Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / April 30, 2009, edition 1 / Page 10
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Thursday, April 30, 2009 {The Blue Banner} Page 10 Avant-garde music comes to Bobo By John Lauterbach Contributing Writer hubar3@yahoo.com Avant-garde music comes alive May 15 at the Bobo. Gallery in downtown Asheville. The Orange Tulip Conspiracy, a West Coast blend of traditional jazz, world mu sic and heavy metal styles, will perform alongside the Southeast’s own twisted version of rock ‘n’ roll Ahleuchatistas. “I have actually played with Ahl- uechatistas before back in ’04 or ’05 at Vincent’s Ear,” said Jason Schimmel, gui tarist and composer of The Orange Tulip Conspiracy. “Though it wasn’t with this particular project, all in all I might have played in Asheville nine or so times and have always enjoyed the crowd there.” According to Schimmel, his first solo project once again teams him up with saxophonist and former band mate John Whooley. Their first project together was with the Balkan jazz metal group Estra- dasphere. “I was actually at two of the shows Estradasphere played in Asheville in the past,” said UNC Asheville Spanish major Rama Malinak. “Both times it was incred ible. It’s exciting that Asheville continues to attract those kinds of acts.” But pinning down exactly what kind of act that is can bit a little bit difficult, ac cording to Schimmel. “We play a sort of psyched-out jazz, with some Greek stuff, some odd timing stuff, and we play a little metal. It’s not easy to describe,” Schimmel said. Both Schimmel and Whooley performed with Secret Chiefs 3, a name that few may have heard, but has created an intense fol lowing. “I actually went to New York City to see the Secret Chiefs 3 play compositions by John Zora, and Jason Schimmel was play ing guitar for them,” Malinak said. “I also went to see the Secret Chiefs play at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, but Jason was playing the bass guitar at the time.” “It was great being able to perform Zom’s material in New York,” Schimmel said. “Not only was I performing music originally written by one of the great jazz artists of our time, but I was playing it for him in his own nonprofit club,” As for The Orange Tulip Conspiracy, Schimmel said the live show differs quite a bit from the material in the debut al bum. “What we do live is sort of a stripped- down version of the CD,” Schimmel said. “It’s a lot more intense, and we try to change things up. We also have about an entire CD’s worth of new material that hasn’t been recorded yet, so we’re playing a lot of that as well.” The Orange Tulip Conspiracy’s latest tour won’t leave much time for sightsee ing in the mountains, however, according to the band’s Web site. Playing 23 shows in 23 days will keep them busy enough as it is. “We’ll be playing before Ahleuchatis tas at that show because we have to drive to New Orleans to play a show the next night,” Schimmel said. “I’ve always wanted to just check out the town but it seems like every time I come through we just have to rush off to the next place.” The Orange Tulip Conspiracy’s set will begin at about 10 p.m. with a cover charge at the door. The price had not been set at the tim£ of this interview, according to Schimmel. “UNCA students would enjoy this kind of music if they actually knew that it was out there,” Malinak said. “For such an artsy town, Asheville has always seemed .to have a lackluster music scene to me. It would be great if bands like this came around more often.” Schimmel took a more pragmatic ap proach. “We just try to keep it interesting and hope that everyone enjoys what they hear,” Schimmel said. For more information on The Orange Tulip Conspiracy, visit www.myspace. com/orangetulipconspiracy. Photo Courtesy of The Orange Tulip Conspiracy The Orange Tulip Conspiracy plays the Bobo Gallery downtown on May 15. The band experiments with traditional jazz, world music and heavy metal. They originate in Seattle and are playing a string of Eastcoast dates. West Coast band delivers diverse stylings to intimate venue Poetry festival celebrates its second year in Asheville By Erin McWhorter Staff Writer EMMCWHOR@UNCA.EDU In an effort to spark community con nection and interaction with poetry, the upcoming Wordfest poetry festival hosts renowned poets from around the world. “1 see poetry as a stem cell,” said Laura Hope-Gill, Wordfest executive direc tor. “In and of itself, poetry can be all things to all people. I envision Wordfest as an instrument for allowing people to discover what poetry can be to them, far beyond the limits that get placed on it in most high school textbooks.” In 2008, the concept for a Wordfest po etry festival materialized after a group of about 14 local poets met in Malaprop’s Bookstore and explored the idea of host ing such a festival in Asheville. Hope- Gill serves as director of the event. “I program the festival to make sure that every event is a highlight,” Hope- Gill said. “We only book outstanding, high-intensity poets. We’re thrilled to have Li-Young Lee, Quincy Troupe and Valzhyna Mort coming. Each of these poets could easily headline three separate festivals. We have all of them.” The 2009 Wordfest poetry festival, free to the public, is set to begin April 3 and last until May 3. Locations such as Ju bilee, the Bobo Gallery, Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center and the LaZoom bus tour, as well as other down town locations, are slated to host the fes tival. The festival consists of 11 different readings spread across four days. “We have three poets reading at each reading this year, which means three dif ferent groups, voices and perspectives at each reading,” she said. “The potential for resonance and harmony is greater!” From the. global down to the personal aspects of life, Hope-Gill assures that the selected poets use their poetry to ask questions. The latest collection of Li-Young Lee’s POETRY Page 11 |
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