| « SXSW Tour Diary 2008, #5 | Still Slitty » |
Concert Sat Mar 15 2008
Sunday evening, coming down - experimental music in Wicker Park
above: Why are all these men in obvious distress?
Sunday's not normally a go-out-to-the-shows kind of night, especially if you've still got a mouthful of green teeth and a Throbby O'Hangover that will not vacate. Still, it should be noted that Sunday night at Enemy (1550 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 3rd floor), an evening of top-quality experimental music will be going down, with a lineup that features some seldom-seens. Show starts at 7 p.m. SHARP due to noise considerations in the neighborhood, so don't dawdle! $5 at the door, BYOB.
Shattered Hymen, the one-man digital noise guise of Vadim Sprikut, abandons moment-by-moment electroacoustic constructions for a thunderous wall of highly-polished oblivion. His sole release (that I am aware of) is a limited-edition cassette tape (Surrounded by Wolves) on Chicago's Nihilist label. It will hopefully be for sale.
Howard Stelzer brings his prepared walkmans, mountains of cassette tapes, and minimal effects setup all the way from Boston for a rare Chicago appearance. His new solo album, Bond Inlets (released on his own Intransitive Recordings imprint) will no doubt be for sale. If you're familiar with his prior recordings, you may be surprised by the expansive, full-flowing landscapes that pour forth here - it's the next stage of his evolution following his more minimal, event-dominated affairs of his past. Stage I (1998-2006): refine your tools; Stage II (2006-present): tell masterful stories.
Chicago native Dan Burke doesn't bring his Illusion of Safety project around for live performances that often anymore, but it's always an amazing event when it happens. Creating disorienting pictures of urban chaos and decay for 25 years, IOS celebrates '08 with the release of a new 10-inch vinyl record titled Sedation and Quell. It's been released by the sturdy CIP label of Chicago. It, too, will be on hand.
Most importantly, all three of these projects are very keen to hang out and talk about what they do, so stay around after the show and chat. This should prove to be an intellectually stimulating and relaxing come-down after a long, busy weekend.
