Big Ears 2024

[NogbadTheBad]

Just noticed that Faun Fables time changed from 2:15 to 12:45 (now I probably can't see them...). Gonna dig in and see if I can find what else has shifted.

Edit: A few others had shifted a little. Two were at OCPAC, so look out if you were going to anything at that venue. Ahleuchatistas time changed slightly.

Yup, now conflicts with Trevor Dunn so I'll probably miss them (have seen them before), I can now see John Paul Jones now.

[zappaeverafter]

Just noticed that Faun Fables time changed from 2:15 to 12:45 (now I probably can't see them...). Gonna dig in and see if I can find what else has shifted.

Edit: A few others had shifted a little. Two were at OCPAC, so look out if you were going to anything at that venue. Ahleuchatistas time changed slightly.

Three acts on my schedule affected. It possibly impacts Medeski, Russo, Ribot for me.

[markwoll]

Babalu, I had been meaning to try that place. Hopefully Conga line is optional.

[flytomars]

A change to Thursday plans (Tomato Head will now not take reservations during the festival).

Wednesday - 7:00 PM - reservation under Brad

https://fin-two.com/

Thursday - 3:00 PM - reservation under Larry

https://babaluknox.com/

Apologies for any confusion.

After dinner we can go to the BE pre-party?
Just got a notification that on 20:30 there is a free show at Barleys

[neuroticdog]

Schedule for tonite:

Dinner and 3pm (mom would be proud of me)

Zoe Keating

Ronin

Fred Frith Drawing Sound

best
Michael

[taliesin]

Schedule for tonite:

Ronin

Enjoy - it was a fabulous performance by them the other night in Toronto.

[neuroticdog]

Pulled an audible... Saw Threadgills Very Very Circus instead of Keating...believe I made the right choice, absolutely killer.

Ronin was indeed exquisite

more word spewage later, off to Frith

best
Michael

[ergalthema]

I saw about 30 Secret Chiefs 3 performances between 2000 and 2015. Last night was basically a retrospective. So, it was a bit of a nostalgia bomb for me - moments of frisson and tearing up. While the music is obviously intellectual and challenging, it stirs and electrifies something ancient and spiritual for me unlike anything else. I can't believe they finally played Big Ears!

It is unfortunate that SC3 conflicted with Ronin - their music is right up my alley as well. But I have some kind of loyalty thing for a select few artists (mainly the SC3 universe, CHEER-ACCIDENT, and Zorn). It doesn't really matter what else is going on, they will always take priority for me.

I enjoyed what I heard of Keating, but I was too excited for SC3 and headed on to Mill & Mine to catch the end of Threadgill and wait.

Saw Frith later and really enjoyed the variety of soundscapes, grooves, and weirdness that happened there.

[neuroticdog]

day 2 (so far) has been very "meh" for me. It started off with Trio convulsant (a trio of Trevor Dunn, Mary Halvorson and Ches Smith) augmented by a chamber quartet of Anna Weber on flute, Carla Kihlstedt on violin and viola, Mariel Roberts on cello and Oscar Noriega on woodwinds. Gee, given that line up what do you think I thought about it... you'd be right!!! AMAZING!!

John Paul Jones, stayed for about 30 minutes, lets just say it was very quaint. Completely solo with him on piano, various bass's and a lap steel covering Zep tunes in a loungish way. More power to him for still carrying the torch but it just wasnt in my territory at that moment. He reminded me of a slightly absent minded but witty Oxford Don.

Henry Threadgill's Zooid-very low energy but high intellectualism. I saw this group over 20 years ago and they havent changed at all. I love them on recordings but I flagged during their performance, left after about 40 minutes.

On to Laurie Anderson with Sex Mob.

best
Michael

[flytomars]

What a crazy day this was, will write a review once my big ears go back to their normal size.

[ergalthema]

I've been to most Big Ears since 2014. As a huge fan of Zorn and Spruance (and their overlapping universes), these last three years have been absolutely unbelievable for me. This was a relatively small and limited representation of Spruance's work, but it was a treat to hear "the hits" one last time before SC3 changes (according to Trey). I'm hoping Trey gets his own residency with 9 sets at the Bijou in a future Big Ears... no harm in dreaming.

Most years have a moment that makes things a little more magical (often an encounter with a favorite musician). This year had the most surreal moment by far. It's a long story that I won't post online, but I had to mention that it occurred.

Overall, the weekend seemed to go pretty smoothly. A few schedule changes/cancellations, but not bad. The rules change by year and venue - whether you can bring in water, have to empty pockets, get wanded at all, where the VIP/Premiere sections are, etc. - that tends to shift around (even from show to show at the same venue). I was generally happy with the whole process. I suppose there will always be a degree of chaos with such an enormous event. I couldn't believe they let a friend bring in his audio recorder and set it near the soundboard. Seems like BE was more strict about that kind of thing in the past (maybe influenced by Zorn's requests).

Edit: The chips in the wristbands were new - there are a few seconds delay when getting scanned that feels like a long time, and there were plenty of times when I could tell they just tapped and ushered us through without it actually registering (which probably threw off the numbers and possibly surprised venues when they filled up before the system said so).

The Cons:
At Kronos, during a particularly quiet piece, someone a few rows back opens a cellophane bag of chips and just digs right in like we're at a ball game or something! *crinkle crinkle crinkle... CRUNCH* like an open mouth crraaoouncchhh... Some of us gave him a look. He kept going... but soon moved back and kind of stopped. With so many people attending, I guess that kind of thing is going to happen. It lasted maybe 45 seconds, and that was probably the worst thing I encountered. Otherwise, just the typical coughing and phone-dropping kind of distractions. Most people were courteous about when they entered/left. Not much chatter unless I was farther back in the venues. Loud vehicles outside can be distracting at times, especially at St. John's. During a quiet flute solo in Dunn's Trio Convulsant at the Bijou, there was a beep from a vehicle backing up outside... it actually ended up blending with the flute in an interesting way - similar pitch, etc. Again, all just very minor, momentary quirks. JG Thirwell had some technical sound issues at the Bijou that took a minute to fix. I heard of other shows having some issues there as well. It's not necessarily the festival or venue's fault - some musicians have their own sound crew.

Also, Spruance said that Kronos was going to perform one of his compositions, but SC3 ended at 2:15 and Kronos started at 2:00... on the other side of the festival. I ran and arrived before the Kronos intermission, but didn't catch Trey's piece. I've been asking around and can't even find out if it was played at all. I don't understand why Kronos wouldn't have played it later so that Spruance fans could hear it.

Weather was pleasant besides Friday night rain. Great to see all the musicians hanging out around town. And of course, it's wonderful to meet new attendees and reunite with others.

Ultimately, BE 2024 is high on my list of all-time music adventures (especially taking into account some personal experiences beyond the performances), and it happened in my backyard.

PS
Please everyone - suggest CHEER-ACCIDENT if there is a Big Ears survey asking who you want to see. Thank you in advance.

[ergalthema]

Here's what I saw. I honestly enjoyed them all! No duds for me.

Thursday:
Zoe Keating @St. John's (first few pieces}
6:15-7:30 Henry Threadgill @M&M (very end)
*8:45-10:00 SC3 @M&M
10:45 Fred Frith @Bijou

Friday:
*12-1:15 Trevor Dunn Trio Convulsant @Bijou
12:45 Faun Fables @OCP time changed from 2:15, but I made it for a few songs
*4pm-5:15 Kang & Kenney @St. John's
6:30 Trio Mediaeval @St. John's
9pm Laurie Anderson & Sexmob @KCA (first few songs)
11:30-12:45 Titan to Tachyons @Standard

Saturday:
*1-2:15 SC3 @M&M
2-4 Kronos @KCA (Trey Spruance said they were going to play one of his pieces. I ran from M&M, but still didn't catch it. I saw them play Reich, Glass, Requiem for a Dream, Tanya Tagaq, Moondog [I don't recall the singer], and one or two others)
4:30 Joseph Allred @J&R (heard a little while eating)
5:30-6:30 Horse Lords @M&M (about 4 pieces)
Beth Orton @Bijou (unplanned, but enjoyed a few songs - Shazad took a sweet bass solo)
*8:30-9:45 JG Thirlwell @Bijou
Herbie Hancock (unplanned, but enjoyed a couple tunes - heard solos from all players)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy (unplanned, but loved it - joined by Joan Shelly, Nathan Salsburg, other guitar/trumpet/clarinet - I hoped Dawn from Faun Fables would join, but Oldham sad she had laryngitis or something and needed to rest for upcoming shows)

Sunday:
1:15-2:30 Ches Smith @Standard
Void Patrol (enjoyed the beginning, but had other interests)
4:45-5:30 finom @Regas Square (a few songs)
5:30 Ahleuchatistas @Jackson Terminal
7:30 JG Thirlwell @OCP
8:30ish Cyro Baptista’s CHAMA @Jackson Terminal (unplanned, loved it. Brian Marsella and the others were pulling out all the stops for a fun weird party vibe)
9:15ish Medeski • Russo • Ribot @M&M (unplanned, glad I caught some of it. After 10 minutes or so, I went out to the tent with a friend and enjoyed the show on the screens/speakers in the background while chatting. I thanked Ashley Capps for bringing so many of my favorite musicians to town.)

If anyone wants to know more detail about any of those sets, just ask and I'll give my 2 cents.

Edit: I want to point out that I saw Sleepytime twice the week prior, so I made the tough call to miss them at BE. Sounds like it was pretty awesome with a big puppet and Thymme Jones-inspired balloons.

[SteveSly]

I have enjoyed reading all of the Big Ears reviews. Much of the music featured at this event is not really my cup of tea, but I would have been interested in seeing some of the artists. I may have to try to get there one of these years.

[Lebofsky]

What a great time I had! I wish I got to see more music (many last minute rehearsals) but the sets I caught (and meals I ate) were inspiring. I've passed through Knoxville before but this was my first time at Big Ears and I gotta say I was utterly charmed and hope to go back again in the future.

Really lovely to bump into some of y'all! It's been a while since I've been out and about..

- Matt

[moecurlythanu]

For those who didn't see Nik Bartsch's Ronin at BE, I'd recommend catching them if they come your way on this tour. I saw them last night in Cleveland, and they were excellent.

[Steve F.]

PS
Please everyone - suggest CHEER-ACCIDENT if there is a Big Ears survey asking who you want to see. Thank you in advance.

C-A were scheduled to play in 2020, when the world and the festival was derailed by COVID.

They were never rescheduled…

[Steve F.]

For those who didn't see Nik Bartsch's Ronin at BE, I'd recommend catching them if they come your way on this tour. I saw them last night in Cleveland, and they were excellent.

They are amazing and I am seeing them tomorrow for the third time.

Glad you got to see them

[NogbadTheBad]

What a great time I had! I wish I got to see more music (many last minute rehearsals) but the sets I caught (and meals I ate) were inspiring. I've passed through Knoxville before but this was my first time at Big Ears and I gotta say I was utterly charmed and hope to go back again in the future.

Really lovely to bump into some of y'all! It's been a while since I've been out and about..

- Matt

Was great to see you Matt! The Secret Chiefs 3 show I saw, Ishraqiyun, was excellent. Unfortunately the Friday show clashed with Nik Bartsch Ronin.

[NogbadTheBad]

Quick review

Big Ears was pretty well organized this year as most years but as usual there were a few sore points for regulars. VIP seating at the Mill & Mine and The Standard is dreadful and I found I still needed to get there 45 minutes before the show to make sure I got my best position rather than 'just walk in' which is meant to be one of the main VIP benefits. The Point and Civic Auditorium are far enough apart to cause this mans knees and feet a fair amount of undue stress (I walked 9 miles both Friday and Saturday). The rain on Friday and distances needed to get to shows essentially canceled my attendance at Titans To Tachyons and Tomeka Reid Quartet. On the plus side my favorite bar now has decent food.

Thursday
Made good time getting to Knoxville but managed to lose my glasses at a rest stop on route so spent the first 2 days wearing prescription sunglasses all day. Not particularly ideal. Managed to get them replaced by Saturday morning.
Henry Threadgill's Very Very Circus - stayed for around half an hour of this and enjoyed what I heard
Mary Halvorson Amaryllis - stayed for 45 minutes, excellent as usual, played a fair amount of the new album
Nik Bartsch Ronin - wonderful show as usual, benefited from being at the Bijou, tight, fun, loads of energy.
Fred Frith Drawing Sound - Fred doing his usual experimentation dropping and dragging things across his guitar with a excellent trumpeter, drummer and bassist. Very good show.

Friday
Trevor Dunn Trio Convulsant - Mary Halvorson & Ches Smith make up the trio, they were joined by Anna Webber (flute), Carla Kihlstedt (violin), Oscar Noriega (clarinet) & Mariel Roberts (cello). Chamber jazz with heavy elements, excellent show.
John Paul Jones - played solo piano, bass and mandolin, lots of Zep, lots of chat and stories. Not much musically going on, left after 30 minutes
Fred Frith & Ikue Mori - Fred with his box of toys and Ikue on laptop making ambient collages, worked really well, enjoyed the 4 pieces they played in an hour
Anna Webber & Matt Mitchell - contemporary classical on flute, sax & piano. Anna was one of my major stars of this festival. Was outstanding here. Captivating
Laurie Anderson - ended up seeing the whole 2 hour show as tired limbs and loads on rain stopped me going elsewhere. Excellent retrospective, great sound, lots of entertaining banter. I really enjoyed it.

Saturday
Secret Chiefs 3 - I missed their 1st show due to a Ronin clash, this was excellent as usual. Though no robes! Ches Smith on drums. Great show.
Kronos Quartet - dropped in for a few tracks before my next main show, reliably good string quartet, liked what I heard
Myra Melford's Fire & Water - all female quintet led by Myra on piano with Mary Halvorson & Tomeka Reid. Modern jazz, really excellent show.
Horse Lords - brutal math rock, tearing it up, one of the highlights of the weekend for me
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - mindblowing avant metal in opposition. Best show of the weekend. Pity it clashed with Kokoroko.
Herbie Hancock - dropped into his 2 hour set 45 minutes in, Civic Auditorium was packed. Not really my thing as followed the common fusion band practice of using every song to set up multiple solos. I liked it a lot when they played as a band but the endless soloing bored me. Left after 30 minutes.
Shabaka Hutchings - Shabaka has switched to traditional flutes and was playing so wonderful ethereal stuff. The 45 minutes I heard was great but he horribly under utilized the rest of the band who hardly played at all.

Sunday
Ches Smith Laugh Ash - a 10 piece on the stage at The Standard (!) playing electro jazz, rock world music. Very impressed, had an all star line up in the band. Loads of fun.
Void Patrol - heavy ambient drone jazz rock with Colin Stetson (sax) Elliot Sharp (guitar) Payton MacDonald (vibes) and a late add of Cyro Baptista (percussion). Heavy, dark, noisy, really very good, loved it. Only knew Stetson from his work with a Scottish small pipe musician so this was the one really new band to me along with Laugh Ash. Both exceeded expectations.
Ahleuchatistas - brutal avant math rock trio led by Shane Parish who have now added Trevor Dunn (him again) on bass. Relentless high energy crushingly good. Looked every minute of it.
Julian Lage - another miss for me as Julian's band spent the 30 minutes I saw setting up soloing. Not enough band play. Left early as exhausted and sore. Made way back to hotel to collapse.

Top shows
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Nik Bartsch Ronin
Ahleuchatistas
Horse Lords
Secret Chiefs 3
Myra Melfords Fire & Water
Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulscant

Only two misses and everything else was good to great.

Had a wonderful time seeing a whole load of friends who were there. Made a few new ones. Next years attendance will depend on the line up as its big, expensive, exhausting but wonderful.

[neuroticdog]

Had a wonderful time seeing a whole load of friends who were there. Made a few new ones. Next years attendance will depend on the line up as its big, expensive, exhausting but wonderful.

I agree with you here. It won't be an automatic for me next year. The chances are very high that they will rope me again but there will be more consideration made on my part before I blindly jump in.

best
Michael

[markwoll]

The only reason I have to live for the next 12 months is to come back to Big Ears again.

[battema]

I agree with you here. It won't be an automatic for me next year. The chances are very high that they will rope me again but there will be more consideration made on my part before I blindly jump in.

best
Michael

I know I was around early on and even egged a few folks into giving it a stab, but I'm kind of in this boat as well and that's why I've not appeared the last couple of post-'Rona Big Ears. I'd love to be back again at some point with an amazing lineup and another chance to hang with all you fine folks

[boilk]

Got in late last night from the 12 hour drive back to Toronto, so posting my thoughts today. First, a generic overview.

This was my first Big Ears and...it was quite an experience. For me the drive is actually pretty much the same distance as going to Progday. 8-8 1/2 hours one day, then 3-4 hours the next, which I don't mind at all. I really like the town of Knoxville and it was fun to walk around and check out some of the art galleries and the Old Town, where there are some interesting crumbling older structures down various side streets. Lots of good food to be had. The market square was quite busy, but once I found my footing, it was pretty easy to find places to fit in meals, that weren't too busy.

A very interesting mix of venues, both theater oriented and rock show style. The relatively short distance between most venues was a bonus.

The first very strange thing for me, was adjusting to the concept of leaving one show to get to the next. It happened at my first show Thursday...watching Zoe Keating at St. John's Cathedral, but thinking the same time about jumping over to see Mary Halvorson at the Tennessee Theatre. Initially it kind of threw off my enjoyment of both shows, but once I got used to the concept of leaving shows early, I adapted.

The second day, was when the enormity of it all hit me hard. Twelve hours or so of available shows, rain that Friday night and general ear fatigue at only the half-way point was a thing. My main tactical error was over-staying my welcome at the last show of the night, the 11:30 assault of Titan to Tachyons at The Standard (not everyone's favorite venue, and I understand why). It was way too fucking loud. When Trevor Dunn joined the two guitarists and pounding drummer on stage, the overall volume went through the roof. I should have left earlier than I did. My ears were so pummeled that it did affect my enjoyment of the rest of the weekend to some extent. I think that instead of high-falutin, fancy musician ear plugs that limit the bad frequencies, I would have been better off with cheap foam ones, or just toilet paper stuffed in my ears to completely blunt the sound. Lesson learned.

I also found out that, although I am still okay with standing shows, big chunks of Saturday and Sunday were spent at standing venues and having so many back to back shows like this, was becoming a bit much, even for me.

I did get to see almost every single act that I had interest in, for at least part of their set, so that was a bonus. The only obstacle that could not be overcome was Kokoroko, who were directly opposite Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

It was great to see a lot of friends and meet some people in person from progressive ears for the first time and meet some new friends as well. One thing about this festival is that it is so easy, even for a generally somewhat quiet person as myself, to start up conversations with people in the line-ups for shows.

Another big plus is that I was exposed a lot of great bands and music in genres that I don't listen to nearly as much and who I would not have discovered were in not for the festival.

Despite some negatives I did have a great time. Will I come back again? It will depend on the line-up, but this first time was a huge learning experience, for one thing, and if I do return I'd like to think that I'll be able to better manage the experience for maximum enjoyment.

Neil

[boilk]

Part 2 reviews.

Thursday

- Starting things off nicely with Zoe Keating at St. John's Cathedral. Very nice ambience and her near one-woman orchestra (loops) solo cello music is quite beautiful and moving. Saw about 30 minutes.
- Mary Halvorson Amaryllis. My first time seeing her live. Very hot band combined with Mary's playing and compositions made for some striking modern jazz. Saw about 20 minutes.
- Nik Bartsch's Ronin. Saw them Tuesday night in Toronto, so had an idea what to expect. Very mesmerizing and intense, with four talented players locked in with each other. Great stuff.
- Fred Frith: Drawing Sound. Pretty good abstract, experimental sound making that puts one in a certain interesting state of mind. Somewhere between floating in space and wondering if you might fall asleep. Glad I saw it.

Friday

- Yasmin Williams. As mentioned above, this is an act that I would not likely have discovered were it not for this festival. Wonderful solo guitarist with superb, unusual skills and great compositions. And I saw this as someone who usually gets bored by solo performers (she did have some guests come on as well). Strange to see her at the Standard, but I really like her a lot and will be buying an album.
- left early to see Faun Fables at the Jackson Terminal. Surprisingly not much trouble getting in, and actually stood right at the front in the center. I've seen them before but not with the addition of two of their daughters on stage for some of the songs. Very enjoyable dark folk. Dawn McCarthy has a great voice and presence and this nicely shows another side of the musical world of SGM's Nils Frykdahl.
- Next up was Hermanos Gutierrez at the Tennessee Theatre. Great Mexican (but based in Greece) guitar duo that play songs inspired by the dry desert landscapes and sweaty, grimy feel of Spaghetti Westerns. Loved it and another band that I may not have discovered, were it not for the eclectic Big Ears line-up.
- Then went over to the Knoxville Civic Aud. to check out the Christian McBride band. Based on a few youtube clips I really was expecting to like this (especially given that I also play bass), but....as Ian mentioned above I'm not sure this is my kind of jazz. Every song seemed to be set up by about 30 seconds to a minute of everyone playing and then, for example, the guitarist would solo for a few minutes while most of the band did nothing and then the guitarist would sit there for seemingly an eternity twiddling his thumbs while the sax player and then the keyboardist would do their solos. Rinse and repeat. All very talented players, but just not enough ensemble playing for my tastes.
- It was around then, that the rains came, but none-the-less I determinedly made my way to the Point at the other end of town to see the Tomeka Reid Quartet. Very glad that I did, as it was another church venue and the dramatic lighting made a great atmosphere for some wonderful playing and dramatic compositions from four very talented players.
- The rain continued, but I surprised even myself, by making my way back to the other end of town again to catch the last 30 minutes of the Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet, at St. John's Cathedral. Again, happy that I did, as it was another perfect setting for a different kind of show. This one led by Wayne on piano, accompanied by cello, bassoon and trumpet. Great atmospheric and spacious compositions that really hit the spot for me. Another great Big Ears discovery.
- To escape the rain for awhile, I jumped into the Tennessee Theatre to catch a few songs by Rhiannon Giddens. Very talented and versatile but not really in my wheelhouse.
- To complete the marathon day I (perhaps inadvisedly) bolted across town again in the rain to see extreme metal/jazz band Titan to Tachyons. Very cool music and talented players all around, but as mentioned above, just way too loud to be enjoyed on such a busy, full day. Perhaps I will see them again under different circumstances.

Saturday

- Let the standing, Mill and Mine day begin! Great to see Secret Chiefs 3 again, and the seated, non-shrouded sextet delivered a great set of exotic, near mystical instrumental bliss. Trey was obviously having a great time up there (as was the whole band), smiling at lot and enjoying playing this stuff live again. Interesting to see where they might go next musically.
- The Horse Lords I had also seen in Toronto the previous Friday. They blew me away again with an incredible mix of complexity combined with groove and rhythm. Again, as can be the case both here and at the Standard it was perhaps overly loud and not a perfect mix, but great stuff none-the-less.
- And then...it happened. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum took the stage at the Mill and Mine. Everything is subjective, of course, but this show was far and away my favorite of the festival. They had their sound guy with them and this reaped huge benefits, as the music was both loud, but very clear and listenable. A full light show, amazing intensity, Nils and the whole band at the peak of their powers all made this one killer live show. The added benefit of their interpretive dancer Shinichi Iova-Koga...sometimes perched on a high riser behind and above the band, sometimes lurking and writhing around the spacious stage with them put it over the top. I could have stopped after this and been happy, but the show must go on.
- I honestly didn't think that with only 15 minutes to get to the Civic Aud., I would even be able to get in and see Herbie Hancock, for the first time. But Ian and I made the move to hustle over there, and we got in and found some balcony seats. Great to see this legend of jazz and it was his band was smoking...nice to see Terence Blanchard on trumpet. As much as I liked it for awhile, once again the 'one person solos while most of the rest of the band takes a meal break' approach did wear thin, so I bolted.
- Last show of the Saturday was totally unexpected. I was intending to see The Messthetics with James Brandon Lewis at the Standard, but after last night's overly loud aural assault there and the fact that I will see the Messthetics in Toronto in May, I opted to check out the Shabaka Hutchings show at the Bijou. So glad that I did. It was one of my favorite shows. This new project has an African musical vibe to it, that sees him not on sax, but an array of wooden flutes and other wind instruments. Him and his band (yes, they were underutilized for a big part of the show, as Ian said) produced some hauntingly gorgeous and beautiful material and I will certainly be buying the album when/if it comes out.

Sunday

- started off at The Standard seeing Ches Smith: Laugh Ash. An impressive band, and I should have liked it, but I didn't find it very musical and it just didn't connect with me.
- shuffled down the street to the Jackson Terminal to see Jake Blount. Another very interesting discovery for me, not in a progressive or avant jazz vein at all. He has been described as an interpreter of black folk music, and his banjo playing, along with a edgy young guitarist and upright bassist really swings and is full of bounce and energy. He even has a guy who comes up and raps (yes, I said raps) to some of the music and despite all of this, haha, I really like it. Great change of pace for me and lots of fun
- back down to the Standard for Void Patrol. This New York band is squarely in avant/improvised/experimental jazz to my ears and getting right up front was an interesting experience. Part endurance test of near noise, part blissful dive into the unknown it was the most out there act for me of the festival.
- back to the Jackson for another fave of the weekend. The Ahleuchatistas smoked with their stunning brand of avant prog, with constantly changing riffs and turn on a dime tightness. They were clearly having a great time up there. My first time seeing them and it was a great set.
- Off to dinner and then one final show. I was looking forward to seeing yet another recent discovery, Julian Lage with his band. He is a very interesting and talented guitarist who has his own style. He brought a bigger six-piece jazz line-up with him for this show, and truthfully I enjoyed the parts of the show more based on his jazz trio compositions that featured him on acoustic guitar.

All-in-all a wonderfully eclectic festival, with a ton of killer bands, and one unlike any that I have ever experienced.

Neil

[battema]

Random aside: one of my weirdly-favorite memories from Big Ears was Ian and I seeing Faust and Tony Conrad's Ensemble (featuring Laurie Anderson as a sub for Conrad himself) do Outside the Dream Syndicate live at the Standard. It was insanely impressive and intense, and then Ian and I walked back to the Hilton together in an absolute deluge, arriving soaked through but absolutely still buzzing from the show.