On Demand
Politics and Beer
By Terrance McKnight
May 5, 2008
Since last Wednesday I’ve gone to three concerts and watched one basketball game. Two concerts were in honor of Frederic Rzewski, a composer whose music is often socially and politically charged. For Thursday’s concert at Carnegie, the contemporary music ensemble Opus 21 honored the 70 year old composer by performing his seminal piece “Attica” — a composition dealing with the murders of inmates and guards during the 1971 prison riot in Attica, New York. Later that evening Rzewski sat at the piano and played the New York Premiere of his recent composition “War Songs”. “Natural Things”, another premiere, featured an instrumentalist tediously bouncing a basketball.
Last Friday night at the Brooklyn Lyceum, the ensemble Newspeak honored Rzewski in a concert that presented an amplified, “rocked out” presentation of “Coming Together” (the companion piece to “Attica”), as well as works by local composers influenced by Rzewski. There was also a Q&A with Rzewski, myself, and David T. Little (see the video clip below).
| Here, you can listen to two of the Rzewski pieces performed by Newspeak, recorded live (special thanks to David T. Little): | |
| Coming Together |
If you do not see flash audio player please install the latest flash player. |
| The Price of Oil |
If you do not see flash audio player please install the latest flash player. |
| DownloadVideo Clip: Me, David T. Little, and Frederic Rzewski |
From the Brooklyn Lyceum, it was on to Saturday night at the Apollo, for Klezmer Clarinetist David Krakauer, along with funk/soul trombonist Fred Wesley. Fred Wesley was a long-standing member of the James Brown Band but also played with many bands I listened to while growing up in Cleveland. The Wesley-Krakauer project was presented in honor of James Brown’s birthday and also honored and successfully melded various musical styles and cultures.
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| Me and Fred Wesley at the Apollo |
| DownloadHere’s a Video Clip from the Concert |
Now on to more bouncing balls and my recent observation: During the Atlanta/Boston game there was a commercial that depicts a place of utopia called “beer heaven.” The beer was seemingly free, the crowd was Caucasian, the games were rigged, the servers were women and the one black person in the room was the bartender.
For those of us believing in an ideal place, an afterlife of paradise, we’re all challenged to rid ourselves of the notion of social structures,and even ideals of high art vs. low art. Evening Music is one earthling’s attempt to ready the heart, soul and ear of the listener. A bit of musical heaven on air? Your thoughts!
Comments
Comment from Tom, Cooper Sq.
Date: May 5, 2008, 7:25 pm
Paradise. Utopia (from greek, means noplace. It’s a play on Eutopia = perfection). Eutopia’s where all the handshakes are 100% guileless and reliable; where all the “kinds” of folks are borderless and completely whole in the fullness of synchronic time. Laughing in the tavernas is an easy hoot because we can all see that nobody’s advertisement ever quite measures up to genuine Eutopian perfections. Is there such a thing, really, as a “perfect game”?
Great music and dance over the weekend at the Joyce and the Robins Festival at NY City Ballet!
Springtime is also already lighting up the fine ridges of the Berkshires and it’s a good time to check online to look up the weekends you’d like to visit Tanglewood, Music Mountain, the Tannery Pond concerts, Jacob’s Pillow, etc, etc. There will be the extensive and wonderful presentations in NYC, but a little “out of town” venture (a little advance planning might be needed) can open the ear’s frontier. Saratoga Performing Arts Center is lovely too.
No one is going to forget that Sunday is Mother’s Day, right? Ciao, T
Comment from jacob
Date: May 5, 2008, 7:27 pm
The video really is tailored for a certain type, and they drink that pisswater not for the taste but for the commercial moment they are attempting to rearticulate– because at the end of the day they have no taste and nothing to say.
When I die lead me to the other bar, the eclectic one, hand me a pacific northwest microbrew. Lets lean forward in conversation and discuss the meaning of death!
Comment from Rick Bowes
Date: May 5, 2008, 7:27 pm
That’s not Beer Heaven that’s Hog Heaven.
Comment from Jules
Date: May 5, 2008, 7:33 pm
You rock Terrance! How surprising, refreshing, and great to hear a smart critique of a really irritating beer ad along with Evening Music. You just made a big fan.
Comment from carol margossian
Date: May 5, 2008, 7:36 pm
Yes, Terrance — all the people in the beer commercial are white and young and the only non-white is the black male bartender — who writes this stuff and who drinks the beer — is there target demographic young white males??
Comment from Lincoln
Date: May 5, 2008, 8:08 pm
Appreciated Mr. McKnight,
I’ve been enjoying your ecletic taste in music from day one. I must admit, sometimes I have to stretch my own taste in order to assimilate some of the more worldy selections you so kindly provide us, but I pressume that’s probably central to the mission of ‘Evening Music’. I’m in.
As far as the ad, it is clearly targeted to the ilk of its protagonists, and while you and I may find it sadly appalling in this day and age, such are the ways of marketing in our beloved system. In my not so humble opinion, our whole country hasn’t been in a straight course for utopia as of late, and one can only hope that a correction is afoot and this Thanksgiving we’ll all have something to gratefully unite us.
Nevertheless, I posted it on an out-of-the-way political forum (I administer) to see what kind of reaction it would get:
http://www.hypercrites.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11179&st=0#entry163068
Check it at the end of your show or maybe tomorrow. One never knows if something insightful might show up.
Anyway, keep up the great work of promoting the arts and expanding our musical horizons. I have to believe J. Schwartz must be wondering about his heir apparent - weeknights after 7 PM!
Respectfully,
Lincoln
P.S. I don’t know your policy on posting links, but there are no ads in the one I provided.
Comment from Alexandra
Date: May 5, 2008, 8:19 pm
I now turn on Evening Music especially to hear what you’re offering. I’m constantly surprised and delighted at your musical mixes.
On the other hand, what have commercials got to do with it? I’d say, leave that nonsense out of the broadcast — and let it leave your mind. It is not worth ponderous consideration, on or off air.
Comment from Felix
Date: May 5, 2008, 8:24 pm
The ad (like most ads) is silly. I suspect heaven is listener supported.
Comment from Alan
Date: May 5, 2008, 8:28 pm
Heaven or someone’s supposed fantasy from the marketing of this brand of “refreshment”. It’s a mindset I guess not one that I subscribe to. Perhaps then this is why we’re all here instead of in “beer heaven”.
Comment from Tom, Cooper Sq.
Date: May 5, 2008, 9:23 pm
Terrance, I greatly appreciate what Mr. Rzewsky advised you about the capability of musical composition to effect / influence social change and his spirited defiance by creating as if it could effect such change.
That attitude is at the constructive nub of a very great issue for all musical endeavour, namely, is music essentially a diversonary emotional stimulant, more or less an analgesic, or is it –by polar opposite– an adjunct to human health by inviting us each to FACE UP TO our own needs for internal change (and thereby to social change). What is the engine of expressive action aiming at, and what is it capable of? The politics of imagination matter in this very respect, and the habits we form over this issue are vital and powerfully influential.
I feel a personal joy that I can hear you are listening, and digesting issues at this level of importance. Thank you. Ciao, T
Comment from Shanty
Date: May 5, 2008, 10:49 pm
Your program is great and eclectic. You have to be advised about the pronunciation of New York names–mostly sponsors who might resent the mispronunciation.
Comment from Yael
Date: May 6, 2008, 7:55 pm
Thank you for your creative musical mixes. I have been intrigued since your first show, you keep my musical curiosity peaked.
Comment from Srebnik
Date: May 7, 2008, 10:44 pm
Hey Pal…
Reminds me of the great line Richard Prior said about the movie LOGAN’S RUN, “a movie about the future that didn’t have no black people in it.” He went on to say, “I guess white folks ain’t planing for us to be here!”
Enjoying Wednesday night’s music.
dms
Comment from C. Lavallee
Date: May 7, 2008, 11:06 pm
The music is good, but the grammar can make me wince. My Pet Peeve (besides capitalizing what should not be capitalized), was exemplified “with David and I,” which I heard near the end of your show this evening. Unless grammar changed, what my mother taught me is that if you would substitute “we” for the compound of David and ? then it is David and I, and if you would substitute “us” then it is “David and me.” “With us,” so “with “David and me.” This is a common error these days but I expect a high standard from my favorite — and only –radio station. Pass it on. This is not the first time I have heard this error @ 93.9, it’s just that you have an easy way for me to tell you.
Comment from Marion Buhagiar
Date: May 8, 2008, 10:42 pm
There’s something to be said for a more “relaxed” attitude toward classical music –and then there is just plain goofy. Tonight I tuned in to you program just as a piano piece by Bach was close to a finish. Then your mellow voice came on saying something very close to this: “That was Glenn Gould playing Bach. Or wait, maybe it ws Murray Perahia. Gould plays Bach. Parahia plays Bach. I’ll make mistakes.”
Your bio says you are an “accomplished pianist.” I guess you weren’t listening in.
Comment from Carla Cook
Date: May 12, 2008, 8:18 pm
Hi Terrence,
You’re on fire tonight. Would love it if you found a way to sneak in all of Porgy and Bess.
Carla Cook
Comment from Ron Walker
Date: May 13, 2008, 9:40 pm
Terrance,
I’m listening to your show at this moment, and it is a pleasure to hear good music when dealing with the rigors of a hectic workday.
Keep up the good work and who knows, maybe someday you can teach grammar in your spare time. I thought this was a radio show…
Ron W.
Comment from Martin Cohen
Date: May 21, 2008, 7:47 pm
Not since Skip Weshner in the late 50s on WBAI radio in NYC have I enjoyed such diverse program as you are presenting. Driven by that diverse listening experience I went on to found the largest percussion company in the world. Keep up the great variety.
Comment from Martin Cohen
Date: May 21, 2008, 7:51 pm
Please disregard the heartless comments on grammar and pronunciation of stuff. You are doing a great job and an important job in bringing this variety of great music to my ears.
Comment from Jim Koppelman
Date: May 29, 2008, 7:02 am
Those beer commercials are aimed at the tasteless young. Diversity is as important in beer as it is for friends-quality comes in many colors and packages.
BTW, I love the mix of musical styles in your show. Keep it up.
Comment from Tosia
Date: June 7, 2008, 11:04 am
I don’t believe that comments on grammar and pronunciation are out of place when one comments on a radio announcer. I would like to add that it is considered poor grammar (and manners) to label photographs and/or comments with “me” first. In other words, your captions should read “Fred Wesley and me at the Apollo”, “David Little, F. Rzewski, and me”, etc.
Comment from Glen Rowan
Date: November 16, 2008, 10:54 pm
Terrance- can you tell me what the Klezmer music was you played on the show Wednesday evening (Nov.12) at around 7:30?
Thanx
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