Peevish's fourteenth performance, Oct. 12, 2002. Polyp + Fury, Portland, OR.
Suicide Rate's Very Low In Wartime
Jean-Paul - alto clarinet
Toto - drums
Kelvin - alto saxophone
Wilson - live vocal instructions, composition
Taylor - prerecorded vocal instructions, composition
Joe - prerecorded vocal instructions, composition
Joe and Taylor wrote instruction-based compositions which were then recorded
and heard by the players for the first time during the performance through headphones. No
communication between the composers, nor between composers and players save for Wilson,
who personally dictated his portion of the composition into the ear of Toto.
[from Wilson's notes]:
"Taylor and I left about 30 seconds of blank time (just some paper rustling
and a couple 'ahems' to demonstrate there was something soon to happen) so
that after introductions and when the piece began, the players would all be
standing poised with headphones on, waiting, perhaps confusedly, for
something to happen. The interesting thing was this definitely got nervous
giggles in the audience as everyone just stood there for half a minute, that
was a fun way to start.
"JP got Taylor's instructions, Kelvin got Joe's, and Toto, because there wasn't
a 3rd player, got me talking into his ear while playing, giving him live
instructions. It was pretty hilarious, you'd have to see this one to really
appreciate it, but the audio was pretty neat too, with its varied things. One
problem, and thus a learning experience - let us never use CD players again.
Because they're all buttons and somewhat large, it barely fit into Kelvin's pocket
and the 'stop' button got pressed, so he had to reset and figure out how to
get back to where he was. The cassette is much more solid, and if something
DOES happen, it's easy for a player to just press 'play' again if it stops.
Anyway, this was a heavy behavior piece..."
Poverty Is Its Own Religion (cur fletus dulcis sit miseris)
Jean-Paul - paper, binder, plastic bags
Toto - glasses of water, bottle, Mickey Mouse straw
Kelvin - big tin can, marbles, pie plates
Bryan - knife, hobby wood, sand paper
Wilson - behavior
Taylor - magic
[from Wilson's notes]:
"...I gave Bryan two pieces of hobby wood, a jagged weird kitchen knife, some
stabby kitchen instrument, and various sandpaper. I gave JP crinkled
newspapers, a binder, and plastic bags. I gave Toto glasses (2 with water at
different lengths) and a bottle (I screwed up and left out a couple other bottles)
along with a Mickey Mouse straw. I gave Kelvin a big tin can (you might recall, I
think you played it among other things on 50 Years of Rock and Roll),
marbles, stones/pebbles, 2 metal pie plates, and a glass pie-like plate.
They thought there would be a signal to start (my bad I guess) so JP looked
at me and started to ask, I just shrugged, they started, that was good for a
few ha-has, but the piece developed into something absolutely extraordinary.
These guys developed this weird method with their things, again very visual.
JP ended up flattening and arranging all his papers, sitting still, but everyone
else was still messing around. He gave up, so to speak, first, cleaning up his
mess and walking out. Then as Bryan, Toto, and Kelvin interacted a little bit,
I did participate at this point, starting to grab Bryan's stuff away (this piece
was going on really long) in a mad scramble, and it came to a neat end, Toto
left before Bryan and Kelvin finished, then Bryan left, then I walked over to
Kelvin and said, 'Thank you' in a sort of 'will you stop' mode (more because of
the way we were finishing, not seriously depriving him of any moments).
Then everyone came back and rejoined us except Bryan (he was playing in the
other group so only wanted to do 1 piece)..."
His Intelligence Service Is The Best Organized In The World
Live Personnel:
Jean-Paul - alto clarinet
Toto - drums
Kelvin - alto saxophone
Prerecorded Personnel:
Wilson
Taylor
[from Wilson's notes]:
"...The next piece was where Taylor and I had prerecorded headphone music.. We
had already planned for 4 players with only 3 with headphones, so it wasn't
too big a deal to have JP with the music, Kelvin with the music, and Toto
headphoneless but responding. It was pretty neat but again CD stopping
problems, so Kelvin did his best but just because he had to restart ended up
playing longer than JP. Still, they sounded pretty good, it was neat
because I could tell by their playing what they were hearing in their
headphones but of course no one else could. Kelvin got out of sync because
of his issue (although I also started them a tad out of sync anyway) but the
piece was a bit flat to allow for the players to have range anyway..."
Working Conductor
Jean-Paul - alto clarinet
Toto - drums
Kelvin - alto saxophone
Wilson - conductor
[from Wilson's notes]:
"I changed a light bulb, entailing getting a chair from someone in the audience
and getting a concrete piece, while they played. I thought the owner
said it needed an actual screwdriver, but she meant the glass
just screwed off. So it was actually a bit more genuine performance since I
couldn't figure it out. Since the plan was for me to complete the job and
get someone else to repeat, as if instructed, Toto went ahead and just got
up and then helped me, while Kelvin and JP played. We tested the lights,
Toto went back to his throne. Then I walked over and solicited JP's help,
he changed the light back, messing with the screwdriver as I had for just a
bit and then I counselled him he probably didn't need it, then he got it
together, I tested again (and this time, since he was back on drums, Toto
wailed as the lights came on and so did Kelvin, both calming with the lights
back off). Then JP went back to playing, I solicited Kelvin, who went to a
different light and changed it out, then looking to see it was the wrong
light left in (since he was the last player), put the original bulb back in.
We shook hands, piece ended."
Through The Crack In It Something That Had Come From Elsewhere Has Blown In
Live Personnel:
Jean-Paul - alto clarinet
Toto - drums
Kelvin - alto saxophone
Prerecorded Personnel:
Ezra - shortwave radio
Wilson - bass
Joe - cornet
Taylor - baritone saxophone
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