Thanks to DIY Danna for putting on the show. And Attic Ted for asking me to play.
THE CONCEPT:
The show was a semi linear, start from nothing and build, representative of a progression. Where NBB came from, where NBB is, where NBB is going. From acepella vocal exercise to noise/field recording with only voice to more beat oriented and structured collaborations.
My old outlet was described best by my dear friend Willis Dyer: "One of the things I think make for great art is the seamless combination of what's obscure and what's familiar. I think you blend those two things beautifully in your music, with your re-appropriation of old songs sung over ambient dissonance. You have such control and discipline and feeling when you sing, and I think it's your forte as an artist."
There was this. I did my very own version of Phil Spector(via The Teddy Bears, thenn the Beatles)'s "To Know Him Is To Love Him" over a digital recording of my friend reading a letter email out loud and a found tape (by Chad) of a woman talking to the tape recorder as if it was her old lover-- which I had pre-manipulated manually. I had put these and the other backing tracks into a loop petal as phrases. (see diagram below)
Nanobangbang will be departing from this sound; this show marked the passage of that era which I may only pay homage to at future shows. Very happy to have been asked in time to perform this -alone music- before moving on to more collaborative and structured work.
THE VISION:
Everyone "on stage" was to dress in black & white. This Everyone Included:
me, Eric Tierkunde, Winston Reed, Sam Gary, Chad Allen, [Kevin Adickes rendered a last minute absence due to recording for Moth!Fight!, so I did the Flutter & Bounce a duet solo]
and...
The Liddell sisters reading.
I decided since I was solo enough of the time, to use people as props in order to divert some attention off me and create an image that could provoke a thought-- so I had The Liddle sisters reading. I found Annecy's black & white silky unique looking dress from Goodwill and Hannah's black & white birded silk blouse from Goodwill as well, and she provided her skirt. They both brought their own books. Lots of people commented on that after the show-- their ideas of what it represented etc. A guy talked to me about how he thought it was about the Catholic religion; reminded him of Catholic school. (The happened to be library books).
THE VENUE:
I found the Parlor to be an ideal venue for a low pressure arrangement. I always thought Nanobangbang's first show should be there. I happen to like pizza and beer too.
But what Nanobangbang has in mind is a little more theatrical than the Parlor's aesthetics can allow.
---
Set List with Petal reference guide:
Notes on drums and noise for NBB's version of Roy Orbison's Crying:
Tentitive Set list with sunlike loop petal diagram:
Thank you for reading! Hopefully see you next show-- I have some bookings in the works. Will be back to let you know when and where. Most definitely Quacks (38th), hopefully The Opera House before it closes: maybe at the closing show.
[upcoming: post on sadness of the opera house closing]
I want to do it at Salvage Vanguard Theatre (Church of the Friendly Ghost) and/or The Blue Theatre and play up the more theatrical components. In fact, I have this whole furniture installation in my head I'd like to see. With people as props again-- but this time more active. I want to re-create that film noir scene where everyone is at a cocktail party-- waitresses come around with drinks for real, people sit among each other, then we perform inside that environment but on stage. Think Rita Hayworth.
OH! Speaking of film noir. Chad & I did our cover of The Long Goodbye. The song done many styles in Robert Altman's movie rendition of Raymond Chandler's novel: The Long Goodbye.
Thanks for letting me share all those thoughts with you,
Nanobangbang
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