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Re: Venues & Festivals for Experimental Music



www.eyedrum.org 
In Atlanta.

-----Original Message-----
From: Kris Hartung <khartung@cableone.net>
Sent: Oct 3, 2005 1:56 AM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Venues & Festivals for Experimental Music

This is more of a question for guys like Matt Davignon, the circuit
benders, and others (even Rick with some of his bizarre vocal material)
who perform really experimental sounding music. I am gradually starting
to teeter more toward this style of music with my guitar looping
ventures. And I don�t mean the "normal" improvisational or avant-garde
looping music that a lot of us do here on this group, but the really off
the deep in end, send-in-the-men-in-the-white-coats-to-get-me flavor of
experimental music. :)  I just enjoy playing like this and pushing the
limits, plus as I get older I find that I'm playing more for own
artistic gratification, regardless of the consequences. But on to the
real questions.
Basically, I am trying to integrate more of this type of experimental
music into my live shows here in Boise, like these:
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/518181.html
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/518279.html
http://www.box.net/public/khartung/files/241353.html
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/273282.html
�and I can take it even further than this, and desire to do so, but not
here. The problem is that I'm experimenting myself right out of a place
to play. Most coffee shops or similar caf� venues here in Boise feature
the typical folk, acoustic guitar singer, new agers, folk rock trios,
instrumentalists who play very melodic tunes that are pleasing the
common ear, or low key jazz combos. I can play outside and avant-garde
once in a while, but if I do this all of the time, I get some weird
looks, and quite honestly I question whether the venue owners are that
motivated bring me back if I keep playing one bizarre, abstract song
after another.  Hell, at my last gig, I had more people listening to me
on my internet broadcast than in the physical venue itself�that is a
clue to this puzzle here in Boise.  Most listeners just don't "get it",
and what I mean by "it" is the significance and artistic value of
experimental music.
I'm trying to do some things to remedy the situation. First, I created
an experimental music program for a local radio station, which airs
weekly. Second, I am in the initial planning phases of creating the
First Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival for Spring of '06. And
finally, I plan to host a quarterly internet broadcast performance
series of local musicians playing avant-garde music. I was even featured
I our local news paper as a rarity in the area, as an improvisational,
avant-garde, ambient looping guitarist�.did it generate any interest?
Not really. Not when competing with country music, jingle-jangle
contemporary folk rock bands, and classic rock groups, which currently
dominate the scene.
But this isn't enough. I need to get out and play more, not just host
events.  I played at Y2K4 and will be at Y2K5. I love these type of
events and I am eternally grateful to Rick for inviting me to this
event, as it really lifts my musical spirit and gives me a sense of
community, that I have peers in the world who are interesting in playing
a similar type of music as me. I am researching the Annual Olympia
(Washington) Experimental Music Festival to see what the potential is of
me playing next year. I am researching other festivals too.  The way I
am going now, I figure it is worth more of my time to play at 2-3
experimental or avant-garde music festivals a year out of state and do
my internet broadcast performance frequently, than to keep pushing the
coffeeshop and caf� venue scene here.  I am pretty much giving up on
Boise (population 200K) in terms of supporting a viable experimental
music scene. But I will continue to raise awareness of this style of
music locally and do what I can to create a few special or showcase
venues. And don't get me wrong, I don't expect hords of people to flock
to a venue to hear me or some other experimental musicians play atonal,
borderline noise music. But a small and supportive community would be
nice. It's just you need a population base and culture to foster this
type of scene without killing yourself to keep it alive.
Any thoughts from those of you playing experimental music on venues or
festivals? Where do you play? Do places like San Francisco, Seattle,
Portland, Boston, New York, and Chicago have venues that foster this
type of music?  I mean, are there places that regularly feature really
far out experimental music at these cities?
Cheers,

************************************************************************
**********************
Krispen Hartung
Improvisational / Avant-Garde Looping Guitarist 
http://www.krispenhartung.com
info@krispenhartung.com / 208-724-5603
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