The Lab: August, 2022

As of this writing, there seem to be three musical events taking place at The Lab this month, each of which promises to be adventurous in its own way. As each of these articles reminds readers, The Lab is located in the Mission at 2948 16th Street, a short walk from the corner of Mission Street. The location is particularly good for those using public transportation, since that corner provides bus stops for both north-south and east-west travel as well as a BART station. Doors open half an hour before the concert is scheduled to begin; and, back before the pandemic, it was usually the case that a long line had accumulated prior to the opening. Specific information, including when the performance begins and a hyperlink to the event page that provides both background material and hyperlinks for ticket purchases, is as follows:

Wednesday, August 17, 8:30 p.m.: Circuit des Yeux has been the performing name for Haley Fohr over the course of her fifteen-year career. She is both a vocalist and a guitarist, as well as a composer. Her instrument is the twelve-string guitar, and her vocal range is four octaves. She is currently based in Chicago. However, she was recently commissioned by Opera North, the English opera company based in Leeds, to provide an original soundtrack for the silent film Salomé, which was created by Charles Bryant in 1923.

Bill Orcutt and Chris Corsano (photograph by Peter Gannushkin courtesy of The Lab)

Friday, August 26, 9 p.m.: This will be an improvised performance by the duo of percussionist Chris Corsano and guitarist Bill Orcutt. Orcutt was the founder of Harry Pussy, which began as a duo and grew to a trio. His acoustic guitar work draws on Southern folk sources. Corsano has released solo albums such as The Young Cricketer, Another Dull Dawn, and Cut. He has provided percussion for jazz artists such as Evan Parker and rock stars such as Björk.

Saturday, August 27, 9 p.m.: Hyunhye (Angela) Seo will conclude the month with a solo performance. Much of her work involves the creation of sound installations. Her recent solo album, Strands, explores abstract soundscapes built with processed percussion, improvisational piano, and dark ambient material. She also performs with the group Xiu Xiu, in which she extends the band’s visual themes to global diaspora, post-colonial spirituality and ritualism, and complex exotification/fetishization via videos.