The album, the record, the CD: whatever you call it, it’s a thing that is on the cusp of oblivion with the advent of the mp3. There are very few new “albums” we as a public get super excited about these days. But we still love our favorites and celebrate them at any chance we get.
On February 22nd over 100 Bay Area musicians will come together as UnderCover at Public Works SF for the love of the Pixies' Doolittle and will perform it in its entirety; each track will be performed by a different local Bay Area band. There will also be CDs available for purchase of the studio recordings of these tracks.
The idea is that dozens of local musicians receive exposure to music lovers outside their usual audience. And some people who might be fans of the bands, get turned onto a beloved classic album they might not have heard before.
During the past few weeks, the musicians involved with the Doolittle project have been meeting in recording spaces across town to lay down their tune. The forty-woman community chorus Conspiracy of Venus will be performing “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and have already recorded their haunting rendition in the small but dynamic chapel at the Convent Collective, a convent turned artist collective Lower Haight in San Francisco.
The ethereal arrangement was composed by conductor Joyce McBride special for this event. Aaron Novik, Guest Musical Director of UnderCover, let the artists choose which track they wanted to cover and McBride had the fortune of being the second artist to grab her favorite. The arrangement splits into nine vocal lines and at one point lands the sopranos on a high C# emulating the energy behind Frank Black’s often screaming vocals. Certainly no one has heard the Pixies quite like this before.
This is the second quarterly performance for UnderCover: the first was The Velvet Underground & Nico, which featured secret guests Liz Phair and Stephan Jenkins, front man of Third Eye Blind.
Novik encourages artists to showcase their own artistic style and urges them not to worry about producing a straight cover. In the case of Conspiracy of Venus, the arrangement will easily fit into one of their typical sets, something that Novik was glad to hear. In general, he was surprised and excited when bands selected songs that he didn’t expect and looks forward to hearing each track off of Doolittle performed with a unique twist.
Performances that I am especially looking forward to:
- Albino! performing “Debaser”
- Joe Bagale and members of Jazz Mafia performing "Here Comes Your Man”
- Conspiracy of Venus performing “Monkey Gone to Heaven” (I’ve heard it, it’s really good!)
- Dina Maccabee performing “La La Love You”
UnderCover is the collaborative project of Lyz Luke (UnderCover), Charith Premawardhana (Classical Revolution), Porto Franco Records, and Faultline Studios.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011. Show: 7:30 sharp, 21+
Public Works SF, 161 Erie Street
$15-18 advance purchase, $20 at the door (as available)
COSTUMES are highly encouraged! Come in your best flannels, docs, ripped jeans, and greasy hair.
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