“I then began to compose a music dealing precisely with ‘inbetweenness’: creating a confusion of material and construction, and a fusion of method and application, by concentrating on how they could be directed toward ‘that which is difficult to categorize.’”
– Morton Feldman
from “The New York Schools of Music and Visual Arts,” (Routledge: 2002), edited by Steven Johnson, pg. 180.
What is being dumped into the sinks of cheap American motels that cause them to crack? Is it food? Water? Old beer? Or is it the toxic cleaning agents used to remove the stains caused by a mixture of those items? Whatever the case, looking down into one of those black lined basins while brushing your teeth first thing in the morning is not a great way to start your day. Nor is breakfast at Denny’s.
The second half of the Vandermark 5 tour began in New York City after the long drive from Montreal. The band played well and to a receptive crowd, but after the highlight of the previous concert in Montreal this show felt like more of a struggle. Even though it was a Tuesday evening, I was surprised at how quickly Tonic emptied out when the music finished. No chance to hang out at the club, so the band went down the street to another bar to grab a nightcap before driving to the next motel. This place was nearly empty too, at only midnight. There was hardly any traffic in streets of New York as we drove out of town, for the first time in my life.
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