Back in October, for seven straight nights, in seven different venues around Rochester, over 90 different artists from near and very far, became a part of the first ever Rochester Experimental Week. The quasi-festival was put on by promoter Eclectic Overdrive, a relative newcomer to the area’s scene.
Each night was jam-packed with quick hit sets from an eclectic group of musicians. Experimental music is an expansive and open descriptor for music. As such, styles ranged widely, from heavy and in-your-face, to quiet and reserved. But everything left of left-of-center. It was incredible free-form and incredibly, all free of charge. And nearly every venue was able to maintain all ages shows, a free for all that was quite literally free for all.
The week filled some of the more unique music spaces around town, like the Bug Jar, UUU Art Collective, the Spirit Room, Rosen Krown and 75 Stutson. Some nights stretched all the way into the mornings, Saturday’s schedule finished at 4am! NYS Music was in attendance for night five, at the budding creative space and music venue Dutch, a small old church off of Main Street bordering the Neighborhood of the Arts.
The centerpiece for the evening was Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani’s Gong Orchestra. Employing fifteen volunteer gong-ists from the area to follow his instructions and direction, Nakatani presented an exhilarating near-hour of non-stop gonging. Through bowing on the gongs’ edges and hitting them with various mallets, the Gong Orchestra pushed the gong’s sound to it’s limit. With every sound multiplied by fifteen it was about as loud and absorbing as un-amplified music can get. Any film makers out there looking for a soundtrack for their mysterious and eery project (thinking Midsommar, Dark etc), give Nakatani a ring, this sound is perfect.
Nakatani followed that up with a solo set, employing his unique kit, of course including a couple of gongs, and his unique playing. Unlike anything most have heard coming from a percussionist previously, and that was the core of the theme for the night, and week. The evening at Dutch also included a short set from Bonnie Kane (saxophone, flute, electronics) and Tracy Lisk (drums) improvising on what could best be described as avant-garde jazz. Another duo, Nick Gianni (saxophone, keys) and Reggie Sylvester (drums) similarly improvised around the outer edges of jazz with Sylvester interspersing some spoken word, with a vague running theme about the pandemic.
The week’s experiments were as much on stage as they were off. Rochester music lovers came out in strong support, ready to lend an open mind and open ears to widen their net of musical experiences. The question being asked wasn’t “What is experimental music?” it was simply “What is music?” It isn’t clear if Rochester was left with more questions or answers. Either way, Eclectic Overdrive will continue to give the artists a time and a place to run their various experiments. Next year’s Rochester Experimental Week II is already set and in the planning stages, see you in 2023, October 9-16!
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