Ever since forming Clinard Dance Theatre in 1999, Wendy Clinard has been pushing flamenco in a new and fresh direction.
Clinard Dance will present an afternoon of
flamenco featuring the Flamenco Quartet Project at 3 p.m. Aug. 20 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Chicago. Tickets are $25 for general seating, available at www.brownpapertickets.com.
I had the chance to talk to Clinard about the upcoming show.
Q - Great
talking to you again. So what is the concept behind the Flamenco
Quartet Project and what should people expect from the show?
This project is dedicated to exploring new exponents of flamenco. Led by
an open minded spirit, our ensemble seeks to engage with contemporary
culture through vibrant performances that honor traditional flamenco and
our shared passion for music and dance discovery.
People can expect to
see/hear flamenco in the traditional sense but notice unique
instrumentation and world-informed influences. What is important is to
note that this is not a “fusion” project; the inventions are born from a
deep understanding of how traditional flamenco functions. Q - Violinist Steve Gibons, guitarist Marija Temo and percussionist Javier
Saume also are part of the show. What do you think they bring to the
show?
Steve and Marija have composed original pieces for the Quartet. Marija
has an extensive background in Classical Spanish and Steve has an
extensive background in Balkan forms as well as American jazz (including
his amazing improvisation sensibility).
Javier draws on classical and
world-form, as well.
Q - You created Clinard Dance in 1999. How did you think your group has
brought flamenco dancing in the spotlight? Where do you think flamenco
dancing has to go from here?
Our work is rooted in flamenco and understanding the unique way the
guitar, song and dance interplay (otherwise known as flamenco
structure). We lift this structure to play with unique instrumentation
and/or devise original departures from this structure.
We also extract
the universal qualities –the rhythmic /percussive nature, call and
response, isolations in the flamenco body so that the participants can
join in with whatever the “theme or story” of a given project directs.
Repurposing flamenco to find the live qualities of a particular time
and place (i.e. 2017 in Chicago,) is what is fundamentally and historically
“flamenco” and it holds the potential for growth in the form.
Sincerity
to place, person and the moment are of upmost importance to how
flamenco became an art form and how it will continue to grow.
Q - What projects are you most proud of? Where do you see Clinard Dance going from here?
I’m most connected to our original works like "From the Arctic to the Middle East" and "Chicago’s Watershed: A 156-Mile Choreography."
The heart of these works are dedicated to people’s place and their
sense of belonging and our artistic disciplines are used to serve that
inquiry.
The story that emerges aims to rally the human spirit. Where do
I see Clinard Dance going from here is rooted in a long term dedication
to art and flamenco; we’re in it for the long haul, large and small
projects alike.
That is evident on his sophomore album, the passion-filled "City of Vines," which was released on June 30. To celebrate the release of the album, Anderson will perform Aug. 4 at The Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia Ave., Chicago.
The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $10, available at www.ticketfly.com. I had the chance to talk to Anderson about the new
album:
Q - Great
talking to you again. "City of Vines" is your sophomore album. Did you
feel any pressure in following up your first album, "The Weaver's
Broom"? What were your goals for the album and do you think you
accomplished them?
I didn't really feel any pressure, but it did take some time to get all
of the songs together. "The Weaver's Broom" was made up of a lot of
story songs...that's an element of this record too, but "City of Vines"
is more personal than anything I've made before. I spent a lot of time
tweaking the lyrics. Other than that, I wanted a bigger sound: more
layers, more electric guitar, horns, etc. I definitely think we
accomplished that.
Q - You released the album on three different formats – vinyl, CD and
digital streaming. It seems like many artists are following that route
these days. Which format do you like the best?
Definitely vinyl. I've been collecting since I was a kid and have a
pretty big soft spot for records. I like everything about the format:
how it looks, how it sounds, and how it demands attention.
I know that
if somebody buys a vinyl they are going to sit with it. CDs are becoming
more and more obsolete and digital doesn't seem as tangible.
Q - How did you go about choosing the musicians on the album?
I've been playing with the core band on this record since 2014. They're
some of my favorite players in Chicago.
When I was writing for "City of
Vines," I was writing with them in mind: Brian Morrissey (guitar), Dan
Ingenthron (bass, keys), and Mike Holtz (drums). Dan and I have played
in a ton of projects together (including my old band Go Long Mule) and
he's easily one of the best musician I know. He can play anything.
Brian Morrissey is an amazing guitar player and songwriter in his own
right, and Mike Holtz seems to always play the perfect part on
drums...he's super creative. Nick Broste put the horn section together
and arranged the parts.
Chicago legend Gary Scheppers came in to play
some tuba. Gabriel Stutz put down some beautiful pedal steel and my
partner-in-crime Jen Donahue sang harmonies.
It was really just a great
collection of friends working on this together. It was a ton of fun to
make.
Q - You produced "City of Vines" with Brian Morrissey, who also plays on the album. What do you think he brings to the table?
Brian has a great ear for production and is a killer songwriter...he
really knows how to make production serve the song. For me, it was
really important to have somebody to bounce ideas off of and vice-versa.
I like hearing different ideas and trying different approaches. The
song "Diamonds" is a really good example of what Brian brought to the
table. The feel changes significantly from verse to verse, while the
chords and melody stay the same. That was Brian's idea.
Then, along with
the band and the wizard like skills of Nick Broste, we figured out how
to make it work . Brian and Nick really helped me get the sound that was
in my head out. I can hear their contributions in every song and feel
really luck to have had them working on this.
Q - You will be actively touring around the country in the fall, including
playing several dates in Oregon. Are there any areas of the country you
like playing the best? What do you think of the Chicago music scene and
how do you think you fit into it?
I'm pretty excited to get back to the northwest. We have some great
friends out there and it's always a blast. Honestly, I really like
touring around the Midwest.
There are a ton of surprising things
happening around this region of the country - a lot of people are
starting venues or festivals, and truly supportive musical communities
are popping up where there used to be none.
As for Chicago, there's so
much talent here it's mind-numbing. I think my favorite thing about this
scene is how collaborative it is.
Also, Chicago musicians love taking
risks. It's great to be surrounded by that kind of community.
Musically adventurous singer-songwriter Sacha Mullin will celebrate the release of his solo album "Duplex" with a show on July 15 at Cafe Mustache, 2313 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. I had the chance to talk to him about the new album.
Q:
Great talking to you. Your solo release, "Duplex," is being released
this month. In sitting down to make the album, what were your goals and
do you think you accomplished them?
Thanks for having me, Eric. My only real goal was to make a record I was completely proud of, and that certainly happened!
Q: Did you set about to do something different than your past efforts?
Yeah,
I’d say so. You never really want to admit during any promotional stuff
that you were unhappy with what you’re schilling, but I had so many
hang-ups doing the making of my debut record, "Whelm." Promoting that record felt like torture.
First,
let me say that one of my favorite things to do is be a backing
singer. It’s a supportive, thoughtful art, and a real thrill when your
voice resonates with someone else’s.
The music industry is essentially
the opposite of those qualities, whether you take that literally or
figuratively. "Whelm" was plagued with marketing, production, and
general record label issues, and there I was, not really able to talk
about that.
It’s so strange making such a thematically personal record,
and feeling like you’re making it for the whims of other people. By the
end of it, I bought the rights back, tried to salvage what I could, and
ended up just wanting it over with. I felt isolated and fatigued.
I
know fans get frustrated when they see artists dismiss their work. I want
to clarify that I’m not dismissing my debut at all.
I really like "Whelm."
I really love the songs, and I think there are a lot of good ideas —
but maybe my ambitions got the best of me at points? I was stressed out,
not realising that I was probably trying to do too much. I remember
Todd [Rittmann] calling it “overwrought."
I
made it my charge that if I was going to do the “solo thing” again,
that I would do it with both a better head space, and on my own terms. I
wouldn’t need to compromise my ideas, just learn to execute them
better. So here we are with "Duplex," and I couldn’t be happier.
Q: The album was produced by Todd Rittmann. How did you hook up with him and what do you think he brought to the table?
I’ve known Todd for a while, and I’m lucky to call him my friend. We
first worked together when he was producing stuff for Lovely Little
Girls and Cheer-Accident, and we built a good rapport.
Both of us have
similarly adventurous tastes in music, and love the same kinds of jokes.
But otherwise, we’re really different people. I mean, he’s really cool,
whereas I’m pretentious (laughs). What I think really brings us
together is a mutual respect for each others’ work, and a fearless
honesty.
Todd
and I have had a lot of really good conversations over the years, and
when it came time to sort my songs out, he was the first person I
thought of. He's like an ambassador with sounds: he understands how to
blend various competing elements to sound like they belong together.
Moreover, it's hard to articulate, but Todd knows how to find the
darkness hidden beneath something in the most stunning way. You can
really hear what I mean his Dead Rider material, and on Evelyn Davis’s "The Wit of the Staircase." Those are polar opposite projects, and yet there's his unmistakable sensitivity.
Working on "Duplex" specifically,
he brought that all of that usual, uh, Toddness, plus some much needed
patience, cheerleading, and a janky coffee machine with some Folgers.
Q:
You have been a talent scout/casting assistant for the television show
"America's Got Talent." What did you learn from that experience? Were
you surprised at all by any of the acts trying to make it on the show?
Oh,
lord. That part of my life was so long ago that it almost feels like
another life. I got into that world through a friend.
We would scout
various clubs at all times of the night. It was so surreal. It’s funny, actually, I was just going through a box and found my old “staff” shirt.
I loved that job
and the people I worked with very much. But I’d always been a bit
cynical on talent competitions. I mean, you see the same swooping,
sparkly crane shots, the contestant’s struggles that are milked for
ratings, and then just a general appraisal for the mediocre.
All the while
you see supernaturally talented people that you scouted get turned away.
I have a lot of conjecture about why that was a common thing, but that
aside, I got so drained from seeing so many broken hearts.
That’s
probably why I turned my focus towards education, so I could directly
develop what it is that I saw in certain people.
What
I learned most from that job was how to handle professional crises in a
calm, timely manner. Oh, and that Sharon Osborne only likes “non-chain
Italian food”. That’s important, right? (laughs)
Q - You are also a voice and talent instructor. What are some of the things that you try to convey to your students?
How
to be a critical thinker. How to figure out the emotional rationale
between theory and technique.
How to be kind to yourself. How to respect
others time.
How to actually listen. A lot of general life skills that
seem to get amplified when it comes to performing, really.
Q - What do you think of the Chicago music scene and how do you think you fit into it?
I fit in? When did this happen? This is a thing that has happened? (laughs)
Honestly,
it’s really interesting, and I have to think about this a lot. I grew
up in the Minneapolis scene, where shows are basically a kamikaze
Whitman’s Sampler of genres, and I barely fit in there!
As an observation, I’ve found that I'm either too much or not enough of one thing for a lot of people.
I
swear I’m not consciously aiming to be outside the box or whatever, I
just have a lot of really disparate influences.
My former voice teacher
Judi [Donaghy-Vinar] introduced one of my recitals by saying that I
“liked the box OK." I still find pretty amusing.
After
many years, I still don't really have a clear grasp on the scene here.
Like, I get the politics of it, and the attitudes, but there's still a
lot of mystery for me to uncover.
That said, moving to Chicago was
really important for me. It’s here that I was able to grow into my own,
work diligently, and collaborate with others who also liked just doing
their thing.
The camaraderie I've found here has been inspiring.
After raising more than $4,000 last year for The Patrick Grange Memorial Foundation for ALS Research,Localpalooza will return for a second year later this month. Headliners The Ivorys, independent hip-hop artist Rich Jones, indie soul band
Honey & the 45s, Americana/punk group Bad Bad Meow, indie rock band
Namorado, garage/rockabilly trio The Dyes and opener Elle Casazza are set to perform July 22 at Lincoln Hall,2424 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.
More information is available by going to www.eventbrite.com. I had the chance to talk toBurnside & Hooker guitarist Michael Vogus, who once again is organizing the event.
Q - Great talking to you again. This is the second year of Localpalooza. How
successful was it last year? Did it achieve all your goals?
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with me. You have always been
super supportive of us and the local music scene as well, and we
appreciate that.
I think last year was a great success - we raised more than $4,000 for the charity and had a great turnout. What I found really
cool about this event is that it provided a platform for all parties
involved to reach a new audience.
We had a great turnout from people
associated with the charity, who may not have known many of the local bands in the scene today and
it allowed the charity to reach a new audience of people who weren't
familiar with them. I think that is a huge accomplishment and we look to
build on that again this year.
Q - Are you glad to be moving to a bigger venue - Lincoln Hall - for this
year's event? Was it cramped for space at last year's event at Schuba's
Tavern? Lincoln Hall is definitely one of my absolute favorite venues in the
city, so we are thrilled to be there. I don't think last year was
necessarily cramped, but Lincoln Hall is better suited logistically to
handle an event with seven bands on the lineup.
We also have several
bands on the bill that have sold out Lincoln Hall on their own, so we
are expecting a full house and can use all the space we could get!
Q - How did this year's lineup come together? None of the bands played at
last year's event. Do you want to feature new bands every year?
This year's lineup came together extremely quickly; I was surprised at
how many bands were interested in the event! We had over 60+ bands reach
out to us, so landing on a lineup of only seven was really
difficult.
I have known most of the bands on the lineup for quite some
time - either playing shows with them, having our paths cross at
festivals, or just being a fan of their music. This lineup is stacked
from top to bottom, so come out early and plan to stay late.
I haven't really thought about if we want to have new bands every year,
the lineup just happened to work out that way. I think we won't have the
same bands play back-to-back years so we keep it fresh, but I would
absolutely welcome back any of our bands in the years to come.
Q - Does the fact that so many bands are willing to play at Localpalooza say something about the Chicago music scene?
Yeah, I think it speaks to the work ethic in this scene. There are a TON
of great bands across all genres in Chicago and they work their tails
off in creating and promoting their art.
It's an honor to be able to
give them a platform, and more importantly PAY them for providing that
art. I can't encourage people enough to get out and see local
shows...every band at some point starts out as a local band playing
small clubs.
You never know when you'll stumble upon "the next big
thing." Plus everyone loves having that story of when "I saw that band
at Schuba's when they only had 20 people in the crowd!"
You can only get
those stories from getting out and going to shows like this!
Q - Unlike last year, your band, Burnside & Hooker, will not be playing
at the event. It seems that the band is busy recording these days. When
can we expect a new album from the band?
Yeah, while I haven't put much thought into having the same bands play
the event each year, it was a bit intentional not having Burnside play
it every year. I didn't want to be "that band" that makes the event
about them.
I want this to be something much bigger than just a Burnside show. That's not to say we won't play it again, but it will
not be something we headline every year.
We are in the studio now working on a new single that should be released
at some point this summer, and we're working on having another release
at some point in Spring 2018. We've had a pretty crazy year since we
played Localpalooza in 2016 - three of our seven members had a kid, and
we're expecting one more in September.
Once we all get back on normal
schedules, we'll be back out playing shows again.
Q - Are you looking to make Localpalooza an annual event? How do you see it evolving in the future?
Yes, our goal is to have this continue every year. The idea is to
continue to grow as much as we can and keep raising a ton of money to
support the charity and fund ALS research and awareness.
Based on the
interest we had this year, and depending on turnout this year, we are
talking about doing a two-night event next year with more bands. We'd
like to eventually get to the point where we could do this outside as a
festival.
So please come out and support us and help us continue to grow
as the show is only $10 and all funds go to the Patrick Grange Memorial
Foundation!
