Big Ears 2019 | March 21 - 24

I have it in the app on Friday at Church Street Methodist. I just hate splitting sets. I'll end up at that and running out for Shai Maestro.

I'm still pretty bitter for the Moogfest cancelation tbh. Not at him personally but I had my heart set and then broken.

Moog. I swear it was Budd but it may have been Subotnick that cancelled. 7 years is a long time ago.

Fingers crossed I'm not holding a grudge for no reason.

Alright, I made a rough schedule. Acts marked with a question mark are obviously the shows I’m not so sure about, some because of time and some because I’m not sure if they’d be worthwhile. Any suggestions are, of course, welcome, especially if any of these might not be as worthwhile as I hope.

Thursday:
Oren Ambarchi —> Kukangendai —> Yunohana Variations or Artifacts Trio —> Clarice Jensen —> Mercury Rev

Friday:
Joan La Barbara, Alvin Lucier, & The Ever-Present Orchestra feat. Oren Ambarchi & Stephen O’Malley —> Mary Lattimore —> Code Girl —> Carl Stone or Parker/Schlippenbach/Lytton Trio —> (?) The Comet is Coming —> Spiritualized —> Kara-Lis Coverdale —> Jlin —> Carnival of Souls

Saturday:
KTL —> (?) Wadada Leo Smith Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk —> (?) Evan Parker/Matt Wright/Mark Nauseef/Adam London Trance Map —> Kara-Lis Coverdale —> Amirtha Kadabi’s Elder Ones —> This Is Not This Heat —> serpentwithfeet —> Makaya McCraven —> Sons of Kemet —> 12-Hour Drone

Sunday:
(?) The Grand Bizarre & Hoarders Without Borders by Jodie Mack (film) —> (?) Alvin Lucier & The Ever-Present Orchestra feat. Oren Ambarchi & Stephen O’Malley —> Richard Thompson —> (?) Irreversible Entanglements —> Mountain Man —> Nik Bärtsch’s RONIN —> (?) Kristín Anna Valtysdóttir —> Shane Parish or Wadada Leo Smith performing “Divine Love” —> Harold Budd —> The Art Ensemble of Chicago

You've got a great mix here, imo. My only other suggestion is to consider Mimi Goese & Ben Neill:





I saw Joep in October and he was absolutely fantastic. Here's a photo I took of the show:

Also, I think after 5 years of Big Ears I've finally figured out my stages of grief:

1) Bitch about the fact that Magma hasn't been announced.
2) Panic about the schedule
3) Pick all of the artists that I want to see, even if I can't see complete sets
4) Calm down and realize that things are probably OK, despite being forced to make RIDICULOUSLY HARD CHOICES!
5) Figure out that I can't possibly run back and forth between KMA and Mill & Mine every 15 minutes
6) Panic about the schedule
7) Make some hard choices and remove several artists from my itinerary
8) Calm down and realize that things are probably OK, despite being forced to make RIDICULOUSLY HARD CHOICES!
9) See that Big Ears re-arranged the schedule
10) Panic about the schedule
11) Pick all of the artists that I want to see, even if I can't see complete sets
12) Calm down and realize that things are probably OK, despite being forced to make RIDICULOUSLY HARD CHOICES!
13) Figure out that I can't possibly run back and forth between KMA and Mill & Mine every 15 minutes
14) Panic about the schedule
15) Make some hard choices and remove several artists from my itinerary
16) Calm down and realize that things are probably OK, despite being forced to make RIDICULOUSLY HARD CHOICES!
17) Attend the event
18) Make it to 1/2 the artists I stated "I can't possibly miss" in Step #15... not because of schedule issues, but because I'm tired, hungry, or just a need a break from sound.
19) Start making my wishlist for next year... starting w/ Magma.

In other news, I heard Dave Maynar is not going. Bummer.

Whaaaa?? Is this true?!

I'll still be around town. Just need top let me know the where and when on brunch.

In random trivia, the Book Eddy, an independent secondhand bookstore in town, posted today about Big Ears saying it was their best sales weekend of 2018.

As you might imagine, they specialize in rare and unusual books.

Final wishlist before next week:

• Saturday: Move MIMI & BEN to 2:00 PM, and YUNOHANA VARIATIONS from Thursday 9:45 to Saturday 3:30
• Saturday: Push out THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT 30 mins, so we don't have to leave THE MESSTHETICS early.
• Sunday: Push out KRISTÍN ANNA VALTÝSDÓTTIR 30 mins, so we don't have to leave NIK BÄRTSCH’S RONIN early.

... and then you have a nearly perfect schedule. So say we all.

1.5 more days of work, and then finally a much needed break! If nothing changes, here's my latest schedule:

Thu: Bob & Eric's 1st Period > Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi > Tim Story Presents Roedelius Cells > I Hope I'm Loud When I'm Dead by Beatrice Gibson > Avey Tare > Oren Ambarchi > Yunohana Variations > Mercury Rev

Fri: Film: Carmine Street Guitars > Joep Beving > Mary Lattimore > Shai Maestro > The Comet Is Coming > Spiritualized > Kara-Lis Coverdale > Fire!

Sat: Panel: Media & New Music > KTL > Ian Chang > Mimi Goese & Ben Neill > Nate Wooley > Carl Stone > This Is Not This Heat > Nils Frahm > Sons of Kemet OR Drone (pending schedule)

Sun: Drone (pending schedule) > Alvin Lucier & the Ever Present Orchestra > Nik Bärtsch's RONIN > Kayhan Kalhor & Brooklyn Rider > Harold Budd & Friends > Yves Tumor

I haven't seen anything posted... Anyone hear from garageland lately?

My first show on Saturday (Meredith Monk) isn't till noon, so I'm all for a brunch. I don't know eats around Knoxville, though, so maybe others can suggest. Dave Maynar?

inforoo.com/post/2242116