This breaks my heart.
I just found out about this show tonight in Portland:
Blixa Bargeld
Jarboe (from the Swans)
Portland-local Tuvan throat singer Soriah
The show is being held at a 123-year-old church.
$15 in advance, $18 at the door. Too dear for me.
*cries*
EDIT: Thanks to the magic of conure_ifau, I got to go after all, and my friend Brian who told me about the show came along too. OMFG. Jarboe went on last, around 11pm, and her solo work is sort of breathy ambient songs that almost put me to sleep. It had already been three hours since the evening's program began, so I just spaced out, I admit. Blixa, however, was both amazing in what he can do with just his voice and effects pedals ("I vill attempt zu recreate ze solar system. You all vill be ze gamma ray beckground."), as well as enormously amusing in his onstage patter. I feel that I have truly lived, now that Blixa Bargeld has nearly shattered my eardrums with his own amplified, modulated screeching. Blixa, Sie haben eine Stimme wie ein schreckliche Tier, das im Hinterhalt liegt -- und bald springt.
As for the first act, Soriah -- HOLY SHIT. This was the night's pleasant surprise; I confess I don't generally give opening acts the attention I give headliners, but Soriah commanded it from the moment he walked in the door, draped in white fabrics, head obscured by a gauzy veil, with a candle in a glass cup tied to his head, complementing the candelabra and row of candles lighting up the stage inside the church. I have never seen Tuvan throat singing live before. The booming harmonics of it projected like hell, even after the mics shorted out... and even though he was facing the church's organ. Yes. Imagine Tuvan throat singing, in all its amazingness. Now pair it with a church pipe organ (25 stops). He was actually rather restrained in his use of the organ, generally using just one note as a cantus firmus to his singing, because otherwise the organ would have completely drowned him out. But WOW what a genius pairing.
This evening was part of the How To Destroy The Universe festival, in its first Portland incarnation (I believe it originated in San Francisco). Blixa made the universe, and Blixa unmade the universe. All shall be destroyed using only the human voice.
Blixa Bargeld
Jarboe (from the Swans)
Portland-local Tuvan throat singer Soriah
The show is being held at a 123-year-old church.
$15 in advance, $18 at the door. Too dear for me.
*cries*
EDIT: Thanks to the magic of conure_ifau, I got to go after all, and my friend Brian who told me about the show came along too. OMFG. Jarboe went on last, around 11pm, and her solo work is sort of breathy ambient songs that almost put me to sleep. It had already been three hours since the evening's program began, so I just spaced out, I admit. Blixa, however, was both amazing in what he can do with just his voice and effects pedals ("I vill attempt zu recreate ze solar system. You all vill be ze gamma ray beckground."), as well as enormously amusing in his onstage patter. I feel that I have truly lived, now that Blixa Bargeld has nearly shattered my eardrums with his own amplified, modulated screeching. Blixa, Sie haben eine Stimme wie ein schreckliche Tier, das im Hinterhalt liegt -- und bald springt.
As for the first act, Soriah -- HOLY SHIT. This was the night's pleasant surprise; I confess I don't generally give opening acts the attention I give headliners, but Soriah commanded it from the moment he walked in the door, draped in white fabrics, head obscured by a gauzy veil, with a candle in a glass cup tied to his head, complementing the candelabra and row of candles lighting up the stage inside the church. I have never seen Tuvan throat singing live before. The booming harmonics of it projected like hell, even after the mics shorted out... and even though he was facing the church's organ. Yes. Imagine Tuvan throat singing, in all its amazingness. Now pair it with a church pipe organ (25 stops). He was actually rather restrained in his use of the organ, generally using just one note as a cantus firmus to his singing, because otherwise the organ would have completely drowned him out. But WOW what a genius pairing.
This evening was part of the How To Destroy The Universe festival, in its first Portland incarnation (I believe it originated in San Francisco). Blixa made the universe, and Blixa unmade the universe. All shall be destroyed using only the human voice.