Bay area rock and roll foursome Ovvl may have adopted witch-house spelling, but their sound is pure early-to-mid-’70s rawk tinged with stoner metal attitude and an occassional prog-funk vibe. Ovvl released their eponymously titled full-length last November and are back on the road. Judging from the merch section of their Bandcamp, high-minded heshers are buying what they’re selling; in addition to their full-length album, there are stickers, t-shirts and a hand-wrapped Christmas mixtape still up for grabs. Ovvl shreds at Launchpad (618 Central SW) on Friday, Sept. 6, along with stoner rock stalwart Black Maria, doom metal/stoner rock upstart Edith and blues-rock outfit The Lymbs. The amps crank up to 11 at 9:30pm, and admission to this 21-and-over earplug fest is $7.
Four Up Improv In The Limelight
Thollem McDonas
Peter Gannushkin
For auto-free Burque denizens like myself, a trip to the City Different can seem like a massive undertaking. But with the Rail Runner and ride-share opportunities, even the carless can realistically travel to Santa Fe for a festival. This weekend, the Fe—specifically Santa Fe University of Art and Design—is the place to check out freewheelin’ improv all weekend long. Friday night’s performance features contrabassist Brendan Carn and multi-instrumentalist Dino J.A. Deane. On Saturday, iNK oN pAPER and Mexico City-based experimental trombonist Brian Allen conjure a set. Sunday winds down with a set by Wind Up Birds and Thollem’s Confluence. All shows happen at SFUAD campus’ Benildus Hall at 8pm. SFUAD students get in free, and tickets are 10 bucks for everyone else. A moderated Q&A follows each concert.
Four Up Pining For Classical
Rachel Barton Pine
It’s easy to overlook the strength and fortitude possessed by acclaimed violinist/classical music ambassador Rachel Barton Pine. Her love affair with the violin began in church as a child, and it has continued—almost unabated—ever since; Pine suffered a terrible accident on an Illinois train, and her recovery was arduous. But two years later, she was back. Listing all her symphony affiliations and award-winning albums would take up too much space here, but if that’s your thing, her aural pedigree is flawless. While Pine adores the classics, she’s also a big fan of heavy metal. Her ear for cadence and tone are extraordinary. She not only feels the music, she allows her audience to revel in its thrilling beauty. Pine plays a benefit concert for the New Mexico Philharmonic on Saturday, Sept. 7, at KiMo Theatre (423 Central NW). Tickets are 100 bucks, but it’s a benefit, dig? The recital begins at 5:30pm.
Four Up Coltrane Or Cobain?
Brian Allen
Mexico City-based trombonist Brian Allen was born deep in the heart of Texas, but his education and work has found him exploring the hallowed halls of Berklee, Boston University, Harvard, Jazz Institute at Anton Bruckner University, Luzern Conservatory, Prague Conservatory and elsewhere. In his everyday life, he conjures sound with Hernan Hecht and Jacob Koller and a slew of other artists and runs a small cafe called Café Aurora in Mexico City. Allen performs at the third-to-last 2013 Roost Creative Music Series concert at Outpost Performance Space (210 Yale SE) on Sunday, Sept. 8. This gig starts at 7:30pm sharp, and admission is a mere five bucks.
