12.14.08 | The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania, 4014 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104; 215-573-3234. 8 PM. All Ages. Free admission but donations for the bands are accepted at the door. Band order: Offshore Drilling, The Red Masque, Radio Eris.
About the Bands:
The Red Masque
The Red Masque is an original avant rock band from the Philadelphia area. Part art, part alchemy, the group's experimental songwriting style is both angular and eerie, accented by free-form space rock improvisations, intricate acoustics, dark atmospherics and chunky riffs. Unconventional and eccentric in musical form, the sophisticatedly sinister The Red Masque fuses together such disparate musical references as horror movie soundtracks, rock-in-opposition, progressive rock, experimental, zeuhl, heavy rock, gothic, psychedelia, space rock, and kraut rock.
"From Pennsylvania hails a quartet without limitations to their purposes and without shame regarding norms and dogma within new rock."
- Tarkus Magazine
"In the Nu-progressive rock underground, few bands are as respected and feared as Philadelphia's The Red Masque. Without irony or kitsch, the whirlwind that is Masque ... stalks the darkness of Hammer Horror ambience and cursedly complex musicianship (think Gong meets Bauhaus) with only feedbacking noise, sound-collage clustering and the howl of vocalist Lynnette Shelley to light its way." - Philadelphia City Paper
Founded in February 2001 by bassist/keyboardist Brandon Ross and vocalist Lynnette Shelley, the Red Masque went through several lineup changes over the years, but its intent and integrity has always remained the same. The band's goal was, and is, to create original music that pushes the envelope of the listener's expectations. With such influences as Magma, King Crimson, Hawkwind, Gong, Pink Floyd, Bauhaus, Art Bears, and Van Der Graaf Generator, The Red Masque's compositions are as intense as they are unique.
One of the group's first concerts was at the Prelude to the North East Art Rock Festival (NEARFest) in 2001. Other notable shows include the 2005 Rogue Independent Music Festival in Atlanta, the 2001 World Con Science Fiction Convention, the New Jersey proghouse series, Orion Studios in Baltimore; the Philadelphia Landing Pad Space Rock Festival; and The Gate to Moonbase Alpha concert series at the Rotunda in Philadelphia. The Red Masque also organized and performed in the 2002 and 2003 Philadelphia Underground Music and Culture Festival. The
Red Masque have also opened up for notable performers and musicians such as Chris Cutler (Henry Cow, Art Bears), The Muffins, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and Present. They have also performed on stage with such well-regarded drummers and percussionists as David Kerman (5UUs, Present, Thinking Plague) and Paul Sears (The Muffins, Thee Maximalists).
Steadily growing an audience within the underground progressive and psychedelic music communities for their uncompromising and intense style of music, The Red Masque have released to date one EP ("Death of the Red Masque" in 2001), and three albums ("Victoria and the Haruspex" in 2002, "Feathers for Flesh" in 2004, and "Fossil Eyes" in 2008), as well as one single (2003). "Feathers for Flesh" was released through the Big Balloon Music label out of Washington state and garnered critical reviews in the press, including Wire Magazine,
Harmonie Magazine, Progresiste Magazine, iO Pages, Colussus Magazine, Tarkus Magazine, Progression Magazine, Expose Magazine, the Philadelphia City Paper, Metro Philadelphia, and various online newsletters, blogs, and review sites. Interviews in various progressive music media also followed, including Progression Magazine and Expose Magazine.
The band is currently signed with RER USA / Ad Hoc Records and released their highly anticipated third album, "Fossil Eyes" in August 2008. "Fossil Eyes" is widely considered the band's most daring release to date is garnering critical reviews in the media and radio
airplay amongst the more independent radio stations.
The Red Masque is:
:: Brandon Lord Ross: bass guitar, moog, echo theremin
:: Lynnette Shelley: vocals, lyrics, noises & percussion
:: Brian "Vonorn" Van Korn: drums, keyboards, theremin
with David Pym, guitar
www.theredmasque.com
www.myspace.com/myredmasque
Radio Eris
"Radio Eris craft discordant loveliness from poetry and sound. Founded by shamanic poetess Lora Bloom and studio visionary Matt Stevenson, their live shows are cathartic and overpowering, a vibrant wall of sound incorporating dance, improvisation and spontaneous anarchy into a heady mix. " Adam Fieled, Philadelphia Independent.
Eris is a lost goddess in Greek Mythology: the goddess of discord, known for only one story: the throwing of a golden apple that began the Trojan War. Philadelphia psychedelic band Radio Eris channel this discordian spirit in their music, bringing her back to life in their
own image as a powerful symbiotic force, a source of transcendence. The Radio Eris mythos is a series of fortunate accidents leading to a magical bond, something a little more than just a band.
Began as an ambient poetry project between Matt Stevenson and Lora Bloom, two flawed but driven artists who knew little about music but nevertheless possessed the holy fire, Radio Eris has matured to become a band with a powerful energy and unusual sound. Radio Eris can be
ambient and ethereal, as loud and harsh and any noise punk band, or psychedelic and offbeat like a reincarnated 60s space rock band. They utilize improvisation along with non-ordinary song structures to accommodate free-verse poetry and often incorporate lighting, costumes, dance, performance art and other theatrical elements into their live shows, creating a surreal atmosphere.
Radio Eris consists of five elements: Matt Stevenson, genius mastermind and sound engineer, plays both keyboards and bass in the band, plus provides the sound direction; vocalist Lora Bloom illustrates her strange poems with inhuman wails, odd vocal experiments and breathy chants; legendary lead guitarist Dan "Redbeard" Baker pumps energy and passion, "sets the stage aflame with piercing garage-style blue notes" (A. Fieled); drummer Lisa Sunshine a
guiding light of driving momentum, yet ready at a moment's notice to collapse into formless ambience; and Kenny the Extremist, sound terrorist and mad experimenter, hides behind his massive machine of keyboards, effects, purcussion and theremin.
In accord with the DIY spirit, Radio Eris has recorded and self -released 4 full albums: "Loralaii", "Beautiful Losers", "Strength" and most recently, "Monkey Island" (at their new gallery/studio/living space Eris Temple). They have also released a track on an Orange
Entropy Compilation, and recorded the critically acclaimed "Apesma" on the Captain Beefhart tribute album "Mama Kangaroos" from Genus records.
Radio Eris has performed everywhere from warehouses (Killtime, Highwire Gallery, C.O.D.E.) to coffee houses, bars (The Fire, The Khyber, J.C.Dobbs) to basements, and from after-hours strip clubs to afternoon arts festivals. They have participated in West Philadelphia's legendary Clark Park Festival and are regular performers in the Landing Pad, Doug McMahon's annual space rock festival hosted in the University of Pennsylvania's spacious Rotunda. The also often appear in A.D. Amorosi's Monday Night Club at The Balcony and have performed at events hosted by October Gallery, Pink Hanger Presents, Orange Entropy and Genus Records. Most recently they played a European tour and festival.
www.radioeris.com
www.myspace.com/radio5eris
Offshore Drilling
"Offshore Drilling is a drummer and a guitarist fighting and dancing like old friends on a good gin drunk."
Experimental/Noise band Offshore Drilling is a new project by guitarist Brandon Morsberger (of the Philadelphia band Drums Like Machine Guns) and drummer Gray Hender. Offshore Drilling consists of melody and noise clashing, and exchanges of soft then brutal passages.
http://www.myspace.com/
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