Theatre Intangible

Track 1 Video Art Show This Friday Demands Your “ATTENTION” 06-20-2014

Concerts, Visual Arts, Wedgewood/Houston, Where to find Nashville avant-garde No Responses »

Jun 162014

Along with Light & Sound Machine at Third Man Records, the Track 1 building in Wedgewood/Houston is becoming one of the best places to see underground and experimental video art. Case in point: this video art show Friday, June 20th at 8:oo p.m.

Details from the press release:

WHAT: “ATTENTION”

In an effort to combat culturally induced impatience and shortened attention spans, student art collective Co. H presents ATTENTION, a juried, hour-long screening of video art. Time-based art (in other words, work that is to be experienced in duration) suffers as a result of this condition. As such, the work here is presented in succession, as a screening, rather than installed in space to be addressed in passing. ATTENTION features 15 videos from both students and professors working regionally in Nashville and Chattanooga, as well as from artists based nationally in Pennsylvania and New York.

ARTISTS:
Benjamin Anderson
Sharyn Bachleda
Keren Beddoe
Kellie Bornhoft
Bradley Braunschweig
Ann Catherine Carter & Tyler Blankenship
Elisha Farahmand
Holden Head
Morgan Higby-Flowers
Ron Lambert
Casey Payne
Angel Renta
William Stewart
Hannah Taylor
Chelsea Velaga

They really hit the nail on the head about the difficulties showing time-based art. “Bring Your Own Beamers” and such are great for creating a massive sensory assault, but they’re not great for highlighting each artist’s individual piece. On Friday at Track 1, you’ll be able to give each piece your attention without distraction.

Most of the names on the list are new to me, but I do notice Kellie Bornhoft and Morgan Higby-Flowers, who participated in the 2014 Circuit Benders’ Ball; Ann Catherine Carter, an artist and musician who is taking over for Veronica Kavass as the gallery director at The Packing Plant; and Tyler Blankenship, filmmaker, musician, and chief archivist of the current Nashville art scenes.

More info on the Facebook event page.

“ATTENTION” Video Art Show
Friday, June 20, reception at 8 p.m., screening at 9 p.m.

@ Track One Building
(4th Avenue South and Chestnut)
1211 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37210

Hypericon Speculative Fiction Convention is Happening NOW!

Concerts, Making, Off Topic, Visual Arts No Responses »

Jun 132014

The 9th edition of the Hypericon speculative fiction convention is happening right now at the Holiday Inn Express near the Nashville International Airport. The festivities continue through the weekend. Highlights include the “Spam Slam” spam-mail-as-poetry-reading, Bad First Line competition, and Costume Contest. Check the full schedule for more info!

Hypericon 9
June 13th -15th 2014
Fest pass is $50, Saturday-only is $30; Sunday-only is $10, Night passes good from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. are $10.

@ Holiday Inn Express Airport
1111 Airport Center Dr, Nashville, TN

New Dialect Dance Collective Throws “Contact Jam” Saturday Morning 06-14-2014

Concerts, Visual Arts No Responses »

Jun 132014

New Dialect is a Nashville contemporary dance collective founded by Banning Bouldin. Tomorrow night, they’re throwing a “contact jam” led by my good friend Erin Law. (You may have seen Erin’s performance art show You’re a Winner last year on the Noa Noa back porch.)

What the heck is a contact jam? The New Dialect event page explains:

Contact Improvisation (CI) came into existence in the early 1960s and was developed, expanded, and promoted primarily by Steve Paxton and Nancy Stark Smith among countless others who have since joined the CI community. Its creators have at times resisted defining the form, stating the very nature of CI is in the “doing.” Most simply, it can be described as an extemporaneous form of movement most often done with a partner or small group of people. Within the partnership or small group, various aspects of falling, touch, weight-sharing, lifting, and decision-making in the moment are explored. Many do not consider CI to be a “performance form;” rather it is seen as a communal form of movement in which the experiences of the movers are central.

A jam is an extended improvisation during which dancers explore the possibilities of movement while embracing the unpredictability of each moment. It is an opportunity to “learn through doing” and a practice of problem-solving though making non-verbal decisions. Through this format we have the opportunity to experience longer dances in the form of solos, duets, small groups, or the full group, while expanding and sharpening our sensory awareness as kinesthetic beings. The jam is a celebration of individual and community; there are no “wrong answers” (unless there is intent is to hurt someone.) There is always the opportunity to exit and take a break and re-enter when ready.

Erin told me that she’s also looking for sound artists to join in, so bring your instruments and move your fingers if you’re uncomfortable moving your feet.

The contact jam goes down at Nashville Friends Meeting House Saturday, June 14th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $15.

Erin is also teaching a contact improvisation workshop June 16th -2oth. Details about the workshop are here.

New Dialect Contact Improvisation Jam
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., participants 16 & up, $15

@ Friends Meeting House (map)
506 26th Ave N
Nashville, TN, 37209
United States

Noa Noa House Venue Goes on Hiatus

Concerts, Noa Noa No Responses »

Jun 102014

Beef Oven live at Noa Noa

You might know that I occasionally host shows at my house venue Noa Noa. For several years, my roommate Tommy Stangroom (who moved out in March) and I would lend our basement and backyard to local and touring experimental and rock n’ roll bands.

My current housemate and I decided to put house shows on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. The final show will be Saturday, June 21st, 2014 for Regdar and the Fighters, AllOne, Cher Von, and Mr. Collins’ Bollocks. We’re doing this so that we can focus on personal projects. We do still hope to occasionally host small gatherings at our place — game nights and whatnot.

I’m also putting my show-booking at other venues on hiatus. If a band asks you for recommendations for people in Nashville to contact about booking shows, I’d like to request that you do not include me in that list. Booking shows and meeting people from around the world has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I don’t regret a single show I’ve helped book. I just want time to focus on other stuff.

If you’re an out-of-town band looking for a show in Nashville, I’ve compiled a list of venues to contact. I am not including house venues or names of individuals because I don’t want to give out their contact info without permission. Here’s the list of places I’ve had success booking shows in the past:

Betty’s Grill, 407 49th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209, (615) 297-7257, call or message on Facebook.
Dino’s Grill, 411 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206, (615) 226-3566, call.
Cafe Coco, 210 Louise Ave, Nashville, TN 37203, (615) 321-2626, see page for booking instructions.
The Stone Fox, 712 51st Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209, (615) 953-1811, booking@thestonefoxnashville.com, call or e-mail.
The End, 2219 Elliston Pl., Nashville, TN,(615) 321-4457, booking@endnashville.com, call Mon–Sat / 12n–5pm or e-mail.
The Springwater, 407 49th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209, (615) 297-7257, see page for booking instructions.
The East Room, 2412 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN 37206, (615) 335-3137, BenJonesEastRoom@gmail.com, call or e-mail.

Be forewarned, if you don’t have some sort of following, most of the venues will not reply to your messages. They get inundated with requests. But if you contact enough venues, if you’re good, and if you provide links to your music (Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, etc), you just might receive a few replies. Make it clear to them that you know you’re responsible for bringing the fans in. Venues can grow weary of being blamed for nobody showing up when the out-of-town acts didn’t put in the work to promote the show. Yes, I know, in a perfect world, the venues themselves would promote the show. But outside of a mention on their show calendar page and maybe a Facebook event page, they don’t. So you need to.

I also recommend asking local bands to share the bill with you. They’re often the best connection for finding a place to play. Also, take some time to research the local scene. Ask around (not me 😉 ) where house shows are happening these days.

Also seek out unconventional spaces. Some of the best shows I’ve seen in Nashville have been at art galleries, warehouses, and restaurants.

I hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

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