Re: [microsound] performan/anti-performance

[Brian Whitman <bwhitman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 16 Jun 2000, Miau-Miau International wrote:

> last night's fennesz/vladislav delay show at the brooklyn anchorage
> extended this to its logical limits. the artists apparently performed
> on some upper level of the space, not visible to the audience. large video
> screens displaying minimal video art provided sufficient visual stimulus.

While I was there; and I dug, I did not dig too long for the want of a
focus point. I am very old-fashioned in that regard, but the screens
(kick-ass as they were!) were much too static to have as the focus point.
The space was immense, it was beautiful, and the $15 charge definitely
paid for itself in experience points-- but: you are forced to either sit
down /stand in one spot (usually bad acoustics/hall mix, visually ho-hum,
questionable floor) or wander aimlessly (too crowded, disorienting)

I think we like seeing performers because by looking at them we know
anything can happen; the "powerbook can crash," the bassist can sway his
hips, strings can break. It's also nice seeing the drums and wires
physically hit that affect sound for everyone else in the room.

> an element of religious dogma at work: the listener had a "fennesz
> experience", but was content to take it on faith that the unseen and
> unseeable fennesz was "up there", somewhere.

Now, that I was into. Big ++ for the organizers of the show all around.

-Brian