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Rhys Chatham's Essentialist w/ Bare Flames
by Greg Gannon
Although he began his career as a piano prodigy and gained renown as founding music director of seminal New York City art space the Kitchen, it was after witnessing a Ramones concert in 1975 that Rhys Chatham gained the vision to alter the path of art rock and avant-garde music alike. Realizing the similarities between early punk rock’s three-chord fury and the angry drone of minimalists like Tony Conrad and Lamonte Young, Chatham forged a new synthesis of rock and avant-classical elements that invigorated the emerging No Wave scene. “Guitar Trio,” his pioneering piece of punk minimalism, was performed in rock clubs and art dives, where it was witnessed by the likes of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore (who recently performed with Chatham’s new group at South by Southwest, and is pictured above, with Chatham) and Glenn Branca, who built a celebrated career around avant-noise symphonies. In 2002, Chatham’s star soared again thanks to a box set called An Angel Moves Too Fast to See, named after his composition for 100 electric guitars. This undertaking was dwarfed in comparison, when in 2005 the city of Paris commissioned the composer to write a piece for 400 guitars. Opening is local No Wave descendants Bare Flames.
Friday, September 15 at 9pm. Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. (440-5907). $10
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