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out and about - Little Dragon. MarkLee

so I made it to the Mark Lee presentation at the Art Institute. Well worth going. Mr. Lee had a projected presentation composed of slides. He generally flew through each image. Not rushing but "Here is the front of the house", "here is the intended circulation pattern", "This is where the idea was derived".... slide after slide, the volume and quality of the firm's body of work is impeccable. he was engaging as a speaker, primarily by speaking about his work. his firms 3D rendering capabilities are hollywood quality. that was cool to see as well. His firm has been retained to create a master plan for the Museum of Contemporary Art and redesign their cafe. I look forward to seeing that work in person. 

 

Coincidentally, I was at the MCA yesterday for a teen-curated exhibition called 21 MINUS. many good things, there was a teen band called Save The Planet. I enjoyed it, very musical keyboard player, very modern-groove oriented drummer. the band swung between bitches brew era grooves and modern/alt R&B skitter groves. I dug it. I hope they can keep their upcoming release raw. 

 

In that vein, Little Dragon at Concord Hall on Friday night. Sold out show, felt good to get in, Concord Hall always feels like a rave. I'm on the fence about that one. Staff is always friendly. Opener was a DJ, tough move. nice beats but that's not quite it. Little Dragon had an interesting series of diamond light rigs on stage and for the first time, I saw a connection to late disco like Blondie. It's not like disco, in that Little Dragon seems much more authentic, but there is glam there, through a modern lens. (Disco was best with a touch of cool indifference). A great set, everything was faster than the recording. Constant Surprises was played as part of a medley. Closed the set with Ritual Union. The best part was an extended jam where you could see the chemistry between the bandmates. I imagine that their studio in Sweden probably sounds like that a lot. 

Young Fathers

I forgot to tell you. Rock show season is upon us. It kicked off with Young Fathers at Lincoln Hall. Labeled as a hip hop group from the UK, they won a Mercury Prize (2014) for their record Dead. I wasn't sure what to expect. I went because they were in town.  I went because the Mercury prize seems significant. I checked out their stuff and was unsure. I went because I like the venue and the tickets were reasonable. I told my wife, the best case scenario is that the live show is amazing and it all makes sense. 

Well, I'm a believer now. To tell you the truth, it was not unlike my surprise that Kanye West has a very passionate live show. It wasn't a Flying Lotus, jaw drop, type of show. Most of all it was energetic and sincere and it allowed the music to speak to me. There are many hip hop elements, but I'm not convinced that it's a hip hop group (perhaps they self identify in that way, which would be fine). The chemistry between the members was unique in that they seemed to be the closest of friends. They were often emphatic as if to say, 'no, this really is a problem' or 'don't just dance, try to hear what I'm saying'. It was thoroughly modern. of this time. worth my time. See them if you get the chance.

I was struck by the video for Shame (i was also surprised by its use of modern dance like Xenia Rubinos video for Let's Go Out. Is that what is hot in the streets? I really love that song).

 

Before I go, Tunde Olanrian opened. A pleasant surprise since he wasn't listed on the bill. A fantastically crafted live show. He has a dancer flanking him on each side, in masks I seem to recall from The Black Hole, obscuring their emotions. Movements that seemed, 'urban' , robotic, occasionally self-aware and reflective. Olanrian would occasionally dance with them and it seemed like the dance was as much a part of the musical product as anything else. The basics of it; great beats, a wonderful voice, lyrics that were personal and striking. I could see strains of the Mothership Connection,  contemporaries like Frank Ocean and folks that are stretching the hip hop and dance idioms like M.I.A. I bought the EP. I hope he goes far.

After that was Mas Ysa. I started off pissed.  I thought he was a DJ. I can't pay money to watch people turn knobs anymore. It turns out the electronics are his instrument. He reminded me of early peter gabriel. The song forms are complex in that he seems to avoid the verse/chorus/verse/chorus trap. It feels more like a long narrative. A chorus or high point you can appreciate only if you heard the whole story. I appreciated it. Also, he had a wonderfully comfortable demeanor on the stage. Engaged to the point of being possessed while performing, easy-going, slightly self-deprecating, and funny in between songs.  I haven't checked out his pre-recorded stuff but I really enjoyed the live show.