COTFG: Sulphuric Symphony with Don McGreevy

Don McGreevy’s TEMPORAL NATURE OF STABILITY by the SULPHURIC SYMPHONY

Instrumentalists for this performance include: Daniel Mee, Rachel Fuhrer, Steve Parker, Leila Henley, Alan Retamozo, Lauren Gurgiolo, Sonya Gonzales, Adam Hilton, Mohadev, Thomas Echols , Carrie Clark, Henna Chou, Eric Roach, Michelle Born Kahan, Anne Heller, Janie Cowan, Lee Dockery, Laura Dykes, Brent Fariss, Peter Stopschinski, Derrick Fore, Laura Brackney

The TEMPORAL NATURE of STABILITY is a post-minimalist symphonic piece composed for electric guitars and basses, acoustic upright basses, trombones, bass clarinet, organs, and percussion. Similar to Don’s previous “symphonettes”, TNOS is an experiment. Aside from intended tonalities and melodies, its results remain largely indeterminate. It is intended to impress upon listeners an awareness of our synthetic biologic imprint for succeeding generations.

The Chernobyl disaster, like all byproducts of industrial economies, technological advancements, and unbridled profiteering, does not loom large enough on our minds, but still wavers somewhere in our collective unconscious. This basic uncertainty is suggested by removing the meter from the music and using modified guitars, a familiar tool made unfamiliar using an alternate tuning. TNOS is here to serve as a mnemonic of imprudent solutions, rather than those that arise from a more thorough understanding of potential consequences.

TNOS is slow, brooding, and delicately heavy, reflecting the insidious contamination of the city of Pripyat while its citizens slept unaware and unwarned. The lack of tempo and oddly resounding guitars depict the weary, inexperienced nature of the Chernobyl plant’s engineers. This music is all encompassing and emotive and unconventionally intertwines minimalism and pop melodies.

Don McGreevy is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and composer who lives in Seattle, Washington. He works extensively in many disciplines, including post-, orchestral-, psychedelic-, avant-, progressive-rock, traditional blues, and modern composition. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, he studied piano and singing as a youngster. His father, Don, Sr., taught him drums and exposed him to performances as early as 4 years old. He is a founding member and composer for Genius Award nominees, the Master Musicians of Bukkake. Don also works as electric bassist with Doom/Drone pioneers, Earth. He has worked as touring drummer for Kinski and has appeared on recordings playing guitar. Alongside Milky Burgess, Don co-founded the Yada Yada Blues band who perform anachronistic interpretations of 60s and 70s Mississippi blues music. He has worked with Eyvind Kang, Wayne Horvitz, Trey Spruance, Randall Dunn, Danny Barnes, Bobby Previte, Wolves in the Throne Room, Stephen O’Malley, and many more. Don has been composing guitar symphonies with traditional acoustic accompaniment since the late 90s.

Opening the night at 7pm will be a set by Thomas Echols: This will be a durational, ambient performance featuring mangled guitar textures and sundry tones from a Buchla Music Easel. “Man, Woman, Friend, Computer” is the means by which Thomas Echols makes music when he is not performing various works from the classical guitar repertoire. Simple songs unfold into meandering compositions, analogue synth fetishism, conspiracy pop, polyrhythmic laments, somnambulist visions, and process music. Classically-trained Tom was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated band Devotchka.