Ever rent a place to put on a show?

[louderthangod]

I've got this idea about doing a sort of art installation/live music thing in kind of an atypical way. I don't want a stage. I want musicians spread out in different parts of the room and maybe even in different rooms depending on the place so that the audience can move around and get a different visual and sonic experience. It's not a typical sort of pop format music, it's more along the ambient/drone sort of thing. I'm in the SF bay area and trying to find places (if you happen to know of any I'd love the info) but this seems pretty tricky to pull off. If anyone has any experience doing something like this I'd like whatever you could offer. I'm not looking to make money off this and I'm fine with losing a few hundred bucks two or three times a year if this goes well. I'd also like to try something like this in LA, Portland or Seattle so if anyone is interested in collaborating in something like this I'd be down with that. Thanks.

[Chankgeez]

There was a thread about something similar a little while back. I'll see if I can find it.

[Chankgeez]

A shorter thread than I remembered:

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=39927&p=776862

[Chankgeez]

You probably wanna look at an art gallery as far as venues go. Unfortunately, I can offer no suggestions as to where in the Bay Area, but someplace suitable shouldn't be too hard to find. Try to get someone who's done something like this to help you plan it. Moving it to other cities presents even more of a problem unless you have well established help there locally.

These guys play in a circle:

http://animalhospitalmusic.com/animal-hospital-ensemble

As do others.

[louderthangod]

Very interesting stuff with both of them...both things I'd be interested in doing. One of my ideas with spreading people out is that I also want to spread out when we play. My current trio (guitar, violin, drums) would be something like 10-15 minutes of guitar....quiet, minimal drone. Then the violin comes in and it gets more melodic and intricate for another 10 or so minutes and then 20-30 of the full trio, loud, bombastic and then tear it all down. Each time the focus changes and the room becomes a different listening space as well as visual space with film projected and perhaps some paintings and such. In Oakland there's a whole street art walk thing with music and lots of galleries called First Friday's Art Murmur but I'd like to just do my own little thing before taking it to a bigger audience like that. Adding physics and space to drone is something I'm all about. If that was one this coast I'd definitely do whatever I could to get involved or at least attend.

[Chankgeez]

Guitar, violin & drums is a good trio.

There's a live Sirone record like the format you describe. The entire set is a series of unaccompanied solo sections. I think they finally all play together at the end, but it creates a lot of tension while you wait for it.

I think Anthony Braxton has also used the scattered performers approach on occasion.

Sounds like a great idea. I hope you can pull it off.

[doommeow]

Doesn't amoeba have performances on occasion? They might be open to something even more unconventional. You're also in an area rich with colleges - look for student art spaces.

And what about more traditional rehearsal spaces? I did something similar ages ago in Baltimore. My monthly studio space had an option to rent a large performance space by the hour...

[rot gut]

I've seen this done in LA, it's pretty messy.
You'll need a good PA in each room, something a lot of people in the bay don't have.
I think it would be easier to have an art show with bands playing.
Have the doors open an hour earlier so people can look at the art and then start the show after an hour.

[spacelordmother]

A shorter thread than I remembered:

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=39927&p=776862

Yeah. I got a job and went into a depression spiral so that petered out pretty quickly. Still think it's a good idea, but don't know if I'm the right guy to organize it!

There's a local organization that puts on an annual event like you're talking about:

http://www.ithacaunderground.com/event/ ... ise-5-csma

You should get ahold of Bubba and see if he has any pointers?

[Chankgeez]

That wasn't a knock on you, spacelordmother. I just thought we talked about it more and there was more info in the thread.

Putting on a show is never an easy undertaking. Lots of logistics.

[spacelordmother]

That wasn't a knock on you, spacelordmother. I just thought we talked about it more and there was more info in the thread.

Putting on a show is never an easy undertaking. Lots of logistics.

Nah man, I didn't take it that way at all. Wish it was a longer thread!