Worldlines of Flight

The hole in the Arctic Ocean has been posited as an entrance or thoroughfare to the interior of the hollow earth, but it more likely corresponds to the idea of a navel of space-time, or a wrapping-around point for the folding continuum. Consequentially, or supersequentially, there is no directionality to the movement of time, just as there is no directionality in space other than approximations based on magnetism and paranoid scientific theories like “gravity.” And a worldline is better conceived as a worldcircle or maybe a worldspiral. No?

Two 506 shows this weekend. Links to all bands at local506.com.

Friday, June 27, Local 506, 10 pm: Dexter Romweber and the New Romans with Rat Jackson.
On their website Rat Jackson says something about having needed “to tone down their live shows to make them more digestible to the crowds they were playing to.” How respectful of them. Sort of like a lover who keeps asking if it feels okay.
The New Romans wouldn’t really want to presume anything about our crowds. But we do believe in putting on a dang good show. I believe we’re second of the two acts.

Sunday, June 29, Local 506, 9 pm: Savage Knights with Silver Apples and Loto Ball Show.
Legendary Silver Apples are headlining. Their first two records in the late ’60’s are unique, forward-thinking and just darn good music. And they continue to press in strange directions.
Loto Ball Show is an excellent, hard-driving, no wave outfit with a large ensemble of players.
Savage Knights will blow your fucking mind. Please note the 9 pm start time. That’s about when we’ll go on.

Coming in July: Judge Schreber’s Avian Choir peforming “Molt,” a doom metal chamber-snuff piece for rock’n'roll trio and 8 string players.

Robert Pence
Beekeeper General
retroactivedynamics.com

The Best of All Possible Worlds

All right all you god-pissin varmints out there let’s get two things straight right off the bat and then we can all go about whatever it is that we’re calling our business these days except for there’s less and less of a way to tell whose bid’ness belongs to whom what with virtuality claiming immanence to all the spheres of experience but that’s neither here nor there nor everywhere but it is nowhere in particular and always-already present and unaccountable for but I digress.

Wednesday, June 18, Nightlight, 10 pm: Savage Knights with Grasslung and Pelerine.
Yup. Your worst fears are realized. Double Muslims have canceled.
But I’m sure it’ll still be a bang-up show. The Savage Knights will treat you the way you deserve to be treated as a citizen of this here United States.
Grasslung are from Baltimore and bring some atmospherics and dronishness.
Not sure what John McCusker of Pelerine has in store for us, but he’s in Southern Man if that gives you an idea.

Friday, June 27, Local 506, 10 pm: Dexter Romweber and the New Romans with Rat Jackson.
Another throw down with Dex and the gang.
Rat Jackson are some full-bellied rock and roll.

More show announcements soon.

-Bob
retroactivedynamics.com

sales techniques

The best way to sell Bibles is to make them believe that you believe.

Friday, June 6, Marsh Woodwinds, Raleigh, 8 pm, $5: Slicnaton; Shesha.

Here’s what Nic Slaton (Slicnaton) has to say about the evening:

“Come for an evening of Electro-Acoustic music in a listening room
setting. Expect compositions and improvisations which combine
electronic signal processing and sound manipulation with violin,
double bass,
clarinet and drums.

Performers are:

:::Trio slicnaton::: Mietek Glinkowski-Violin and Electronics, Bob
Pence- Bass Clarinet and Bari Sax, Nicholas Slaton-Electronics.
Ambient
Noise with Instrumental Improvisation www.slicnaton.com
www.myspace.com/slicnaton

:::Shesha::: Steve Burnett- Signal Processing and Looping of Bass,
Christopher Thurston- Acoustic and Electric Bass
“A Hundred-Headed Naga of Electro-Acoustic Double Bass”
http://www.subscapeannex.com/shesha/index.html

:::JMRD::: Members of Trio slicnaton and Shesha combine with
Drummer
Jon-Mark Ryan Dale and Percussionist Andrew Munger for a completely
improvised set.

Marsh Woodwinds, located at 707 N Person St (near Peace St.); is
Raleigh’s best new listening room.

The CD release party is from 8-10pm with a $5 cover that includes a
copy of the CD. It’s BYOB though some refreshments will be provided.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you there. If you know of
someone
who might be interested in this sort of thing please forward it onto
them.

slicnaton Publishing.”

And on June 12, I will be playing with Dexter Romweber and the New Romans at The Station.

–Robert Pence

New Rome

Dear Stockholders,
Since the Bush administration’s executive order decreeing Mother Nature a terrorist organization, we here at Retroactive Dynamics, Inc., are gearing all production toward the War on Terror effort. Let’s bomb Her back to the Cambrian age, gentlemen.

Oh, and check it out:

Dexter Romweber and the New Romans are playing tonight and Saturday in Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
–Tonight (Thursday) at the Station, next to the railroad tracks off the Weaver St Market parking lot. Starting around 9:00 or so.
–Saturday night at the Reservoir. Probably more like 10:00 or so.
Good old-fashioned rock’n'roll.

And then myselves’ll also be joining The Hem of His Garment (big loud drone freak) at Bull City HQ in Durham on Friday night around 10:00. Opening for west-coasters The Dead Science (”pop noir”/Xiu Xiu spin-off), who oughta be interesting.

-Robert
retroactivedynamics.com
“We bring dead things to life.”

International Noise Conference

I’m cloning this missive for y’alls’s edification.
-Bob

Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:50:43 -0400
From: nightlight@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: {–0–} INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONFERENCE + + this Tuesday the 29th! CHAPEL HILL + + +
To: crowmeat@hotmail.com

INTERNAT’L NOISE CONFERENCE : CHAPEL HILL : : : :TUESDAY APRIL 29th : : : :@NIGHTLIGHT
No Cover / donations encouraged

In lieu of a No Future Fest this year, one stream-lined grab-bag of local weirdos curated by Scotty
“Clang Quartet” Irving + Ryan Martin, plus the famous LAUNDRY ROOM SQUELCHERS. 18 bands, multiple stages, fifteen minutes-or-less sets (no joke, bartenderess Ainsley will be wielding a timer + a gong), NO DRONES / NO MIXING BOARDS / NO LAPTOPS = no safety nets / TOTAL NOISE saturation LOVE OVERDOSE

Stage 1
Lord Satisfaction - 8PM
Subscape Annex - 9PM
Lopez Attitude - 10PM
Todos Somos Ninjas -11PM
The Bramble Ramblers - 12:20AM
Relay For Death - 1:20AM

Stage 2
Yohimbe - 8:20PM
Thirteen Fingers - 9:20PM
Doug Ferguson - 10:20PM
Clang Quartet - 11:20PM
Crowmeat Bob - 12:40AM

Alley-way
I AM OK - 12AM

Bargain-bin outdoors
Jim Capps - 8:40PM
Flippin Idiots - 9:40PM
Vaginateeth/Jesusteeth - 10:40PM
Bryce Clayton Eiman - 11:40PM
Secret Boyfriend + Jeff Rehnlund -1AM

Inside/EVERYWHERE
THE LAUNDRY ROOM SQUELCHERS - 1:40AM

Once again, this is free but you should bring some donations to help cover the Squelcher’s astronomical continent-wide tour expenses. more infos: http://squelchers.net/inc2008tour.htm

NIGHTLIGHT is located at 405 1/2 W Rosemary St Chapel Hill
nightlightclub.com + + + + +

Love

last minute

So but try and stop by “Dorkfest” this Saturday at Broad St Cafe in Durham if you’re of a mind to.
Dexter Romweber & the New Romans and Calabi Yau (Charlotte) and the Late Viriginia Summers (Lynchburg) and a bunch of other bands that I can’t remember right now.
We’re playing around midnight.
myspace.com/dorkfest2

And on the 29th of April I’ll be playing a little set at the Rat Bastard International Noise Fest at Nightlight. Should be a pip.
–Bob

funny how secrets travel

A little remind about things to come.
And, as always, if you want to be removed from this list, just drop me a line saying “Stop pestering me, you barley-totin’ scudhopper.”

Project Bluebird CD Release
Marsh Woodwinds, 707 N Person St. Raleigh
8 pm — 5 bucks gets you entry + a CD (’cause let’s face it, music ain’t worth shit.)

I’ll quote a promo e-mail Brent Bagwell sent out about our show in Charlotte tonight, ’cause he says it better than I could:

“As a refresher, Project BLUEBIRD is the Charlotte-Triangle collaboration featuring:

Carrie Shull – oboe, english horn
Bob Pence – alto and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet
Brent Bagwell – tenor and baritone saxophones, clarinet
Ben Kennedy – violin, cello
Ron Brendle – bass

In a delightfully subversive move from the Fourth Estate, we find/found ourselves as Creative Loafing’s Best New Band of 2007: “Project Bluebird’s shows are a study in deconstruction – the finished “product” a free-floating (there’s no drummer to act as anchor) vibe that’s variously exultant, or gloriously exhausted, but never exhausting. Queen City folk rarely consider that a jazz band could be the most indie thing we have going, but guess what?”

So, $5 gets you a CD and 2 sets of fresh music….a good deal, I say.”

More shows to come.

–Robert
retroactivedynamics.com

Runnin’ Things

We’ll packup where we liftoff in the overeazy times to be, withwhat the subjuncated sensoria prolificatin’ ary which whir in the feargrounds of our fancies. Clubfooted bedraggers won’t herald our passing neitherhow.
Don’t ya know.

Friday & Saturday (Charlotte and Raleigh), April 11 & 12: CD release for Project Bluebird.
$5 gets you entry and a CD.
Friday at Century in Charlotte, 8 pm.
Saturday at Marsh Woodwinds (707 Person St) in Raleigh, 8 pm.
A joint coalition of Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham folks.
“Avant garde chamber jazz” is how they describe us in the World Book Encyclopaedia.
Sorta composed improvisation, with occasional lack of composure. I think you’ll dig it.

And be sure and keep your ears peeled for Dexter & The New Romans at Dorkfest in Durham April 19th. Broad St Cafe.

–robert
retroactivedynamics.com

Public Private Partnership

Fix your bayonets and start marching, children. We got ourselves some nasty bidness up ahead. And be certain you’ve got your InfraGard ID’s at the ready, so we know you’re one of the good guys.

Friday, March 28, Marsh Woodwinds, 8 pm, +/- 5 bucks: The Savage Knights w/Peter Lamb and the Wolves, and Mark Wells (solo piano).
People keep asking me when the Savage Knights are going to play again — usually couched in the form of “Aren’t you in a band or something?”
If there’s enough of an audience quorum, Peter and the Wolves will start just after 8. So we’ll probably end up going on around 10. Maybe earlier.
A night of jazz (except we rock), on Person St, just down from the Krispy Kreme.
These days the Savage Knights are Chris Eubank on cello, Joey Chorley on bass, Mike Isenberg on drums, Brian Donohoe on Moog and aux percussion, and Slowfeet Bob on guitar & reeds.

Friday, April 4, Capitol City Grocery, 7-9 pm: Beat Congress.
I’m filling in for Parrish Anderson with the Beat Congress. That’s with Christopher Thurston and Jubal Creech. At a grocery store. If the old theories about music influencing consumer desires are true then no one’s going to buy shit while we’re playing.

Friday, April 4, The Cavern Tavern, Chapel Hill, 10:30: Dexter Romweber and the New Romans.
That’s right. We’re going to try to squeeze into the Cave again.

Saturday, April 5, The Good Cherry, Forest, VA: Razor Wire Safety Net with Nizmet.
We’ll be improvising. They’ll be belly-dancing.
Somewhere near Lynchburg.

Monday, April 7, Downtown Events Center, Raleigh, 10 pm: The Savage Knights with Health and Mt. Weather.
Not quite sure about the order yet, but Health is headlining. They’re a rock/synth thing kind of after the fashion of Kraftwerk and other kraut exemplars.
Don’t know nothin’ about Mt. Weather. You try googling them and see what happens.

Friday, April 11, Charlotte
Saturday, April 12, Raleigh: Project Bluebird.
People keep asking me when Project Bluebird is going to play again — usually couched in the form of “Are you still doing music?”
This will be a sort of CDR-release weekend for the chamber free jazz group.

–Slewfoot Bob
retroactivedynamics.com

Sleepers Awake

So sorry long time no rant, but we are, albeit at least somewhat involuntarily, investigating the possibilities inherent in inherence, i.e. the aesthetics of disappearance you might say — that is to say the threshold of the invisible holds a mighty temptation for we Zen Nihilist sociable misanthropes. But a Cthulu-esque emergence from our slumber has resulted in a minor flurry of mid-February activity. Thus:

Wednesday, February 13, Nightlight, 9:30: Crowmeat Bob and the Slawfoot Stumpers, with Beat Circus and Kristy Kruger.
My own ragtag ensemble will be in the middle spot between a couple of class acts.
We’ll be doing some songs and improvisations. With Bradley Cook on double bass & vox, Aaron Smithers on jug & hubcap banjo, Tatsuya Nakatani on percussion, and myself on guitar & vox & reeds.
Beat Circus looks darned interesting. Weird Amercian gothic, they call it. From Boston. Lots of instruments. And I just now discovered they played on WXYC last night. Hope you caught it.
http://beatcircus.net/
Kristy Kruger’s a fine country music singer from Dallas. She’ll be going on first at about 9:30.
http://www.kristykruger.com/home.htm

Friday, February 15, Marsh Woodwinds (707 N Person St), Raleigh, 8 pm, 5 bucks: Tatsuya Nakatani solo and with Carrie Shull and Crowmeat Bob, and the Atomic Rhythm All Stars.
Tatsuya is a virtuosic extended-technique percussionist. Like Stockhausen’s Mikrophonie with jazz/improv sympathies and Tibetan bowls and stuff. Do yourself a freakin favor.
http://www.hhproduction.org/TATSUYA_NAKATANI_WORKS.html
The Atomic Rhythm All Stars are a new Raleigh jazz group that does the old-timey thing, music between the wars and suchlike.
They’ll open up and then Tatsuya will play a solo set and then he’ll be joined by we locals.
I’m serious. Come check him out.
Just a block down from the Krispy Kreme.

In other news, the Polyphonic Perversity radio show has moved again to Sundays, noon to 2 pm, on WXDU(.org). I alternate now with Joey. My jazz spot reamains 6-8 pm Thursdays in alternation with Andy.
I’ll be doing the Mondo Mundo world music program from 1-3 on the 16th.
And I’ll be having Dexter Romweber on the Mystery Show at 10 pm on the 24th to spin some of his favorite old records.

–Robert