| Dogs Blood Rising (MIKAELA PEARSON, JIM LAMPOS, THOMAS LAIL, HAJJI MAJER AND BOB LUKOMSKY) Lucky Cat Cafe, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York January 31, 2004 |
According to Conventional Wisdom, avant-garde and experimental music is an arid intellectual exercise. You may find it “edifying” or “interesting,” but never “entertaining” or “fun.” Angelique Turner (Princess Coldheart), the promotional mastermind behind tonight’s event, must have been absent the day they dispensed this truism. Dogs Blood Rising is both avant-garde and accessible, experimental and enjoyable. This is due in no small part to their venue. Too many experimental events take place in sterile, uncomfortable spaces that look like the bastard child of an art gallery and a Stockholm public toilet, with staff whose moods run the gamut from indifferent to surly. The Lucky Cat is warm and welcoming, with comfortable couches, smiling bartenders, and a “coffeehouse” vibe. This helps put patrons in a relaxed mood, the better to appreciate more challenging music and multimedia performances. Tonight’s events begin with a solo performance by Mikaela Pearson, lead singer for Curse. Accompanying herself on an autoharp, Mikaela treats us to her arrangements of Papago Indian chants and the Orphic Hymn to Night, as well as poems from lesser-known but greatly talented women. Anne Kiligrew’s “Farewell to Unsubstantial Joyes” (written not long before she died of smallpox) may well be the most Gothic poem written in the 17th century. These poem/songs are accompanied by projections from computer/multimedia artist Adam Kendall of Hellbender Film Project for a blending of ancient and modern that ultimately becomes timeless. At first glance, Jim Lampos would appear to be a strange choice for an evening like this. He’s a classic “roots-rock” musician, doing an acoustic set which owes more to *Nashville Skyline* era Bob Dylan than to David Tibet. All doubts fade once Jim strums the eerie opening chords to “Franklin’s Milestone.” This is American folk—a combination of Elizabethan-era popular song with African-American blues. It’s plain-spoken and unaffected and haunting as cold breezes whistling through tarpaper shacks. Lampos follows up with a Blind Willie McTell blues tune, then “Ithaca,” a soft ballad that crackles with unspoken tension. In some ways, this is the most “experimental” set of the evening... and the most successful. It’s the last thing you’d expect to hear at an avant-garde event... which, of course, is quite in keeping with the spirit of the avant-garde. Thomas Lail, Hajji Majer and Bob Lukomsky are more in the “classical avant-garde” vein. Hajji and Thom play guitars while Bob provides accompaniment on keyboard, iBook and various other toys. Their music owes a great eal to free jazz and improv; cut loose from the restrictions of chord progression and tonality, the performers are left to create a structure on their own. The first installment of their piece seems to be a voyage of discovery. They meander about, never really finding the Perfect Groove. Things pick up during the second half, a piece which has the grandeur of classic Godspeed You Black Emperor! with a harder, more metallic edge. It’s an interesting chance to watch the creative process in action; their set succeeds as a whole, despite (or because of) the moments where the musicians don’t entirely gel. Dogs Blood Rising has been operating for over six months now ... an eternity in New York’s fiercely competitive club scene, particularly for a night where you’re more likely to hear Psychic TV and Current 93 than Covenant and Beborn Beton. It’s a courageous event which is succeeding in a city where many “safer” cookie-cutter-Goth-by-Numbers events have failed. Its continuing success is proof that you can both challenge and entertain an audience... a lesson which many other promoters here and elsewhere would do well to learn. see all the photos from this concert here The Lucky Cat Cafe Dogs Blood Rising Curse Official Website Jim Lampos Hellbender Film Projekt |