The Outside the Spotlight series gives Lexingtonians a chance to see and hear live performances of improvisational music. I have heard it referred to as free jazz. And in many cases, I understand why one would locate this music in the jazz category. But in other cases, for instance when The Friction Brothers brought their noisy improv to town, using hot metal objects on dry ice to produce weird and wonderful sounds (not to mention using scrapers and vibrators on a snare drum to create sounds that do not resemble any ordinary percussive sound), it is not so clear to me that what I am hearing is jazz.
But I will leave the classification to others. What I do know is that the Outside the Spotlight series consistently presents talented artists who make good music. And music that, so far as I can tell, is available no where else in Lexington. For me, it is the way the musicians use sound to twist space and time that keeps me coming back. I am never disappointed. My mind is consistently blown.
That Ross Compton has been able to keep this series going for eight years is a testament to his hard work. He has had to move the location of these events many times. They have occurred in Memorial Hall on UK's campus, in storage facilities, in an old ice house next to Altec's Kentucky Ale brewing facility, in the wonderful (but now defunct) downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, and probably in many other locations I am unaware of. That Ross has continued to keep the price of admission ridiculously low (I have never paid a cover charge of more than $5) shows his concern that people of all income levels can enjoy live music.
That the musicians continue to come back to Lexington, despite the fact that they will make only a small amount of money for their work is due in large part (or at least I think it is) to the fact that the Lexintonians who show up to these events make for a good audience. They actively listen. And, most importantly, they do not talk during the show: You can hear a pin drop when the music gets really quiet. Ultimately, this is what makes the show for me. When the entire audience makes the music the focus, one is able to experience sound in that very special way made possible only by deep listening.
The Outside the Spotlight music series has opened the world of sound to me in ways that I never would have thought possible a few years ago. We are lucky to have this series here in Lexington. Thank you Ross.
The series 8th Anniversary show is Tuesday, 11/23/2010, at Collexion. Here's the info:
> Outside the Spotlight / Event 122 / 8th Anniversary Show!
Tuesday, November 23
Ballister
* Dave Rempis - reeds
* Fred Lonberg-Holm - cello
* Paal Nilssen-Love - percussion
at Collexion, 111 1/2 E. Loudon Ave (at the corner of N. Limestone - immediately behind the building marked 'HOP HOP')
doors 7:30pm, show starts at 8pm
all ages welcome, $5 or pay-what-you-can (more or less, as you are able)
Here's a link to Walter Tunis's preview of the show.
Here are some links to videos of past OTS shows:
Tatsuya Nakatani and Dave Farris at the Icehouse, September 27, 2006 (here's a cool video of some kids who took over the stage during intermission and forced Tatsuya and Dave to jam with them)
Peter Brotzmann and Fred Lonberg-Holm at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, February 23, 2010
The Thing w/ Joe McPhee at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, June 18, 2010
The Friction Brothers at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, June 29, 2010
Here are some links to videos of past OTS shows:
Tatsuya Nakatani and Dave Farris at the Icehouse, September 27, 2006 (here's a cool video of some kids who took over the stage during intermission and forced Tatsuya and Dave to jam with them)
Peter Brotzmann and Fred Lonberg-Holm at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, February 23, 2010
The Thing w/ Joe McPhee at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, June 18, 2010
The Friction Brothers at the downtown Gumbo Ya Ya, June 29, 2010
