ARE YOU CURIOUS NOVEMBER 2009

Ah, procrastination.  The force of inertia weighing heavily on us every hour of every day (well, at least on me)... And with the winter darkness spreading out over us and the oncoming crush of holiday plannings and partyings taking up most of our spare time, it is hard to find time for the little enjoyable things, like seeing music in cozy little art galleries (or even at ours).  But one has to soldier on, especially when it means you get to see our hot new SASNAK exhibition, in conjunction with the WHIRLIGIGS group show.  Things will spin, flip, rise, and fall all on mechanical power.  The magic of electricity, the forces of physics, and the wonders of the world will be explained, or at least illuminated.

Anyhow, Justin, Jorgen and I want to thank everyone for a killer October.  Not only did we execute (or at least watch them being executed) four very different exhibitions of art, but we had more shows than ever, and made it through our first round of musician residencies.  It was an experience we won't soon forget, the chance to see groups get better and better before our eyes and feeling a part of a wider community.  We really hope to pull these off at least once a year so get ready for one in April 2010, with a whole new cast of characters.


NOVEMBER EVENTS
Unless otherwise specified, all shows begin at 9pm (sorry, sleepyheads and morning workers) and we ask a 5 dollar donation to support the space and the bands.  If you got money for beer and cigarettes, then you can spare some dough for the band to buy gas, food, beer, and cigarettes too. 


Wed, Nov 4th - DREW DANBURRY + KEVIN GREENSPON + LAND OF ILL EARTHQUAKES + CLARK 8

We saw DREW DANBURRY playing at Port’o Call in West Covina, totally acoustic and at times acapella.  Enraptured, we asked him to play the gallery.  He brought a full band that time, and totally threw us for a whole different loop, giving the whole post-emo folk guitar thing a good Replacements-style kick in the pants, spitting in its hair for good measure.  CLARK 8 rages with the same quiet intensity too, poised between rocking out and writing the catchiest pop songs possible.  Think Elvis Costello before he got all soft on us.  LAND OF ILL EARTHQUAKES is kinda new to the space, but their twee-meets-big band jam-out mashes up Arcade Fire and Belle & Sebastian with stunning results  Honestly, if you have ever had a Camera Obscura song lodged in your head, or been obsessed with the Darla compilations, this will be an antidote to that blissful torture.  And KEVIN GREENSPON, well, we toured with this cat, and he is unshakeable and unforgiving in his search for the perfect tranced out experience.  Plus he has some rad Mennonite-ish facial hair.

www.drewdanburry.com  (check for downloads of his EP on this site)
kevingreenspon.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/landofillearthquakes
www.clark8.com


Thurs, Nov 5th - VANDAVEER + PAIGE STARK + JUDSON McKINNEY

VANDAVEER is a duo that spans the country, and the history of the country to boot.  In fact, they float effortlessly between sublime Nick Drake-ish Victorian charms and breezy Wilco-ish Americanisms, which is pretty apparent with chief Vanderveer-izer Mark Heideiger’s bassist duties in the amazing These United States (a group that has graced our rug twice before skyrocketing into stardom).  PAIGE STARK pulls together a simple ensemble to back her true-blue songwriting, steeped in the Vashti - Karen Dalton mystique, but with a good measure of the Lavender Diamond and Mariee Sioux vibe in there too.  JUDSON MCKINNEY works down the street, but his music comes from the heartland found deep inside of late night AM radio populated with Jackson Browns and the aforementioned Wilcos of the world (this kid has a pretty dead-on Jeff Tweedy voice going on).

www.vandaveer.com
www.myspace.com/paigestarkmusic
www.myspace.com/judsonmckinney


Fri, Nov 6th - THE ROBOTANISTS + AGENT RIBBONS + THE DYLAN TREES + DEATHKIT

ROBOTANISTS will have just returned to town from their wild shoe-gazing, awe-inducing adventures in NYC at CMJ (oh the acronyms you will meet!!!)  , while AGENT RIBBONS will have just returned from Spain, spreading their crazy carnival punk mess around in foreign lands.  We think the two alone would make a very special night of musical exploration, but imagine the fun when we bookend them with the tranquil laptop infused pop majesty of THE DYLAN TREES and the heavy rump-shaking disco of DEATHKIT... sounds like a party, huh.  Think of it as a musical continuum, a scale in which you keep moving up and up with each group.  Be here early and bring plenty of liquids, it's gonna be a long and satisfying hike.

robotanists.wordpress.com
www.myspace.com/agentribbons
www.dylantrees.com
www.myspace.com/deathkit


Sat, Nov 7th - THE KRIS SPECIAL + OR, THE WHALE + SEASONS + BODHI

OR, THE WHALE features like seven or eight freaking people in their band.  And SEASONS ain't no little enterprise either!  Well, we generally get nervous when there are more than 16 band members total in the groups playing in a night, and i guess we're pretty close with Portland's BODHI having a typical (but a-typical) four piece and THE KRIS SPECIAL weighing in at a shy 2 peoples (evenly distributed sex-wise, i might add)... ok, so much for the demographics of rock.

BODHI merges together really satisfying shout-y type British accent-infused vocals with thick sweet organ tones and good-time drumming.  SF's OR, THE WHALE (gotta love bands with punctuation in their name, so grammatical!!!) is indeed a seven piece big band of electrified sorrows and woes, using those fourteen arms and seven throats to good measure, making 21st century gospel for nostalgic robots.  We will just have finished cleaning up from the Oct 30th performance by HP's SEASONS, but we'll still be glad to see their soulful take on big time shoe gazing and keyboard driven rock-n-roll.  And, last but not least, THE KRIS SPECIAL remains one of our favorite local duos, smashing out quite a bit of sound from four little hands.  Nick and Anne live every day as a rock-n-roll day, seeking the perfect riff, beat, or tune.

www.myspace.com/thekrisspecial
www.myspace.com/orthewhale
www.myspace.com/sseasons
www.myspace.com/bodhirock


Tues, Nov 10th - ART DROP for WHIRLIGIGS 7p to 10p or make special arrangements.  We want it!!!!

Alrighty, it moves, we want it.  If the visitor can turn a knob, spin a dial, pull on a pulley, we want it.  It could be fan, a flipbook, a wheel, anything kinetic and movable.  Trust me, when you see all the other crazy shit that is going to be in the gallery, you're gonna flip!!!


Fri, Nov 13th - ART OPENING for SASNAK and the WHIRLIGIGS group show  8p to midnight -

FREE, wine and various snacks.  Definitely some dj's spinning some records in perpetual sound motion.  Come and see the master craftsmen JUSTIN MCINTEER and BRIAN DINKINS unleash some cogs of fury on your ass.  This is the most ambitious thing we've done yet, but with the proper encouragement, there is no telling what 2010 will turn out.  So come on and get caught in our mousetrap and take a turn on the wheel.

www.echocurio.com


Sat, Nov 14th - DRAMATURGY presents HOLY ROLLING EMPIRE + THE JET AGE + THE MONTHLIES + THE HARD TO GET + a special performance by TERRY de CASTRO (of WEDDING PRESENT)

Rebecca Balin of DRAMATURGY rules, and tonight you will find out why!  She's brought in Tuscon's HOLY ROLLING EMPIRE, who merges some heavy jams with some beautiful harmonies, without really stealing from any particular source but bringing up collective memories of At the Drive In, Elliot Smith and Karate.  DC's THE JET AGE draws from across the pond, bring the jams of the Who into the 90s with soaring distortion pedal flights and some prehistoric leads (a la Dinosaur Jr, get it?).  They were also nice enough to get their good friend TERRY de CASTRO, bassist for the WEDDING PRESENT (!!!!!) to come and do a solo set to open the show.  How freaking coo is that.  Local natives THE MONTHLIES and THE HARD TO GET round out the sets with their rocking exuberance and downright charming demeanors (haha, kidding, they are rock bands and are prone to throwing stuff).

www.hremusic.com
www.myspace.com/thejetage
www.myspace.com/themonthlies


Sun, Nov 15th - MARK MATOS AND OS BEACHES + DAMEON LEE + THE CHOKE + BUMTECH

Ok, so think of this night as a two sided coin.  On one side you have sweet tropicalia-infused AM country rock (and the always enchanting work of D. LEE, enchanting in that sort of whisky drinking truck driving down a long dark highway kind of enchantment) and on the other, you have pre-post-punk late 80's new wave dance music (peppered with an abundance of good humor (ok, well sick humor at least)).  Heads or tails you win.  I know, usually we go for more cohesive evenings, but this is one for both sides of your brain, as well as your gluteus maximus.  So get ready to be pulled in several directions and maybe prep for some mood swings.

www.myspace.com/markmatososbeaches
www.myspace.com/bloodonsnow1
www.the-choke.com
www.myspace.com/bumtech


Tues, Nov 17th - MAN’S ASSASSINATION MAN + NEON NAVAJO + SHOWGIRLS

Heavy jams from the boys formerly known as the Mae Shi and currently moonlighting in Signals, and evidently these dudes have come here to f'up the party, MAN'S ASSASSINATION MAN will surely make you cry tears in your beer with their Siltbreezian hijinks.  NEON NAVAJO raises the one-man screamo thing to new levels, while SHOWGIRLS, fresh from their Gold Room-leveling escapades, promise to make you rethink your preconceptions of three piece keyboard bands.  Bring the earplugs and settle in for some gut-wrenching and some mind-blowing.

www.myspace.com/mansass
www.myspace.com/neonnavajo
www.myspace.com/showgirlsmusic


Wed, Nov 18th - BATRIDER + BIRTH GLOW + O’S AND THE OCULIST + LOST LAKE

Visitors from New Zealand and Australia, BATRIDER and BIRTHGLOW share a member in one Stephanie Crase, but beyond that, these guys differ like milk and tequila.  BATRIDER claims the mantle of Flying Nun records, but by way of Kill Rock Stars, delivering a healthy but unsettling mix of heartbreak and hopefulness.  BIRTHGLOW plays it a little lighter but no less heartbreaking.  Orange County's O'S AND THE OCULIST lend us a more Californian sound, full of beachy goodness and loads of wacked out keyboards.  LOST LAKE is a new project from members of the now defunct BLACK KITES and MOSPEADA, and they have toned down the pedal gymastics in favor of some good old fashioned songwriting.

www.batrider.com
www.myspace.com/birthglow
www.myspace.com/oculist
www.myspace.com/lostlakemusic


Thurs, Nov 19th - WHITE FANG + BOOM! + DIRT DRESS + STAB CITY

There isn't a thing in this world that makes me smile as much as watching WHITE FANG play.  These Portland kids bring the jamz in a way not imaginable.. I always bring up the obvious Clash meets New Kids on the Block references, but man, you really gotta hear them yourself.  STAB CITY shares this honor for my favorite LA group that I have heard this year, whereas DIRT DRESS kicks out the jam a la MC5, only like 20 years later.

www.myspace.com/whtfng
www.myspace.com/stabcitystabcity
www.myspace.com/dirtdress


Fri, Nov 20th - DUSTBOWL REVIVAL + COYOTE + SON ARK + 1921a

Our friends in DUSTBOWL REVIVAL have developed a night of "old-timey music", and despite the occasional electric guitar or bass, that's what we got tonight.  COYOTE (Jessi Williams and co.) and SON ARK (Robin Harris and co.) may share some members, but they also share some down home charm in their folk ways.  DUSTBOWL REVIVAL kicked up some haints and hollers the last time their carnival wagon rolled through, so who knows what will transpire tonight.   

www.myspace.com/znlupetin
www.myspace.com/coyotecoyote
www.myspace.com/sonark
www.myspace.com/the1921a


Sat, Nov 21st - ATOMIC SHERPAS + THE SCRAPPERS

OK, so we got Vince Maghrouni and Joe Baiza, in their most conversational and interesting formats (in my opinion).  So get ready to stretch out, cuz these two ensembles are gonna take their time on our rug and deliver the goods in multiple salvos.  You gotta bring your dancin' shoes for this one, cuz ATOMIC SHERPAS is gonna bring the funk, James Brown-style, but don't forget to bring your thinking cap for THE SCRAPPERS unique brand of free-jazz meets primal jams.  Or maybe it's the other way around.  Either way, tonight is going celebrate all the best music Los Angeles has to offer.

www.myspace.com/theatomicsherpas
www.myspace.com/scrappersla


Sun, Nov 22nd - THE GREAT AMERICANS + CAVE COUNTRY + OLD THUNDER HEART + JOHNNY O'DONNELL, THE GOTHIC SINGER

Some people come into the space and lay down the law about their musical ability and their band, and some of them make us just go, "Hell yeah, let's do this".  Gabe from THE GREAT AMERICANS was just such a story, but hell, so were the dudes in CAVE COUNTRY, and so was JOHNNY.  So why not combine all of this rock-n-roll mythology into one big night celebrating all that is good in the musical world.  OLD THUNDER HEART may be traveling across the country, but he has definitely picked the right time to be coming thru Echo Park. 

www.myspace.com/thegreatamericans
www.myspace.com/cavecountry
www.myspace.com/oldtenderheart1
www.myspace.com/johno39donnell


Mon, Nov 23rd - NOW MUSIC MONDAY with BOBB BRUNO and guests

David Scott Stone, modular synth genius and all around nice dude, came in and proposed a bi-weekly event for the Curio, modeled after Nels Cline's now-legendary New Music Mondays from the 1990s.  Well, now is when we start this shebang.  While the lineup is still being hashed out, we know for sure that the always challenging BOBB BRUNO will definitely be on the bill, mashing up his favorite beats, samples and prepared jams, along with live electronic drums and bunny suit shennanigans.  Expect two more equally incredible acts on top of this, so we'll be keeping you posted on this one.



Wed, Nov 25th - CATALYST MAGAZINE presents CURIOUSITY KILLS II

Last time the miscreants of CATALYST MAGAZINE hosted a show here, we had nothing but endless good times and only a few blackouts.  During one of these blackouts, Lorena Catalyst must have told us the line-up for this show, and now we can't remember.  But i guarantee it will be chock full of youthful exuberance and charming young people in the latest fashions.  And really aggressive music!  Keep an eye out for us regarding the bands so we can mentally prepare.


Fri, Nov 27th - LITTLE TEETH + HYENA + FREAKY MOUNTAIN + MOSES CAMPBELL + the CHICKEN-SKIN-RANCH-HAND MARIONNETTES

This show started out being a little troubling, cuz we wanted it to be extra special for our friends in LITTLE TEETH.  The last time they were supposed to come down, they were stricken with plague, and we wanted to give them an equally biblical welcome this time.  So, to welcome this stunning little freaked-out uke/accordion/drums trio from SF, we gathered together two local ensembles of young genius, as well as a touring solo looper known simply as HYENA, and for good measure, we got a puppet troupe to totally finish you off.  Just so you don't miss it, FREAKY MOUNTAIN features members of TOMMY SANTEE KLAWS and CAVE COUNTRY, so don't miss them starting this night off.

www.myspace.com/littleteethmusic
www.myspace.com/freakymountain
www.myspace.com/mosescampbell
www.myspace.com/hyenahaha
www.myspace.com/tortilaphats


Sat, Nov 28th - THE MOORE BROTHERS + THEM HILLS

Sun, Nov 29th - ILO MAR + EMILY LACY + DANIEL MUNKUS + GEOFF GEIS

Mon, Nov 30th - FRANKLIN BRUNO + WCKR SPGT + PHIL YATES

Wed, Dec 2nd - MO-ODDS + THE SHAKERS + HIGH LIFE CAVALIER

Thurs, Dec 3rd - SKYGREEN LEOPARDS + WARM CLIMATE +

Fri, Dec 4th - BIG WHUP + WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS + SO MANY WIZARDS + COBRA LILLIES

Sat, Dec 5th - MUSIC AND ART with CHUCK DUKOWSKI SEXTET + SPOT  + guests