As summer comes to an end we can’t think of a better way to ring in sweater weather than listening to music in the magical garden and arts space for a Second Sunday at Pioneer Works. As we explore the 25,000 square foot warehouse turned arts hub in Red Hook, we’ll peek into open artist studios and dig-in at the various courtyard food trucks while we enjoy an adventurous double bill of music featuring the DIY North African-inspired trance rock of duo 75 Dollar Bill and big band swing from Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra. To sweeten the pot, gF Hangout friends will have access to a private chat with Rick Brown and Che Chen of 75 Dollar Bill about their myriad of musical influences ranging from Moorish griots to Bo Diddley to the Velvet Underground. We’ll also hear directly from the Second Sundays curator, Olivier Conan, on his approach to this series. Space is limited so guests will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is now closed.
Date: Sunday, September 13th at 5:30PM
Location: Pioneer Works in Red Hook Brooklyn (159 Pioneer Street)
Cost: $10 Suggested Donation. Guests are responsible for their own drinks.
About Second Sundays
SECOND SUNDAYS is a monthly series of open studios, live music, and site-specific interventions presented by Pioneer Works the second Sunday of every month. The series showcases artists in residence along with musical performances and DJs, curated by Olivier Conan.
About the Bands
75 DOLLAR BILL
75 Dollar Bill is (usually) the stripped down percussion & guitar duo of Rick Brown and Che Chen. Quickly gaining a reputation around New York for their kinetic live shows, the duo’s raw electric music is as equally informed by early American guitar boogie and the stringed instrument traditions of West Africa, India and the Middle East as it is by the space chords of Sun Ra and the minimalist and No Wave histories of their home town. Chen studied briefly with Mauritanian guitar wiz, Jeich Ould Chigaly, but their music doesn’t strive to any sort of authenticity. It is both beautiful and hypnotic and is equally relevant performed in concert form, in a bar, or in an art gallery. After a series of self-produced cassette/digital releases, their first “official” record, “Wooden Bag” was released by Other Music Recording Company in January 2015. Their second album is slated for release in early 2016. Press has been very generous in its praise of the band, but our favorite is still the Paper of Records’ remark that “None of [Rick Brown’s] equipment looked as if it cost more than a pretty good sandwich.” NY Times. Read the full New York Times article here.
Brian Carpenter’s GHOST TRAIN ORCHESTRA
The Ghost Train Orchestra was founded in 2006 by composer/arranger Brian Carpenter when he was hired as the musical director for an event marking the 90th anniversary of the historic Regent Theater in Boston. Carpenter began transcribing old 78s of recordings by Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Tiny Parham, Fess Williams, and Charlie Johnson and arranged the music for a 9-piece ensemble. The ensuing album achieved much critical acclaim and reached the top 10 of the Billboard Jazz charts and saw Carpenter’s interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. The Orchestra’s latest album, Hot Town which featured saxophonist Colin Stetson was released in in May 2015. With Brian Carpenter (trumpet, harmonica), Andy Laster (alto saxophone), Michael McGinnis (clarinet), Petr Cancura (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Curtis Hasselbring (trombone), Ron Caswell (tuba), Cyntia Sayer (banjo), Karen Waltuch (violin) and Rob Garcia (drums).
Visual Arts On View
IT WAS A TIME THAT WAS A TIME by Shezad Dawood, Main Gallery
Through an expansive presentation of new and recent works—collaborative film experiments, textile panels and neon wall pieces—It was a time that was a time explores speculative futures and questions traditional notions of history and ritual, image and icon, time and space. This exhibition marks London-based artist Shezad Dawood’s first solo exhibition in the US.
THE FOREST by Andy Cahill, 2nd Floor Gallery
2011-2012 each panel 30×40 inches, acrylic on canvas
TRAINING SESSION by Mathilde Roussel, 3rd Floor Gallery
Training Session presents works on paper created by Mathilde Roussel during her residency at Pioneer Works. Set as a foundation for her upcoming September sculpture exhibition at The Invisible Dog Art Center, the project as a whole explores the cult of the perfect body in American culture, and puts into perspective aspects of mass production.
OPEN STUDIOS:
Carmen Bouyer, Clocktower Radio, Louise Foo, Robyn Hasty, Nanotronics Imaging, Janna Levin, Long Distance Poison, Ruben Millares, Azikiwe Mohammed, Jesse Moretti, Mathilde Roussel, Marta Skou, Radek Szlaga, Benjamin Torres, Chris Woebken, Amelia Winger, and Antonia Wright