Press Release The Warhol Announces Spring Sound Series Lineup

The Andy Warhol Museum announces its spring Sound Series. The series kicks off March 17 with avant-rock super group and power trio Rangda. The group is on tour supporting the release of its third album The Heretic’s Bargain. In April the young West African “desert blues” band Songhoy Blues—the name comes from the Songhoy people of Mali—visits the museum on its first North American tour. This May guitar virtuoso Julian Lage and his trio perform for the first time in The Warhol’s intimate theater. The spring series features a diverse array of artistic talent featured in nine varied performances.

“We’re excited about the broad range of artists who will be with us in the spring, with a focus on the museum’s entrance space in both seated and standing room concerts. From pianist Vicky Chow and her 40 speaker orchestra, to innovative composer/producer Ryan Lott (aka Son Lux), to the mesmerizing rhythms of Dawn of Midi, to the raw energy and melodic hooks of the young Malian R&B band Songhoy Blues, and the guitar wizardry of Sir Richard Bishop and Ben Chasny (Rangda), and Julian Lage, we look forward to memorable evenings and continued sonic experimentation,” says Ben Harrison, curator of performance arts and public programs at The Warhol. “We’re also happy to be back in Oakland at the Carnegie Lecture Hall for an ambient evening with Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, Sam Amidon, and Valgeir Sigurðsson on the Bedroom Community tour.”

All Sound Series performances begin promptly at 8 p.m. The winter Sound Series runs through March 5, 2016.

Sound Series: An Evening with Rangda with special guest Dave Bernabo Thursday, March 17, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol theater
The Warhol welcomes back experimental guitarists Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance), joined on this occasion by free jazz drummer Chris Corsano (Bjork), to comprise the avant-rock super group and power trio Rangda. Blending a range of influences and distinct styles, the group actually alternated between improvised and structured songs (odd and even numbered tracks) on its first record, False Flag. The group visits the museum on a tour supporting its third release on Drag City Records, The Heretic’s Bargain. Pittsburgh-based experimental guitarist/composer, Dave Bernabo, opens the show. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: Vicky Chow & Tristan Perich: Surface Image
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol entrance space
The Warhol and Music on the Edge welcome composer Tristan Perich and pianist Vicky Chow (Bang on a Can All-Stars) for a unique performance of Surface Image, a composition for solo piano and 40-channel 1-bit electronics. Blurring lines of organic and electric, Chow’s piano is accompanied by an orchestra comprised of 40 loudspeakers that Perich hand-wired. Released by New Amsterdam Records, the album has garnered several accolades, including being named number four in Rolling Stone’s 20 Best Avant Albums of 2014. The event is co-presented with the Music on the Edge series of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Music. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: Bedroom Community 10 Year Anniversary: Whale Watching Tour 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016 – 8pm
Carnegie Lecture Hall (Oakland)

The Warhol and Music on the Edge welcome artists from the adventurous and eclectic Bedroom Community record label to the Carnegie Lecture Hall in Oakland for its 2016 Whale Watching tour featuring Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, Sam Amidon, and Valgeir Sigurðsson. Founded in 2006 in Reykjavík, Iceland, a diverse array of artists from around the globe have converged at Greenhouse Studios, where most of the music is recorded. The event is co-presented with the Music on the Edge series of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Music. Tickets $20 / $15 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: Ensemble Linea
Saturday, April 2, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol entrance space
The Warhol and Music on the Edge welcome the French new music collective Ensemble Linea. Founded by pianist and conductor Jean-Philippe Wurtz in 1998, and based in Alsace, a northeastern region of France, bordering on Germany and Switzerland and at the crossroads of many different cultures, Linea covers a diverse aesthetic perspective, from musical theater to electronic music, from Western music to the rich Asian and American repertoires. The event is co-presented with the Music on the Edge series of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Music. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Advance Tickets: $15 / $10 students; Door Tickets $20 / $15 students; visit www.music.pitt.edu/tickets or call 412.624.7529.

Sound Series: An Evening with Son Lux
Saturday, April 9, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol entrance space
The Warhol welcomes back the composer and producer Ryan Lott (aka Son Lux), returning as a trio with guitarist-composer Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang. His first three albums (on Joyful Noise Records) earned him various year-end awards, including NPR’s Best New Artist in 2008. Lott’s wide range of collaborators include Richard Perry (Arcade Fire), Beyoncé producer Boots, Sufjan Stevens, Vijay Iyer, and Nico Muhly. This performance is standing room only. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: Songhoy Blues
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol entrance space
The Warhol welcomes Songhoy Blues on its first North American tour. This young West African “desert blues” band takes its name from the Songhoy people of Mali. Band members Oumar Touré, Aliou Touré, Garba Touré, and Nathanial “Nat” Dembele grew up keenly interested in American hip hop and R&B and cite B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Ali Farka Toure as key influences. Their debut album Music in Exile was produced by Nick Zimmer of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This event is co-presented with Pandemic. This performance is standing room only. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: An Evening with Dawn of Midi
Saturday, April 16, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol entrance space
The Warhol welcomes Dawn of Midi, a Brooklyn-based acoustic ensemble made up of Aakaash Israni from India on double bass, Amino Belyamani from Morocco on piano, and Qasim Naqvi from Pakistan on drums. The trio met at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles in 2006 and developed a unique musical aesthetic that can sound deceptively electronic and computer-generated, involving repetition of phrases and entrancing rhythms. On the trio’s record Dysnomia (released by Erased Tapes), they favor composition over improvisation and employ rhythms from North and West African folk traditions. This performance is standing room only. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: The Julian Lage Trio
Tuesday, May 3, 2016 – 8pm
The Warhol theater
The Warhol welcomes guitar virtuoso Julian Lage and his trio for the first time in the museum’s intimate theater. Beginning his career as a child prodigy and subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary Jules at Eight, Lage made his recording debut in 1999 at age 11, alongside David Grisman, Bela Fleck, Vassar Clements, and Edgar Meyer. Lage also frequently performs as a duo with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline and serves as guitarist with fiddle legend Mark O’Connor’s ensemble. Tickets $15 / $12 Members & students; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300.

Sound Series: Cineshape
Wednesday, May 4, 2016 – 7pm and 8:30pm
The Warhol theater
Cineshape features original music by Amy Williams and video by Aaron Henderson performed by an all-star lineup of JACK Quartet, flutist Lindsey Goodman, percussionist Scott Christian, and the composer at the piano. This concert is part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Year of the Humanities. The event is co-presented with the Music on the Edge series of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Music. Free parking is available in The Warhol lot. Advance Tickets: $15 / $10 students; Door Tickets $20 / $15 students; visit www.music.pitt.edu/tickets or call 412.624.7529.