Portable Shrines

One-take solo improvisation on Kimball “Voyager” organ recorded 11-20-11
Video and music by Aubrey Nehring

Another great show at the Comet (Lesbian, La Otracina, Great Society Mind Destroyers, Hypatia Lake show the week before was incredible BTW)
Thanks to Mama Casserole and all the folks who support amazing touring bands like Chicago’s CAVE. Locals Are You a Cat?, Midday Veil and Kinski also tore it up for real.
Here’s a couple videos from the show featuring Portable Shrines light show by Aubrey Nehring and Rena Bussinger.

Bird Dance by Virna Haffer

As most of the Northwest knows Tacoma has been turning itself around of late. Check out the Spaceworks Tacoma installations around the Theater District and take a walk around oldtown to fully grasp this rejuvenation of the artistic community. Then make sure to swing by The Tacoma Art Museum’s stunning exhibit of Virna Haffer’s Photography, Photograms and Woodcuts entitled A Turbulent Lens: The Photographic Art of Virna Haffer to ponder its very long experimental artistic legacy. Born in 1899 and raised in the anarchist community of Home, Washington Haffer began her career as a photographer in the 1920′s, continuing to create a prolific, internationally acclaimed body of work in many varied forms until the early 1970′s.

 If you cannot make it the show (it ends November 6th) the Tacoma Public Library houses an image archive of her work…

Here’s a bit more coverage from last week’s Escalator Fest III at Lo-Fi.
Thanks to Rena Bussinger for the video and images. More to come…

Soakin' up the vibes...

The tribal futurism of Swahili

This Blinding Light played a memorably transcendent improv heavy set.

Here’s some video of the mighty Macrocosm at Escalator Fest III this past weekend.
(more video and pictures to come, you can peep some here and here).

Thanks to all of the amazing bands that played this year- Fruiting Bodies, Lunar Grave, This Blinding Light, Swahili, Midday Veil, Ayahuasca Travelers, Macrocosm, Rose Windows, Diminished Men and Fungal Abyss (the perfect finale! Great job dudes).
And to the DJs (Explorateur, Gel-Sol, Adam Svenson, Mama Casserole, Papa Yod and Miss Clarita -you guys are the jam) and video artists: David Golightly(Midday Veil), Darlene Nordyke(Lunar Grave), Ellie Dicola(Rose Windows), Rena Bussinger(Swahili) and Aubrey Nehring(everything else).
Thanks to all of the many people who made it happen this year. Emily Pothast, David Golightly, Rena Bussinger and Darlene Nordyke (yall is freaks!) Scott and Li at the Lo-Fi, Dave Segal, Jonathan Meepers, Steve Quenell and a very big thanks to Andrew Crawshaw of 112 Printworks for the fantastic screenprint job on the Escalator III posters (We still have copies left for $10- contact aubrey@portableshrines.com to procure this fine hand made 3-color print).

And of course thanks to all you super freaks for coming down and hanging with us. It was a great weekend.

This year’s poster was the first collaboration between Aubrey Nehring and Steve Quenell. A limited edition screenprint will be available through Andrew Crawshaw at 112 Printworks in Fremont.

If you haven’t stopped by the 112 Printworks Shop you’d best do so. Aside from being a gallery of fine screenprinted art with new artists every month it also the new home to the most fabulous Leary Records formerly located at Resolution Audio in Ballard. They’ll be having a groovy DJ party next month to celebrate the merger.

One the Event is a free 3 day event with the intent of healing humanity regarding the 9/11 tragedy. Tens of thousands of people will be joining musicians, speakers, and celebrities, both live and on the web to intentionally send love, compassion and unity to all of humanity.

Please consider attending the Gathering events happening at the University of Washington Friday 9/9/11 and Saturday 9/10/11 for the 2-day Experiential Solutions & Empowerment Gathering & Global Webcast, featuring a speakers, workshops, community dialogues, solutions sessions, inspired live music, high impact poetry, delicious nutritious food and a global interactive webcast.

On 9/11/11 There is the actual One the Event featuring local music, inspirational speakers, celebration and ceremony in Seattle Center’s Memorial Stadium. The afternoon will culminate with a global synchronized moment of love shared with millions of people worldwide at 3:46pm PDT and lead by founder of ONE: Becoming One Erik Lawyer.

The event is still accepting volunteers as well-there will be a meeting today 9/8/11 6 pm in Red Square at the University of Washington, or you can go to http://onetheevent.org/volunteer.html to sign up.

Peace.

Poster by Darwin

Sooo many things going on in the imminent future… like for instance, ESCALATOR FEST III SEPTEMBER 23-24TH! (more on this very soon)  But first things first- this Wednesday Aug. 10th at The Comet: “Return to the Fungal Abyss” This is the 2nd night of a month long journey into sound that will be happening every Wednesday in August and features all four members of avant-metal geniuses Lesbian taking an improvisational trip into realms beyond joined by numerous special guests. Each night will be a something new and different.  This week the Curious Mystery open up with visuals by Portable Shrines and the All Seeing DJ One Eye spinning far-out records between sets. Reports from the 1st night indicate that this is definitely an event you don’t want to miss…

This will also be a party to celebrate the release of FUNGAL ABYSS’ debut album “Bardo Abgrund Temple” on Transliguistic Other. Hear a preview here: http://fungalabyss.bandcam​p.com/

Shrine installation by Rena Bussinger and Aubrey Nehring

This weekend is your last chance to check out the Portable Shrines art show at 112 Printworks in Fremont.

There are still some limited edition screen prints available by Steve Quenell and Aubrey Nehring which can be ordered through Broken Press.

Tarot print by Steve Quenell

Saturday July 2nd at Cairo (507 E Mercer) WYLD WYZRDZ (PDX), gkfoes vjgoaf (CA) and Perpetual Ritual

8pm all-ages

Poster by Max Clotfelter

Thrill Jockey is a label that just can’t seem to put out anything that isn’t jaw-droppingly awesome lately. They just signed the Wooden Shjips and have been scooping up many of the most primo freaks currently making the scene. See Daniel Higgs, Zomes, Mountains, Sidi Toure and honestly too many others mention in one sitting. Get a little taste of White Hills having a rather Amphetamine Reptile moment below from their latest offering Hp-1 (they’ll be in Seattle September 9th at Nectar). And don’t miss the swirling majesty of Eternal Tapestry’s collaboration with Sun Araw entitled Night Gallery.

White Hills – H-p1 from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Eternal Tapestry & Sun Araw – Night Gallery III by thrilljockey

Geist and the Sacred Ensemble play the Josephine (surely you know where that is?) this Saturday night to celebrate their long awaited first full-length release. You can get a preview of it HERE. Also dig this interview on the always excellent Revolt of the Apes blog.

With: HUNTER (Tacoma), Kelli’s Starlight Wishes and Tied To Branches (SF)

This Saturday April 2nd we celebrate the release  of our super deluxe double LP extravaganza of mind boggling sounds from beyond. An amazing 6 of the 18 bands featured on the album will be performing at the Lo-Fi Performance Gallery 429 Eastlake. I daresay one of the finest lineups we’ve had the pleasure to present.  These are exact times so don’t miss out!

8:15-8:45 Brother Raven
9:00-9:30 Geist & the Sacred Ensemble
9:45-10:15 Midday Veil
10:30-11:10 Prince Rama
11:25-12:05 Eternal Tapestry
12:20-1:00 Kinski

Spinning the finest zonked out gems all night in the lounge will be DJs Valerie”Explorateur”Calano, Dull Knife’s Adam Svenson and Garek Druss and the all-seeing DJ Eye.  Projections by Aubrey Nehring, Darlene Nordyke, David Golightly and Ellie Dicola.

The record wont be in stores til Record Store Day April 16th so come down and score a copy now, along with some other very limited edition treats.

This is a real thing that is happening next week.