The Tree Ring + The Donkeys @ Sushi Art- 04.30.11

This past Saturday, Sezio and Sushi Art teamed up once again for an evening of exceptional music courtesy of The Tree Ring and The Donkeys. More after the jump.



Playing as a five piece for the evening, local act The Tree Ring started things off with an fine set heavy on tunes from their recently released debut album Generous Shadows. Joel P. West and co. warmed up the rapidly growing crowd of enthusiastic fans with their special brand of folksy rock, layering textures and melodies with their impressive vocal, keys, guitar, string and percussion skills.

Keeping with the theme from their video for new song 'Don't Know Who We Are', the impressively-dressed stage was set for The Donkeys as Sushi Arts filled up in celebration of the release of the band's newest full-length Born With Stripes. For having what had to be limited experience playing the new tracks live, they executed to near perfection the complex rhythms of their unique brand of indie psych-folk- any time a sitar is involved, you know you're in for a treat. By the end of the night the grateful crowd was yelling for more foot-stomping goodness which the quartet gladly provided, finishing up just after the 11pm curfew.

The Tree Ring:





The Donkeys:





For more from the evening click here and the rest of my concert pix here.
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Ben Sollee Bicycle Tour Kicks Off In San Diego

Ben Sollee might not be the first musician ever to do an entire tour on bicycle without support vehicles (see Blind Pilot)the idea certainly isn't common, by any means, and any artist who sets out on the journey deserves some serious credit, especially ones like Ben who plans on riding all the way back to his homestate of Kentucky with his cello strapped to his bicycle. Sezio.org has arranged for yet another night of amazing music at the Sushi Performance and Art space in East Village and I urge everyone to check it out. Joel P West is opening the show (solo) and it promises to be an incredible night. Click the flyer for tickets and more information.

Video: Small Black & Washed Out

Thursday night, Sezio.org threw a helluva show at Sushi Art in downtown. It was packed with people and since the show was all ages, it was great to see a lot of kids made it out to the show, not just because there aren't a lot of all age spaces in San Diego, but because their energy electrified the show. I was up front and bartered with a kid to let me in front of him to film, and though the kids were bringing back the pogo and slam dancing (without it getting into the more aggressive moshing), I was somehow protected from any serious bumping. There was some crowd surfing, too, but everyone was just enjoying themselves instead of posturing and elbowing to the front which really took me back to how shows were for me when I was younger.

The show started with Pictureplane, but I didn't get any video of him. Small Black followed up, so I got most of their set, then Washed Out did some songs alone before being joined by all the crew of Small Black for the majority of the set.

I haven't had the chance to label any of the videos from the night, but here's the playlist...if you wanna help title them, just leave comments and I'll update the YouTube page. Click the right and left arrows on the video to see more.

Sushi Arts: Post Card Show, 3.21.09

This Saturday night, fourteen artists will have postcards on display and on sale at Sushi Center For The Urban Arts, including my dear friend Randall Christopher, creator of Kleeman and Mike. The reception will be from 7-10pm.

From the curator:

Given that we are living through potentially the worst economic crisis that has faced the United States in 70 years, I was compelled to design a show that was “low-to-the-ground” and on the cheap. This has always been my bailiwick anyway and, with the new printing technology it has become possible to get postcards made at a very modest price.

“Postcards are purveyors of visual information. Often times the brief missive on the stamped side of the card references the image on the other side “Wish you were here!” or “X” marks the spot. It’s a short cut and a snap shot Postcards are, so to speak, the original “Text Message”; a way to say that you are thinking of someone; a friendly wave at a distance. At this point postcards may seem anachronistic; a vestigial tail on snail mail. But, like vinyl records, super-8 movies and V-8 engines, they have a resilient charm and poetic resonance that seems to resist the march of insistent progress.”

Additionally, there is a dance performance at 8pm.

In Transit II

Time: Saturday March 21 at 8pm
By Christen Sperry-Garcia in collaboration with dance choreographer Sara Pfeifle.

In Transit II investigates patterns of the global transference of bodies and information. Four dancers take on the role of migration, trans-national air travel, daily transit, and the global internet