Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
August 28, 2022
music, party gem, greyhounds, music, original music, porchfest, rhine, swimming Leave a comment
Lets play music in Connecticut. The Greyhounds welcome you to the house.
But first a dip in the pool.
And then it’s off to the porch.
George, gig one of three…
Sound check
And then another dip in another pool, between gigs.
Gig the next.
All we’re missing is the drummer. George, gig three…
July 6, 2022
art, dance, music, travel, who knows alabama art, april, April Claggett, art, concert, dani, drawing, gary mcgraw, gem, improvisation, into the unknown, italy, miagliano, original music, performance, rhine, Rhine Singleton, sogol, where's aubrey 1 Comment
What happens when you convene an eclectic group of artists with a vague plan to “make something” involving music, dance, drawing, and possibly opera? Well who knows. We haven’t been able to find out yet as one of the dancers came to Italy with COVID (everyone tested on arrival) and spread it to two others in our group before proper quarantine set in. The biggest impact involved our fearless leader and chief convener Shooka taking to her bed.
The upshot on Sunday about three hours after landing in Italy was a hastily constructed spettacolo involving Bach, improvisational movement art to unplanned spontaneous music, and Where’s Aubrey in Miagliano, Italy. Amazingly, the people who came to see us actually enjoyed themselves.
We fittingly call ourselves, Into the Unknown.
Instruments fly from Germany
Giant guitar case travels well
Sogol plays Bach to open the show
The audience mostly avoided the actual amphitheater seats, instead opting for the shade
We shifted the “stage” to face the shade loving audience.
“Backstage” with a dobro
By far the most interesting part of the show was when the musicians played whatever occurred to them (us?) as the dancers moved to the improvisational music and the artist drew what she heard and saw. We divided that piece into eight parts defined by the artist. We also asked the audience to participate by drawing as well.
Movement art
Sogol and Dani and April
Where’s Aubrey performs with a kluged up sound system
Paparazzi
Sure
Ultimately, we all had a good time at our first performance (one of three planned so far). Benvenuto in Italia.
More about the show can be found on Rhine’s blog.
February 23, 2020
art, music, photography, plants Andy Akiho, art, art museum, baba, composers, concert, contemporary music, David Lang, dc, eighth blackbird, emily, emily shepardson, Fjóla Evans, gem, Holly Harrison, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Julius Eastman, Lisa Kaplan, national gallery, national gallery of art, Nina Shekhar, original music, Viet Cuong, washington dc Leave a comment
National Gallery of Art
What a place to see one of my all time favorite contemporary music groups. Eighth Blackbird played the National Gallery 2.16.20, and the show was free. As always, the group featured brand new music from living composers, including: Nina Shekhar, Fjóla Evans, Andy Akiho, Holly Harrison, David Lang, Viet Cuong, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Julius Eastman. This show included some ringers in for violin, flute, and clarinet.
Lisa Kaplan, fearless leader and director of eighth blackbird
My favorite set was the second, and my favorite piece was Viet Cuoug’s Electric Aroma (2017),
The most precious thing in the museum was Cora, of course.
Cora does contemporary
The setting (no pictures or recording during the show)
After the concert, there were a few minutes for art.
Then it was out and on the metro for cocktails and dinner at Baba.
Sundown on the mall
Smithsonian sculpture
Wholly Emily
Baba’s bar
February 11, 2020
music, photography alisa, club cafe, concert, exiles, gem, grant-lee phillips, greg, john doe, krisin hersh, music, original music, photography, pittsburgh, rm, the exiles, video Leave a comment
There were three of them. The setting was intimate at Club Cafe. Negronis were available. Seating was not.
Ye olde van carpool crew
Krisin opened up with an interesting guitar song that involved intentionally bending chords on an acoustic. After that song, all bets were off WRT tuning. Who needs tuning for an intimate acoustic set? EVERYONE. EVERYONE MUST TUNE.
(please tune)
Grant-lee joined in and tuning became mandatory. This also allowed for some breathing. Grant-lee is charismatic and fun to watch but about as deep as a puddle.
Duo to go
Picture picture for Em
John Doe was fantastic. Thank the stars for a poet singer like him.
John Doe
Hells yes on a great Pittsburgh Sunday night. So good to see Alisa and Greg!!
January 27, 2020
music, photography, who knows anthem, concert, dc, grace potter, live music, original music, show, the anthem, video, washington dc Leave a comment
Great show. Lots of dancing and joy.
Though this was the second encore, the solo version of Release was the most powerful song of the set. Yes please. Need some of this.
Rock and roll ending.
October 22, 2019
music baby grand piano, cincinnati, fiddle, fort thomas, gem, house concert, kentucky, live music, music, original music, photography, ritt deitz, tessa killen, wilder deitz Leave a comment
Here are some pictures taken by Tessa Killen during a magical evening performance in the house concert series known as Parlor and Patio held in greater Cincinnati. The location and sound are ideal for an intimate evening—impressive attention to detail, warm and inviting hosts, and post show music (not to mention bourbon).
Ritt Deitz
More about the musicians, Ritt and Wilder Deitz and me.
Wilder Deitz on the actual wooden baby grand piano
Gary McGraw on the fiddle
In the action
October 19, 2019
music, photography bloomingtion, gem, house concert, music, original music, photography, ritt, ritt deitz, video, wilder 1 Comment
Yes please. Music with an old friend from the college days spurred into action by the seredipitous planet of ours. I was slated to be in Bloomington for a Dean’s Advisory Council meeting of the Luddy School of Informatics. Then a post card arrived with a request to “alert the Bloomington troops” scrawled across the front announcing a house concert on the very same day.
So a sideman on the fiddle was added to the bill. What a magical evening. Intimate, energetic, and filled with love.
Sound check in the light of day
A scrumptious spread
Concert at dusk.
Ritt Deitz
Set 1
Wilder Deitz
Ritt and Wilder
Back to the Eastside You Go
Ritt and Wilder
I swear I played the fiddle too.
October 20, 2018
music barns of rose hill, gemini bridge, guitar, Hiroya Tsukamoto, improvisation, music, original music, sampling Leave a comment
I first met Hiroya when he opened a sold out show for the Bitter Liberals in January 2018. We were frankly honored to have Hiro open for us. He was outstanding both in terms of technique and showmanship.
Hiro’s music tells a layered story soaked with emotional significance. Here are some pictures and videos from a recent show at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, VA 10.19.18.
Visit Hiro’s website here.
The most remarkable piece of the evening was an improvisation that Hiro put together during the second set. Influences of Eno, Fripp, Japan, and banjo are all evident and are masterfully woven into a beautiful piece.
Gemini Bridge is a core piece of Hiro repertoire. If you like how this sounds, you should buy a copy of the CD Heartland.
Hiro plays one guitar with a set of electronics used for balancing and layering with a sampler. He is a master of his technology (more than can be said for most musicians), and his use of sampling is both subtle and seamless. Masterful.
This song about fire was inspired by peaceful campfires with family in Japan.
I am always in awe of musicians who perform and tour full time and are not associated with a huge corporate act with a small support army. Make sure to go see Hiroya play if you ever get a chance.
February 26, 2018
music, party alstead, concert, fiddle, gary mcgraw, gem, leaf, mandolin, mole hill theatre, music, NH, original music, rhine, Rhine Singleton, where's aubrey Leave a comment
Where’s Aubrey
photo by Tom Singleton
What’s the best way to celebrate birthday 52? With a show in New Hampshire of course. Where’s Aubrey played a show in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire for a receptive audience at the Mole Hill Theater. As always, we played a benefit performance, this time for the LEAF (nutritious lunch) program of a public charter school operating out of the same revamped machine shop where we played the show.
Alstead
A machine
We played our sets right next to a huge blue machine. Not sure what it actually used to do. Stamp out complete cars??
Where’s Aubrey and the big blue machine
The show was high energy and fun, one of the best we’ve played.
Where’s Aubrey: Gary McGraw and Rhine Singleton
Laying into the fiddle
Rhine sings
Mando and the big blue behemoth
Where’s Aubrey in Alstead, NH
no silly allowed? definitely no silly.
fiddle and the big blue behemoth
What kind of stuff does it take to play an acoustic act??
the stage
Well, to be fair, we played our two set show. Then after a break we electrified the whole thing with drums, bass, and electric guitar. The LEAF Cutters were born. Dancing happened. Much fun was had.
=====
A message from Rhine
Dear Friends and Music Lovers –
Because you and so many others turned out last Saturday night, we not only had a total blast playing music, we raised $1250 for the healthy lunches program at the LEAF school through donations at the door. The silent auction brought in another $1000, so the event truly was a smashing success!
And, you were a wonderful audience to play for. So, we’re sending our heartfelt thanks. Hope to see you at another music event before too long!
fin
December 24, 2017
music Allen Kitselman, barns of rose hill, berryville, bitter liberals, concert, eli mcgraw, gary mcgraw, guitar, mandolin, nick shrenk, original music, rhine, Rhine Singleton, vioin, where's aubrey Leave a comment
Where’s Aubrey will play a benefit for Habitat for Humanity’s work in Clarke County FRIDAY 1.29.17 at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, VA.
Learn more about Habitat for Humanity in Clarke County.
100% of proceeds from the concert go to Habitat.
We will be releasing our eighth CD the day of the show. Art by Eli McGraw. Music by Rhine Singleton and Gary McGraw. At the show, we’ll be playing all of the songs from the new CD plus some of your favorite Where’s Aubrey tunes.
We will be joined on stage by Allen Kitselman and Nick Schrenk of the Bitter Liberals.
See you Friday!
