As a founding member of the Dada Chorus, 2 concerts (one in WLH, the other in Sterling Library), and one radio concert on WYBC. Mostly singing and talking.
These concerts included 3 all night concerts. My saxophone quartet (Dave Janello, Jennifer Rycenga, Evan Ziporyn and myself); my first string quartet ("String Quartet No. 2: My 18th Birthday"), and "The Saxophone Family" were performed at these concerts. Roger Manning played the part of the dog in "The Saxophone Family."
Other ad hoc concerts with Morgan Witthoft, Evan Ziporyn (on top of a college building); with dozens of others in a big David Mott piece; and with the improvising ensemble Expiration Date: Rycenga, Bob Bannister (guitar), David Black and myself.
Also in 79-80, as a member of the Yale Concert Band, playing a tour of Texas. I remember playing an arrangement of part of Ives' 2nd Symphony, and also "Country Band March." Under the direction of Keith Brion.
Friday, May 25, 1984: Metapoint, Schine Auditorium at the Sacred Heart University Library.
Also during this period: the trio Plate: Jonathan "Boo" Elmer, trombone; Adam Bresnick, electric bass; and myself, saxophones and clarinet. We played at Larry Blake's on Telegraph, with the band Eskimo (featuring John Shiurba; this was before Tom Yoder's time with the band). We also played at least one party at Michel Chaouli and Marie Deer's place on Telegraph. We rehearsed quite a bit at 2149 Curis Street, dubbed "The Berkeley Home for the Musically Insane." Plate was joined on occasion by David Adee (French Horn), and then Randy Porter, and when Bresnick and then Elmer moved to NY and Indiana respectively, this band (which had rehearsed, but never performed) morphed into (The) Cabinet: Adee, Irene Sazer (viola, violin), Porter, Ward Spangler (percussion), Jennifer Rycenga (oboe and other instruments) and Plonsey. The Cabinet played one show, at a small space on Telegraph Ave. The recording was lost before we heard it. Plonsey, Porter, and Spangler next formed The Manufacturing of Humidifiers, adding Steve Horowitz (bass), Jim Bove (drums), and Raj Mehta (for a brief time, trumpet).
I was at Mills from September, 1986-1988, and during this time played with the Contemporary Ensemble. I remember a concert under the direction of Katrina Kremsky (sp?), and a concert with Pauline Oliveros in which we sang and also banged small rocks together. We (not the ensemble, but Mills and Berkeley friends and I) also performed my piece "Little Thunder" one weekend afternoon.
October 15, 1988: Randy McKean concert, Mills Student Union. I think we played a duet or two, maybe a quartet too...
October 19, 1988: Hump (Randy McKean and others, maybe 6-8 people), I think at Mills. At least that's where we rehearsed... Kirk Gibson hit winning homerun for Dodgers over A's in the World Series during concert (TV on stage).
November 5, 1988: Joyce Todd thesis concert. Played on alto sax duo piece.
February 25, 1989: Composers' Cafeteria concert, Crowden School, Berkeley. Played Plonsey's "Matterhorn" (texts by Steve Mays).
April 22, 1989: Randy McKean (thesis???) concert. Played in sax quartet. Mills College.
May 24, 1989: Vern Nelson plays Plonsey's "Piano Piece #15" in recital, New Haven, CT.
July 1, 1989: The Composers' Cafeteria at Noe Valley Ministry, SF. (Plonsey's "Bootless Ragpicker" performed.)
November 10, 1989: Final Composers' Cafeteria concert, Crowden School, Berkeley.
January 19, 1990: "Play with Steve Horowitz, 18th/Valencia."
?, 1990: Sax Quartet (Plonsey, Mtafiti Imara, Chris Jonas, Randy McKean) at Architects and Heroes, 207 Powell, SF.
March 9, 1990: Kucocaki (Plonsey, Jhos Johnson, Bon Brown, and Mantra), I think ??? at some warehouse space in SF.
April 3, 1990: on Fred Lonborg-Holm's show on KALX, 9AM, the Coconut and the Lifeguard.
April 20, 1990: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Mission Cultural Center, SF. Our tape release party for our first recording.
April 21, 1990: playing baritone sax in piece by Evan Ziporyn, with Gamelan Sekar Jaya, St. John's Church, College Avenue, Berkeley.
May 3, 1990: The Splorb Action Players Sax Quartet (Plonsey, Mtafiti Imara, Chris Jonas, Randy McKean) play at Mtafiti's thesis concert, Mills College.
June 9, 1990: Jonathan Golove and Mary Artman at Trinity Church, Berkeley. I think ??? they play my piece, "Those Metal Things."
?, 1990: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Bison Brewery, Telegraph Avenue at Blake, Berkeley.
July 15 & 16, 1990: The Coconut and the Lifeguard (Plonsey, Steve Mays, Joy Krinsky, and Mark Dickinson) at Joy's house for invited audience.
?, 1990: Kucocaki (Plonsey, Jhos Johnson, Bon Brown, and Mantra) at the Freight and Salvage, Addison Street, Berkeley.
July 19, 1990: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Mint Platter (record store on Telegraph, near Dwight, Berkeley).
August 3, 1990: playing baritone sax in piece by Evan Ziporyn, with Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Fort Mason, SF. Other saxophonists: McKean, Jonas, Ziporyn.
October 2, 1990: Kucocaki at the Freight and Salvage, Addison Street, Berkeley.
October 26, 1990: The Disturbing Group (Plonsey, Randy McKean, Chris Jonas, Randy Porter, Steve Bissinger, Raj Mehta, and Mic Gendreau) at the SF Community Music Center, I think Capp street, SF.
November 23, 1990: Kucocaki at the Freight and Salvage, Addison Street, Berkeley.
November 29, 1990: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Mint Platter (record store on west side of Telegraph, south of Dwight Way, Berkeley).
December 7, 1990: with Raj Mehta and ??? at the Coffee Mill, Oakland.
December 8, 1990: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Ellis Street Cultural Club, 509 Ellis at Leavenworth, 7PM.
January 12, 1991: "klezmer debut" - playing bass for a wedding in the Brazil Building, Tilden Park. I think this gig had Irene Sazer, Randy Porter, Mantra and others...
January 19, 1991: improvised music at anti-war march in SF.
January 24, 1991: with Mantra and Gere and James Jacobs at the DNA, SF.
February 9, 1991: "An Anti-War Improvising Marching Band" organized by Plonsey.
February 21, 1991: Mantra at the DNA, SF.
February 24, 1991: Mic Gendreau thesis concert, Mills College.
March 22, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Noh Theatre, West Oakland (7th Street, I think).
April 8, 1991: duos with Raj Mehta at the North Berkeley Senior Center.
April 9, 1991: with Mantra (and I think James Jacobs, Jay Stebley, and maybe Randy Porter) at Spike's, SF.
April 12, 1991: with Raj Mehta at the Coffee Mill. Billed as "Raj Mehta and the Curtis St. Colosseum" with: Raj Mehta, Dan Plonsey, Mantra Ben-Ya'akova, Randy Porter, and Mic Gendreau.)
April 14, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Berkeley Square. With Eskimo. 1333 University Avenue.
April 20, 1991: twenty minutes of tiny improvisations with Mic Gendreau and Eric Berkvist at the Armpit Gallery, a tiny place on Haight Street. Also on the bill, a performance artist who stuffed a flag up his butt, and perhaps had himself duct-taped to a telephone pole outside...
April 21, 1991: Bira at the Berkeley Square - did I play on this??? I did play at least one show with his band, Corpo Santo. Also, "Olive's Festival" - what was this??? "The Manufacturing of Humidifiers - noon" - was this a gig (maybe at Olive's?) or a rehearsal???
April 25, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Olive Oils. With the Click Dark Trio.
May 3, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Jerry's (709 Peralta, Oakland). Semi-private party/concert, with Fibulator.
May 22, 1991: tenor sax in Bira Almeida's Brazilian band, Corpo Santo, at ???.
June 9, 1991: IMA (Impovised Music Association) jam at Olive Oils, afternoon.
June 22, 1991: tenor sax in Bira Almeida's Brazilian band, Corpo Santo, at La Pena.
July 12, 1991: with Mantra at the DNA, SF. As I recall, it was Mantra, me, Ward Spangler, and ???
July 26, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers and Mantra (together? or was this with a version of Everything in the World?) at Merchants.
July 27, 1991: tenor sax in Bira Almeida's Brazilian band, Corpo Santo, at Ashkenaz.
September 12, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Olive Oils.
September 24, 1991: Plonsey and Randy Porter at the Berkeley Store Gallery.
November 20, 1991: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Heinz.
December 11, 1991: Music of Anthony Braxton. With Gino Robair, Randy McKean and others, at the Heinz.
February 1, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Elbo Room, SF.
February 9, 1992: Plonsey, Randy Porter, Ward Spangler play for the Berkeley Symphony wine and food tasting benefit, at the Berkeley Marina Marriott.
February 20, 1992: Plonsey on KDVS (Davis), playing live with CDs by Eugene Chadborne and Gino Robair. (A cassette of this exists.)
April 18, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers in Eugene, OR.
April 19, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Bijoux, Portland, OR.
April 24, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at San Jose State.
May 16, 1992: private party (Michael Macrone graduation), I think at 2149 Curtis, with all or most of Everything in the World.
June 20, 1992: Pleasure Hammer at the Coffee Mill. Randy Porter, Ward Spangler, Plonsey, and maybe Raj Mehta?)
Date Unknown, 1992???: Disaster Opera Theatre at the Heinz: Rick Ames Stories and Plonsey solo.
July 2, 1992: Disaster Opera Theatre at the Heinz: More Ames Stories and Plonsey music in quartet with Tom Yoder, Tom Dambley and Maxim Mahoney-Flake, and with Jay Rozen.
August 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30; September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1992: playing Gino Robair's score (plus much improv) for Cal Shakespeare's production of Macbeth, with Mic Gendreau and Jim Bove.
August 19, 1992: Mantra & the Lucky Charms (essentially Everything in the World, perhaps with one person missing) 1-2:30, Tenderloin Park, SF.
September 12, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Kommotion, SF.
September 17, 1992: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Heinz.
September 3, 1992: Pleasure Hammer (Randy Porter, Ward Spangler, Plonsey - later to be the new Manufacturing of Humidifiers). Alzheimer's benefit, 10:30 AM, San Leandro.
October 14, 1992: Sponj at the Middle East, Boston, MA. w/ debris.
October 15, 1992: Sponj at Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT. w/ debris.
October 28, 1992: Everything in the World at the Heinz.
November 6, 1992: Dave Slusser's big band "Blow Job" at the Heinz. (One piece from this concert is on the Heinz compilation.)
March 18, 1993: Everything in the World w/ Pluto and Eulipians - but where??? Heinz, most likely.
April 28, 1993: This may have been the PlonseyCard reading at the Berkeley Store Gallery.
May 17, 1993: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the DNA, SF.
May 19, 1993: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Elbo Room, SF. (Is this certain???)
June 26, 1993: with Sponj (a.k.a. Great Circle Sax Quartet) at Gargoyle Mechanique, 28 Avenue B, NY, NY.
June 28, 1993: with Sponj (a.k.a. Great Circle Sax Quartet) at the Middle east, Boston, MA.
July 7, 1993: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Kennel Club, SF.
July 15, 1993: CD release party for the (Y)earbook (Rastascan) at the Bottom of the Hill, SF. Played solo sax in a paper costume, interspersed with Rick Ames "Fort Knox" story.
August 12 & 13, 1993: playing in Myles Boisen's score for a dance at Footwork Studio, 22nd & Mission, SF. 7PM.
September 4, 1993: Dreamland (formerly: Everything in the World) at the Starry Plough.
October 4, 1993: on Ben Lingren's "Mob Ecstasy" show on KPFA. With Gino Robair, Dave Barrett and others.
October 27, 1993: Tom Djll CD (Mutootator) release at Berkeley Store Gallery. (Did I play a duo with him at this?)
November 10, 1993: Dreamland at Brainwash, SF.
November 21, 1993: Disaster Opera Theatre at Dog Ear Books, 1173 Valencia St. at 23rd, SF. 5-8PM. The Recent History of the World: Before, During, and After the Apocalypse (w/ Tom Dambly and Mantra Ben-Ya'akova)
November 27, 1993: Dreamland at Merchants.
January 18, 1994: with Gino Robair at the Hotel Utah.
January 29, 1994: Dreamland at Brainwash (??? I've written "Brainland.")
February 3, 1994: Great Circle Saxophone Quartet at Roulette, NY.
February 17, 1994: Dreamland at Brave New World (Fulton/Masonic, SF.)
February 22, 1994: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Hotel Utah.
February 26, 1994: Dreamland at Merchants.
February 28, 1994: Dreamland at the Bottom of the Hill.
March 8, 1994: Dan Plonsey's Disaster Opera Theatre at the Hotel Utah: Drink! (w/ Russ Schoenwetter, Mantra, Sarah Cahill)
March 10, 1994: Dreamland at the Starry Plough.
March 16, 1994: Dreamland at Hotel Utah.
April 8, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." Cowell Theatre, SF.
April 9, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." Mountainview, CA.
April 16, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." Battell Chapel, Yale, New Haven, CT.
April 17, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th, NY, NY.
April 21, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." MIT, Cambridge, MA.
April 22, 1994: playing bass with Gamelan Sekar Jaya on Evan Ziporyn's "Tire Fire." Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.
May 29, 1994: "Carnival." This was the Carnival parade w/ Peter Josheff (leading, arranger of jazzy "Ride of the Valkyries"). Also w/ Ralph Carney and a trumpet player. SF.
June 10, 1994: Playing in some dumb classical piece, conducted by Patricia Mancini. Ward Spangler also in ensemble. At the Oakland Museum, 8PM.
June 21, 1994: Disaster Opera Theatre. 10:30. At the Hotel Utah. The Alien Losers (w/ Mantra, Susan Volkan, Randy Porter, Myles Boisen, and Ward Spangler)
July 22, 1994: Dreamland at Merchants (Oakland, CA.)
July 29, 1994: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers scheduled to play at Merchants - but Merchants closes! Re-scheduled for the new Stork Club.
August 18, 1994: Dreamland at the Starry Plough.
October 4, 1994: Disaster Opera Theatre at the Hotel Utah. Jacob: A Biblical Epic (w/ Mantra, Randy Porter, Laurence Kopelovich, Kyle Granger, and Dave Hatt)
October 22, 1994: Dreamland and The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Stork Club.
November 14, 1994: Dreamland at the Bottom of the Hill.
December 2, 1994: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Stork Club.
December 11, 1994: Dreamland and The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Starry Plough.
January 25, 1995: At the Hotel Utah: Jazz Aftermath: Splatter Trio/ Ben Goldberg/Dan Plonsey/Graham Connah
January 31, 1995: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Hotel Utah.
February 2, 1995: Disaster Opera Theatre at Giorgi's. (A gallery near the Claremont Hotel.) The first of three performance of Puppet Opera Theatre (w/ Mantra, Susan Volkan, Eula Janeen Wyatt).
February 5, 1995: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Berkeley Symphony's wine and food tating fundraiser. At the Marina Marriott Hotel, Berkeley. 2-5PM.
February 16, 1995: Dreamland at the Hotel Utah.
February 17, 1995: Dreamland at the Stork Club.
February 25, 1995: Dreamland at the Boomerang (Haight St., SF)
February 28, 1995: Disaster Opera Theatre at the Hotel Utah. The Dub Opera (w/ Mantra, Amy X Neuberg, and Mic Gendreau)
March 7, 1995: The Hotel Utah - one-year party.
March 15, 1995: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Beanbender's.
March 16, 1995: Clyde Yasuhara's Chamber League. At Giorgi's. (A gallery near the Claremont Hotel.)
March 30, 1995: KZSU "Day of Noise." 8-10 PM.
April 8, 1995: Dreamland at the Starry Plough.
May 6, 1995: Dreamland at the Stork Club.
May 17, 1995: Disaster Opera Theatre (w/ the Enormous Ensemble), at Beanbender's. Puppet Opera Theatre and A Melancholy Opera (w/ Mantra, Susan Volkan, Eula Janeen Wyatt, Tom Yoder, Becky Bryant, Ginny Morgan; add Mic Gendreau and John Schott and remove Yoder, Bryant, and Morgan for "Melancholy"). Concert Review.
May 19, 1995: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Stork Club.
July 4, 1995: At the Hotel Utah's Improv Bar-B-Q, featuring LaDonna Smith, Doug Carrol, Dan Plonsey, Splatter Duo, Barnett Band (feat. Bonnie Barnett vocals) and more. Bar-B-Q begins at 5:00 pm. Music and Munchies for $5.00!
July 15, 1995: with Gino Robair and ??? on guitar, subbing for Randy McKean as the Randy McKean Trio. In Santa Rosa (w/ Rituel.)
July 16, 1995: with Gino Robair and ??? on guitar, subbing for Randy McKean as the Randy McKean Trio. Radio Valencia.
July 18, 1995: with Gino Robair and ??? on guitar, subbing for Randy McKean as the Randy McKean Trio. Hotel Utah.
July 19, 1995: "Beanbender's release party" ???
July 26, 1995: with Steve Norton and Curt Newton at Beanbender's.
August 11, 1995: Dreamland at the Nightbreak, SF.
August 16, 1995: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Beanbender's.
September 12, 1995: Dreamland at the Hotel Utah.
September 18, 1995: with ??? (was supposed to be Manufacturing of Humidifiers; I think that this is the show I did w/ Mantra, Bonnie Barnett, Kira Vollman and Rich West) at the Alligator Lounge, LA.
September 22, 1995: Disaster Opera Theatre (solo sax and story). At Stork Club. The Recent History of the World: Before, During, and After the Apocalypse (solo). (Followed by Ralph Carney's "Special Parrot," incl. J.R.Brody, who has a tape of my set.)
October 6, 1995: Dreamland at Nightbreak, Haight Street, SF. (w/ Her Majesty the Baby)
October 12, 1995: Dreamland at ???, Chico, CA. (w/ Idiot Flesh)
October 13, 1995: Dreamland at ??? in Arcata, CA. (w/ Idiot Flesh)
October 14, 1995: Dreamland at Grand Theatre, Salem, OR.
October 18, 1995: Dreamland at ??? in Portland, OR.
October 19, 1995: Dreamland at Eastside Tavern, Bremerton, WA.
October 20, 1995: Dreamland at Paris Theatre, Portland, OR.
October 21, 1995: Dreamland at Original Music Showcase, Portland, OR.
October 22, 1995: Dreamland at John Henry's, Eugene, OR.
November 2, 1995: Dreamland in Fresno (w/ E is for Elephant and Idiot Flesh).
December 2, 1995: Dreamland at the Stork Club.
January 6, 1996: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at the Stork Club.
January 26, 1996: with Dreamland at the Stork Club.
January 29, 1996: with Damon Smith at Coffeehead.
February 13, 1996: with John Schott at the Hotel Utah.
February 14, 1996: Disaster Opera Theatre at Beanbender's:
February 15, 1996: 1001 Noirs at Diesel Books, 8PM. Jonathan Lethem, John Schott, Dan Seamans, and Jenny Scheinman(?).
February 27, 1996: Dreamland at the Bottom of the Hill.
February 29, 1996: Dreamland at the Berkeley Square (w/ Thoth and Haunted by Waters)
March 8, 1996: at Starry Plough - but who???
March 25, 1996: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Coffeehead.
March 28, 1996: KZSU's "Day of Noise" 2-4PM.
April 17, 1996: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers & Job. (Location unknown.)
April 19 and 20, 1996: "John Cage" music for Merce Cunningham dancers. At UC Berkeley (Hearst Gym?)
May 3, 1996: The Manufacturing of Humidifiers at Livermore, courtesy of Moe! (With Moe! as guest drummer.)
May 6, 1996: in Steve Horowitz's "The Code." Bass clarinet and clarinet. At Coffeehead.
May 22, 1996: Dreamland on KZSU's "Wednesday Night Live."
May 30, 1996: in 1001 Noirs: Jonathan Lethem, John Schott, Dan Seamans, and Jenny Scheinman. At 1015 Folsom, between 5th/6th, SF. 8PM.
June 3, 1996: in John Schott's "Ensemble Diglossia" and 1001 Noirs at Yoshi's.
June 4, 1996: with Gino Robair, Damon Smith, Beth (? Lisick?) at the Hotel Utah.
June 11, 1996: with John Schott at the Hotel Utah.
June 21, 1996: Dreamland at the Stork Club.
June 24, 1996: Solo performance at the Chapel of the Chimes, "Garden of Memory" concert, 5-8PM.
July 11, 1996: Dreamland at the Starry Plough.
July 20, 1996: Manfacturing of Humidifiers or Disaster Opera Theatre(???) at the Stork Club.
July 28, 1996: Dan Plonsey's Large ensemble, at Beanbender's.
August 10, 1996: in Clyde Yasuhara's Chamber League.
August 20, 1996: in Dave Barrett's "Sax and Violins" at Hotel Utah. With Carla Kihlstedt and Jenny Scheinman.
October 1, 1996: solo Ivory Billed Bird ..., and sitting in for a piece or two with Tim Perkis and John Shiurba at Hotel Utah. This exists on video. I start from inside a paper "egg."
October 23, 1996: Dan Plonsey's William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." A Disaster Opera Theatre production, at Venue 9. With a cast including: Plonsey as Hamlet, Ben Goldberg as the Ghost, Ward Spangler as Claudius, Nancy Clarke as Gertrude, John Schott as Polonius, Mantra Ben-Ya'akova as Ophelia, Randy Porter as Laertes, George Cremaschi and Damon Smith as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Garth Powell as gravedigger, Graham Connah as the narrator, and Mara Lethem as conductor. Graham Connah has a videotape of this.
November 10, 1996: in rent Romus' Edgar Allan Poe thing. 848 Divisidero at McAllister, upstairs.
November 13, 1996: with Gino Robair, Dave Barrett, John Shiurba, and Tim Perkis: music of Braxton and Cardew, at Venue 9.
January 4, 1997 - Saturday: in Torrid Anos (Beth Lisick et al) at the Stork Club.
January 5, 1997 - Sunday: solo set at that short-lived place on Valencia?
January 8, 1997 - Wednesday: at Venue 9???
January 14, 1997 - Tuesday: at Hotel Utah???
January 29, 1997 - Wednesday: in Transbay Improviser's Orchestra, at Venue 9, SF.
February 19, 1997 - Wednesday: as 2nd alto in Graham Connah's big band. At the Elbo room, SF.
February 24, 1997 - Monday: with Gianni Gebbia at the Luggage Store.
March 10, 1997 - Monday: Music of Dan Plonsey at Yoshi's: Sax Quintet (w/ Sheldon Brown, Dave Slusser, Alex Weiss and ?); second set the Low Ensemble, featuring Jay Rozen.
March 23, 1997 - Sunday: in Steve Lew's Quartet at Beanbender's.
March 30, 1997 - Sunday: with the Beanbender's Crew at Beanbender's.
April 3, 1997 - Thursday: KZSU's "Day of Noise." 1PM. This might have been with John Schott.
April 7, 1997 - Wednesday: at Venue 9 with the "Beanbender's Band" and John Schott's thing. (Cleveland is in sling while Mantra sings.)
April 14, 1997 - Monday: at Luggage Store??? I forget all details - book just says: "me @ Luggage Store."
April 18, 1997 - Friday: at the Luggage Store, with the Transbay Improviser's Orchestra. As I recall, this was led by George Cremaschi.
April 24, 1997 - Thursday: with Joe Karten and Greg Sinibaldi at the Yellow Room.
April 30, 1997 - Wednesday: with Eugene Chadbourne, Carrie (the oboist), and a bass player, doing Eugene's Insect & Western music. At the Lizard and the Snake, Chapel Hill, NC.
May 4, 1997 - Sunday: with Great Circle Saxophone Quartet, Buttonwood Tree, Middletown, CT.
May 7, 1997 - Wednesday: with Great Circle Saxophone Quartet, Greene St Grill, Cambridge, MA.
May 10, 1997 - Saturday: with Great Circle Saxophone Quartet, Biblio's. New York city.
May 31, 1997 - Saturday: with Moekestra, Gilman St.
June 8, 1997 - Sunday: With Rent Romus and others, "Edgar Allan Poe." At Beanbender's.
June 21-26, 1997: With Great Circle Saxophone Quartet, bay area and LA.
July 21, 1997 - Monday: with Gino Robair and others at Venue 9.
July 25, 1997 - Friday: At Studio For with the Superheroes of Jazz: Joe Karten, Greg Sinibaldi and Matthew Sperry.
July 31, 1997 - Thursday: with Gino Robair and others at the Yellow Room.
August 2, 1997 - Saturday: playing the music of Peter van Bergen. With van Bergen, John Schott and Joe Karten. Radio Valencia.
August 17, 1997 - Sunday: at Beanbender's as a member of Wadada Leo Smith's orchestra.
September 21, 1997, Sunday: Outdoor music with Ward Spangler, somewhere in the area for some forgotten purpose - this might have been the Alzheimer's benefit, or an outdoor gig in SF...
October 5, 1997, Sunday: the premeire of 4 new Plonsey compositions for
2 reeds, 2 brass, guitar, bass and percussion. With Greg Sinibaldi, Joe Karten,
Tom Yoder, John Schott, Steve Lew, Jenya Chernoff and Matt Lebofsky.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
October 16, 1997, Thursday: in Eugene Chadbourne's Insect and Western
ensemble.
8PM, Venue 9, 252 9th Street, San Francisco CA. $12
October 18, 1997, Saturday: Tag Team of Heavyweight Improvisors vs. Eugene
Chadbourne. With Graham Connah, Gino Robair, Scott Amendola, John Shiurba,
Phillip Greenlief, Tim Perkis, Myles Boisen, George Cremaschi, Carla Kihlstedt,
Tom Heasley, Joe Sabella, Garth Powell, Rex Probe, plus special surprise guests.
8PM, Venue 9, 252 9th Street, San Francisco CA. $12
It was on this concert that Rex Probe smashed Eugene's prized dobro.
October 19, 1997, Thursday: in Eugene Chadbourne's Insect and Western
ensemble.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
October 22, 1997, Wednesday: in Ben Goldberg's Brainchild.
With Graham Connah, Trevor Dunn, Steve Adams, Carla Kihlstedt,
John Schott, Elliot Humberto Kavee, Peter Valsamis, Smith Dobson Jr.,
Scott Amendola, Rob Burger, and others(!).
8PM, Venue 9, 252 9th Street, San Francisco CA. $6-10, sliding scale
October 23, 1997, Thursday: in Torid Anos. Words and ranting by Beth
Lisick; with Gino Robair, John Shiurba, and George Cremaschi.
Opening for the amazing Shaking Ray Levis!!!
9PM(?) The Hotel Utah, 400 Bryant St., SF, CA. $5(?)
November 13, 1997, Thursday: in Steve Horowitz's Mousetrap,
with Laura Carmichael, Matt Brubeck, Dave Revelli, and Horowitz.
11PM, KDVS, Davis, CA. Free!
November 15, 1997, Saturday: in Steve Horowitz's Mousetrap,
with Laura Carmichael, Matt Brubeck, Dave Revelli, and Horowitz.
7:30PM, Radio Valencia Cafe, 1199 Valencia at 23rd St., SF, CA. $3-5
November 16, 1997, Sunday: in Steve Horowitz's Mousetrap,
with Laura Carmichael, Matt Brubeck, Dave Revelli, and Horowitz.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
November 30, 1997, Sunday: in duet with Chris Jonas: woodwinds and chalk:
creating an 11' x 7' artwork.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
December 1, 1997, Monday: in duet with Chris Jonas: woodwinds and chalk:
creating an 11' x 7' artwork.
8:30PM, Alligator Lounge,
3321 Pico, Santa Monica, CA. $6
December 7, 1997, Sunday: with the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet
(Chris Jonas, Randy McKean and Steve Norton)
Fall Cafe, 307 Smith Street,
between President and Union, Carrol Gardens, Brooklyn.
4:30 - 7PM. (718) 403-0230. Admission free.
December 8, 1997, Monday: with the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet
(Chris Jonas, Randy McKean and Steve Norton)
8PM, 521 W. 26th Street, lower level, Manhattan (between 10th & 11th)
Take the C or E to 23rd St. $8
December 20, 1997, Saturday: solo. Other sets by Jon Raskin Trio,
Phil Gelb, and others.
2779 (formerly known as Komotion) 2779 16th St. (at Folsom)
SF, CA. Tape Music Lounge at 8pm, performances at 9pm. $4.
Call 510-763-0316 or email bobbost@orban.com for more details.
February 22, Sunday: with San Diegan musicians: Scott Walton, Dana Reason, Glen
Whitehead and Vanessa Tomlinson.
301 Spruce
Street, San Diego CA. A
preview by Mark Lewis
appeared in San Diego Sidewalk.
March 1, Sunday: as a member of The Unmusical Rivets, an ensemble
of the Beanbender's hosts.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA.
$5
March 15, Sunday: as a member of Eugene Chadbourne's "Insect & Western"
Ensemble.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA.
$5
March 22, Sunday: as a member of Henry Kaiser's production
of "Peter and the Wolf."
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA.
$5
April 3, Friday: as a member of John Schott's Diglossia Ensemble,
as part of Rova's 20th anniversary celebration.
ODC,
San Francisco, CA.
April 11, Saturday: in the 20th anniversary concert of Sheep's
Clothing's first all-night concert!
New Haven, CT.
Sheep Central,
maintained by Supermarky.
April 26, Sunday: in 1001 Noirs:
Author Jonathan Lethem (Gun With Occasional Music,
Amnesia Moon and more recent books I haven't gotten to yet!)
and John Schott present a set of short black-humor
stories with Occasional Music. With Jenny Scheinman, Dan
Seamans and me.
8:15PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,
CA.
$5
May 17, Sunday: a new composition: Plonsey Episodes 1-9: Everybody Does This
(Nostalgia of the Infinite) will
be performed by the
Bang on a Can All-Stars.
The Knitting Factory,
74 Leonard St., New York, NY
Tickets are on sale through
the Knitting Factory, 212-219-3006 by phone or
at the club.
This work was commissioned by the
Bang on a Can People's
Commissioning Fund.
May 18, Monday:
Daxophones Meet Saxophones: a concert of music by
daxophonist/guitarist Mark Stewart, and saxophonist/clarinets Evan Ziporyn and
Dan Plonsey. Mark and Evan are members of the
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Mark also plays in Fred Frith's guitar quartet.
The Knitting Factory,
74 Leonard St., New York, NY
Tickets are on sale through
the Knitting Factory, 212-219-3006 by phone or
at the club.
May 27, Wednesday: solo and in duet with percussionist Gino Robair.
9:30PM, Edinburgh Castle, 950
Geary, San Francisco. Call 415-776-6631 for more info.
June 24, Wednesday: with Seattle bassist Matthew Sperry.
9:30PM, Edinburgh Castle, 950
Geary, San Francisco. Call 415-776-6631 for more info.
July 15, Wednesday:
20th Century FORUM and Chapel of the Chimes present the third annual Garden of
Memory: A Columbarium Walk-Through Event at Chapel of the Chimes, a
labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and mausoleum with gardens,
fountains, and stained-glass skylights at 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain
View Cemetery, in Oakland on Wednesday, July 15 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The
program will feature simultaneous performances in different parts of the
building by Bay Area composers, musicians, and other performers presenting a
variety of acoustic and electronic music and video; the audience is free to
move throughout the buiding during the performances. Admission is $10, $8 for
students and seniors; no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For
information, call 20th Century FORUM at (415) 255-8225.
The artists, many of whom are well-known to Bay Area audiences, to be featured
at this event include composers Charles Amirkhanian, Carl Stone, Edmund
Campion, Scot Gresham-Lancaster, Belinda Reynolds, Dan Becker, Maggi Payne,
and Laetitia Sonami; pianist Sarah Cahill; composer/ clarinetist Beth Custer;
glass instrument musician Miguel Frasconi; multi-instrumentalist Randy Porter;
koto player Miya Masaoka; video artist John Sanborn; Tibetan singer Te Chung;
saxophonist Dan Plonsey; Balkan ensemble Panacea; composer and vocalist Pamela
Z; Balkan singer Mantra Ben-Ya'akova; and pianists and electronic keyboardists
Chris Brown and Matthew Goodheart.
July 24, Friday: presenting a set of new music for strings and brass: Version Re-Mix. With: Carla Kihlstedt, Tom Swafford, Sarah Willner, Samantha Black, Ashley Adams, Joe Karten, and Mantra Ben-Ya'akova. The Art Rattan Co. Warehouse, 1218 Miller Avenue, Oakland (off International Blvd.). Sliding Scale Donation $0-20 All Ages Welcome, 8:30 pm (set order TBA), sorry, no wheelchair access: , The East Bay Creative Music Festival
July 26, Sunday: presenting a set of new music for strings and brass: Orchestral Version. With: Carla Kihlstedt, Jenny Scheinman, Tom Swafford, Sarah Willner, Samantha Black, Ashley Adams, Joe Karten, Tom Yoder, Dana Reason, and Mantra Ben-Ya'akova. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
August 4, Tuesday: in Ben Goldberg's Brainchild. With all the usual suspects. 10:30PM, and midnight. Bruno's, Mission St., SF. $4
August 5, Wednesday: in Ben Goldberg's Brainchild. With all the usual suspects. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,CA. $5
August 6, Thursday: in Ben Goldberg's Brainchild.
See August 5.
August 16, Sunday: playing clarinets as a member of the Steve Lew Quartet. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
August 23, Sunday: with Amy Denio, Steve Lew and Carla Kihlstedt. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
August 29, Saturday: presenting an entire evening of painting/playing with Chris Jonas as a celebration of being 39 (for just three more days!). 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
August 30, Sunday: presenting an entire evening of new music as a celebration of being 39 (for just two more days!) Solo, painting/playing with Chris Jonas, and Disaster Opera Theatre, and more! With many artifacts to be given away! 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA. $5
September 13, Sunday: as a member of Eugene Chadbourne's Insect & Western ensemble, with Carla Kihlstedt, Ashley Adams, Jeff Kaiser, and Gino Robair. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,CA. $5
September 25, Friday: as a member of John Schott's Diglossia Ensemble. 8PM, New Langton Arts, San Francsico
October 1, Thursday: as a member of Moe! Staiano's Moechestra. 9:30PM, The Starry Plough, Oakland
October 22: Plonsey Episodes 1-9: Everybody Does This (Nostalgia of the Infinite) will be performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars. This is the second performance ever, the West Coast premiere. It will be performed as part of the Other Minds Festival. This work was commissioned by the Bang on a Can People's Commissioning Fund.
October 23, Friday: Daxophones Meet Saxophones: a concert of music by daxophonist/guitarist Mark Stewart, and saxophonist/clarinets Evan Ziporyn and Dan Plonsey and vocalist/electronic-musician Pamela Z. Mark and Evan are members of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Mark also plays in Fred Frith's guitar quartet. Two sets. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,CA. $5
November 22, Sunday: in Ben Goldberg's Brainchild. With all the usual suspects. 5PM, Brazil Room, Tilden Park, Berkeley. Private party for Bruno's employees.
December 20, Sunday: With: Mantra Ben Ya'akova's ensemble of improvisers, including: Ashley Adams, Myles Boisen, Jenya Chernoff, Nancy Clarke, Cleveland Plonsey, Dan Plonsey, Gino Robair, John Schott, Karen Stackpole, Moe! Staiano, Susan Volkan, and Tom Yoder. 8:15PM, Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,CA. $5
January 10, Sunday:
Solo oboe,
voice and cheap synth, with Myles Boisen, real-time processing. Celebrating
the
release of the new CD-R
Understanding Human Behavio,
Limited Sedition
006.
Come hear such number one hit favorites as:
"I've got a little oboe in my soul"
"I'm sitting on top of the world (with an oboe)," and of course:
"One of these times - I'm going to play the oboe again"
7:30PM,
Beanbender's, 2295 Shattuck Ave.,
Berkeley,CA.
$5
Sunday, March 25
In the Beanbender's All-Stars, with Nancy Clarke and Bill Hsu; with
slides by Alan Brightbill.
Beanbender's at the Fine Arts Cinema, 2451 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
Saturday, May 8
KZSU's "Day of Noise." Live in the studio with Phil Gelb, John Shiurba,
Matthew Sperry, Scott Rosenberg, Sean Meehan and Garth Powell, from
approximately 1-3PM.
At 90.1FM,
or you can listen to KZSU at:
http://realaudio.stanford.edu.
May 11
In the Cleveland Plonsey Urchestra (with Cleveland and Mantra.
2026 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Saturday, May 15
In the Berkeley Music Circus, 1-4 PM, downtown Berkeley, with 100 others.
Thursday 20th, 20:15 De Provadje Theater, Verdronkenoord 12 in Alkmaar Theater is near by the central train station, phone number is: 072 511 01 36 Monday 24th, 20:30 De Paradox, Telegraafstraat 62 in Tilburg Also very close to the central train station, Phone number is: 013 543 22 66 Wednesday 26th, 20:30 Cafe Binnen, Binnen Bantammerstraat 9 in Amsterdam Nearby the central station, also near the Nieuwe Mart, Phone Number is: 020 421 89 01 Saturday 29th, 21:00 SJU-Huis, Varkenmarkt 2 In Utrecht A five minute walk from Utrecht Central Station, Phone number is: 030 234 04 36 Monday 31st, 21:00 Cafe Wilhelmina, Wilhelminaplein 6 in Eindhoven I do not know how close this is to the train station, Phone Number is: 040 244 72 86
June 21, Monday: 20th Century FORUM and Chapel of the Chimes present the fourth annual Garden of Memory: A Columbarium Walk-Through Event at Chapel of the Chimes, a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and mausoleum with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights at 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery, in Oakland on Wednesday, July 15 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The program will feature simultaneous performances in different parts of the building by Bay Area composers, musicians, and other performers presenting a variety of acoustic and electronic music and video; the audience is free to move throughout the buiding during the performances. Admission is $10, $8 for students and seniors; no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For information, call 20th Century FORUM at (415) 255-8225.
July 10, Saturday: As a guest clarinetist on one tune with Mumble & Peg, at the Starry Plough, Oakland.
July 18, Wednesday: as a member of Spirit Park, with
Ron Thompson and Karen Stackpole.
8PM, Venue 9
July 29, Thursday: as a member of Moe! Staiano's Moechestra. 9:30PM, The Starry Plough, Oakland
August 21, Saturday: Leading an ensemble of:
Vinny Golia, reeds Dan Plonsey, reeds Jeff Kaiser, trumpet Mike Vlatkovich, trombone Steuart Liebig, electric bass Billy Mintz, drums Mantra Ben-Ya'akova, voiceat Ventura City Hall, Ventura, CA.
September 9, Thursday: as a member of Spirit Park, with
Ron Thompson and Karen Stackpole.
9PM, The Luggage Store
November 10, Wednesday: as a member of Spirit Park, with
Ron Thompson, guitar; Karen Stackpole, percussion and gongs.
9:30PM, The Starry Plough, Oakland
December 1, Wednesday: leading Daniel Popsicle: playing a collection of brand new compositions by Plonsey which will also feature a generous amount of improvisation. The ensemble is marked by its unusual instrumentation, which enables it to escape the standards of intonation which have prevailed in the Western World for the majority of this millenium. Daniel Popsicle was organized to meet an obligation to Plonsey's former teacher, Anthony Braxton: "Sir, we must now write music for the next millenium!" The ensemble:
Dan Plonsey: oboe, clarinets, c melody saxophone Ben Goldberg: clarinet Joe Karten: shofar Tom Yoder: trombone Phil Gelb: shakuhachi Ward Spangler: marimba Wayne Vitale: Balinese percussion & gangsa Sarah Willner: Balinese gangsa, viola Tom Swafford: violin Samantha Black: cello Ashley Adams: bass Matthew Sperry: bass Randy Porter: cumbus, guitar, violin John Schott: national steel guitar Gino Robair: mandolin & percussion Erling Wold: farfisa organ Lynn Wold: acrusonic organ Mantra Ben-Ya'akova: voice9:30PM, The Starry Plough, Oakland
Thursday, January 13: with Gino Robair and friends, at the Hotel Utah, 9:30PM.
Tuesday, January 25: With Club Foot Orchestra at the World Financial Center Winter Garden at 7PM. Admission is supposedly free. It's all part of a silent film festival.
Sunday, March 19:
The premeire of
Sunburst (scenes 1-6)
Paul Schick, libretto; w/ Mantra & Cleveland Plonsey, Susan Volkan,
Nancy Clarke, Tom Yoder, Sarah Willner, and John Schott as Orpheus.
At 2:55PM!
As part of the:
OPUS415 No.5 Bay Area New Music Marathon,
Produced by the Common Sense Composers Collective
Sunday, March 19, 2000 1 pm - 11 pm
Theater Artaud, San Francisco,
450 Florida, between 17th Street and Mariposa
All Day Pass $18, $13 students/seniors.
Tickets: 415-621-7797 Info: 415-285-8680,
or buy on the web at
ticketweb.
``Sunburst,'' Dan Plonsey's dramatic scene
for three colander-wearing
instrumentalists and a handful of
singer-actors, managed to be oddly en
tertaining despite being essentially a string
of in-jokes. -- Joshua Kosman, SF Chronicle, March 21, 2000. Thanks a lot, Josh.
Saturday, May 6: Berkeley Day of Music (organized by Randy Porter). Music by and for me and kids and adults too. Berkeley Public Library, 2PM. Also, improvisations with random humans around Shattuck Avenue. 3-5 PM. Admission Free.
Saturday, May 13: Foot 'n' Shoe Music, curated by Sarah Cahill, as part of the Berkeley Arts Festival. Situated in the former home of Huston's Shoes on Shattuck Avenue. One composition: "Concerto for Hi-Hat and Orchestra of Children." 4PM. Admission Free.
Saturday, May 13: KZSU's Day of Noise. Improvisations with Kaffe Matthews, Alan Brightbill, Randy Porter, and Ron Thompson. 10:30 PM. 90.1FM. This is the 6th annual KZSU Day of Noise! At 90.1FM, or you can listen to KZSU at: http://realaudio.stanford.edu.
Monday, June 12: Mark Stewart with Pamela Z and Dan Plonsey At a relatively new space called Tuva: 3192 Adeline, where M.L.K. and Adeline merge together, half a block south of Ashby BART, West side of the street. $6-10 sliding scale. 8PM.
Saturday, June 17: First day of "Trios Festival," co-sponsored by New Langton Arts. Improvisations with Spiritpark (Ron Thompson and Karen Stackpole). New Langton Arts, 7:30 PM. Bill Horvitz Trio (w/ Steve Adams and Joe Sabella, opening). $10.
Sunday, June 25: Improvisations with Jeff Kaiser and Ernesto Diaz-Infante. Jupiter, Shattuck at Allston Way, Berkeley. Free. 3PM. "024C" opening.
Friday, July 7 At the Meridian Gallery, with Phil Gelb and others.
Saturday, July 8 As a member of Ben Goldberg's Brainchild, at the Zeum's "Avant Yard" summer series of concerts, in the Zeum's backyard. The Zeum is at 4th/Howard in San Francisco. 1PM. Admission Free!
Saturday, July 22 Compositions of Dan Plonsey performed by Daniel Popsicle, at the Zeum's "Avant Yard" summer series of concerts, in the Zeum's backyard. The Zeum is at 4th/Howard in San Francisco. 1PM. Admission Free!
Sunday, October 15
The world premiere of
"Humming, moving, still our flowers are blooming under the old
Portcullis"
for large ensemble and miniature tableau theatre, by Dan Plonsey,
performed by Daniel Popsicle.
The lineup for this performance is:
Dan Plonsey: c melody sax Phil Gelb: shakuhachi Michael Zelner: clarinet Tom Yoder: trombone Erling Wold: accordion, organ Lynn Wold: farfisa organ Tom Swafford: violin Sarah Willner: viola Ashley Adams: bass Steve Lew: electric bass Mike Pukish: percussionMaster percussionist genius Moe! will open the evening with a solo performance of walloping.
Wednesday, November 1 With John Schott's Hootenanny. Cato's Ale House.
Feb 14,16,18(2)
Four concerts with a collective sextet of Plonsey,
Peter van Bergen, Steve Horowitz, Joost Buis,
Jim Bove, and Jim Meneses. We will be playing
compositions that we have written that are inspired
directly by Sun Ra's music. I don't know what the
others have written yet, but I focussed on writing
music related to the Discipline series.
Feb 23,24,25,26,27,28
Five concerts of Dan Plonsey: Bird-Constructions & Musics
and one (Feb 24) participating in a performance art/music show
by Molly Sturges and Chris Jonas.
Dan Plonsey: Bird-Constructions & Musics
May 5, Saturday, 6PM, Dan Plonsey presents:
Garbaggio Truckio Fantastico
as part of the:
7th annual KZSU Day of Noise! At 90.1FM,
or you can listen to KZSU at:
http://realaudio.stanford.edu.
May 8, Tuesday, 10:30 AM, the Berkeley Symphony plays Plonsey's The Dolphins in the Forest, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus, Berkeley. Pre-performance talk by Plonsey. Free!
May 30, Wednesday evening, 6-9PM: With John Schott's Hootenanny, Cato's Ale House. Piedmont Ave, just above MacArthur. Admission free! (Please eat and drink, though!) Music from early 20th century America. With Mantra, Ben Goldberg, Tim Madden and Dan Seamons.
June 10: 17 or so marches by Plonsey, performed by New Music Works in Santa Cruz:
ANNUAL AVANT GARDEN PARTY
2001: A SPACE GARDEN
Sunday, June 10, 2001, 2 - 6pm
Topside Estates, 700 Spring Street, Santa Cruz
Sponsored by Streetlight Records
This year's Avant Garden Party brings
super-galactic spheres to this annual outdoor fete of flora, music, and
feasting. It's about space; it's about gardens;
it's about as extraterrestrial as we can get without wearing
pressurized suits.
Dan Plonsey: 21Marches into the 21st Century* (World Premiere)
Henry Brant: Spatially-separated music
Fred Frith: New work* (World Premiere)
Darcy Reynolds: Works for viola and piano
Sound installations by Douglas Leedy, John Cage,
and others
June 24
Daniel Popsicle performs works by Dan Plonsey (Music of
Northwestern El Cerrito).
Presented by Beanbender's and the
Berkeley Arts Festival.
Also on the program: Ben Goldberg's Brainchild,
Toychestra, and Graham Connah's Jettison Slinky.
Sunday, June 24
7 PM
2200 Shattuck Avenue (former Lee Frank Jewellers)
$6-$10, sliding scale
contact: 510-665-9496.
July 15
Dan Plonsey presents:
Garbaggio Truckio Fantastico
as part of the:
THE FIRST ANNUAL TRANSBAY SKRONKATHON BBQ
1pm
Phyll Smith/Andre Custodio -- Ethereal/Dark
Ambient/Experimental/DarkWave/Noise
Ron Thompson -- solo guitar+computer
Dan Plonsey's Garbaggio Truckio Fantastico -- truly improvised music
interval
3pm
Rubber City -- David Slusser [sax], Ralph Carney [horns], Richard
Saunders [bass], Michel Dumonceau [drums]
Saint of Killers -- avant-space-rock-metal-noise
interval
4:30pm
sfSound Group -- a new music ensemble
Compomicro-Dexall -- Noise-free-mad-jazz-punk-grindcore duo
Jessica Loos / Damon Smith Duo -- Improvised Sound Poetry/String Bass
interval
6pm
Marco Eneidi -- solo saxophone
Myles Boisen & Karen Stackpole -- prepared guitar and gongs
Tori Anus -- computer/guitar/viola/drum/random circuits from:
[Jorge Boehringer, Kris Miltner, and David Horton]
interval
7:45pm
tonamatt -- Nancy Beckman [shakuhachi], Tom Bickley
[recorder&electronics], Marianne MacDonald [harp], Kattt Sammon [voice]
Phillip Greenlief -- solo saxophone
Double Nickels -- a double quintet with
[John Shiurba/Myles Boisen, matt ingalls/John Ingle, Tom Djll/Tom Yoder]
[Dan Plonsey/Eli Crews, Gino Robair/Karen Stackpole]
interval
9:30pm
Bob Marsh [cello,etc]/Scott R Looney [computer]/Ernesto Diaz-Infante
[guitar extensions]/Garth Powell [drums]
Transmission Trio -- [Colin Stetson, Eric Perney, Andrew Kitchen]
Monday, September 10, 2001: Plonsey Episodes 1-9: Everybody
Does This
(Nostalgia of the Infinite) will
be performed by the
Bang on a Can
All-Stars. This is the third performance ever, the LA premiere.
This work was commissioned by the
Bang on a Can People's
Commissioning Fund.
7pm,
Bovard Auditorium
at USC, Los Angeles, CA.
Saturday, September 29:
SpiritPark (Plonsey, Ron Thompson, guitars; Joe Sabella, percussion)
Part of Trio Festival 2. Begins at 4PM; SpiritPark is the 4th of 5
trios to play, going on at approximately 7PM.
Tuva:
3192 Adeline, where M.L.K. and Adeline merge together,
half a block south of Ashby BART, West side of the street.
$6-10 sliding scale.
Thursday, October 4: with Jeff Kaiser, trumpet, and others.
8pm, The Luggage Store.
Jeff KAISER (trumpet);
Dan PLONSEY (woodwinds);
Ernesto DIAZ-INFANTE (guitar).
Jeff Kaiser, Dan Plonsey, and Ernesto Diaz-Infante
will be exploring the underworld realm of Hades using
their sound as auditory metaphors (in the post-Jungian
symbolic sense of the word) for the psychology of
antiquity also known as mythology. Wait! Actually they
will just be improvising. Their select tools are:
trumpet, flugelhorn and electronics (Jeff), an
arsenal of woodwinds (Dan), and a guitar strung with
dental floss, paper clips and a small stuffed rabbit
named Persephone (Ernesto).
Review
so jeff kaiser had this table full of gear and was playing CDs
mostly (precomposed) and mixing everyone else's sound. dan sat
out for the first 10 minutes or so, but more than made up for it
later. ernesto rushed in after about 20 minutes and proceeded
to play subtle gorgeous quiet counterpoint to the others' raucous...
but i'm getting ahead of myself. so jeff's CDs, multioctavous
babble overlaid with these low throbbings, see, caused gravity
and direction to be exerted on the players. very dense, very
forward motion. immediately a music was evident, amplified by
multiphoniacal varihorn soloduos. never seen someone use one a
them mouthpieces that-a way, hmm. they got all this music in
their heads and fingers -- my fave was the medieval stuff in the
middle plus the hocketing and of course the impromptu sung
canonical. not that the derivations were explicit, mind you.
resonances within resonances. the drunken minstrels carouse while
the philosopher ponders.
-- Tildy Bayar
Sunday, October 28, 2001: Plonsey Episodes 1-9: Everybody
Does This
(Nostalgia of the Infinite) will
be performed by the
Bang on a Can
All-Stars. This is the fourth performance ever.
It will be performed as part of the Bang on a Can Marathon.
This work was commissioned by the
Bang on a Can People's
Commissioning Fund.
Brooklyn Academy of Music (a.k.a. BAM)
Tuesday, January 29, 2002 at 8 pm
Jay Rozen, tuba recital, with Dan Plonsey, guest improviser on one piece,
and composer of solo tuba piece, The Actual Physical Center of the
Universe.
UC Stanislaus (near Modesto, CA). Admission $5.
Friday, February 8, 2002 at 8 pm
John Shiurba
with special guests Dan Plonsey on alto saxophone, matt ingalls on clarinet,
Tom Yoder on trombone, Matthew Sperry on contrabass, and Gino Robair on
percussion, with Morgan Guberman and Lara Bruckmann, voices.
San Francisco -- On February 8, New Langton Arts presents guitarist John
Shiurba, performing two new works: 30 Interjections and TRIPLICATE. Using
everything from his knuckles to kitchen utensils, Shiurba improvises and
expands upon the traditional sound range of the electric and acoustic
guitar, producing unrecognizable results. The performance begins at 8 pm.
Tickets are $8 general, $6 members, students, and seniors. New Langton Arts
is located at 1246 Folsom Street (between 8th and 9th streets) in San
Francisco. For more information or reservations, call 415 626 5416.
Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 8 pm
Daniel Popsicle: "Music from Northern El Cerrito: Daniel Popsicle plays
Cerrito Theatre Music of Dan Plonsey"
The Cerrito Theatre is a theatre which may or may not be
restored to use if it isn't turned into a mattress store or
(unspecified) national chain pet food store.
The Black Box
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland CA 94612
bet. 19 & 20 St. Downtown Oakland
1 block from 19 St BART
510-451-1932
wheelchair accessable
All shows start at 7:54pm.
Admission is $6-$1000 sliding scale
Friday, June 7, 2002, 8PM
Two 10-minute solo sets, as part of:
Irrational Exhuberance
at 848 community space (that's 848 Divisadero),
San Francisco, CA.
Short performance (10 minutes?)
with Cleveland and Mischa,
clarinet, and toy trains
and various percussion and wind instruments.
Friday, June 21, 2002, 5PM(??)
Performers include Ingram Marshall, Kyle Gann, Daniel Lentz with Brad Ellis
and William Trimble, Maggi Payne, Laetitia Sonami, Krystina Bobrowski, Dean
Santomieri, Matthew Goodheart, Greg Moore, Jason Serinus, Dan Plonsey,
Katrina Wreede, Miguel Frasconi, John Bischoff, Charles Amirkhanian, Henry
Kaiser and Danielle de Gruttola, Ya Elah, Elaine Kreston, Brenda Hutchinson,
Jerry Kuderna, Philip Gelb with Shoko Hikage and Brett Larner, Randy Porter,
Pamela Z, Sarah Cahill, and the Cornelius Cardew Choir.
Garden of Memory offers a unique and personal musical experience to every
listener as he or she wanders freely through this multilevel maze of interior
gardens, alcoves, pools, and antechambers ingeniously designed by Julia
Morgan. Drawing crowds of around eight hundred people each year (including a
large number of children), Garden of Memory has become a favorite summer
solstice celebration for Bay Area audiences.
New Music Bay Area is a nonprofit organization which provides opportunities
and information to composers and performers of new music throughout the Bay
Area. New Music Bay Area is supported by grants from the California Arts
Council and the generosity of its members and donors. Garden of Memory is
supported in part by a Community Partnership Grant from the San Francisco Bay
Area Chapter of American Composers Forum.
Music (Plonsey compositions played by
eight members of Daniel Popsicle:
John Schott, Matthew Sperry, Tom Yoder, John Shiurba,
Lynn Wold, Suki O'Kane, Michael Zelner, and Plonsey)
and toy trains as part of the incredible, wonderful
Chapel of the Chimes
New Music Bay Area and Chapel of the Chimes present their magical summer
solstice celebration Garden of Memory: a Columbarium Walk-Through Event at
Chapel of the Chimes, a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights at
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland on Friday, June
21 from 5 to 8 pm. The program features simultaneous performances in
different parts of the building as composers and musicians present a variety
of acoustic and electronic music, installations, and interactive events; the
audience is free to move throughout the building during the performances.
Admission is by sliding scale, $20-5. For information, call New Music Bay
Area at (415)563-6355 ex. 3, or write to info@newmusicbayarea.org.
Sunday, July 14, 2002 at ~8 pm
Garbaggio Truckio Fantasticko presents:
"It's All in Good Fun (you assholes)"
An opera (a very short - 10-15 minutes long - opera),
a mockery: of everyone, from top to bottom of the music
world, including performers, composers, reviewers, presenters, theorists, audience.
on the
Second Annual
TRANSBAY SKRONKATHON BBQ, 1PM-11PM,
Tuva Space, 3192 Adeline, Berkeley.
Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 8 pm
For the second set we premiere scenes from an opera-in-progress,
"AMARAMA." The libretto, by Paul Schick, incorporates four (now five)
different tellings of a pastoral comedy, "The Faithful Shepherd,"
("Il Pastor Fido", Guarini, 1590), a complex tale of 3 mismatched
couples, which is mined for its conflicting depictions of Love,
which is herein associated with disturbance, dislocation, discontinuity,
and, of course, disaster. The music is inspired by that of Indian films,
and the action takes place in Ancient Greece/60s California.
Musicians include:
Nancy Clarke, Phil Gelb, Ben Goldberg, Matt Ingalls, Steve Kirk,
Suki O'Kane, Mantra Plonsey, Mike Pukish, John Schott, Jonathan Segel,
John Shiurba, Ward Spangler, Matthew Sperry, Sarah Willner, Lynn Wold,
Tom Yoder, Michael Zelner, and Dan Plonsey.
Daniel Popsicle: "Music from El Cerrito: Daniel Popsicle plays
Music for Occasions of State," and: "The Playback Operas of El Cerrito, no.
1: Excerpts from AMARAMA."
Music: Dan Plonsey, Libretto: Paul Schick
New Langton Arts "Award Show"
Tickets are $8 general, $6 members, students, and seniors. New Langton Arts
is located at 1246 Folsom Street (between 8th and 9th streets) in San
Francisco. For more information or reservations, call 415 626 5416.
Details:
The first set consists of compositions from the past year
written for Daniel Popsicle, a 10-15 person group dedicated
to presenting the music of (Northern) El Cerrito, in this case,
a collection of "Music for Occasions of State": a couple dozen
very short pieces, alternately rousing and contemplative.
Monday, August 5, 2002 6:30-8:30PM
Monday, September 30, 2002 at 8 pm (and 10 PM)
STATEMENT: "I founded the
Daniel Popsicle Ensemble in response to Anthony Braxton's
instruction: "Sir, we must now write music for the next millenium!
we'll make billions!" Billions referring to musical notes, not dollars,
I have since realized, but I'm finding this group to be the ideal
ensemble with which to work. I am writing music which emerges
(despite whatever my original intentions) as a sort of oddball
post-apocalyptic band music, related to that of the Thai brass bands,
Indian wedding bands, New Orleans brass bands, ironic Dutch bands,
Sun Ra Arkestra, Braxtonian creative music orchestras
and ghost trance ensembles, and junior high bands.
"On September 30, the centerpiece of our concert will be the
premiere of a giant piece, "Wise King Taken by the Foolish One,"
which will span the two sets (no pieces will be repeated from set one
in set two; the audience is invited to stay for the entire
evening of music). In and around this piece will be some other works
which range from selections of very short, through-composed works, to
tunes and songs which are designed to set up improvisations by
the group's many fine players. Indeed, the music I am writing can only
be played by musicians with skills in both reading and improvising: they
alone can bring the sort of tight-but-looseness, the spontaneous
combustability, and the subversiveness which in my opinion is the
soul of what we have called Jazz. I am very fortunate to be living
in the Bay Area, where uniquely in this world I have access to
such musicians who _also_ bring in enormous individual experience in
Klezmer, Balinese music, rock, blues, classical music, Salsa, free improv,
Italian film music, Japanese music, Brazilian music, and of course
all the historical "traditions" of jazz.
"I would like to stress that
I am presenting this music not as "jazz" or "avant garde" or
as any other genre, rather, this is music of El Cerrito (that is,
one particular music of Northern El Cerrito!). Having this concert
presented by Jazz in Flight, I have naturally pondered whether what
we are doing is "Jazz" and/or "In Flight." I could say, somewhat
seriously, that this is music which is simultaneously in flight
_from_ jazz and _back to_ jazz. I'll leave it to my listeners to
tell me what they think! Please send responses to: dan@plonsey.com,
and while you're at it, check out
www.plonsey.com for lots more
words which run parallel to the music, especially
about
"Wise King Taken by the Foolish One",
about which I have
written 26 essays, but none of it really explaining what you will hear!"
Monday, October 7, 2002 8PM
Sunday, October 13, 2002 7:30PM
Members of Daniel Popsicle: "Music from El Cerrito: Daniel Popsicle plays
Music for Occasions of State." (See above, July 27, 2002.)
Performing at an open house for the Education Department
of the
Richmond Art Center,
Monday, August 5 from 6:30-8:30.
Come and hear us, and also check out art classes for kids.
In addition to our music, there will be kids art activities.
540 Barrett Avenue (at 25th St.), Richmond, California (510) 620-6772.
Daniel Popsicle: "Music from El Cerrito: Daniel Popsicle plays
Music by Dan Plonsey"
At Yoshi's -- a
Jazz in Flight
production.
Concert Preview from Contra Costa Times, by Andrew Gilbert
With:
Carol Adee,
Liz Albee,
Jenya Chernoff,
Marc Culbertson,
Phil Gelb,
Ben Goldberg,
Steve Kirk,
Matt Lebofsky,
Suki O'Kane,
Naomi Okuyama,
Randy Porter,
Mike Pukish,
John Schott,
John Shiurba,
Matthew Sperry,
Sarah Willner,
Lynn Wold,
Tom Yoder,
and
Michael Zelner.
In John Shiurba's 5x5 at Headlands Center for the Arts.
With Matt Ingalls, Eli Crews, Garth Powell, and John Shiurba.
Performing level 2, volume 2 of the 5x5 set.
With Beth Lisick reading from her new book,
This Too Can be Yours opening.
In John Shiurba's 5x5 at SIMM series, 116 9th Street (at Mission),
San Francisco.
With Matt Goodheart, Matthew Sperry, Gino Robair, and John Shiurba.
Performing level 2, volume 2 of the 5x5 set.
Someone else playing after.
|
Saturday, October 19, 2002 2PM
With John Schott & Friends: A Homage to Down Home Music & Arhoolie Records Guitarist extraordinaire John Schott (T.J. Kirk, Junk Genius) along with the virtuosos clarinetist Ben Goldberg (New Klezmer Trio, Junk Genius), saxophonist Dan Plonsey (Great Circle Saxophone Quartet), Matt Wright (CNMAT) will perform "...old-timey, country blues numbers...strange braxtonia, quirky written material...angular, but lyrical...perhaps even something resembling 'jazz'". |
|
Tuesday, October 22, 2002 8PM
Playing in 50-person orchestra playing a Ghost Trance composition by
Anthony Braxton.
The Black Box
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland CA 94612
bet. 19 & 20 St. Downtown Oakland
1 block from 19 St BART
510-451-1932
wheelchair accessable
All shows start at 7:54pm.
Admission is $6-$1000 sliding scale
Wednesday-Thursday, October 23-24, 2002 just before midnight-1:30AM
(actually ended up being 12:30-2:30)
On the 8th annual
KZSU Day of Noise.
KZSU, Stanford, 90.1 FM.
8PM, Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23
Members of Daniel Popsicle
perform music composed by Dan Plonsey to two radio plays by Samuel Beckett,
"Words and Music" and "Cascando."
Produced and directed by Naomi Okuyama
Also, the ensemble will perform selctions from the
body of "Music of El Cerrito," and there will be other performances as well
(see below).
The Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave (just north of Pleasant Valley,
a.k.a. 51st Street), Oakland
Three Chairs Productions
presents two different evenings of
Words and Music
at the Chapel of the Chimes, the
beautiful Julia Morgan-designed columbarium in North Oakland.
All performances will be radio-transmitted locally within the Chapel,
and visitors can experience the radio plays and music at the source or
over the air while wandering through the galleries.
The two evenings present performances of the radio plays
"Words and Music" and "Cascando" by Samuel Beckett, with original
music composed by Daniel Plonsey. Also featured is the world
premiere of "Tents" and "Tense", new radio plays by local wordsmith and
impresario Adam Tobin. Each evening there will be different programs
performed by the El Cerrito ensemble Daniel Popsicle, along with
music from local singers Diana Pray and Ariela Morgenstern.
The more visually inclined can feast their eyes on "Vision,"
a new video installation by Ted Vadakan, as well as the
jewel-like surroundings of the Chapel.
INFO: (510) 594-9409 or 3chairs@earthlink.net
TICKETS: $10 -- $25 suggested donation.
Thursday, January 9, 2003 at 8:30 pm
John Shiurba's 5x5
with Gino Robair, percussion; Morgan Guberman, bass;
Matt Ingalls, clarinet and violin; John Shiurba, guitar.
New Langton Arts
1246 Folsom Street (between 8th and 9th streets) in San
Francisco.
FREE!
Audience: Buzz, Hadley, Dina, and some guy
Friday, January 10, 2003 at 11 pm
As part of:
Sound/Shift Oaklandi,
a two day concert:
Friday, January 10, 6PM-Midnight
Saturday, January 11, Noon -11PM
Sound/Shift Oakland
$10 / $15 for both days.
At 21Grand
A review: About our set, Michael Zelner writes:
"I just feel sorry for those who left before the end and missed
Plonsey's singing. It really was moving, in a strange way."
Thursday, May 1, 2003 at 9PM:
A new piece of mine: Concerto for Electric Guitar and Toy Orchestra
will receive its world premiere as part of:
Starry Plough, 3101 Shattack Ave., Berkeley.
Fred Frith's solo music is amazing and wonderful for
the way in which he can mix shimmery noise, strange tunings,
brushes, kitchen utensils, and folk-like melodies into a
dramatic and surreal narrative. Frith's compositions
received wider public attention recently as the score
for "Rivers and Tides," the Andy Goldsworthy film. (This
soundtrack will be released by Winter & Winter in June.)
Toychestra's six women are charming and crude superheroes
who save bits and pieces of the world at a time from dreary and
maddening cynicism with their collection of toy pianos,
toy violin, emergency board, yes-man, boing-boing,
accordion-people, grrrlz-rule, etc., apparently arranged
for under the influence of beer and marshmallow peeps.
Toychestra is: Lexa Walsh, Shari Robertson, Corey
Weinstein, Petra Podlahova, Angela Coon, and
Michelle Adams.
Tuesday, May 6, 2003 at 9PM:
Cafe Du Nord, 2170 Market St., San Francisco. 9PM.
Monday, June 9, 2003
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Sunday, June 15, 2003, 8PM
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Saturday, June 21, 2003, 5PM
Sunday, June 29, 2003, 8PM
Saturday, September 13, 2003, 8PM
Playing in an ensemble of Matt Ingalls' sfSoundGroup, as part of:
Sunday, September 28, 2003, 11AM
Saturday, October 11, 2003, 8PM
With Mantra and others, as part of the Berkeley Arts Festival.
Thursday, October 16, 2003, 8PM
With Chris Jonas, Molly Sturges, Randy McKean, Tom Duff, Mantra
and others, as part of the Berkeley Arts Festival.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003, 8PM
The Manufacturing of Humidifiers play together for the first time in... years!
Dan Plonsey, Randy Porter and Ward Spangler.
Sunday, November 16, 2003, 8PM
Thursday, December 11, 2003, 8PM
Sunday, April 25, 2004, 8PM
Saturday, May 8, 2004 at 9PM:
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattack Ave., Berkeley.
Sunday, June 20, 2004 at 8PM:
Monday, June 21, 2004, 5-9PM:
Sunday, June 27, 2004, 1-3PM:
Saturday, October 30, 2004, TWO SHOWS: 6PM and 8PM:
Saturday, June 04, 2005:
Sunday, June 05, 2005:
Sunday, June 12, 2005:
Tuesday, June 21, 2005:
Saturday, July 2, 2005:
Friday, June 2, 2006:
Saturday, June 3, 2006:
Sunday, June 4, 2006:
Saturday, June 17, 2006:
Wednesday, June 21, 2006:
Sunday, July 30, 2006:
Friday, September 1, 2006:
2 shows this coming Friday and Saturday feature music by Daniel Popsicle
(Dan Plonsey large ensemble). We're celebrating the release of the
long-awaited double-CD successor to Moving About, Humming, Still Our
Flowers are Blooming, Under the Old Portcullis - this release has the
shorter title: Wise King Taken by the Foolish One.
Friday Oct 6:
The Illuminated Corridor
Saturday Oct. 7:
Daniel Popsicle plays as part of
RIVEROPOLIS.
Friday, March 1, 2007:
Illuminated Corridor presents
The Great Wall: music and film, West Grand @Valley,
Oakland. Music includes Dan Plonsey's String Ensemble: Jonathan Segel, Marielle Jakobsons, and Jeff Hobbs: violins; Merlin Coleman: cello; Lisa Mezzacappa, and George Cremaschi: bass; John Shiurba, Bill Wolter, and Myles Boisen: guitars; with Dan Plonsey conducting. Atop a rooftop nearby, music broadcast on 104.1FM for at least a 3 block radius.
Wednesday, April 25:
Sunday, April 29:
Friday, May 4:
Wednesday, May 9: Daniel Popsicle presents the premiere of Dan Plonsey's
Rafting Season,
part 8 of Plonsey's "Many More than Four Lousy Seasons" series.
This 50-minute long piece depicts the pointlessness of many things,
in a very friendly and accomodating, even ingratiating manner.
The ensemble will be
joined by dancers from the
Dandelion Dance Theatre.
8PM, 21Grand.
416 25th Street @Broadway, near 19th street BART, Oakland.
The evening, part of Evander Music's "2+2 series," will begin with a set
of music by saxophonists Jon Raskin snd Phillip Greenlief,
along with percussionists John Hanes and Gino Robair.
Saturday, May 25:
Plonsey plays bass clarinet (one of a half-dozen or so bass clarinettists!) in Moe!'s Moe!kestra 10th anniversary show. Destroying yet another piano, and another piece.
Thursday, June 21:
Dan Plonsey and members of Daniel Popsicle will play at the annual
Garden of Memory
concert at the
Saturday, June 9:
Plonsey plays oboe in Sean Meehan's Enormous Quartet, as part of the fifth annual
Matthew Sperry Memorial Festival (a.k.a. Sperryfest)
Saturday, July 7 (that is: 7/7/7):
Theatre Yugen presents an all-day cycle of five noh
plays, with interludes.
The fourth play in the cycle, an adaptation of the fourth act of
Eugene O'Neil's Long Day's Journey Into
Night, is scored by Dan Plonsey and music will be performed by Plonsey and Suki O'Kane, Jonathan Segel, Lynn Murdock, John Shiurba, and Marc Bolin.
This is, as far as we know, the first noh cycle ever presented in the US!
Thursday, August 23:
Daniel Popsicle will play at the Starry Plough. The lineup:
Friday, September 14:
Saturday, September 15:
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Daniel Popsicle ensemble has been dedicated to the performance and
recording of the simple and unpretentious new music of El Cerrito, whose
roots are in the music of Thai marching bands, Sun Ra's "Discipline"
series, somewhat clunky jazz and exotica. (More details below)
Current Lineup of Daniel Popsicle:
Saturday, June 21:
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle will play at the annual
Garden of Memory"
concert at the
Sunday, July 13:
Dan Plonsey
-- and the exciting fabulous return performance/examination of:
Garbaggio Truckio Fantastico
-- at the now-annual Skronkathon, at:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 12, 1 and 14:
Friday, October 3, 2008:
FRED FRITH and TOYCHESTRA - Apart and Together.
"Together" part featuring the world premiere of a concerto for
guitar and toys by Dan Plonsey.
Same as above - new Plonsey Guitar Concerto with Fred Frith and Toychestra, but at:
Memorial services for our dear friend Matthew Sperry, who, while
riding his bicycle to work was hit by a truck. At the Chapel of the Chimes.
Performing Matthew's "Processional" (from music he wrote for his wedding),
Braxton (110A), and my "For Matthew, Stacia, and Lila" (written June 6).
In the PornOrchestra at the Parkway Theatre, Oakland. Turned
out to be with both the Moe!kestra and and PornOrchestra under the
direction of Gino Robair.
John Shiurba's 5x5:
as an Acme Observatory show at the
Jazz House (formerly Tuva space), 3192 Adeline, Berkeley.
Memorial concert for Matthew Sperry, at 21Grand.
Daniel Popsicle performed "Lila Looms and Brooms" and "For Matthew, Stacia, and Lila."
With Phil Gelb,
John Shiurba, Randy Porter, Lynn Wold, Tom Yoder, Samantha Black, Ashley Adams,
Michael Zelner, Matt Ingalls, Gino Robair, and Tim Perkis.
Dan Plonsey/Gino Robair duo,
as part of the incredible, wonderful
Chapel of the Chimes "Garden of Memory"
Here's last year's press release, which should be the same for this year:
New Music Bay Area and Chapel of the Chimes present their magical summer
solstice celebration Garden of Memory: a Columbarium Walk-Through Event at
Chapel of the Chimes, a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights at
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland on Friday, June
21 from 5 to 8 pm. The program features simultaneous performances in
different parts of the building as composers and musicians present a variety
of acoustic and electronic music, installations, and interactive events; the
audience is free to move throughout the building during the performances.
Admission is by sliding scale, $20-5. For information, call New Music Bay
Area at (415)563-6355 ex. 3, or write to info@newmusicbayarea.org.
Talking with Chris Brown on his KPFA (94.1) show, 10PM.
I'll play music of Matthew Sperry, along with Phil Gelb and John Shiurba.
sfSound Series: sfSoundGroup, Hans Grüsel's Krankenkabinet,
Zeek Sheck's Town's People
Community Music Center [544 Capp Street Btwn 20th and 21st SF]
The Daniel Popsicle Subsidiary Mostly Improvising Marching Band
(Plonsey, Shiurba, Chernoff, Lebofsky and Zelner.)
Performing with the Gracie Coates Dancers, as
part of the Berkeley Arts Festival contingent in the
annual How Berkeley Can You Be parade.
Marching up University Avenue to Shattuck from
California.
Free!
2110 Shattuck Avenue, between Addison and Center,
right by Berkeley BART>
$8.
2110 Shattuck Avenue, between Addison and Center,
right by Berkeley BART>
$8.
as part of the Berkeley Arts Festival.
2110 Shattuck Avenue, between Addison and Center,
right by Berkeley BART>
$10.
Triaxium West: the Music of Anthony Braxton
Acme Observatory at the
Jazz House (formerly Tuva space), 3192 Adeline, Berkeley.
Plonsey in trio with Matt Ingalls and Kyle Bruckmann,
and in duo with Tom Yoder.
Anthony Braxton Tentet
8PM, Thursday, December 11, 2003
Victoria Theatre
2961 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-7576
Tickets: $15/20/30, available from
www.tickets.com
The complete ensemble lineup is as follows:
Anthony Braxton: reeds; Liz Allbee: trumpet; Matt Ingalls: clarinets;
Greg Kelley (Boston): trumpet; Dan Plonsey: reeds; Gino Robair: percussion;
Scott Rosenberg (LA): reeds; Jay Rozen (NY): tuba;
Sarah Schoenbeck (LA): bassoon; John Shiurba: guitar.
2004
Daniel Popsicle celebrates the release of its CD:
"Music of El Cerrito, Volume 2a:
Moving About, Humming, Still Our Flowers Are Blooming,
Under the Old Portcullis"
More information:
Full Press Release
With John Shiurba's 5x5
Acme Observatory at the
Jazz House (formerly Tuva space), 3192 Adeline, Berkeley.
One year ago, almost to the day,
a piece of mine: What Leave Behind:
Concerto for Electric Guitar and Toy Orchestra
received its world premiere as part of a concert of:
FRED FRITH and TOYCHESTRA - Apart and To
gether.
Now, we are presenting the same lineup (but with new Toychestra songs
and new improvisations by Frith) in celebration of the CD release
of What Leave Behind (S.K., May, 2004) at:
In a large ensemble playing the music of Jacopo Andreini,
with Andreini conducting. Musicians include: Gino Robair, George Cremaschi,
John Shiurba, Matt Ingalls, Kyle Bruckmann, Jacob Lindsay, Scott Rosenberg,
Ron Heglin, Toyoji, Tom Djll and Liz Allbee.
Jazz House (formerly Tuva space), 3192 Adeline, Berkeley.
The annual Garden of Memory concert, at the
Chapel of the Chimes "Garden of Memory"
Playing solo in the cloyster of the gentle spirit. Clarinets,
toy synth, autoharp, Mark Stewart-made tri-slide whistle thing,
toy percussion thing, circus can thing; as many as possible at once.
Also duos with various known and unknown collaborators, including
Cleveland and Mantra and Mischa.
Daniel Popsicle plays at Museum of Children's Art. Bits of this concert are captured in Tim Perkis's
film documentary, Noisy People.
Daniel Popsicle at the
Berkeley Arts FestivalHQ
2324 Shattuck Avenue (between Kittredge and Bancroft)
We've scheduled two shows in hopes that parents would bring
their children to the early one - or for that matter, to the later.
Costumed concertgoers eligible for reduced price admission.
New Frith/Toychestra/Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle CDs available at
discounted price of $10, or both for $15.
2005
The Matthew Sperry Memorial Concerts night one: Music by
Anthony Braxton, in honor of Braxton's 60th birthday. Plonsey plays in a
band of 60 people at the new
21 Grand,
416 25th Street, Oakland (at Broadway). 8PM.
The Matthew Sperry Memorial Concerts night two: Music in
honor of Matthew Sperry. The evening ends with a new piece by Plonsey for the
full 27 person "OrcheSperry" ensemble.
21 Grand,
416 25th Street, Oakland (at Broadway). 8PM.
From Phillip Greenlief's Press Release:
Matthew Sperry Memorial Concert Program
First Set
OrcheSperry plays Tuning Meditation, by Pauline Oliveros
Aaron Bennett - solo
Phillip Greenlief Theresa Wong duo
Merlin Coleman, solo
Matthew Sperry Trio (Ingalls, Perkis, Robair, Shiurba)
Lisa Moskow, solo
Scott Looney, David Reaboi duo
OrcheSperry plays XXOO, by John Shiurba
Second Set
OrcheSperry plays Compound #1, by Phillip Greenlief
Jacob Lindsey, Aurora Josephson, Damon Smith trio
Kanoko Nishi Theresa Wong duo
Jon Raskin 4tet (Raskin, Allbee, Cremaschi, Robair)
Myles Boisen, solo
OrcheSperry plays (what's your piece called Dan?) by Dan Plonsey
OrcheSperry Members:
Liz Allbee, trumpet
Adam Bates, vibraphone
Aaron Bennett, soprano saxophone
Chris Broderick, clarinet
Myles Boisen, guitar
Keller Coker, trombone
Merlin Coleman, voice
George Cremaschi, contrabass
Matt Davingnon, turntable
Kiku Day, shakuhachi
Philip Gelb, shakuhachi
Phillip Greenlief, tenor saxophone
Matt Ingalls, clarinet
John Ingle, saxophone
Aurora Jacobson, voice
Jacob Lindsey, clarinet
Scott Looney, electronics
Polly Moller, flute(s?)
Lisa Moskow, sarod
Kanoko Nishi, koto
Suki O'Kane, accordion, percussion
Tim Perkis, electronics
Dan Plonsey, saxophone
Jon Raskin, saxophone
David Reaboi, contrabass
Gino Robair, conductor
John Shiurba, guitar
Moe! Staiano, percussion
Theresa Wong, amplified bicycle, cello
Michael Zelner, clarinet, flute
Dan Plonsey's big band, Daniel Popsicle, makes a rare appearance (first
since October 2004) at the
Santa Cruz New Music Works Avant Garden Party.
At the Arboretum at UCSC, 2-6PM.
(Doors at 1:30PM.)
A joint fundraiser for New Music Works
and the Arboretum at UCSC.
Admission: General $35 Advance, $40 at Door, UCSC Box Office.
The annual Garden of Memory concert, at the
Chapel of the Chimes "Garden of
Memory"
Dan Plonsey plays solo and in duos and with whoever shows up, including
Mantra, Michael Zelner & Suki O'Kane and Liz Allbee.
"Ives" Concert: semi-improvised versions of
music of Charles Ives - not recommended for Ives purists! This
event was put together by Jacob Lindsay, and features metamorphoses of
Ives compositions by Lindsay, Kyle Bruckmann, Aurora Josephson, Phillip
Greenlief, played by ensembles of up to ~15 musicians.
Capp Street Community Music Center, 544 Capp, SF.
2006
Daniel Popsicle plays as part of the 2006 SperryFest.
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley.
Dan Plonsey plays in the OrcheSperry, conducted improvisation by Gino Robair,
and an improvisation ("Let thoughts of
Matthew Sperry flow through you soundly") by Stuart Dempster.
Night 2 of SperryFest 2006.
21Grand, Oakland.
Dan Plonsey plays in the OrcheSperry, in a second
conducted improvisation by Gino Robair, and probably unheard,
Night 3 (of 3) of SperryFest 2006.
in pieces by Phillip Greenlief and Christian Asplund.
21Grand, Oakland.
Dan Plonsey plays in the Golden Bolts of Tone
horn section on several pieces by P.A.F. (Scott
Rosenberg et al) at the Hotel Utah.
Garden of Memory"
Dan Plonsey plays solo and in duos and with whoever shows up, including
Mantra, Michael Zelner & Suki O'Kane and Liz Allbee.
At the Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
With 10 other saxophonists, as Saxophonists Who Play Other Things,
as part of the Edgetone Music Festival.
At 21Grand, Oakland.
Dan Plonsey again
plays in the horn section The Golden Bolts of Tone
on several pieces by P.A.F. (Scott
Rosenberg et al) at the Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco.
Available now from:
UNlimited Sedition
7:11 PM.
21 Grand on 25th at Broadway in Oakland
* Movies and pieces of movie will be projected on buildings, accompanied by
live music by such as Daniel Popsicle, Big City Orchestra,
Admiral Ted Brinkley (semi-ret.), Graham Connah's band and a dozen others.
We'll play for a 25-minute edited version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Free Admission.
7-10 PM.
Museum of Children's Art (mocha)
9th and Washington
* Riveropolis is the work of Gregory Gavin, who has spent weeks constructing
a river in the adjacent Swan's Courtyard, with plateaus, waterfalls,
bridges, boats, and riverside habitats for artworks.
We'll play throughout the evening. This will be a good event for children:
they will be able to play in the "ocean" area at the end of the river,
and you can spend 10 minutes or three hours depending on your attention
span and sleep needs.
Free admission.
2007
Tim Perkis' long awaited documentary
Noisy People
has it's premeire screening at the PFA.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 8PM,
Pacific Film Archive,
2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. Tickets: 510-542-1124
Members of Daniel Popsicle will assist you in making a gold record at the
flea market at Laney College. Sometime in the afternoon.
Music of El Cerrito: Daniel Popsicle plays the COLOR MUSIC
compositions of Dan Plonsey.
8PM, 2323 Shattuck. This art deco building,
a former bank, is now the concert venue ofthe Berkeley Arts Festival.
Two sets of music, featuring:
Lynn Murdock, Tom Yoder, John Schott, Chris Silvey, Cory Wright,
Randy McKean, Michael Zelner and Suki O'Kane.
The COLOR MUSIC is a group of 99 pieces (we'll play around 20) designed
to be listened to while making art. Bring your own materials or use ours,
or just listen. This music may not change your life for the better,
but it might have some affect upon your fantasy life - for while its
origins are clearly from among the most ordinary and even hum-drum
this world can offer, the trajectory is into the otherworldly,
imaginary, El Cerrito.
The Lab, 16th/Capp Street, San Francisco.
At the Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
This event is always a great favorite among people who love, hate, or are usually
usually made sad by the state of or are simply
indifferent to new music. Around fifty musicians are stationed in rooms
throughout the building, all making music simultaneously. The audience wanders where it likes, hearing as much as it likes of any one thing. Families with
children of any age are very welcome.
21Grand, Oakland.
Theatre Artaud, San Francisco.
10 AM. Free! Reservations are necessary!
Ava Mendoza solo
Daniel Popsicle
Friendship First
The Dark Smile with simon lott, kurt kotheimer, josh smith
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley.
Starting some time around 9PM.
Dan Plonsey&Strings at the Milk Bar
New music by Plonsey in the tradition of the Simple Music, Series 3, of
El Cerrito, Northern Hills Region. All sorts of other stuff too - see:
The Milk Bar for more info.
8:30PM, suggested donation $5-$10
(directions below)
Directions to the Milk Bar
(from oakland/SF/Berkeley):
Take 880 south through Oakland. Exit at 66th Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left at the light onto 66th. Follow 66th Ave. past the Coliseum and turn right onto San Leandro Ave. Follow San Leandro past the Coliseum BART station until you hit 81st Ave.
Turn left onto 81st Ave., noticing the Sunshine Biscuit Factory complex on your left (that's where you're going).
Pass the first fenced driveway, and turn left at the 2nd, (also fenced) driveway across the street from Mothers Cookies Factory, You'll be met at the gate between 7:30 and 8:30 pm.
We are in studio # 223, the entrance is at the very left of the building. Latecomers call (510) 289-5188 or (510) 205-7103
Daniel Popsicle plays music of El Cerrito -
Dan Plonsey's compositions celebrating the little bit of the next millenium
we've gotten through without incident and with incident as well.
Central Avenue Stage
11:30AM (untill 12:30)
Central/Webster Alameda
as part of the Peanut Butter Jam - lots more music all day and Sunday too!
This would be a good show for the whole family - arrive early for Hank Hooper!
2008
8PM
The Berkeley Arts Festival
presents: Dan Plonsey/Daniel Popsicle playing Music of El Cerrito
2213 Shattuck Avenue (formerly Gateway Computers next to former
site of Eddie Bauer!)
$10-$5
Program: Selections from the Color Music of El Cerrito
(the complete set comprises 99 pieces, designed to accompany artists at work)
Also: My Version, The Superhero of Shirts,
and Music for Sax Quartet, and Music for Solo Oboe whose primary
use in El Cerrito is to promote among those who hear it and those
who do not, hope for an eventual Understanding of Human Behavio [sic].
At the Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
Line-up:
The set was almost the same as at the previous gig (Berkeley Arts festival),
adding Light Shade of Puce and
the first 3 sections of Hockey Season.
21 Grand on 25th at Broadway in Oakland
The Skronkathon is an annual all-day (well, 10 hours) thing
that goes from noon-10PM. Food likely to be available.
After the fact: Suki O'Kane, Michael Zelner, John Shiurba and I ended up playing two sections of "Hockey Season." Both Zelner and Tom Duff made recordings.
Memebers of Daniel Popsicle play parts 1&2, 3&4, 5&6 of
"Hockey Season" (Fri, Sat, Sun respectively), along with two films: "Modern
Times," by Liz Allbee, and "Bulb," by Frazer Bradshaw.
At The Noodle Factory, 1255 Union (at 26th), West Oakland.
Friday lineup: Plonsey, Zelner, Wright, Shiurba, Silvey, Chachkin, O'Kane
Saturday lineup: Plonsey, Shiurba, Silvey, Chachkin, O'Kane
Sunday lineup: Plonsey, Zelner, Wright, Shiurba, Silvey, O'Kane
I'll be playing at the
Temescal Arts Center,
511 48th Street, Oakland, right around the corner from Lanesplitters Pizza on Telegraph (have a pizza and a Racer 5 first!).
9PM. Cost is not high.
The lineup: Cory Wright, Josh Smith and me: saxophones (with Josh also on drums); John Schott, guitar; John Shiurba, guitar and bass.
We'll do some music you've never heard before. It will be sorta like jazz.
The bill includes: the Joshua Smith Quartet and Scott Barkin, songwriter.
Monday, January 19, 2009
At the Ivy Room:
858 San Pablo Ave
(between Solano Ave & Washington Ave)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 524-9220
With Daniel Popsicle, playing the Color Music of El Cerrito.
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Monday, January 31, 2009
Real Time Opera presents:
LEAVE ME ALONE!
An "Is it JAZZ?" OPERALibretto: Harvey Pekar (with Mantra Plonsey, Dan Plonsey, Joyce Brabner) Music: Dan Plonsey (with Josh Smith) For all details (and to Buy Some Stuff in support of the opera), see the Leave Me Alone opera website. You will also be able to view the opera in real time (or after) from this site. |
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Tuesday, April 7, 2009:
For those who like seeing me dress in giant paper costumes: I will be playing solo and perhaps accompanied by Cleveland and Mischa at Temescal Arts Center this Tuesday. That is: 511 48th Street @ Telegraph, Oakland CA, 8:30 PM. Right behind Lanesplitter Pizza... First Tuesdays@Temescal presents:
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Sunday, June 21, 2009:
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle will play at the annual
Garden of Memory"
concert at the
At the Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
Sunday, January 10, 2010
"Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah" -- a Work in Progress
With members of Dandelion Dance Theater, and Dan, Mantra, Cleveland, and Mischa Plonsey.
Mama Calista's (??), Mission, SF, 2:30 or so.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah" -- a Work in Progress
With members of Daniel Popsicle, Dandelion Dance Theater, and Dan, Mantra, Cleveland, and Mischa Plonsey.
Monday, March 22, 2010
At the Ivy Room:
858 San Pablo Ave
(between Solano Ave & Washington Ave)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 524-9220
With Daniel Popsicle, playing the Color Music of El Cerrito.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
"Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah" -- a Work in Progress
With members of Daniel Popsicle, Dandelion Dance Theater, and Dan, Mantra, Cleveland, and Mischa Plonsey.
Cell Space, 2050 Bryant, SF.
7PM.
Wednesday, April 14: Harvey Pekar with Plonsey, musicians from Daniel
Popsicle, and dancer from Dandelion Dance Theater.
7PM, Weds, April 14
CDSP Refrectory, 2455 Ridge Road, Berkeley
(Across from the GTU Library 1 block North, and less than 1 block West of Hearst/Euclid)
Admission Free!
Tickets no longer limited. Probably no need to contact: cjs@gtu.edu
The first half of the program will be Harvey in conversation with Dan Schifrin of the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
The second half will feature excerpts from the opera "Leave Me Alone!" that I wrote with Harvey, and also some excerpts from a work in progress called "Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah," which was commissioned by the Jewish Music Festival (and will be performed July 8 and 11 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and also as excerpts at Cal State East Bay May 6,7,8,14,15,16). Performers will include members of Daniel Popsicle, Josh Smith, Eric Kupers, Mantra Plonsey, and members of Dandelion Dance Theater.
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Sunday, May 3, 2010:
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle
will play at:
The "First Monday" series at: The Make-out Room 3225 22nd Street No Cover! Karl Evangelista Trio (8:30pm), with: Karl Evangelista, guitar; Cory Wright, saxophones; Jordan Glenn, drums. Daniel Popsicle (9:30) with: Dan Plonsey, saxophone & compositinos; John Shiurba & John Schott, guitar; Cory Wright, bs clarinet & soprano sax; Michael Zelner & Ceylan Yagmur, clarinet; Chris Silvey, trumpet; Myra Chachkin, cello; Lynn Murdock, acrosonic organ; Jamie Bastian, trombone; Suki O'Kane, drums. Carton Quartet (10:30pm), with: Sylvain Carton, saxophone; Michael Abraham, guitar; George Ban-Weiss, Bass; Eric Garland, Drums. |
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See the Promo Video!
Tickets: $15 general, $10 youth/senior/alum, $5 CSUEB student
Available
online or at the door
Sunday, May 30, 2010:
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle will play at the annual Berkeley Arts Festival. This year's month-long festival will be in:
2121 Allston Way (between Shattuck and Oxford), Berkeley, CA
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Playing in the 8th annual
Sperryfest,
at the Luggage Store, 1007 Market Street, SF.
8 PM
Co-presented with Outsound Presents, the evening's performance will be of
"Tag Team Trio Shift" in which dozens of musicians enter and exit a performing
trio, refereed by
John Shiurba.
Donations to benefit the Matthew Sperry Memorial Fund.
Saturday, June 3, 2010
Playing in the 8th annual
Sperryfest,
at 21 Grand, 416 25th Street, Oakland.
8 PM
With the
sfSoundGroup, performing music of
Matthew Sperry,
Anthony Braxton,
Cornelius Cardew,
James Tenney and
sfSoundGroup.
See also
the Facebook Page for this event.
Donations to benefit the Matthew Sperry Memorial Fund.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Playing as a member of Saxophone Cloud, led by
Jon Raskin and Steve Adams of the ROVA Saxophone Quartet.
351 Shotwell, SF.
Garden of Memory"
Monday, June 21, 2010:
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle will play at the annual
Garden of Memory"
concert at the
At the Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
Thursday, July 8 (7PM)and
Sunday, July 11 (1 and 4PM)
"Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah"
See the
Promo Video
Music by Dan Plonsey, Libretto by Mantra Plonsey and others, Choreography and Direction by Eric Kupers.
With members of Daniel Popsicle, and with Eric Kupers and members
of Dandelion DanceTheater.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
of San Francisco.
Presented by the
Jewish Music Festival.
Co-Sponsored by the East Bay Community Foundation ¿ Fund for Artists.
$18-$22 Members/ General. Includes Museum admission. Tickets will go on-sale this May.
Contact: info@thecjm.org
Here's my PR e-mail:
Dear Friends, Family, and Those Who Might Still Like My Music,
I hope that you've heard about the upcoming "Dan Plonsey's Bar Mitzvah,"
commissioned by the
Jewish Music Festival
If not, here are links to:
Performances are:
* Soccer Fans: Note that the World Cup final is 11:30AM, our time, Sunday
This piece is sort of a second installment of an autobiography which began with my opera "Leave Me Alone!" It tells of a "Dan Plonsey" who is finally facing the fact that he's become an adult now that he's lost his sense of humor, and "hates everything." It features more hilarious fights with his wife, "Mantra," (played by Mantra Plonsey), a Buddhist Bar Mitzvah Coordinator (does he know anything??), a "family" intent on embarrassing him, his "friends," his "collaborators," the "Contemporary Jewish Museum," and the Plonsagoreans: a group of "former math students" who take Plonsey's ideas about the relationship between math, music and dance "a little too seriously."
And "quotation marks."
Is this Dan Plonsey's "real" Bar Mitzvah celebration? Or is it just "Dan Plonsey's?" Or is it too much for even a fictional character to have to bear?
After all: "It's bad enough having to live in a world in which other people exist, without them telling me things all the time!"
I hope to see you there, though I expect to be suffering. It's really hard having to remember all my lines, and I still haven't found the time to really study my Torah portion.
Dan
Summer 2010, or was it 2009?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
This Thursday, September 23, I'll be playing music with a new band consisting of Steve Horowitz (bass), Jim Bove (drums), and guest Vinny Golia. We'll play several pieces of mine, one of Steve's, and a few by John Coltrane, whose birthday it will be. There will also be readings by Craig Clevenger (novelist), Nicole Henares (poet), and D. Scott Miller (afro-surrealist!), with Bernard Meisler (publisher, Sensitive Skin Magazine) as MC.
Steve, Jim and I have played off and on for around 20 years (yikes!), and I've been listening to Vinny's music for 30 years, so... I was going to say something about that, but those numbers are just too appalling. But still: we're young players.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Daniel Popsicle will play at the Ivy Room. Also on the bill: Lawson.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Daniel Popsicle, at the Uptown, Oakland. Leading off a bill which includes
Jen Baker's band, and Rob Ewing's band.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saturday, March 26 · 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Wednesday, April 20
Wednesday, June 15
Tuesday, June 21, 2011:
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 20
Wednesday, August 17
Wednesday, September 21
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Opening band: Fred Frith(!!!) and Theresa Wong. Frith and Wong join the
Monstrosities for an improvisation to end the evening.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
December 8, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
at the annual Skronkathon, at 21Grand:
Clarinet Quartet, with Phillip Greenlief, Ceylan Yagmur, and Michael Zelner.
8PM
The Luggage Store Gallery (Harvest Moon Concert, presented by Outsound; curated by Polly Moller)
1007 Market Street near 6th Street
San Francisco, CA
$6-10
Dan Plonsey will play his music
with Chris Jonas and a group of Santa Fe musicians, in Santa Fe.
Details TBA.
Daniel Popsicle will play at the
Oakland East Bay Mini Maker Faire. Time TBA.
9PM, I think.
858 San Pablo Ave
(between Solano Ave & Washington Ave)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 524-9220
2011
9PM.
Studio 1510 (1510 8th Street, Oakland
8PM
I will be recording the "jazz" version of some of my
new "New Monsters" pieces (the music I'm writing
weekday mornings) with Steve Horowitz, Jim Bove, Scott Looney, and Steve
Adams. (See March 17, below.)
I will be part of an open-rehearsal thing at the Ivy Room
(San Pablo Ave at Solano). I've been asked (bever mind by whom)
to write 32 2-minute-long songs which will
be sung simultaneously, 8 times. For the first installment
4 of these songs will be sung. You can hear us
try to get this going tonight while you drink from the quite decent
supply of beverages for sale at the Ivy Room. Show up exactly
at 9PM and don't stay long -- you've got to work tomorrow!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Studio 1510 (1510 8th Street, Oakland
8PM
I will be recording the "jazz" version of some of my
new "New Monsters" pieces (the music I'm writing
weekday mornings) with Steve Horowitz, Jim Bove, Scott Looney, and Steve
Adams. It will be more recording session than concert, with pieces that may
stop, start, repeat, etc. You'll get to hear people
ask, "Are we rolling?" and the shouted answer, "We'
re rolling!" And sometimes someone will ask, "Are we still rolling?"
and be answered, "Yes, we're still rolling!" It'
s really interesting. We will provide beer and wine and some snacks to make
it even more interesting. We did this last week, and it was a
lot of fun. It's a small space, so you'll
be practically on top of us, which is what we're after.
If you do come please arrive between 7:45 and 8, but we're
fine with you leaving whenever -- you've got to work tomorrow!
Daniel Popsicle at:
La Placita
2375 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, CA
Guerrilla Grub is a year old!
Please help us celebrate and raise some friendly cash to get the
Grub Truck fully outfitted with a truck kitchen by coming out to
a great party! There will be plenty of Grub, Linden
St. Brewery suds, lots of live music, an art
show by Grub Truck artist Nite Owl, and a fantastic raffle
with amazing prizes!
MUSICAL LINE-UP:
Skate Stone 3:30
Ira Marlow 4:00
Karry Walker & Myles Boisen 4:45
Daniel Popsicle 5:30
Daniel Popsicle at
the Ivy Room
CANCELLED!!!
Daniel Popsicle at
the Ivy Room
With DandelionDanceTheater
Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle
will again play at the annual
Garden of Memory
concert at the
Chapel of the Chimes,
"a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights."
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland
5-9PM
Daniel Popsicle will alternate sets with
Orchestra Nostalgico.
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011: Dan Plonsey's "New Monstrosities in Jazz"
8PM
$10--20 donation.
Plonsey's latest incarnation, the "New Monstrocities" is made
up of Steve Adams (alto sax), Jim Bove (drums),
and Scott Looney (piano), Dan on sax, and Steve Horowitz (bass).
"What sets Plonsey's music apart is his gift for combining
antic, occasionally self-lacerating humor with fundamental existential themes,
all set to insistently tuneful music. Hilarious and deadly serious, he's
a painstaking composer who embraces the ridiculous and the sublime."
-- Andrew Gilbert in the East Bay Monthly.
"Dan Plonsey's Beanbender's played at the Berkeley Store Gallery (the first
phase of the Berkeley Arts Festival) every Sunday night (when
we were in the old bank building on Shattuck and Bancroft)
for a number of years starting in 1994 and made us famous."
-- Bonnie Hughes.
Daniel Popsicle at
the Berkeley Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, between Shattuck and Fulton.
With DandelionDanceTheater
Daniel Popsicle at
the Berkeley Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, between Shattuck and Fulton.
9PM.
Daniel Popsicle at
the Berkeley Subterranean Arthouse
2179 Bancroft Way, between Shattuck and Fulton.
With DandelionDanceTheater
9PM.
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011: Dan Plonsey's "New Monstrosities in Jazz"
2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford)
8PM
$10--20 donation.
The Berkeley
Arts Festival HQ is still in the hands of Bonnie Hughes! We get
to play there again! Plonsey, again with:
Steve Adams (alto sax), Jim Bove (drums),
and Scott Looney (piano), Dan on sax, and Steve Horowitz (bass).
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011: Daniel Popsicle
2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford)
8PM
$10--20 donation.
New Monstrosities of Jazz at:
El Velenciano, SF
1153 Valencia between 21st and 22nd.
As part of the OFF Festival, a festival within a festival, the parent
festival being the ongoing
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011
Dan Plonsey's "New Monstrosities in Jazz," with
Adams, Looney, Horowitz, and Bove.
2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford)
8PM
$10--20 donation.
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Sunday, December 11, 2011
"The Museum of Unnatural History":
a collaboration between Plonsey and poets Carol Dorf and Autumn Stephens. Music performed by Albrecht, Murdock, and Plonsey. Mythos Gallery, Solano, north side, a block below Colusa. 5PM |
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011 Dan Plonsey's Music of El Cerrito, 2011 Edition: Daniel Popsicle plays new versions of old New Monsters music. Featuring: Cory Wright, Michael Zelner, and Adrian Gormley, clarinets; Chris Silvey, trumpet; Masha Albrecht, violin; John Shiurba, guitar; Lynn Murdock, piano & bass piano; Suki O'Kane, drums. Also: "The Museum of Unnatural History": a collaboration between Plonsey and poets Carol Dorf and Autumn Stephens. Music performed by Albrecht, Murdock, and Plonsey. and costumes, and cookies... 2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford) 8PM $10--20 donation. |
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Members of Daniel Popsicle will appear and disappear as Old New
Monsters in Costumes of Paper, strutting about silently, a
bleak reminder of the monstrosities that have plagued the nearby town
of El Cerrito since at least 1993.
The Old New Monster music was original conceived as a means for simplifying
what had become too baroque a style. Getting back to the basics
of music. Becoming instead a Music which kind of goes its own
awkward way, even to the
point of eschewing opportunities offered for development,
sophistication, and discovery by the crowds of Bohemian Artistes whose oversized pedal-cars
clog our byways and scenic thoroughfaires during the Holiday season yet again:
apparently immune to the temptation of common sense economic philosophy and conviviality which
otherwise drenches Berkeley in a perfumed velvet fog. And also a pale
blue steamer trunk filled with
harmonicas, wooden flutes and guiros and guidebooks
and tropical birds and enormous plants that sway, even when there is
no breeze. And Royalty dining nearby. Hear them gulping and chewing
on dumpling soup. A sense of hopeless admiration for those who have
painted their way into situations like these, whose unhurried voices call for
the delivery to the table of lamb and okra, palak paneer,
etc. Sea birds and wading birds abound in the marsh, while
others flock to one of
six bridges overlooking streaming traffic, predominantly trucks ,
vans, pickups, etc., transporting the entire Coastal Rainforest supply
of bass clarinets to an ostrich and llama farm in Elympia, where
sloths and, until recently, wooly mammoths were kept for their sleep-inducing
properties and woolen properties, respectively, but
also tandem bicycles of several
asymmetrical designs. A new kind of blue beer is discovered, developed,
and taste-tested under pink and gray striped canvas tents from army
surplus. All are given notebooks of odd sizes of paper, of
a thicker and creamier consistency, and in these we write brown creeper
poems that count into the millions forward and backward and upside down and
inside out and through ivy-covered brick walls and over iron fences
every time.
Saturday, January 28, 2012:
New Monstrosities of Jazz at:
Disney Museum, SF, 6pm
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Berkeley Arts Festival 2011/2012
Dan Plonsey's Music of El Cerrito, 2012 Edition:
Daniel Popsicle plays New Monsters music and More:
premieres of New Monsters 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, and the return
of "The Public Toe Problem."
Featuring:
Cory Wright, Michael Zelner, and Adrian Gormley, clarinets; Chris Silvey, trumpet; Masha Albrecht, violin; Herb Diamant, bassoon; Myra Chachkin, cello; Lynn Murdock, keyboard; Suki O'Kane, drums.
2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford)
8PM
$10--20 donation.
Monday, March 18, 2012
New Monstrosities of Jazz at:
SIMM
At the Musicians Union hall in San Francisco. 116 9th street.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
New Monstrosities of Jazz at:
El Velenciano, SF
Also on the bill: Bristle, featuring Randy McKean and Cory Wright!!!
1153 Valencia between 21st and 22nd.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
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New Monstrosities of Jazz at: Berkeley Arts Festival 2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Oxford) 8PM $10--20 donation. Also featuring: Scott Looney/Marc Eneidi Group |
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Dan Plonsey and Daniel Popsicle will again play at the annual Garden of Memory concert at the Chapel of the Chimes, "a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights." 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland Daniel Popsicle will alternate sets with Orchestra Nostalgico. They'll play at 5 and at 7, we'll play at 6 and at 8. We'll be at the very top, on the back outside patio of the Chapel. Best is to enter from Howe Street: we'll be right there, on the patio. You could conceivably just watch us out there, and never go in, thus, never paying admission. But then you wouldn't see all the other great music inside... If you enter from Piedmont, you'll need to go up, up, up, into the new wing, up some more to the top, then turn left and go to the exit. We'll be right outside.
We will premiere 11 new pieces from the "Student Works Series."
These are vocal settings of letters that Geometry students wrote about their
relationship with math. (Anonymously.) You'll hear such future sure-to-be hits as:
Daniel Popsicle is
Daniel Popsicle, 6/21/2011, photo by Larnie Fox |
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Saturday, September 15, 2012:
New Monsters performs Saturday, September 15, at Berkeley's JazzSchool:
2087 Addison Street, Berkeley, just below Shattuck. We will play two sets, starting at 8PM.
The New Monsters / New Monstrosities / of Jazz / upon Jazz / Not so New / but, in fact, Old
... will be playing at the Jazz School this coming Saturday, September 16, at 8PM. Two sets.
The Jazz School is at 2087 Addison, just below Shattuck.
We'll do pretty much all the music we know, which includes two or three new tunes. No
"standards," you'll be relieved to know.
The band: Steve Adams & me on mostly saxophones; Scott Looney on piano and prepared piano;
Steve Horowitz on bass; John Hanes: drums.
It was Horowitz's idea that the clunky pieces I was calling "New Monsters" would sound good as jazz.
He assembled the band, called the rehearsals, made the arrangements.
I've come to accept that it works, though I'm still pretty much opposed to the whole "walking-bass"
thing, and the business where the piano is playing stuff back at you while you're trying to improvise, and
fortunately I do like drums, though I have no ideas why they're there so much of the time.
Our CD has been getting reviews, Steve and I have been interviewed, and publicity photos have been
taken. You can see this stuff at my web site: http://www.plonsey.com
The interview has some funny moments, and I like the photos. The CD itself is okay, but I think
we sound much better live, if only because it occurred to me only recently that I really ought to
practice more often.
If you're feeling cheap, I think you can hear the music through the walls of Half Priced Books. You
can hear something, at least, which sounds like jazz, and it makes sense that it would be coming from
the Jazz School, but I'm not sure if it's coming from the main stage. If you're a teacher, you can get a
10% discount card at Half Priced. It's not like it's Moe's or Pegasus, but you've got to appreciate that
discount, and I have found quite a few enjoyable books there, including collections of short stories by
Lydia Davis and David Foster Wallace, and novels by Peter Carey and Steven Millhauser that I read
over the summer. I just started reading Cloud Atlas, only to hear about the movie. I will need to
read fast! Cloud Atlas was purchased at Mrs. Dalloway's on College, which is also an excellent store,
especially for fan's of Thomas Bernhard. They have an wide selection of his books, and a clerk
who is as enthusiastic about Bernhard as I am. I believe he recommended the Bernhard biography, but my
plan is to first re-read The Loser. If you do come to the show, please be prepared to suggest other reading
to me. Because that is why we do concerts. I would do more concerts, but I already have a sizable stack
of books to read. Therefore, the next concert won't be until October 19. We will talk science fiction at
that show, you and I, and we'll see what Stephen Kent is reading, because he'll also be on the bill.
Best,
Dear Plonsey Mailing-List,
Careful readers found three mistakes/issues/omissions/what-you-will in my previous e-mail:
1. I neglected to mention the purchase of Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road from Half-Priced Books, and the subsequent reading thereof, and enjoyment therefrom, although, yes, it's pretty harrowing in a "suburban" way (this book-jacket adjective apparently referring as much to a state of mind as to place. Meaning, perhaps: the post-war characters' sense of self which leaves behind the functional "urban" self of the war years to migrate in the direction of a half-sentimental/half-futuristic individual "rural" self, but which gets bogged down midway: tragically unable to perform nor to truly feel: "suburban."). And also, yes, I did buy it from the Concord Half-Priced Books, now that I think about it.
2. The concert is Saturday, 9/15, not 16. I should have known because New Monsters only perform on odd-numbered days (the next two shows being: 9/23: Bird and Beckett; 10/19: Berkeley Arts Festival)
3. It might cost $15 general/$12 student. Which sounds like a lot, but is approximately the price of most new paperbacks, which you should only be paying half of, and in great quantity, saving up lots and lots of money for things like this. (And no need, I think, to buy in advance.)
Hoping to see you Saturday, 9/15.
Here's a
very kind preview of the concert by Andrew Gilbert in Berkeleyside.
Dear Plonsey Mailing-List,
Dan
Dan
I've been meaning to write, but it's been a busy week. I've had a lot on my mind. I was thinking about how we never play concerts in bookstores, but only near bookstores. I was wondering if any of you had taken my advice, and had listened to our last concert from inside Half Price Books. I will have to imagine you doing so. Perhaps you were looking at their attractive yet haphazard collection of children's books. Or maybe puzzling over the selection of philosophy. Not the graphic novels -- I don't think you could have heard us well from the graphic novels section. Really, you should stick with literature. But whatever: the good thing is that you saved money. Our concert was $15. I do think you would have gotten your money's worth, but I don't know what your money's worth. My guess? Not much. Not much at all.
But, so, it turns out that we are playing in a bookstore after all! This Sunday, in fact. (Sept 23) 4:30-6:30PM. Bird and Beckett, 653 Chenery Street San Francisco, CA 94131. It's right around the corner from the Glen Park BART, which is how I intend to get there.
The good thing is that you can probably convince me to buy whatever novel you recommend. I've already looked in two bookstores for the book that Randy McKean recommended. He didn't even tell me why I should read it, he just said that I should, and that's good enough for me.
If you miss us Sunday, your next chance will be October 19, at the Berkeley Arts Festival HQ, 2133 University Avenue, Berkeley CA. 8PM. With Stephen Kent, our favorite didjeridu virtuoso.
BTW, there was a really nice writeup about us by Andrew Gilbert. It calls me a "musical provocateur," which I like to interpret as me being a person who tries to entice others into engaging in actions which would ultimately discredit not only themselves, but the very art of Music. If only this were possible! But music is being discredited by many more able discrediteurs than myself. We must accept the sad truth: I have proved unable to do Music any lasting harm. Still, I continue.
Dan
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With (the) Goggle (Saxophone (and now and then Clarinet) Quartet):
Chris Jonas Randy McKean Dan Plonsey Cory Wright
At the El Morro Community Center / Old Schoolhouse
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With (the) Goggle (Saxophone (and now and then Clarinet) Quartet):
at: The Center for New Music
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Saturday, May 10, 2014:
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Plonsey presents: A Song from New Hells: The Way the World at
Foundry Nights,
The text for this piece was written by Mantra Plonsey, and tells the "sad story of Dan Plonsey." Performers are, left to right, Masha Albrecht, violin; Sarah Willner, viola; Dan Plonsey, saxophone; Lynn Murdock, piano; Randy McKean, bass clarinet and banjo; Suki O'Kane, drums; and Mantra Plonsey (not pictured), voice. Photo: Andy Albrecht |
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Dear Mailing-List,
There's always a bit of a risk in being who we are, that is, in simply being. When you imagine you're someone else, you live happily ever after, but when you are you, you inevitably are as stupid as you are smart, and you eventually wind up dead. That is sort of what places like the Chapel of the Chimes want to remind us of. And while today's Solstice concert is titled as it's been for two decades "Garden of Memory," for me it's more a "Concrete Patio of Periodic Fear Mixed with Long-Term Dread: a Whole Lot that can Go Wrong in front of a Transient Audience that's Already On to the Next Thing that Makes Noise." The thing to remember about musical performance -- especially by dozens of individuals and groups simultaneously -- is that any of it could go dreadfully wrong -- or so I would like to think. And even better, much of it will occur without being heard.
There's always that trade-off around rehearsing/not rehearsing, and usually I'm a rehearser, but today I'm fine with it being as it is. I'll be presenting two new pieces: one, a sax quartet, featuring Sheldon Brown, Phillip Greenlief, Dave Slusser and me which will be completely unrehearsed so that we will have to have periodic discussions as "part of the piece"; the second being a piece for Mantra to sing, with Masha Albrecht on violin, and me on clarinet and keyboards. The latter piece is in honor of my college roommate and very good friend, Chris Maher, a.k.a. Supermarky, who inadvertently provided the text. He wrote:
"Beauty is just like a drug that you have taken enough times for it to take effect on you. What isn't beautiful hasn't been ingested enough. I mean there are so many people out there who can produce works of beauty in all different styles--the whole pursuit of beauty in art, as a motivation for doing it, leaves me indifferent."
This is in the context, I should say, of a two page single-spaced typed letter in which he's responding to my critique of an autobiographical video of his. He starts by saying:
"I was, oh, frankly, kind of amused by all of your confusion about the tape. If you're interested I'd simply love to go on and on about it. First of all, that problem you had with contradictions is really the subject of the show, or the essence of it, and for me what makes it poignant and takes it higher than being just complaining about how 'other people' behave. Und I explain at the beginning that the tape is supposed to 'show how smart I am and how stupid I am.'"
From this last line my piece derives its title: "To Show How Smart I Am and How Stupid I Am."
We will be at the very backmost, topmost area of the Chapel. That is, not even inside. You can see this precarious placement of myself (and Orchestra Nostalgico, with whom we share the stage: they playing 5-6, 7-8, and us 6-7, 8-9) as being on the rainbow bridge between men and gods, or, to the more practically-minded of you, as being easily accessible to those clever concertgoers who park on Howe, rather than Piedmont, who then enter the chapel through its backdoor. Though yes, alas, there will be ticket-takers at this door too, playing the part of Heimdallr, which I think translates as "Fifteen dollars" or thereabouts, but we are on the other side of this keen eyed-and-eared "whitest of the gods": you can hear us for free!
Hoping to see you there, Dan
Dear Plonsey Mailing List,
It's just that I've been hearing from a few of you,
Wouldn't it be a fine thing to go to the de Young Museum to hear music instead of to see art, you have said. Not that there is anything wrong with visual art, you have hastened to add. Visual art, in your estimation, still ranks above the most odious household chores and being told what to do. You don't like being told what to do, even when it's me telling you that you have to come hear us play music.
I get that. I really do. And yet, there must be some accountability, we all agree on that too, so -- and here you may imagine me making a wry face, which in my case means a scrunching which creates many lines near my eyes and mouth -- get your ass to this damn show.
Hmm, maybe that didn't come out right. I mean: it would be a pleasure, and an honor. If you came. And I honestly think that you would enjoy yourself. People who have been to these Friday night Thingies at the de Young say that they've had good times on every occasion. They are free, you can look at art, you can hear music, you can eat food, you can engage in discussions with your friends on topics of your choice. For this is a free country.
But -- and here I'm making that wry face again -- remember what we agreed about with regard to accountability? So it IS understood that when we say "topics of your choice," we mean: from among a small list of choices, all of which support our attempts to usher you into the mainstream, as a full participant (debtor) in our market economy, sharing in the inane fantasy that you might achieve success as an entrepreneur, if only you follow instructions carefully.
Thus, it is our expectation that the conversations that we will hear you having at the de Young will reflect this faith. Granted, we know (and you tacitly accept) that you will never achieve a position of actual power (beyond one from which your only option is to bully those who are still less fortunate); still, we expect that you will chime in cheerfully when the discussion turns to questions of how we might make this "a better world" just as though you, or anyone else at this event, had any hope of contributing to such change.
Your options, as it turns out, boil down to a single choice of whether to duck or not when the people who are paying attention yell "duck!" And right now, "duck!" is exactly what we are yelling.
6PM -- 9PM, Friday, September 12, 2014
*Daniel Popsicle was founded in 1999 by Dan Plonsey to play the music of El Cerrito. Most of the music that Plonsey has written for Popsicle is contained in one of three series: Music for Occasions of State, Color Music (intended for people to create art to), and the New Monsters, in which there are 165 pieces in all. Plonsey, born in Cleveland, Ohio, has lived in the Bay Area since 1984. In addition to writing music for his own groups, he is known for composing an opera with Harvey Pekar called "Leave Me Alone!" On this occasion, Daniel Popsicle includes: Cory Wright, Randy McKean, Adrian Gormley, Herb Diamant, and Plonsey: reeds; Chris Silvey: brass; Masha Albrecht, Myra Chachkin, and Jules Ryan: strings; Lynn Murdock: keyboards; John Shiurba: guitar; Steve Lew: bass; Hamir Atwal: drums.
**Kneel is a Neil Young tribute band formed by John Shiurba (Eskimo, Ebola Soup, Spezza Rotto, dotdotdot), Angela Coon (Ninewood, Toychestra, dotdotdot), Tom Scandura (Molecules, Surplus 1980), and Chris Daniels, each of whom were thrown together 15+ years ago for a Vaccination Records Rock Lotto Night and never stopped loving Neil Young. Kneel is joined by guests Lexa Walsh and Berge Thomasian.
each one with similar sentiments to express:
Details:
The de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Admission is free!
6:00PM Art-making!
6:30PM Daniel Popsicle (in Wilsey Court) *
7:45PM Kneel (in Wilsey Court) **
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Sunday, October 19, 2014:
Daniel Popsicle at the Berkeley Arts, Berkeley From 3-5PM. For those who like afternoons, and for those who are still waiting for evening.
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Dear Plonsey Mailing List,
Okay, I won't even tell you about the disappointing cappuccino I had, I'll get straight to the point:
My 14-person band, Daniel Popsicle, which has been playing together for many years now with only occasional changes in personnel (mostly additions), will be playing.
In addition to Daniel Popsicle playing, Mantra Plonsey will sing a long song that she and I collaborated upon (words: Mantra, music: me). It's a song of many -- but not all -- of my best complaints about music, and is around 25 minutes long. This song will have accompaniment by a smaller ensemble which includes banjo, slide guitar, and violin. I really like this song, and find myself singing it often: "The Way the World (Dicked him Around)." It's pretty.
I will give away one CD each of all the CDs I've put out -- which is a fairly high number -- and one brand new Daniel Popsicle t-shirt!
If you are not a lucky winner, you can still buy as much as you want. Including the newest recording, a 2-CD set: New Monsters First Appearances.
My fear is that no one will come. Even though the Berkeley Arts is right in downtown Berkeley, with all sorts of food and coffee nearby.
The Blindfold Tests
You may have already read the great
Blindfold Test I administered to John Schott.
So now you may read the great
Blindfold Test administered by John Schott to me
John will be playing on this concert. As will: Randy McKean, Cory Wright, Michael Zelner, Adrian Gormley, Herb Diamant, Chris Silvey, Masha Albrecht, Myra Chachkin, Jules Ryan, Lynn Murdock, John Shiurba, Steve Lew, and Suki O'Kane on drums!
Come see us and listen to our music. Music is a powerful healing force, and I can pretty much guarantee that if you come hear us play, you will feel better about everything. (This promise assumes that you are feeling pretty bad right now.)
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String Trios / Sax Quartets
A new edition of PlonseyCards (baseball cards, but more melancholic, agitated, disastrous; see below) will be available for purchase, as will recent CDs: Hockey Season, New Monsters: First Appearances, If I Were a Person Who, and Football Season. Performers: Masha Albrecht, violin; Sarah Willner, viola; Mary Artmann, cello; Randy McKean, Josh Smith, Cory Wright, and me, saxophones and clarinets. The string trios were made possible by a grant from San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music. |
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Thursday, June 18, 2015:
With Goggle Saxophone Quartet, and Grass Valley musicians: Maxima Kahn, violin; Murray Campbell, violins (he has an 8vb violin in addition to his regular) + oboes; Callum McKean, trombone (+ guitar + drums); Ludi Hinrichs, trombone (+ didjeridu + vox); Joe Fajen, trombone (+ tabla + mbira); Maggie McKaig, accordion; Izzy Goldschneider, accordion & clarinet; Luke Wilson, 5-string banjo, dobro; Sean Kerrigan, 6-string banjo + guitar; Toon Vandevorst, harmonium (vocals + percussion); Robert Heirendt, mbira (+ vox). 7:30PM Sierra Mountain Coffee / The Open Book. |
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Sunday, June 21, 2015:
With Goggle Saxophone Quartet. 6-7, 8-9 PM The Chapel of the Chimes, back patio. 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland |
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Friday, June 26, 2015:
With Jay Rozen, tuba; Randy Porter, guitar; Josh Smith, drums & tenor saxophone; Suki O'Kane, percussion. Premiere performances of Dog Walk Season, and several of Thirty Pieces for Tuba and Saxophone. Also solo improvisations by each of the ensemble. 8PM The Berkeley Arts, 2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Walnut) |
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Saturday, November 7, 2015, 7:30
The Berkeley Arts, 2133 University Avenue (between Shattuck and Walnut) Party / Music / Premiere of Plonsey's new CD:
KABADDI SEASON
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Promo photo for New Zombies at the Night Light, Tuesday, December 15, 2015.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015:
Playing baritone sax, with New Zombies The Night Light 311 Broadway, Oakland with International Freakout A Go Go New Zombies: Cory Wright and Aaron Bennett: tenor saxophones, Michael Zelner: alto saxophone, Plonsey: baritone saxophone
We can make clay figurines to commemorate the event.
It's a good thing that we have music.
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Phot: Mimi Heft |
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Tuesday, June 21, 2016:
With Goggle Saxophone Live Art Collective: Plonsey, Cory Wright, Chris Jonas, & Josh Smith. 6-7, 8-9 PM The Chapel of the Chimes, back patio. 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland |
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Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at the
Outsound New Music Summit, Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street @ 20th, San Francisco. Q&A: 7:30, Music: 8:15. A new Plonsey composition: "On His Shoulders Stands No One" with: Steve Adams, Sheldon Brown, Plonsey: alto saxophones; Masha Albrecht: violin; Lynn Murdock: keyboards; Steve Lew: Bass; Suki O'Kane: drums. "If I have seen further it is by standing on the sholders [sic] of Giants." -- Isaac Newton. You are on a train, speeding through a landscape of abstract statues of Giants. As you look more closely at one of the Giants you see that "On his shoulders stands no one." |
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Despite everything, we will play music tomorrow evening. I hope to see you there!
we
Toychestra / Fred Frith / Plonsey / New Zombies / Ad Hoc String Quartet No. 14 / Vegan Butch / Boron / Myles Boisen & perhaps more
play (v.)
Old English plegan, plegian "move rapidly, occupy or busy oneself, exercise; frolic; make sport of, mock; perform music," from West Germanic *plegan "occupy oneself about" (source also of Old Saxon plegan "vouch for, take charge of," Old Frisian plega "tend to," Middle Dutch pleyen "to rejoice, be glad,"
music
Music by Toychestra, the renowned quintet of toy-players (from L to R): Lexa Walsh, Angela Coon, Shari Robertson, Michelle Adams, Corey Weinstein. Performed by themselves, and also in arrangements by "we." Also: "What Leave Behind?" a concerto for electric guitar (Fred Frith) and toy orchestra (Toychestra) by Plonsey (me). In celebration of Toychestra's 20th anniversary!
tomorrow evening
I really don't know why I don't let you know about my shows earlier. Maybe it's a clever marketing strategy. Maybe it's the secret of my success. Maybe I'm forgetful or self-destructive or shy. I am writing to get your opinion.
But I'm also writing to say that the day after tomorrow (Wednesday, June 14), my band New Zombies, will be playing at the Ivy Room! It's a very, very good band. How do I know? Because they object to me counting them in incorrectly.
On this occasion, the lineup will be: Phillip Greenlief, me, Dave Slusser, and Micahel Zelner: saxes; Randy Porter and John Shiurba: guitars; Lynn Murdock: keyboard; Steve Lew: bass; John Hanes: drums; Jason Levis and Suki O'Kane: percussion. We will play a few new tunes along with a few old. And then other things will happen, as Suki O'Kane presides over "resuscitat[ion] of the Ivy Room Improv/Experimental Hootenanny and Social Club, which is planning to perforate your summer every second Wednesday between now and October with ten pounds of musicians stuffed onto a five pound stage."
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This time I'm giving you even less notice. Because who cares? Who cares about what? About anything! We don't care about anything! Anything, that is, except food. We still care about food. Blueberries, for instance. Today I purchased over one hundred excellent blueberries from the Monterey Market. These blueberries are extraordinarily fat, round, and bulging. In short, they are bulbous. And the dish I chose to put them in, is too small. So what we've got, there, on the overcrowded kitchen table: Bulbous blueberries in a rounded bulbous heap, Threatening to spill out. Spill all over the table, and onto the floor. Where someone will step on them. Someone with only socks on their feet. Me, most likely. Not quite awake, wearing socks, making coffee, facing away from the table, not noticing that a blueberry has spilled. Then I step on it, and it squishes. And my sock needs to be exchanged for a fresh sock, and the other sock too. But not before I experience secondly, the wetness, and firstly the squish. Which was either a scarily large spider, or a blueberry. And I'll think "blueberry," but not until after I think: "Big, round, black, spider." Squished on my clean white sock. You, on the other hand, can go see the music at the Chapel of the Chimes. "Garden of Memory." Have a good time -- where the dead people are. Their ashes. For you to think about. And music also. Pointless, pointless, music. Lots of it. In most of the rooms. But annoyingly enough: not in all. There are rooms where nothing whatsoever is going on. And you can hang out and talk with people you don't see that often. Maybe you went to Mills College with them. I know I did. And maybe you forgot their names. I did too. I did that while playing music on the upper, back patio. Outside. Actually, on Howe Street, which is the back entrance. You can come in on Howe Street. We will be playing music from "The Rivers of the New Hells." There are many interesting new hells, you know. And many more which are uninteresting, but just as hellish. Probably more hellish, when you think about it. The old hell had five rivers -- you can look them up. Get an education, as they recommend you do. I'm a teacher, but I teach nonsense. I teach math. Get yourself college and career ready. Join the capitalist parade. It's a bad parade, because it goes straight through a large pit of excrement. "Back on your heads," they say. The music we're going to play skirts reality. We have saxophones and drums. We have Randy McKean, Josh Smith, Cory Wright, and me, playing saxophones and clarinets. And also Sheldon Brown and Phillip Greenlief for part of the time. We have Callum McKean and Tom Yoder on trombones. We have Mic Gendreau and Jordan Glenn on percussion. We have Mantra Plonsey, singing and conducting. It's not enough to really take on anything really sizable and reduce it to rubble. Which is what of course what we would like to do. Destroying evil things, and replacing them with mass-produced prints of crappy hotel-style art. That is our day job. During the day, we destroy evil things, and we replace them with mass-produced prints of crappy hotel-style art. During the evening we are on our own, and what we do then is of no one's business but our own. Our own business, and the business of those whose business it is to monitor us to make sure we don't cause trouble. We are kept on long leashes, which of course have been shortened recently. Our leashes are pretty tight. It isn't a happy leash that binds us. It is a thick, braided leash made of strands of money, worries for each other, and health concerns. It is a leash that you can't chew your way free from. No matter how long a day it is. |
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What is happening and what is not happening?
Oh, not much. The usual. I am eating almonds, being out of blueberries. As a substitute food, the almond does its best, but it leaves a residue of particles in my teeth and gums. Do not eat almonds immediately before playing a reed instrument!
One upcoming time period during which I will most certainly not be eating almonds, begins at approximately
At the same time, I am thinking that it would be a bad idea for
Hoping to see you! |
Photo by Jean Lusson |
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I forget what I told you a few days ago. I'm going to have to go look at my old "sent" email and find out.
Okay, I checked. I told you about the String Trio playing a concert. I may not have told you that people are going to it, with the expectation of hearing good music. I am fairly confident, having heard this music already, that it is good. But did I tell you that my modem at home is probably broken? AT&T. I said, "It's only a year old." The technician said, "You're lucky. They sometimes only last a month, or a day." So I'm sending this message to you from work, which explains the difference in fonts. It also explains the weird inconsistency in the gaps between paragraphs. However, it does not explain why Gravenstein apples are so very good; we just have to accept that they are. |
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There is a thing called music.
You may have heard of it
With El Duo, who play drums and keyboards and electronics. |
Photo by Jean Lusson |
I've been "talked to" about various things that I've neglected to mention in prior emails upon this subject of "musical performance." The "three holes in the ceiling" I steadfastly and dismally refused to fix. The "inconsequential presentation of ideas in fumbling manner, as though uninterested in the project at hand; as though the inevitable qualms-inducing consequences meant nothing" to "The Royal We." The "abrupt and snarly manner exhibited in addressing highly regarded uniformed foam officers and accompanying guard dog plafoon." The way I "blithely dismiss sensitivities of small round humanoid objects strewn hither and thither and thather."
The way I lathe about.
My lathiness.
"Lay thee thyself upon flowers strewn at noon."
Plafoon.
Music of El Cerrito -- in El Cerrito!
With new consequences for clarinets, saxophones, violin, and Mantra Plonsey singing too.
With Cory Wright and Randy McKean and Masha Albrecht playing.
With art by Dahlia Arman, Susan Chuang, James Gwise, and David Miller.
With no more writing of any kind, but instead:
Drinks and snacks. $10 suggested donation
Art begins at 7:30, Music at 8.
And now I get to tell you how to compose music. "If, that is, you desire the sorts of results that I am by now accustomed to achieving." Those results being: in between paltry and profound. "Well," Plonsey said, folksily, "it is a just a matter of taking into account who is currently in charge, and also: who is really in charge, not just pretending to be. But the pretenders also have to be factored in, don't kid yourselves. You need to know the order of succession. All of you do. Tallest to shortest: most important to get that right. Knowledge of several modes and the three basic drumbeats is good to have. Being able to do math through quadratic equations is important too (I am paid to say that, but the fact is that it is not). Also: be able to imagine the whole scene in advance: imagine the people who will be there -- which ones compelled to be -- and of those, which for whom the compulsion is internal, and which for whom it is a matter of liberal use of cattle prods, being, as we are, headed for you-know-where. And ya gotta know what it is that all those present need to hear -- are required to hear -- will be healed by (or, in the case of odd-numbered attendees, destroyed by) -- when they are still walking up, still in the distance, can't quite make out what they're hearing. You, the composer have to come to a decision early in the process about happy vs. sad: better to have a brick fall on one's toe, or to be the brick, falling onto the toes of others? And: Will it be sunny or not? Dress accordingly. This isn't all a composition lesson, you know; some of it is just me reminding you of certain basics as a review from previous lessons, going back to childhood, me thinking: they've probably forgotten. Next: will you evoke hooting trains, howling winds on a distant planet, or horrible news from the front -- or is this yet another sad teacher having a lot to do who gets so very sleepy during the school year, trying desperately to write the music he believes himself contractually obligated to write? That's a question you'll have to answer for yourself. There's no one right answer, of course, but for every right answer, there are fifteen wrong ones. I can tell you that, personally, being on number fourteen." Thus, next year will be a bad one too.
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Thursday, June 21, 2018:
Garden of Memory at The Chapel of the Chimes, back patio/rooftop. Front entrance is at: 4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland ...but you can come around the back, on Howe Street.
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Photo by Michael Zelner |
It's not too long, and it's free, but donations -- which will go to the East Bay Community Law Center, which serves immigrant and homeless people in South Berkeley -- will be welcomed. Several Plonsey violin/viola duets will be performed, along with a new work for oboe, bass clarinet, violin, viola, and guitar.
I was going through my things, you know --
throwing out some, shelving some, devouring some, trying on some, walking some --
as we all do, once in a while
this time of year especially, perhaps --
baking some into giant loaves, putting some in the bathtub to see if they float,
reading some aloud and then
crumpling them into tight wads,
printing some out with a heavy sigh and then
getting people to play through them with some trepidation on everyone's part and then
making recordings out of them and then
doing nothing with them for a long time and then
telling no one about them and then
pretending that they never existed.
And during this period of activity overlapping with even more inactivity, I noticed that one thing
I would not pretend did not exist -- nor eat, shelve, or crumple -- is a concert of mostly classical music
on which some of my music is being played:
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Friday, September 8, 2018: New Zombies
Woods Bar and Brewery, 1701 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland It will have been nearly a year since our last performance, and there will be a CD for sale, and several new pieces to be premiered! With the usual lineup, minus John Hanes, who is ill. Jason Levis moves from percussion to drums for this show. Karl Evangelista is on guitar, replacing John Finkbeiner. |
Art by David Cooper |
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Saturday, December 15, 2018: New Zombies
The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland With Jordan Glenn's big band, Beak, and Suki O'Kane & Sheila Bosco. Why are there reasons? No, don't answer me. "Reasons are why, and since you're asking why, there are reasons." I told you not to answer me, but then you went ahead and did so. "We were only trying to be helpful."
You might want to know the reasons -- but I won't answer -- for why
Here's what I can tell you:
Steve Adams, Aaron Bennett, and Michael Zelner play saxophones;
If teachers do go on strike, please don't ask for reasons, because for you too (or
In short: there is no need for reasons anymore, because everyone already knows all the
Instead, please take in this wonderful and fantastic animated video by David Cooper:
David Cooper's animated video of NZ03: Hilbert's Fourth Problem |
Photos: Randy Hussong, Jill Rogers |
The Plonseys present to you, the public: the most satisfying, most bucolic, ideal event imaginable. *
On the generously green slopes of Arlington Park, in its clubhouse (1120 Arlington Blvd,
just south of tennis courts) / in the afternoon, not
evening / coffee and
Plonsey's favorite: twig tea (highly recommended!) plus
shortbread / New Music for Clarinets, Saxophones, Strings,
Percussion and Voice, composed and improvised / with songs,
enunciations, and irritated mumblings of eery and majestic qualities,
by Mantra / in an intimate setting, yet with
open doors and patio adjacent for those seeking the ideal
distance from which to hear this music** / from which
ducks may be fed / or a set of tennis played / or grass picnicked
or romped upon / with climbing apparatuses for children / easy
parking on street -- though be careful crossing! / featuring
Cory Wright, "The most very benign of woodwind monsters!"*** /
and string players Masha Albrecht and Sarah Willner, 2/3
of the Trio whose recording of Plonsey's New Hells
is for the first time available! / and legendary percussionist,
Ward Spangler / for no money whatsoever -- unless it should Arlington Blvd,
bring you greater pleasure to make a donation. ****
Wander in and out, from 4 -- 6PM / Or
arrive at 2:30 for soundcheck/rehearsal/idle
banter / or at ~3:30, for a bit of outdoor improvisation -- and
maybe help us make the coffee.
And when it's all over, at 6PM, experience for a moment
that terrible pang which accompanies the thought: "Ugh!
Back to work tomorrow!" followed immediately by the ecstatic realization:
"But no! tomorrow is Memorial Day!" and head off to a gracious
dinner at any fine establishment of your own choosing, at no extra cost to us!
* Taking into account the obviously ridiculous impossibility of this time period.
And yes, Arlington Park is also a book by Rachel Cusk. Sort
of depressing, but recommended. And although it appears to
be about a different Arlington Park, where things are much
more desperate, you may bring the book along to read
during the concert and get $1 off and a pleased "Ha!" when
purchasing the New Hells String Trios and Duos CD.
** Plonsey claims that all music sounds fantastic when heard from the appropriate distance.
*** DrownedBeast Magazine, 2019
**** Thanks to generous sponsorship by the El Cerrito Arts Commission!
And as a second notice:
Wherever there are animals, there is the potential for music,
especially in the late afternoon. When the work of the
day is nearing completion, animals celebrate with their fellows by
taking saxophones, clarinets, string instruments and percussion from where
they have been stored, and, with great gusts of air, swipes of
the bow, and the gentle coercion of yarn and felt-covered tree
branches, they raise a sound as hideous as it is
melancholy -- but also strangely exuberant. Compositions and Improvisations.
Thus: Origins of the Frog March. And Frog April, and Frog May.
Dan Plonsey (composer, saxophones, clarinet), Mantra Plonsey
(writer and singer of epics of past and future / large and
small folk / inconceivable myth and inconvenient reality), Cory Wright
(bass clarinet, saxophones), Masha Albrecht (violin,
and a major cause of mathematical problems), Sarah Willner (viola, striker),
Ward Spangler (percussionist, and overall decent person), plus a
few extra Plonseys and Tomek Sikora.
Arlington Clubhouse, Arlington Park, 1120 Arlington Blvd. El Cerrito.
(Easy parking! Great sloping lawns! Play Structures!
Ducks! Frogs! Tennis courts! Picnicking encouraged!)
Tomorrow!!! (Sunday, May 26, 2019) Concert 4-6 PM. Pre-concert music and banter, from 2:30.
Free -- though with donations greedily accepted, this being an (admittedly remote) outpost in a land in which profits come first -- though followed closely by coffee, tea and snacks, of which there will be some.
Music of El Cerrito, in El Cerrito.
Furthermore, as I think I made clear during the recent debates, New Zombies play music.
What did Stravinsky use to say to get people to come to his concerts?
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Saturday, August 17, 2019:
playing the alto clarinet with Suki O'Kane, at Canyon Trail Park. 11AM - noon.
For no useful purpose that I can discern,
I sort of forgot about it until just now.
We'll be in Canyon Trail Park, El Cerrito. |
Photo: Tom Scandura |
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Friday, October 18, 2019:
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Photo: Sam Matsumoto |
What is Going On:
Since I started teaching in Berkeley in 2005, Berkeley teachers have received 29% in salary increases, approximately 2%/year. However, cost of living has risen by more. Depending on whose estimate you use, and depending on whether you've had to find a new apartment, cost of living has increased from 2.7% to 4% per year. Let's say 3%. During this same period, cost of health care for teachers has gone from $0/year to ~$11,000/year (if you have a family). So teachers have lost up to 35% in compensation!
Of course teachers aren't the only ones who have seen compensation decline over this period. Inequality has increased dramatically. Ideally, all workers would unite in a general strike that would be at least statewide. However, neither teachers nor their employers (the many school districts) have yet been able to coordinate their efforts, let alone coordinate with other unions and individuals. My hope is that by inviting each other to our local protests, we can begin to organize, and that strategies will emerge from these modest collaborative actions.
The School Board accepts that there is "no money." And therefore, they believe, it is (regrettably) their employees who must do without. After all, their role is to keep Berkeley schools open so that the privileged children of the privileged parents can be passed along to the most prestigious colleges, in order to keep the system operating, and they are very pleased with themselves for having to make "tough choices."
We will play a collection of labor music, chants, and a bit of improvised music in their honor.
I hope that you will join us!
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Tuesday, December 10, 2019:
New Zombies Active Music Series presents (program in reverse order of appearance): - Jordan Glenn's Beak - New Zombies - Ackley/fluke-mogul/Mezzacappa
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photo: Randy Hussong |
It goes on like that for a while, or it did. I've had to edit quite a bit out, quite a bit indeed. It was painful to write, and painful to un-write. And after this, I still have to move the garbage cans out to the street.
Now here's the thing: it's late at night tomorrow, but it's also late at night tonight. Not super-late -- which gives you an idea about how tomorrow will feel. By now we'll be into our second piece out of five. Hmm. The sink is making weird gurgling noises.
We'll be playing music, and we're hoping you'll come. When I was thinking of not telling you, or anyone, I was still thinking: they'll come anyway. They don't ever get through reading my gig announcements anyway. They never get to the part where it tells them what the show is, who's playing, where it is, how much it costs, and a few token exhortations which honestly, feel forced. Wouldn't you agree? As though I don't like my own music. The truth is otherwise. But the people I write to pretty much never come, partly because it annoys them that I write this kind of junk. There's a weird dance party going on in the kitchen right now; my family, who care about me somewhat, are trying to get me to stop. They want me to watch "Rick and Morty," but I'm told that there are streaming problems, which makes it annoying to watch. Plus I've got to finish this writing. Contractual obligations, you understand.
I've just told my family that I don't have time to interact right now. No one has time. That's probably why you won't come, if you don't. That and that it's late. But guys, listen: Jordan Glenn's Beak will also play! It's not just us! And Bruce Ackley with fluke-mogul and Mezzacappa! That's worth something. A very particular something. The gurgling in the sink has stopped. No, wait, no... no, it hasn't. And now the refrigerator is humming.
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Sunday, February 16, 2020 AB West 8+1, with Del Sol String Quartet and Goggle Sax Quartet Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) 2155 Center Street, Berkeley CA 5PM Free with $14 museum admission
Creative musicians of the San Francisco Bay Area celebrate the music, life and enduring influence of visionary composer, bandleader,
multi-instrumentalist and musical thinker Anthony Braxton in a concert of his music this
Sunday. Santa Fe saxophonist, community organizer and Braxton collaborator Chris Jonas
visits the Bay Area as a special guest in two performances presented as part of Braxton75, an
initiative of Braxton¿s Tri-centric Foundation that has curated and helped to facilitate
performances in musical communities across the globe in honor of the composer¿s 75th
birthday year.
On Sunday February 16 at 5pm, Jonas leads the AB West 8+1 ensemble, an
asymmetrical ¿double quartet plus one¿ grouping that combines Goggle Sax Quartet (Dan
Plonsey, Cory Wright, Chris Jonas, Randy McKean), with Del Sol String Quartet, plus bassist Lisa
Mezzacappa, for a program of Braxton works performed in the spacious atrium of the Berkeley
Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in Downtown Berkeley
BTW, on the web site, it says, "In Person," and then there's a picture of Braxton, but it's us who will be there in person. Braxton will be safely in Connecticut, as far as I know!
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Saturday, February 22, 2020 Moeser San Pablo Avenue 5891 San Pablo Avenue (in the back, somewhere) Oakland, CA 94608 4PM Dear Fellow Aficionado of Music of El Cerrito, Moeser, the newest band to emerge from -- and, like a breaching whale, fall back into -- the sure-to-be soon-to-be burgeoning El Cerrito scene, will be playing this coming Saturday afternoon and/or early evening, in Oakland. Other bands will also play. Although El Cerrito is known primarily for its export and import of topiary shrubs (let's face it: all spherical in shape), it is also home to:
Ethan Port, who plays bass with lots and lots of effects
who together comprise Moeser, which plays music which is driving, droning, buzzing, thumping, whale-y, and often positioned in Middle Eastern modes. Moeser stands out among El Cerrito bands for its unwavering belief in good vs. bad, A vs. B, whale vs. anti-whale, and a sincere hope that subject will someday lie with predicate, following the example set by bass, drums, and to some extent, the alto clarinet -- with the sorts of modifications to our understanding (and lack thereof) and subsequent depiction of reality vs. unreality that only adjectives can provide and/or take away. |
photo: Steve Lew |
I am creating a new music series, called "Twelve Foot Music," in Canyon Trail Park. Tomorrow and Wednesday at 2PM will be the first performances. You are invited to play! There is no electricity, so bring your own battery, if you require it. Also, there is no music, so we will improvise it, but don't worry: you are permitted to adhere to the notes in your favorite mode.
We will begin on the big field at the top. For those driving, the best place to park is where Canyon Trail meets Gatto (in El Cerrito), and then walk down into the park.
At some point, we'll proceed down the trail to the frog pond.
Because some of us will have wind instruments, we will be doubly cautious while playing and maintain 12 foot distances from one another.
You might think that the series is called "Twelve Foot Music" because of that, but you'd be wrong. It's because I predict that when we count the number of feet of the participants, it will be 12, plus or minus 6. 6, because, rounded off, that is how tall I am.
BYOB, or your own coffee or tea, or whatever.
If you'd like to be even further away from others, that would be great!
You can let me know if you're coming, but you can also decide at the last moment.
Hope to see you tomorrow or Wednesday!
Best,
Dan
I was the only one who showed up. I played alto clarinet for aproximately 30 minutes, under the shade of trees, facing the lawn and the tennis courts beyond.
Today's twelve-foot music went pretty well: no one was infected, because I was the only one there! Well, all good pandemics start with one single case, right?
I am increasing the number of people invited (a few were accidentally deleted), and I am increasing the distance between performers from 12 to 30 feet. There's an arc of shade under the trees facing the tennis courts, and if 1-6 people are playing/singing, I propose to play there. If more show up, we can form a circle with 30-foot gaps easily enough. Sound carries quite well at this venue. We will play quietly enough to include bird and insect sounds. We're opening for the Pacific Chorus Frog Chorus, who probably won't start until early evening.
The audience today was a pair of tennis players, and two older (older than me, that is) people walking back and forth in Tilly hat knoock-offs. One of the tennis players was appreciative.
For those driving from the south, the best place to park is where Canyon Trail meets Gatto (in El Cerrito), and then walk down into the park.
Robert Horton showed up with Janet Carter at 2:10, after I'd played a couple solo clarinet pieces. He and I played three clarinet & slide whistle duets.
The annual Garden of Memory concert at the Chapel of the Chimes is itself but a memory this year, which frees things up for a concert in honor of whatever it was that we were trying to do all those years.
I'm writing to invite you to play with me on the usual date -- June 21 -- which this year is a Sunday, and also Father's Day. We will play in Canyon Trail Park, which has a large open field, perhaps 100 feet by 60. We will play along the western edge, which has trees for shade, and birds and squirrels with whom to collaborate.
We would play off and on from ~6-8PM. You're welcome to play all or just part.
Of course, we can't get near one another. However, at least one study has been performed which indicates that wind instruments (at least trombone, bassoon (and contrabassoon), clarinet (photo shows bass clarinet too), oboe, and horn) are not much more dangerous, if at all, than speech. They end up suggesting a 3-5 meter distance (10-16 feet). (There's also a long digression about the potential of the vertical flute.) I'm proposing 30 feet. (And vertical flutes, should anyone have one.)
The saxophone was not tested, so we'll take no chances! Besides, I'd like the music we make to be relatively quiet -- quiet enough that we can hear the birds. Maybe some of us would not hear all of us.
I've invited 16 of you, but I'm assuming that even if some of you bring other interested musicians and/or dancers (please do!), not all will accept; if more do than we can comfortably accommodate, we can make a very large oval, and/or position some musicians elsewhere nearby. Dancers, BTW, would have the whole field for dancing, though there are occasional families and people with dogs. I don't think I should invite an audience.
There's no rush to respond, but please do let me know beforehand -- by June 20, at the latest -- so I can plan.
Hoping that all of you are well!
Dan
Hi Friends and Neighbors,
I'll be performing two sound baths this Saturday July 25, 7:00 and 8:30 pm, in front of my house. Guest performers will be Dan Plonsey and Jeannie Mckenzie.
These are free to the public. There will be some socially distanced seating available but please bring a chair, yoga mat, or blanket if you can. Lawn space is available.
Hope you can join us for this relaxing and restorative evening with a little adventure thrown in for good measure.
address: 4200 Atlas Ave. Oakland CA 94619
If you've been keeping up with the latest musicological advances, free improv is now officially terrible music, but who among us is truly free? We will do what we can, even if it is...
...Next to Nothing.
At the Albany Bulb, one becomes aware of the existence and nature of generally unnoticed sinister forces which team up to sap/disrupt/distract/redirect creative energy. The nature of this conglomerate force: political, social, supernatural, and rocks -- all the basic components of reality. This performance is an acknowledgement of, a representation of, and a resistance to it.
Edited, by someone who edited it.
Either: Meet at the picnic tables just beyond the end of the road where there's a drop-off loop at 3:45,
Go to this web site for more directions and to see a trailer or two and some bios
-- Someone, who said this
A statement in yellow, in caution, nearly suppressed and abandoned.
Because when we planned this event, it was warm, but now it's cold.
And there are bits of broken glass, so please bring something to sit on that you probably ought to get rid of later
Like cardboard, if you've been ordering as much stuff as we have.
So in the column of reasons not to go: a bit cold, little bits of glass.
Fortunately, in the column of reasons to go: a bit cold, little bits of glass -- and the question Why
I don't wonder why much anymore.
It's an invitation to look for explanations.
Add to the list of reasons to go: No one's explaining anything.
"Come with your illusions, leave with your illusions."
Someone went to the Albany Bulb, intending to create Art.
But something happened.
They painted a few rocks yellow.
It wasn't enough.
They got tired and went home despondent.
We are returning to the scene of the crime.
Wearing something warm, and a hat.
And our very best masks!
A thermos of hot tea.
Or: find your own way to the Amphitheater.
Tomorrow!!
With: Mantra Plonsey, Cory Wright, Ward Spangler, and Suki O'Kane.
And featuring Randy Hussong as "The Instrument Sculptor"
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As promised, the Plonsey Family band -- Mantra, Cleveland, Mischa, and me -- is performing!
And due to popular demand, we are using the name Plonsey Scheme, as a few of you suggested long ago!
We highly recommend that you see the entire Neighborhood Stories! Though I've not yet seen the rest, reviews from viewers are very positive. And we really want to support other El Cerrito artists. However, if you have limited time, you're welcome to come by for a bit between 3:45 -- 5:30, to see us. If you do, please park a few houses below or above ours. You may emerge from your vehicle(s) and watch from the comfort of the sidewalk. You can and should say hello too. And of course if you aren't vaccinated yet, or if others nearby are wearing masks, please wear masks or keep a distance! Details again: We are the 8th and final stop of the El Cerrito edition of Neighborhood Stories. Organized and curated by Erin Merritt, Neighborhood Stories allows audiences to experience a variety of live theatre, dance, poetry, and music in these not-quite-100%-vaccinated times: convoys of three cars at a time wind their way through El Cerrito, stopping every few minutes for a 10-minute performance. And while driving, you'll listen to a history of El Cerrito. The whole thing lasts 2 hours. Convoys take off every 15 minutes, with starting times at 2PM through 3:45. Saturday and Sunday, May 29, 30; and possibly June 5, 6. Tickets are a sliding scale, $25-$50 per car. The show is family friendly, and in fact we've had many cars with little kids who seem quite happy and interested. See: Neighborhood Stories When you get to our house, you're welcome to park a little ways away and stay awhile -- you can listen from the sidewalk. We'll be playing in our driveway. Our music consists of stories and songs by Mantra, Cleveland on keyboards, Mischa on melodica and guitar, and me on clarinets and saxophones. Many songs include pre-recorded backing tracks by Cleveland and Mischa. |
photo: Aurora |
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Dan Plonsey dan@plonsey.com |
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