WHAT: Palais Idéal: A Festival of Adventurous, Strange and Visionary Music
WHEN: Oct. 19-22, 2006
WHERE: Chico, CA—1078 Gallery (main venue), Cafe Flo, Paradise Lost Video, Has Beans Coffee & Tea, Tower Records (Herreid-Fender Stage), Moxie’s Café/Gallery, 24 Hr Drive By Gallery, The Serenity Center
WHO: Over 70 musical experiments from Northern California (San Francisco, Chico, Sacramento) and beyond (see full roster below).
COST: Four-day pass: $40/advance; $45/door (avail. Thurs. night only). Available at www.chicotickets.com and the 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway, Chico. Individual show tix range from free to $8, and are available at door.
Le Palais Idéal: The Ideal Castle
Ferdinand Cheval was a postman from Hauterives, France who, one day in 1879 while walking his route, tripped on a strange looking stone. The stone intrigued him so he picked it up and put it in his pocket. Cheval returned the following day to collect more of the curious rocks, and he just never stopped. For the next 33 years he collected small and large stones from along his postal route and used them with cement and lime to build an ornate and surreal castle that he had daydreamed about on those long walks delivering the mail. Cheval had no experience building or sculpting and his neighbors quickly labeled him insane, yet he stuck to his vision and—working alone for those 33 years—completed his “fairy-like palace beyond imagination”: Le Palais Idéal.
Another dream: A large collection of musical oddballs and innovators gather together in the sleepy college town of Chico, Calif. and take the place over for a few days under the banner of Palais Idéal: A Festival of Adventurous, Strange and Visionary Music. This is not merely an experimental music festival; this is a an occasion for weirdness of all stripes and for braveness in the name of new ideas: art rock, experimental, free jazz, noise, improv, visionary, sound art, electronica, ambient, broken folk, homemade instruments, multi-media, performance art, adventurous rock and whatever else is out there…
Everything is welcome, and over 70 performers will be there:
24 Hour Drone (Oakland—24 hours of droning): www.myspace.com/24hourdrone
2P1B (Chico—Two pianos and one bass, feat. Christine LaPado, Shigemi Minetaka & Grant Levin): www.myspace.com/newmanamiyumi
Agent Meecrob (Chico—High school seniors improvising with the ghosts of Captain Beefheart and Can): www.myspace.com/agentmeecrob
Arcanum (Los Angeles—Electro-acoustic multi-media quartet): www.blackphonerecords.com & www.myspace.com/arcanumartensemble
“As Slow As Possible” (dedicated listening room for John Cage’s very long song as it plays on an organ in Halberstadt, Germany): www.john-cage.halberstadt.de/
The Atomic Bomb Audition (Oakland—A trio wherin surf guitars make way for discordant soundscapes; and electronic drones enter civil unions with folk melodies. To compress this vision, imagine Ennio Morricone leading The Melvins): www.theatomicbombaudition.com & www.myspace.com/theatomicbombaudition
Barry Threw (Berkeley—Experimental, ambient, textural computer music): www.barrythrew.com
Black Fiction (S.F.—Eclectic indie rock, described as a “post-rock take on dub and noise.”): www.blackfictionband.com & www.myspace.com/blackfictionband
Bob Marsh/Silver Park (Bay Area—improviser and experimenter and his invented sound device, the Silver Park): www.edgetonerecords.com/marsh.html
Botchii (Chico—Noise duo.): www.myspace.com/botchii
Botox (Chico—Improv hardcore punk): www.myspace.com/dirtyunclebrad
C.O.M.A. (Stockton/Napa—Calif. Outside Music Associates: Improv collective performing electronics-focused set w/electronics, effects processor, saxophone, percussion and electric cello): www.comaonline.com & http://edgetonerecords.com/coma.html
Cheryl E. Leonard, A.L. Dentel & Patty Liu (Bay Area/L.A.—Compositions and improvisations for
trio on amplified rocks): www.allwaysnorth.com
Chico State Electronic Music Ensemble (Chico—directed by Chico State music professor David Dvorin)
Chip Tankgirl (Chico—Stand-up comedy w/improv bass): http://tankgirl23.deviantart.com/
Chopstick (Sacramento—Solo experimentalist using synth sounds, tape machines, circuit-bent toys and lots of delay): www.myspace.com/chopstickband
Conformation Bias (documentary t.v. series on experimental music)
Daniel Hintz (S.F.—Improvised turbo-ambient terror-blues maelstrom on electric guitar): www.danielhintz.com & www.myspace.com/danielhintz
Danny Cohen (Chico/Paradise—Avant Garde singer/songwriter): www.anti.com/artist.php?id=8 & www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=7405
Darwinsbitch (Oakland—Violin and sine-oscillator melodic and droney/noise stuff): www.beamfoundation.org/triometrik_members.php
David Dvorin (Chico—CSU, Chico music professor and experimental composer/performer/improviser): www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1yd2vwpia9ek
Dead Western (Sacramento—Solo weird folk: “harrowing and gently piercing expulsions of the sound of a brave kingdom as it empties its eroding soul.”): www.myspace.com/50690003 & www.snailonastick.com
Dragonboy (Chico—performance art and poetry with music): www.myspace.com/dragonboy56
Dud (Bay Area—Large group of musicians and artists making multi-media improvisational jazz hippie art via films, cameras, computers, cello, guitar, percussion, electronic drums, vocals and more): www.dudland.com
Elleander Grey (Chico—Spooky, original, country-blues that sounds 100 years old): www.elleandergrey.com & www.myspace.com/mcarr & www.myspace.com/anthonygambini
The Fucking Ocean (S.F.—Hyper S.F. post-rock noise fun): www.thefuckingocean.org & www.myspace.com/thefuckingocean
Gregg Kowalsky (Oakland—Ambient/psychedelic streams of sound using computer, cassette tapes, sine oscillators, whistles, and other odds and ends): www.greggkowalsky.net
Gregg Payne (Chico—Giant handmade chimes): www.greggpayne.com
Guerrillasoul (S.F.—Electro/Glitch/Ambient/Experimental audio and visuals using electronic boxes and live instrumentation.): www.guerrillasoul.com & www.myspace.com/guerrillasoul
The Hero of Canton (S.F.—Improv project of Edgetone Record’s Alwyn Quebido): www.edgetonerecords.com/quebido.html
Holger Honda (Chico—Swedish electronica import): www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A27063
Horror Horror Horror (Chico—Horror movie samples with keyboard, bass, drums and air organ accompaniment): www.myspace.com/horrorsoundtrack
Hyle (Palo Alto—Improvisation noise/lullaby folk music with interactive visuals using homemade software):
www.hylemusic.com & www.myspace.com/hylemusic
Jess Rowland (S.F.—Electronic experimental improv and conceptual multimedia using video projections): www.paxrecordings.com/Artists/Jess_Rowland.html & www.jessrowland.com
Le Palais Ideal (20-minute documentary on Facteur Cheval’s Palais Idéal.)
Lords of Outland (S.F./Bay Area—Electro-acoustic death jazz with Rent Romus, Philip Everett, CJ Borosque, & Ray Schaeffer): www.myspace.com/rentromus & www.romus.net & http://edgetonerecords.com/romus.html
Loren Chasse (S.F.—Sound artist—Director of Education for Bay Area’s 23Five sound arts organization): www.23five.org/lchasse & www.kaon.org/loren_chasse/index.php3
Lulacruza (Argentina/Columbia/Oakland—South American experimental folk—Rooted luminous songs unfolding in
sonic landscapes): www.lulacruza.com & www.myspace.com/lulacruzalove
M.E. and Me (Olympia, WA—Acoustic/electric cello improvised accompaniment to a self-made slide show of manipulated undeveloped film): www.myspace.com/derekmjohnson
Micromovement workshop: w/ Maria Navarro-Easton (music by Dann Sargent)
Modular Set (S.F.—Multi-instrumentalist sonic explorers employing pedals, loopers and analog synths to create beautiful sonic textures, prog-like riffs, epic crescendos, ambient raga drones, and avant-jazz grooves—a beautiful balance of melody, tension and release): www.modularset.com & www.myspace.com/modularset
Mute Socialite (S.F.—Moe! Staiano’s Jesus Lizard/Dog Face Hermans-ish rock-band-of-sorts): www.moestaiano.com
Neshama Alma Band (S.F.—Solo acoustic guitar mantra strumming by Pax Recordings founder Ernesto Diaz-Infante
with projection of experimental video by Marjorie Sturm): www.paxrecordings.com/Artists/Neshama_Alma_Band.html &
www.paxrecordings.com/ernesto/ & www.myspace.com/diazinfante & www.myspace.com/marjoriesturm & www.paxrecordings.com/Artists/Marjorie_Sturm.html
New Thrill Parade (Santa Cruz—A mash of cacophonous Birthday Party-jagging swamp skree):
www.newthrillparade.com & www.myspace.com/newthrillparade
The Nerve (Chico—Goth funeral dirges, with a pirate): www.myspace.com/thenerve1
The Party (Chico—Folkish tunes with some atmosphere and lots of musical friends): www.myspace.com/thepartywebsite
Philip White & Kevin Taylor (Oakland—Solo experiments with laptop and guitar and films): www.newmusiccollective.org
Phillip Greenlief (Oakland—Improvised work for solo saxophone based on Hopi Indian Mythology…explores the cracks and crevices of an emerging exploratory language for saxophone): www.evandermusic.com/artist_detail.asp?artist_id=117
Pillows (Oakland—Sparse rock duo with beautiful vocals, plus some noise and special effects): www.pillowsmusic.com & www.myspace.com/pillowsmusic
Polly Moller & Lucio Menegon (S.F.—Spoken word, electronica and flute/bass flute/guitar improvisations): www.silverwheel.com & www.myspace.com/pollymoller & www.myspace.com/luciomenegon
Radius (S.F.—Experimental electronics and folk duo, feat. Jeff Ray, curator of Mission Creek Festival): www.myspace.com/radiussanfrancisco
The Rabbles (S.F.—Eclectic, experimental, psychedelic garage rock super group): www.paxrecordings.com/Artists/Marina_Lazzara.html & myspace.com/therabbles
Rags Tuttle (Chico—Demonstration of Tuttle’s invention: The Music Pole): www.themusicpole.com
Random Cutting (NYC/Chico—Solo atmospheric guitar and electronics compositions): www.myspace.com/randomcutting & www.doome.info
Rev. Junkyard Moondog (Chico—Performance poet, librarian and improvisational percussionist): www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A29649
Ronnie Cramer (Denver, CO—Experimental multi-media performance featuring electronic music and film imagery): www.ronniecramer.com
San Kazakgascar (Sacramento—Electric faux-Eastern trio/quartet): www.myspace.com/sankazakgascar
Saucebag (Chico—Computer compositions, plus stand-up bass and drums): www.myspace.com/saucebags
Sea Monster (Chico—Performance art and some music.): www.myspace.com/seamonsterart & www.cruxarts.com/christine.html
Seckund Naychur (Chico—Didgeridoo/sitar/guitar/keyboard meditations): www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A42816 & www.sealsforcongress.com/bio.html
SPLITLIP (Oakland—Experimental sonic-destruction quartet featuring Lucio Loud, Suki O’Kane, Wayne Grim & Jon Brumit): www.kingtone.com/SPLITLIP.html & www.myspace.com/luciomenegon
Stationary Legs (Chico—Mathy metal with noise): www.myspace.com/stationarylegs
STIMBOX (S.F.—Harsh improvised electronics…grating, psychedelic, synthesized textures): http://stimbox.harshnoise.com & www.myspace.com/stimbox
Textural (Chico—photographs by Carla Resnick with music by Dann Sargent and words by Anthony Peyton Porter)
Tom Duff (Berkeley—New electronic compositions and chestnuts of the Avant Garde): www.4-33.com & www.myspace.com/unplugtherefrigerator
Tom's Life Sucks (Botchii documentary): www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A27989
Triometrik (Berkeley—Guitar, violin and bass trio coupled through an intelligent computer network to create an organic computer music, with video integration): www.beamfoundation.org/triometrik.php
Uberkunst (Sacramento—“We’re going to set up a bunch of musical instruments and a bunch of metal things, and then we’re going to bash them together until someone makes us stop): www.uberkunst.net & www.myspace.com/uberkunst
Underscore_Orkestra (Portland, OR—High energy gypsy swing music with a real circus side show): www.myspace.com/underscoreorkestra & www.spaz.org/~gotoxy/_Orkestra/
V Neck (Sacramento—Ross Hammond’s guitar/drum jazz duo): www.rosshammond.com & www.myspace.com/rosshammond
We Be The Echo (S.F.—Experimental, math, jazz, dub, metal…will enter sonic combat with all takers): www.webetheecho.com & www.myspace.com/webetheecho
Werewolf? (Chico—formerly Birds of Fire: Mathy, atmospheric mood jams): www.myspace.com/werewolfband
West By Swan (Chico—Noisy and atmospheric experimental rock with lots of effects pedals): www.myspace.com/westbyswan & www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A56069
Whowordsfail (Portland, OR/Chico—Instant compositions on trap kit, melodica, lap-steel, thumb piano, Mouth Warper, bells, various percussion, and surprise homemade instruments): www.myspace.com/7chappy
Xambuca vs Saifir (S.F./San Jose—Experimental electronica joining forces to perform a piece entitled: “Palais Idéal”): www.myspace.com/xambuca & www.myspace.com/saifir & www.saifir.com
Xome (S.F.—Harsh, improvised, electronic manipulation—seizure inducing dissonance):
www.xome.org & www.myspace.com/xomeisnoise & www.noisefx.com
Palais Idéal will be happening in the midst of Artoberfest, which is an effort by the city and local arts organizations to make the month of October into a power-packed festival of arts that will showcase Chico, Calif. as a desirable arts destination. The vision for Palais Idéal is to build a fun and highly visible castle that will function as an unpredictable irregular heartbeat for the month’s festivities.
Tickets
Four-day pass:
-$40 in advance: www.chicotickets.com and at 1078 Gallery (820 Broadway)
-$45 night of first show, Thurs. Oct. 19 (at 1078 Gallery)
Individual shows:
-$3 to $8 (call 1078 Gallery to check availability)
-Mid-afternoon shows on Fri., Sat. & Sun. are free
Contact
Jason Cassidy/The Party
palaisideal@sbcglobal.net
(530) 893-4594
MySpace: www.myspace.com/palaisideal
1078 Gallery
820 Broadway, Chico, CA, 95928
(530) 343-1973
www.1078gallery.org & www.myspace.com/1078performances
Some Links
Fest:
www.myspace.com/palaisideal – Official Palais Idéal festival site
Venue:
www.1078gallery.org – 1078 Gallery: festival home base
Ferdinand Cheval’s Palais Idéal:
www.facteurcheval.com
www.sadtomato.net/cheval/index.html (open permission for use of Palais Idéal images at Sad Tomato—please give credit with link to site)
www.rawvision.com/back/cheval/cheval.html
www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/
Misc. Chico Sites
www.artoberfest.org – Home page for Artoberfest, Chico October arts festivities
www.csuchico.edu – California State University, Chico
www.friendsofbidwellpark.org – Bidwell Park, over five square miles of municipal park; home of The Adventures of Robin Hood
Chico Media:
www.newsreview.com/chico/Home – Chico’s alt-weekly
www.synthesis.net – Chico’s college student music & entertainment weekly
www.chicoer.com – Chico’s daily newspaper
www.orion-online.net — Orion, Chico State student newspaper
www.chicobeat.com – New Chico local news weekly (publishers of 10 Spot, quarterly arts journal).
www.chicolist.com – Underground music calendar for Chico and north state
www.kcho.org — KCHO (91.7 FM), Chico State-run public radio station
www.kzfr.org – KZFR (90.1 FM), Chico’s community radio
www.kcscradio.com – KCSC, Chico State student radio station (Internet only)
Cost: 4-day pass: $40; Indiv. Shows: $3-$8