Check out the art rock radicals that exploded this year at 12 Minutes Max and the NW New Works Festival! The program features Leeni (girl meets Game Boy), The Half Brothers (bluegrass on its head), A-Hole Baryshnikovs (songs about miserable people), and TODAY! (performance art-rock supergroup founded by 33 Fainting Spells' Dayna Hanson).
On The Boards
On the Boards is a non-profit contemporary performing arts organization located in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Founded by artists in 1978, OtB's programming supports the development of artists and companies who are creating ground-breaking new work that would otherwise not be seen in Seattle.
Leeni
The story of Leeni is your typical girl meets Game Boy love story. Girl grows weary of same old sound. Girl seeks out new inspiration. Girl discovers Game Boy. Girl says, "Hello Game Boy. Will you make music with me?" Game Boy says "Beep boop bop boop beep." Girl falls for Game Boy. And together they make a beautiful "8-Bit Heart."
Half Brothers
A guitar, a banjo, a mandolin. Three voices singing close mountain harmonies. Songs about food, traveling and death. For two years the Half Brothers have been turning bluegrass on its head on Seattle stages including the Sunset Tavern, Chop Suey, Jules Maes Saloon, Rendezvous and Conor Byrne, delighting young and old alike with their unique take on a classic American genre. Mandolinist John Ackermann, guitarist Rick Miller, and banjo player David Nixon balance their shared love for this rich musical tradition against a mischievous songwriter's impulse to take it in new and frequently hilarious directions.
A-Hole Barishnikovs
A-Hole Barishnikovs perform stories of unfortunate human beings in everyday miserable situations. Actual musicians make this more tolerable but only slightly. Featuring Otis P. Barishnikov, Professor Bucci Barishnikov And Mr. Rich Barishnikov, the group has been together for years.
Today!
Spilling from the margins of Seattle's experimental performance/film scene, TODAY! is a "sad-happy" (Daily Candy) collaboration started by Dayna Hanson, formerly of Seattle-based dance theater company 33 Fainting Spells. A high contrast, post-indie pop/rock foursome, TODAY! features the following songwriter/multi-instrumentalists: Dave Proscia, Dayna Hanson, Maggie Brown, and Paul Moore.