I checked out the Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this weekend.
It really is an impressive building — it looks like something out of “2001: A Space Odyssey” — and it inspires awe from both outside and within. When I walked into the theater, I felt like I was entering a space ship; if we’d blasted off during the performance, it wouldn’t have surprised me. EMPAC, of course, is the new, technologically ground-breaking, $200 million arts center that specializes in bringing experimental, cutting edge art, dance and music to the Capital Region. To read more about EMPAC, click here.
On Saturday, EMPAC was hosting the Array Ensemble, a seven-member, Canadian chamber music ensemble. I don’t know much about contemporary classical music, but it interests me, mainly because people tend to think of classical music as something that’s at least 100 years old, rather than something that’s being composed right now. And also, I like weird musical events, and this sounded, well, kind of weird. (Here’s an excerpt from the blurb in Metroland: “Seriously, the Toronto-based ensemble were deemed ‘one of North America’s more astonishing fonts of new music’ by the Village Voice. Saturday’s program will include Claude Vivier’s Et Je Reverrai Cette Ville Etrange, James Tenney’s Spectrum 1 and some ‘Arraymusic Miniatures.’ And no, it doesn’t matter in the slightest if you haven’t heard of these works or composers.”)
I contacted my friend Bruce, who also enjoys weird music. “Have you purchased tickets yet?” he asked. It’s been my experience that weird musical events generally do not draw huge crowds, and that there’s usually no need to order tickets in advance, but I started to worry and called EMPAC. “We still have tickets,” the receptionist said. “Well, is there any chance they’ll sell out before this evening?” I asked. I mean, after missing David Byrne’s show at The Egg last week because I didn’t order tickets as soon as they went on sale, god forbid I miss the Array Ensemble. But the receptionist quickly put my fears to rest. “We have 915 tickets left,” she said.
Anyway, the Array Ensemble performed in this beautiful 1,200 seat concert hall that is no doubt among the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls on earth. If I’d managed to do more than just barely pass Musical Acoustics in college, I’d be able to tell you more about this, but all I can say is that sound bounces, and that it’s best to build concert halls that make the sound bounce in ways that are pleasing to the audience. To start, the Array Ensemble played what Bruce described as “the slowest piece of music I’ve ever heard in my life.” Though the other compositions weren’t quite as slow as that first piece, they never really picked up, either. They were quiet and pretty and sort of relaxing, and as soon as the concert was over we felt much more energetic. Bruce and I are both drawn to music that has a certain momentum, and we wondered what sort of musician aspires to play such slow and quiet music. Certainly, we’d never heard anything quite like it, and though I wouldn’t exactly run out to see the Array Ensemble a second time, that doesn’t mean the ensemble wasn’t worth seeing once.
Of course, all I had to do to remember why I enjoy going to weird concerts was turn on the radio. True, I love the radio. But sometimes the radio drives me crazy. For instance, here’s my list of the most overplayed new music. Every time I hear these songs, I change the station. And, yes, right now I’d take the slowest music ever over all of these songs.
1. “Cath” by Death Cab for Cutie. I like this band, and I’m happy they’re on the radio, but I cannot listen to this song anymore. I just can’t.
2. “Human” by The Killers. I like The Killers’ first two albums, but on the basis of this one song I can’t imagine buying their new album. The line “Are we human or are we dancer?” is one of the stupidest lines I’ve ever heard, and seems like it belongs in a Styx song. “Mr. Roboto,” maybe.
3. “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. I like this song, but why does it have to be played on every station, all the time? I don’t know, but now I can’t stand it. Thanks!
4. Anything by Jack Johnson. OK, I’m not a Jack Johnson fan. But isn’t he overplayed? Plus, his music makes me feel like taking a nap, and that’s not how I want to feel when I’m operating a motor vehicle.
5. “Take Back the City” by Snow Patrol. Why does this band get any respect? I don’t understand it. They write a lot songs that are almost good, but not quite.
By the way, you never know who’s going to read what you write. My vending machine post last Thursday (click here to read it), seems to have caught the attention of VendingMarketWatch News. Who knew such a publication existed? But here’s a link.
Got a comment? A song you’ve heard so many times you feel like throwing your radio out the window? Comment below or e-mail me at sfoss@dailygazette.net.
