“How do we begin again?” These were the words that ended Laurie Anderson’s concert this past Friday at the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison, WI. Coming from the 2010 song “Another Day in America,” off of her album “Homeland,” the lyrics still resonate within today’s climate, a subject of Anderson’s spoken word throughout the night…
Meditations on Music: Nils Frahm and Quin Kirchner
The live music scene here at Lawrence has been quiet, and in an effort to shed some light on music I have been listening to — besides Lawrence-related releases — here are two instrumental albums that I strongly feel will end up in my list of 2018 favorites. And yes, I know it is only…
Meditations on Music: LSO’s Symphonic Dances
The Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra, conduected by Mark Dupere. Photo by Marieke De Koker. It is not often I go to the large ensemble concerts, but seeing that Debussy’s “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” as well as Rachmaninoff (who I had never really heard—somehow—but only knew from Frank O’Hara’s poems) were on the program convinced…
Meditations on Music: Shed, Ridley, Jason Koth
In lieu of a live review, here is another series of album reviews from Lawrence-affiliated bands. This week features six alumni (two solo acts and one band, with four of its five members being Lawrentians). Like the pairing two weeks ago, this trio of reviews covers a lot of musical ground. Shed’s Demos …
Human sings and plays piano
Photo by Taylor Blackson. On Saturday, Jan. 20, singer-songwriter Ryan Human traveled from Lincoln, Neb. to perform as a part of Saturday Night Late, a series from Campus Life. The concert was in support of his EP, “Piano Room,” a collection of four pop songs consisting of bare-bones of keyboard and voice. Human played three…
Meditations on Music: Esperanza Spalding’s “Exposure”
Songwriter/bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding has yet again shown how energetic a creator she is. With her sixth album, she has taken a wildly different approach from those she had taken with her previous releases—and wildly different from any other artist, for that matter. Even with 2016’s “Emily’s D+Evolution,” a stark contrast to her jazz roots based…
Meditations on Music: Work Friends and The Burstein Boys
While on break, two entirely different music groups near and dear to my heart released two entirely different EPs. The day after Thanksgiving, jazz rock quintet Work Friends debuted with their eponymous recording. On Christmas Eve, The Burstein Boys, a unique and comical boy band, made available their second recording, “A Very Merry Burstein Boys…
Meditations on Music: Mike Gans
There is a good chance you have heard of Mike Gans. And if you have, there is a good chance he and his art have confused you at some point, or still do. Even after talking to him about his art, primarily music, for this column, I can unabashedly say that I am still trying…
Meditations on Music: Devin Drobka and Tom Rainey
On Oct. 24, Harper Hall became a pool, and the music of Devin Drobka and Tom Rainey its water. I was submerged but not drowning. Seeing a drum set duo improvise is rare, especially with two percussionists of this caliber and coming from very different backgrounds. To be able to only hear the sounds…
Meditations on Music: Paul Dietrich Quintet
The Paul Dietrich Quintet performs in Harper Hall on Wednesday night, Oct. 18. Photo by Nidi Garcia One of my favorite ways to decompress before decompressing even more during reading period is to see live music where I can just sit back and enjoy, especially when it is free and just a short walk away.…