Fern Knight/Luigi Archetti/Odal/Blue Sausage Infant/Twilight Memories of Three Suns - Velvet Lounge - Sept 23 2009

This show is part of the Sonic Circuits Festival which has events in many clubs, embassies and even the Kennedy Center. The American Composers Forum has used this to showcase avante garde music and electronic music with new technologies, etc. They have expanded to become more inclusive of other styles and other crap, but we will get to that.

Fern Knight - What was to be the headliner turned out to be the opener. The three members told me they were less one member who was ill, so they decided just to do more experimental improvisation rather than their Fern Knight songs. So the version that hit the stage was an instrumental trio with violin, cello, and a percussionist. The strings were nicely treated with interesting pedal work by the violinist. The percussionist had a very small set of drums but did a nice job. All in all, it was a lovely set by 3/4 of a band that I had been quite familiar with for reasons I forget (and a couple I do remember).

Blue Sausage Infant - This was a one man and machine loop with noise effects, drum machines, synths and vocals. You know the drill. With such a limiting format, it was not bad. I suppose some will object to me calling this a limiting format as any format has lots of limits, but I really don't see this as much of a challenge. Still, this act was a bit better than most of the genre, to my ears.

Twilight Memories of Three Suns - I assume this was the band I saw next. The highlight was a guy dressed in a white plastic all covering suit looking a bit like a slimmed down Gort, I guess. He sat around the previous set confusing people who didn't see him come in as to whether there was a human in there. I will also assume that. The band took forever to set up and couldn't find some of their equipment. Then one guy asked if they should start without a band member. Were I to say what I was thinking, I would have said yes as it probably wasn't going to matter with the vibe I was getting from them. The music began, I guess, when some feedback came in. Pretty much noise hereafter from a few people doing god knows what as I was in the back and most of them were sitting on the stage. There was a guitar which didn't matter. I offer sets like this as proof of how little originality matters. I really get tired of the excuse that something isn't original. This is not truly original either, as many others have done this sort of crap. There wasn't one thing up there I heard, that anyone in the crowd couldn't have done. Profound. Let's break down the fourth wall. If that is the case, please don't leave your home next time. And as for a link, they apparently don't have a good one on the web which is good news for all, although there is something about an album.

At this point, I was bored, tired and spending time with my cat would be infinitely more enjoyable, although I was sorry to miss Luigi Archetti.

Quote of the Night: "I ended up using 411, so I probably cost you forty dollars."