Reporting by Luke Brogden and reviews by Matt Rankin
“Welcome to a different Knoxville for the next two and a half days.”
-Ashley Capps
Thus began Thursday’s kick-off to Big Ears 2016, the newest incarnation of the festival that has been lauded by national publications like Rolling Stone for its unique and collaborative collection of prestigious modern composers, ethereal ambient noise bands, insane avant-garde jazz collectives, indie-rock legends, world music groups and electronic music pioneers.
The kick-off ceremonies in The Square Room showcased the kind of eclecticism, virtuosity and collaboration that festival-goers have come to expect of Big Ears.
In his opening remarks, Capps, founder of AC Entertainment and Big Ears, touted the frequent collaborations that will abound, and the unique venues, like the newly opened Mill and Mine on Depot Street, AC Entertainment’s Knoxville answer to the Orange Peel in Asheville, which the company also manages. “The spirit of a great festival is always about collaboration,” he said. “It’s especially a pleasure to do something like this in my hometown,” he says.
Mayor Madeline Rogero spoke next, pleasing the crowd with an obscure quote from Captain Beefheart about avoiding the “sameness of everything” and applauding “Ashley’s, and Knoxville’s, love affair with the arts,” saying that Capps may have proved to her that “avant-garde music is a viable path to redevelopment.”
The kick-off ceremonies continued with a performance by students from the Joy of Music School, which Executive Director Frank Graffeo says serves 200 students weekly and 1,000 program participants overall with free music lessons. The students performed a classical piece in trio of violin, viola and cello to raucous applause.
Next, Jennifer Willard of the Community School of the Arts came onstage and touted the statistic that “systematic weekly instruction in the arts makes students three times more likely to go to college.” She said the school itself has a 100% graduation rate for high school and a 95% enrollment in higher education. She introduced Yasameen Hoffman of Electric Darling, a graduate of the school, and Ben Maney, and instructor there and longtime fixture on the Knoxville scene, and they played a stirring, soulful piano rendition of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.”
Slam poet Black Atticus, who will be running the poetry events throughout the weekend, performed an original composition written just for the event. Later he was jamming on the Market Square Big Eyes tent with some other avant garde musicians playing an anvil with a hammer, a jawbone and electronic sound to curious passersby.
Finally, jazz collective Eighth Blackbird performed a piece by Bryce Dessner of the National, who would later in the evening have one of his compositions performed gloriously by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in the Tennessee Theatre.
And with that, festival-goers were off to the races. Blank attended Hudson K’s performance at Scruffy City Hall as part of Wayne Bledsoe’s Six’O’Clock Swerve, watching how the group’s rowdy electro-indie sound and stage presence have only grown more bombastic and explosive with time.
Blank’s crew attended parts of the aforementioned KSO performance. Dessner himself was in attendance and stood and bowed at the orchestra upon completion of one of his pieces.
Blank also caught Mamiffer’s ambient noise rock at the freshly completed Mill and Mine of Depot Street. The venue is so freshly completed in fact, that many were speculating if it would be ready in time for Big Ears, and the aroma of sawdust lingered in the air. There were still finishing touches to be made on the outdoor areas and the restaurant side, but the venue was in full operation. The gorgeous, cavernous industrial room, all standing-room only, seems to fit the perfect niche for mid-sized rock and dance groups that draw crowds in the 1,000-2,000 range.
Rankin Review: “The instrumental drone band executed laudably, but, to be honest, the real belle of the ball was the venue itself; the first ever show at the Mill & Mine saw the Seattle group testing the limits of the space. The refined and stately rhythms were able to be heard perfectly from every corner of the vast hall, and the rustic wooden interior provided excellent acoustics for the performance. Another set of artists might have felt intimidated inaugurating such a wonderful arena, but it speaks to the strength of the group that it absolutely commanded the stage.”
Taking a snack break with some gourmet hot dogs at nearby Public House and watching the foot traffic, it was apparent the festival has brought in an eclectic variety of ticket-holders from around the country, and the world. Artists were also omnipresent as fans, checking out each other’s shows. Andrew Bird was spotted walking towards Sun-Ra Arkestra’s set at Mill and Mine later on.
Rankin Review: “The iconic jazz-man may have passed, but his vibrant spirit clearly influenced his namesake band during its strong showing at the Mill & Mine. Slightly off-kilter though never quite veering out of control, the players indulged in a memorable free-form session on Thursday night. The brass tones were sprightly and warm, the rhythm section provided a healthy pulse to the affair and the audience welcomed the cosmic jams.”
After Sun-Ra, Blank trucked back up to Gay and watched the stirring jazz-infused Celtic Folk of The Gloaming. It was an incredible show and surprisingly, one of the more dance-able sets from Thursday. Songs that began as a tiny bulb blossomed into a flourishing forest. It was as if we were watching the musical interpretation of the movie, Willow, and Madmartigan would have been proud.
Rankin Review: “The quintet entertained the packed and rapt crowd at the Bijou throughout, delivering staid yet lively Celtic standards and originals. Unbelievably connected and precise, the individuals combined into a singular force for each and every song. Thomas Bartlett, animated and masterful on the piano with his back to the audience, was a joy to behold.”
Later on in the night, Yo La Tengo, longtime vanguards of the indie rock ethos, took the stage back at Mill and Mine for a prime-time slot. As the Rankin Review below (and a perusal of social media) will reveal, their set, while embracing the experimental and collaborative nature of Big Ears, appeared to have a negative impact on long-time fans.
Rankin Review: “Accompanied by a handful of guest stars, the Hoboken trio delivered what was probably the most polarizing and divisive performance Big Ears has ever witnessed. Anyone who went to the Mill & Mine anticipating hearing favorite tracks was sorely disappointed, as experimental, droning fare was all that was on tap for the night. Depending on what your expectations were, you likely left either thrilled or viscerally angry – at least that’s what social media reactions to the performance would suggest. Personally, although I appreciated the masterful craftsmanship on display, the music wasn’t my cup of tea, and it didn’t hold my attention for long.”
On the docket for Day Two (Friday):
Tennessee Theatre
Space is the Place 11:00-12:30
Eighth Blackbird with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Bryce Dessner, 7:00-8:45
Andrew Bird, 9:30-11:00
Bijou Theatre
Tony Conrad: Program of Short Videos, 11:30-12:45
Anthony Braxton 10+1 TET, 4-5:30
Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith, 8:30-9:45
Joe Henry and Marc Ribot, 10:30-11:45
Yo La Tengo and Lambchop, 12:15-1:45 am
The Standard
Lou Reed’s Drones Presented by Laurie Anderson , 12:00-5:00pm
Boogarins, 6pm
Outside the Dream Syndicate (Tony Conrad with Faust), 11-12:00am
Drones Jam, 12:30-2:00am
The Square Room
Nief-norf, 12:30-2:00pm
Chris Abrahams, 3:00-4:00pm
Flicker & Wow: The Dockworker’s Dream, 4:30-5:30pm
Ikue Mori 9:15-10:15pm
The Mill and Mine
Zeena Parkins and Tony Buck, 2:00-3:00pm
Xylouris White, 4:00-5:00pm
Hieroglyphic Being and Marshall Allen, 7:00-8:00pm
Shabazz Palaces, 8:30-9:30pm
Bombino, 10:30pm-12:00am
Nicholas Jaar, 12:30-2:00am
Boyd’s Jig and Reel
Tamis: “Satan is Busy in Knoxville,” 12:30-1:30pm
A Conversation with John Luther Adams and Steven Schick, 2:00-3:00pm
Drew Drake and Logan Morris, Poetry, etc., 5:00-6:30pm
RB Morris and Friends: “Local Man,” 8:00-9:00pm
Susan O’Dell Underwood and Rhea Sunshine, 9:30-11:30pm
Tamis and Knoxville Stomp present the Knox County Jug Stompers and The Tennessee Stifflegs, 11:00pm-?
The Sanctuary
Marc Ribot, 12:00-1:15pm
John Luther Adams’ Veils and Vesper, 1:30-7:30pm
Eighth Blackbird, 10:00-11:00pm
Regal Riviera Stadium 8
NY Export: Opus Jazz, 9:45-10:45pm
The Color Wheel, 11:00-12:30pm
Sun Don’t Shine, 12:45-2:15pm
New Jerusalem, 2:30-4:15pm
