Monday, November 27, 2017

The Bleeding Edge: 11/27/2017

Now that the feast food and leftovers have been consumed and digested, it is time for adventurous music-making to get back on track. Much of this week’s activity has already been given an account as follows:
December 1: the first of many concerts being given this month at the Red Poppy Art House
Competing events for what may be this month’s only weekend of hard choices: sfSoundGroup at the Center for New Music, Saturday and Sunday concerts at The Lab, and the latest SIMM Series installment
Nevertheless, there are three remaining events, one of which I fear is a result of a lapse of attention on my part. Specifics are as follows:

Thursday, November 30, 8 p.m., Luggage Store Gallery: This is the one item that should have been posted sooner. The Luggage Store Creative (LSC) Music Series will follow the usual two-set format. The first set will be a duo improvisation bringing Tim Perkis’ work with live electronic gear together with percussionist Suki O’Kane. The second set will feature Kattt Atchley, who will perform a series of duets, each with a different partner. Those partners will be her husband Kenneth, Claudia La Rocco, and Susan Gevirtz. In addition Kenneth will engage his electronic gear for a duo improvisation with saxophonist Phillip Greenlief. The Luggage Store Gallery is at 1007 Market Street, directly across from the Golden Gate Theatre at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Taylor Street. As always admission will be on a sliding scale between $6 and $15.

Friday, December 1, 9 p.m., Gray Area: I have to confess that my filter for Gray Area has a finer mesh than it does for other venues. This is because they tend to be relatively sparing in the information that they supply; and, when I read that information, I often get the impression that they are more interested is providing a club scene, rather than a refuge for serious listeners with adventurous tastes. In this particular case, however, it looks as if the listeners will be the primary beneficiaries.

The event is a visit from Laurel Halo, who was born in Michigan but is currently based in Berlin (as in Germany). Her latest album, Dust, was recently released by Hyperdub Records. Halo is a vocalist who subjects her vocalizations to a vast array of electronic processing techniques. She will perform with percussionist Eli Keszler, who is one of the contributors to the Dust album. There will also be contributions by house and techno producer Taraval, percussionist E. M. Malinowski (who performs as Experimental Housewife), and virtual artist Chelly Sherman.

The Gray Area Art And Technology Theater is located in the Mission at 2665 Mission Street. General admission will be $25 at the door. However, tickets may be purchased in advance online through an Eventbrite event page at which the charge is $20. This will be an extended event that is expected to run for about five hours. Only those aged 21 or older will be admitted.

Monday, December 4, 8:30 p.m., Make Out Room: Finally, it is not too soon to prepare for the Monday Make-Out at the Make Out Room, which takes place on the first Monday of every month. This will follow the usual format of three sets of adventurous jazz. Each set will be structured around a duo. Saxophonist and composer Beth Schenck will team with Matt Wrobel on guitar for music that definitely blurs the boundary between jazz and chamber music. (The two of them call themselves The Guthrie Project.) They will be followed by improvisations by cellist Crystal Pascucci and percussionist Scott Amendola. The final set will be a retrospective account of the music of Carla Bley and Annette Peacock. The performers will be Alison Niedbalski and Ross Peacock, who are likely to be joined by other players.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts half an hour later. The Make Out Room is located at 3225 22nd Street in the Mission, near the southwest corner of Mission Street. The Make Out Room is a bar. That means that tickets are not sold, nor is there a cover charge. Nevertheless, a metaphorical hat is passed between sets; and all donations are accepted, not to mention welcome!

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