formation of hardcore groundbreakers Minor Threat. As a result, MacKaye signed Canty and Picciotto's next group, the Rites of Spring, to Minor Threat's label, Dischord. Formed during the spring of 1984, the Rites of Spring was an incredibly short lived group, who only managed to issue a full length (1985's Rites of Spring) and a seven inch single (1986's four-track All Through a Life), but proved to be incredibly influential, especially years later with emocore bands. Canty and bassist Joe Lally formed a new group with their pal MacKaye in 1987, and it didn't take long for the trio to invite Picciotto onboard as well, resulting in the formation of Fugazi. Few rock groups can claim to be as uncompromising as Fugazi has been since their inception, as they became renowned for their penchant for keeping record and ticket prices to their shows affordable, and continually turning down offers to jump to a major label. Like Minor Threat and Rites of Spring before it, Fugazi instantly became one of underground rock's most respected and influential outfits, especially on the strength of such classic releases as 1990's 13 Songs, 1990's Repeater, and 1993's In on the Killtaker. Additionally, Picciotto has found the time to work with other bands -- lending a hand in either producing, engineering, or mixing albums by such bands as Blonde Redhead, Chisel, Make Up, and Quix*o*tic, and has also made super 8 movies (Silly Game, Please Cry, etc.).
Thee Silver Mt. Zion
official website
myspace
Thee Silver Mt. Zion is a mostly instrumental Montreal chamber rock group of musicians from Godspeed You Black Emperor!, including GYBE! guitarist Efrim (who focuses more on piano in this band), violinist Sophie, bassist Thierry, and guests. Efrim began writing the music in early 1999 and A Silver Mt. Zion played their first show in early March of that year. The group -- along with occasional guests Aidan (drummer, also of Godspeed and Exhaust), Gordon Krieger (clarinetist in Exhaust), and guitarist Sam Shalabi -- began recording A Silver Mt. Zion's debut album by November. He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms was released in March 2000 on the independent Montreal imprint Constellation, also home to GYBE! albums.
--by Joslyn Layne
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
myspace
The instrumental, multimedia Montreal group Godspeed You Black Emperor! creates extended, repetition-oriented chamber rock. The minimal and patient builds-to-crescendo of the group's compositions result in a meditative and hypnotic listen that becomes almost narrative when combined with found-sound splices and the films of their visual collaborators. GYBE! formed in 1994, and that year self-released a limited-run (33 copies) cassette entitled All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling. The band's next recording, F#A#(Infinity), was initially a limited-run release of 550 LPs on the Canadian label Constellation, but was picked up by Kranky and released onto CD as well. Early 1999 brought the EP Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada (released by both labels) and increased recognition for a band intent on retaining anonymity. Nevertheless, interest in GYBE! only continued to grow among new music fans with much positive attention from The Wire magazine, the band's participation in the John Peel-produced Peel Session for the London BBC, and the group's consistently impressive live shows, including their performance at Quebec's 1999 new music festival FIMAV and the tour with Labradford later that year. GYBE! performances generally include at least nine or more musicians and a projectionist. The instrumentation consists of three guitars, two basses, French horn, violin, viola, cello, and percussion. 2000 brought about the release of Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, pushing their diverse orchestral rock sound even further into the universe.
Witchies
myspace
The Witchies are a Montréal-based band consisting of Chad Jones (guitar/vocals), Nadia Moss (keyboard/bass) and Jonah Fortune (drums). Their sound is reminiscent of the dark power-pop of the late 60s and early 70s.
Clare & The Reasons
official website
myspace
Brooklyn-based Clare and the Reasons, fronted by collaborators Clare and Olivier Manchon, is pleased to announce the release of their sophomore album, Arrow, out October 20th on Frog Stand Records. Arrow features a special guest appearance from Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, and is the followup to their acclaimed debut LP, The Movie, which included contributions from Van Dyke Parks and Sufjan Stevens. Clare and the gang have spent the past two years touring around the world in support of The Movie. Live, they have a steady list of contributors (the ‘Reasons, including members of The National and Beirut), with a lot of instruments– cellos, violas, things to hit, kazoos, baby kotos, saws, recorders. It took a bit of wood, nails and many blankets to make Arrow in a recording tent built in the Ditmas Park apartment of Clare and the Reasons’ neighbor, friend and engineer, Alex Venguer. Clare and the Reasons deliver an assortment of meticulously constructed and arranged songs, most written by Clare in her very own kitchen, arranged by Olivier in the living room with two cats by his side, and recorded with surgical precision with the help of “Reason” Bob Hart. Walking the line between musical maturity and sophistication and primal, childlike musical instincts, Arrow floats in both worlds, comfortably. Clare and the Reasons will be touring North America in support of Arrow starting in late October with The Vic Chesnutt Band (featuring Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and members of Thee Silver Mt. Zion). Van Dyke Parks says, “Clare is the Reasons’ raison d’être. Melodious et mysterieux–(the group) defines esprit de corps. (wrapped in) elegant arrangements for your dream escape— Chamber music with edge. Get this Visa to real musical adventure. Totally transportive!”
Liz Durrett
official website
myspace
Produced and arranged by indie rock icon Erich Bachmann (Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers, Azure Ray), Outside Our Gates represents a sonic leap forward for Liz Durrett. With Bachman on board, Durrett's once spare, acoustic downbeats have been supplanted by a more textured and diverse orchestra of sounds. A virtual cacophany of instruments are here, including (but not limited to) tiny nylon-string guitars, backwards electric feedback loops, pizzicato violins, plucky cellos, upright bass, wurlitzers, accordions, grand space pianos and marching drums. Bachmann's score somehow harmonizes these elements seamlessly to provide the perfect setting for Durrett's near dream-state writings and softly unsettling voice. Additional performances by Vic Chesnutt, Brian Causey (Man or Astro-Man?), Amanda Kapousouz (Tin Cup Prophette) and members of Ham1.
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