This will be another busy week on the Bleeding Edge. The only event that has already been announced is the one that will take place one week from today. This will be Is That Your Final Answer?, which will conclude Earplay’s 41st season. Hopefully, by now, most readers will recall that the title of the season was Answering The Unanswered Question, inspired by Charles Ives’ enigmatic orchestral composition, “The Unanswered Question.” Prior to that performance, there will be a generous number of other events as follows:
Tuesday, May 19, 7 p.m., Make-Out Room: This month’s Jazz at the Make-Our Room program will be divided equally between two sets. The opening set will be The Holly Martins with instrumentalists Kasey Knudsen on saxophone and Eric Vogler on guitar providing backup for vocalist Lorin Benedict. The second set will be led by percussionist Graham Viegut, and the other members of his ensemble have not yet been announced. As usual, there will be no cover charge, meaning that donations will be accepted (not to mention welcome). For those unfamiliar with the venue, it is located in the Mission at 3225 22nd Street.
Wednesday, May 20, 6 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: This will be the latest installment in Free Wednesdays programming at the venue. The performance will take place in the current exhibition: Diedrick Brackens: gather tender night. Composer, singer, and songwriter Willie Alexander III will perform in this space. He works with music that is layered, intimate, and resonant, conceived with the goal of enhancing the visual impact of the exhibit. This will probably be another familiar venue for most readers, located at 701 Mission Street.
Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., Center for New Music (C4NM): Composer Neil Rolnick will perform selections that he recorded for his upcoming album, Messages. His music is based on phone messages from his late wife. It also reflects on his loss of hearing in his left ear. General admission will be $15 with a $10 rate for C4NM members and students. This will be yet another familiar venue, located at 55 Taylor Street, just north of Market Street.
Friday, May 22, 7 p.m., Medicine for Nightmares: For this week’s Other Dimensions in Sound program, reed player David Boyce will lead a trio, enhancing his performance with electronic effects. Rhythm will be provided by Bryan Dean on electric bass and drummer Brian Rodvien. As always, the venue is located in the Mission at 3036 24th Street, between Treat Avenue and Harrison Street. There is no charge for admission, presumably to encourage visitors to consider buying a book.
Saturday, May 23, noon, Center for New Music: This will be the monthly G|O|D|W|A|F|F|L|E|N|O|I|S|E|P|A|N|C|A|K|E|S event with the usual opportunity to enjoy vegan pancakes while listening to “bleeding edge” music. It appears that this month there will be five sets with “bleeding edge” eccentricities in the names as follows:
- Mephitick Ooze (visiting from Massachusetts)
- Fowl Figures
- Madame Varga
- Mission Hypnotic
- Shuttered
Admission will be $10 with a $6 rate for members and students. For those that do not yet know, the venue is located at 55 Taylor Street, just north of Market Street.
Saturday, May 23, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Mr Tipple’s: It appears that this site has not accounted for saxophonist Steven Lugerner since November of 2023, when he presented his Boundary Pushers series of four programs. He now leads the SLUGish (note the capital letter from his name) Ensemble, which explores the synthesis of jazz, chamber music, and experimental sounds. Lugerner leads on both bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, performing with a diverse rhythm section consisting of Justin Rock on guitar, pianist Rumi Abe, Michael Potter on synthesizer, bassist Isaac Coyle, and Michael Mitchell on drums. This is another familiar venue, located in the Civic Center at 39 Fell Street.
Saturday, May 23, 8 p.m., Gray Area Art and Technology: Errorgrid will present the second installment of its DATA/LOSS showcase series, which will bring Portland and Bay Area artists together for “a night filled with curated raw audiovisual oblations.” The series is a “dark electronica showcase exploring the erosion of data and the loss of form.” The performance will take place in the Grand theatre, located in the Mission at 2665 Mission Street.
Sunday, May 24, 2 p.m., San Francisco Public Library, Main Library: Composer Terry Riley was born on June 24, 1935, meaning that last year he celebrated his 90th birthday. Before his next birthday comes along, pianist Sarah Cahill will present a recital organized around his compositions. The program will include the first set of Keyboard Studies, composed in 1964, “Fandango on the Heaven Ladder,” and “Be Kind to One Another.” Cahill’s program will also include the Shade Studies composed by Samuel Adams and Danny Clay’s Circle Songs. The performance will take place in the Latino Room on the lower level; and (of course) there will be no charge for admission.
Donald Robinson preparing his drums for this Sunday’s performance in North Beach (from the BayImproviser Web page for this event)
Sunday, May 24, 2 p.m., Jack Kerouac Alley: At exactly the same time, there will be a “Music and Poetry Celebration” on the other side of town (so to speak). Those unfamiliar with the venue will have no trouble finding it after visiting the City Lights Bookstore in North Beach at 261–271 Columbus Avenue. The music will be provided by the trio of Bruce Ackley on soprano saxophone, drummer Donald Robinson, and Eric Hunt on bass.
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