OUTPOST186 Concert & Event Schedule, July 2008

Kevin Frenette 6 - Now with Joe Giardullo! - see 12 July
Joe Giardullo
OUTPOST: 186 ½ Hampshire St., Inman Sq. Cambridge - All Ages


OUTPOST DIRECTIONS: Near cr. Prospect, opposite Hess gas, behind 7-11. Big ‘186’ on R side. Follow walk at Left to gallery, REAR.

OUTPOST INFO:
All shows 8pm doors unless otherwise noted.
Admission by donation at door.
No reservations, come early!
All shows all ages.
No smoking, alcohol please.

GALLERY HOURS:
Gallery hours are 1-4pm Tuesday through Sunday during exhibitions or by appointment.
CONTACT: robchalfen@hotmail.com617.876.0860

WE GET PRESS!!
Outpost featured in Cambridge Chronicle, 19 June 2008:
An-Outpost-on-the-edge-of-music

Nice write up on Outpost in the Glob, Sunday 27 Jan. 2008 Outpost is the 2nd item:
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2008/01/26/six_nights_out____what_youre_hear_who_youll_meet/

on Richard Sandler's Films:
http://www.bloggernews.net/113600
On our "Small Arts Group Die Off", 13 January:
Globe: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/01/12/small_arts_groups_are_dying_to_be_heard/
Big Red & Shiny:
http://www.bigredandshiny.com/cgi-bin/retrieve.pl?issue=issue75§ion=article&article=DONT_DRINK_THE_1485440
BILL MARX/The Arts Fuse: Boston Foundation to Small Theatres - Drop Dead Please!
http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/01/20/boston-foundation-to-small-theaters-drop-dead-please/#more-401


JULY
Wednesday, 9 July @ Outpost, 8pm $5/10
G. David Gross presents
the epicureans
+
empty house cooperative
+
jeffrey smith


photo: Jane Philbrick
Thursday 10 July @ Outpost, 8pm $7 or b/o
“Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic Salon Series”
Michael Bierylo (guitar, laptop); Ken Field (sax); Rick Scott (keyboards, percussion), Erik Lindgren (keyboards, electronics) plus Encanti (laptop/glitch master) & special guests

Friday 11 July
private rehearsal


Joe Giardullo
Sat. 12 July @ OUTPOST, 8pm $10 or b/o
subconsciouscafé presents
The KEVIN FRENETTE 6 Now with JOE GIARDULLO!
Kevin Frenette - guitar /James Rohr - fender rhodes / Joe Moffett - trumpet / Ryan McGuire - bass / Tatsuya Nakatani - percussion
http://www.myspace.com/kevinfrenette
We are pleased to announce the late addition of composer & sax great JOE GIARDULLO to the lineup! more info below...
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=1778
http://www.joegiardullo.com/bio.htm
Boston area guitarist Kevin Frenette has performed throughout the Northeast USA making music that is inspired by both avant-garde jazz and contemporary improvisation.

of KF4: Connections
"The Kevin Frenette 4 is the collaborative efforts of four like-minded, energetic musicians who approach the spontaneous inventions of Connections with a blank slate...

Most of the pieces are set in motion by Frenette, who presents quick-witted guitar motifs with plenty of melodic angularity and rhythmic motion to feed the imaginations of his cohorts. Frenette's bop-inspired opening lines on the title track, arpeggiated statements on "Network Theory" and chromaticism on "Correlation Coefficient" are quickly echoed by McWain who seems to anticipate the guitarist's every move. The last three tracks on the disc, "Amalgamation," "Combinational Mathematics" and "Merger Doctrine," stand out as the session highlights. This far into the disc, the melding of musical thought takes on a natural flow with a complete abandonment of any pre-conceived notions.

Nakatani displays his brilliance throughout the session by combining inventive manipulation of percussive sound with thoughtful moments of silence. He employs a well-stocked arsenal of percussion to create tension in unpredictable ways. There are moments of utter defiance where sound clusters seem to purposefully disregard the melodic developments of guitar and piano. On "Logic Synthesis," Nakatani sets the mood with eerie cymbal harmonics and sporadic clatter, setting up a reflective backdrop for the others to exploit.”

--- John Barron/JazzReview.com
http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-18906.html


Sunday 13 July
private rehearsal

Monday 14 July
private rehearsal

Thursday 17 July @ Outpost, 8pm $7 or b/o
“Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic Salon Series”
Michael Bierylo (guitar, laptop); Ken Field (sax); Rick Scott (keyboards, percussion), Erik Lindgren (keyboards, electronics) plus Encanti (laptop/glitch master) & special guests

Friday, 18 July @ Outpost, 8 pm $10 or b/o
Forbes Graham & Polyrhythmatics Presents
Polyrhythmatics Brass Quartet
Forbes Graham - trumpet, laptop / Joe Moffett - trumpet
Adam Dotson - euphonium / George Saenz - trombone

+
Jackface Jones
Joe Moffett - Trumpet / Derek Beckvold - Saxophones /Adam Dotson - Euphonium / David Sleininger - Guitar / Matt Rousseau - Drums



Saturday, 19 July @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5/10
Geezeworld presents
Rabid Owl
Gleason's Twins
Joe Moffett - trumpet / Kristin Slipp - spoken word

Friday 25 July @ OUTPOST, 8pm $10 or b/o
EAST COAST CHANT with Tonia Pinheiro & Ukumbwa Sauti
East Coast Chant is a cosmic cabaret of sound, song, spoken word, chants, journeys and world service. It's a contemporary tapestry of possibilities woven with threads of light and shared purpose by musicians and audience. East Coast Chant is an experience that brings Heaven to Earth through the power of spirit-inspired music and makes Earth more like Heaven through the shared participation. All are welcome!

East Coast Chant premiers July 25th and is led by Tonia Pinheiro. Tonia (tone-ya) is a seasoned and inspired vocalist, facilitator, intuitive healer, and Ascension Path practitioner. Ukumbwa Sauti is an accomplished percussionist, educator, and shamanic healer/seer who creates inspired acoustic and electronic rhythms, environments and sound atmospheres.

Saturday, 26 July @ OUTPOST, 8pm $10 or b/o
Jacob William’s Parampara Quintet
Laurence Cook - Drums / Steve Lantner - Piano / Jim Hobbs - Alto Sax / Jacob William - Bass / Forbes Graham - Trumpet

Wednesday, 30 July @ Outpost, 8pm $10 or b/o
“BREAKFAST AT PENDERECKI’S”
JULES VASYLENKO - reeds,etc.
NATHAN AHLERS - prepared guitar,etc.
LAUREN STROBEL - trumpet,etc.
+
Josh Jefferson - solo sax
+
peter bonos - solo trumpetwww.myspace.com/peterbonos

(some) CONCERT SERIES AT OUTPOST:

VORTEX - 1st & 3rd Fridays, 8pm $5 or b/o
Microtonal soundscapes painted over a radiant sea of anarchy. New and improvisational music, featuring various guest artists in different incarnations, seeking truth and the voice that brought them to this point. Hosted by Todd Brunel - http://www.clarinetconspiracy.com

CELLO ALLEY - 2nd Fridays, 8pm $5 or b/o
New & Improvised Music
We will present all aspects of the modern improvising string player, in solo and ensemble settings, with electronics and without. Hosted by Robert Rivera
www.myspace.com/riveracellist

IMPROVELOCITY - 4th Fridays, 8pm $10 or b/o
An interactive, improvisational "kaleidoscope for the ears" fusing jazz, symphonic, microtonal, indigenous, ambient, vocals, written words, and elements from the other side of the universe. Hosted by Toni Pinheiro and members of Improvelocity.
http://www.improvelocity.com

subconsciouscafe new chamber music : - occas. Saturdays, 8pm $10 or b/o
Rob Chalfen's long-running improvised music series continues at OUTPOST and elsewhere. Innovative chamber music at play on the spectra of jazz, electronic, classical and world. Also may be dug by the non-subconscious mind.

THE WHIMSY! - 3rd Sundays, 8PM $5 or b/o
Song & poesy, bohemian vaudeville, open mic
Hosted by Markus Nechay

AL’S CROCKPOT - Sundays, 8pm $5 or b/o
Al cooks, you eat. Madness, satire, food, music & espresso for the post-apocalyptic set. Crackpots welcome. Hosted by Al Nidle, so it's only fair.


SERIES PRODUCERS:
subconsciouscafe : Rob Chalfen : robchalfen@hotmail.com
VORTEX : Todd Brunel : thbrunel@earthlink.net
East Coast Trance: Toni Pinheiro : improvelocity@comcast.net
Cello Alley : Robert Rivera : cello_alley@hotmail.com
The Whimsy! : Markus Nechay - markusnechay@yahoo.com
Al's Crockpot : Al Nidle - alanidle@hotmail.com
Eric Zinman: studioz@gis.net, ericzinman.com
Birdsongs: Michael Bierylo - mbierylo@berklee.net

DISCLAIMER:
All disclaimers are for reflexive and tautological purposes only, and should not be construed as applying to any errors, typos, or outright fraudulent misrepresentations, real or imaginary, that may be contained in this notice.

Thank you,
Harlan T. Flash
Corresponding Secretary

OUTPOST Concert Schedule, Autumn 2007

Richard Sandler "NYC - 5th & 57th" Reception 16 Dec. 2pm
The photographs are on display through January.

OUTPOST + subconsciouscafe Concert Listings, FALL 2007

OUTPOST: 186 ½ Hampshire St., Inman Sq. Cambridge - All Ages

OUTPOST DIRECTIONS: Near cr. Prospect, opposite Hess gas, behind 7-11. Big ‘186’ on R side. Follow walk at Left to gallery, REAR.

OUTPOST INFO:

All shows 8pm doors unless otherwise noted.
All donations cheerfully accepted.
No reservations, come early!
All shows all ages.
No smoking, no alcohol please.
CONTACT: robchalfen@hotmail.com617.876.0860

NOTE:
Some shows around Xmas have been canceled due to seasonal madness, as indicated.

Starting in January gallery hours will be 1-4pm as we can arrange it! Stay tuned for details.


December 2007

Sunday, 2 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
“Al’s Crockpot”
Al cooks, you eat. Madness, satire, music & espresso for the post-apocalyptic set.

Fri. 7 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
VORTEX presents:
”Improv Travelers”

Michael Carey, woodwinds / Greg Pare, drums / Jason Davis, bass
a guest t.b.a...

MIKE CAREY plays in the Boston area with Anita Coelho, Sandi Hammond, Improvelocity, Mike Barylle, and his own quartet. Has toured the US with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and performed with The Platters, The Crystals and Phil Woods, among others.

GREG PARE, composer and drummer, holds a Masters in theory from NEC and is the music director at St. Gerard of Majella Parish.

Bassist JASON DAVIS - Since coming back to his home town of Lexington he has been playing with Rusty Scott and friends.

We have playful arrangements of jazz tunes and some solos sections of emotional depth to help you enjoy the intimate room; Outpost.

Sunday, 9 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
“Al’s Crockpot”
Al cooks, you eat. Madness, satire, music & espresso for the post-apocalyptic set.

Thursday, 13 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $8
“New England Film Movement” - a networking event
A monthly evening for film-makers and film-related artists to connect with the film community.

Fri. 14 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
Cello Alley presents:
Rabid Owl + Robert Rivera - solo cello

Rabid Owl:
Roger W. Fritz - guitar / Alison Hearn - flute / Chris Pert - trumpet / Mike Drzewiecki - drums

Sat. 15 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 4pm - $7 - A Family Event
MOONSHIP presents:
“Season of the Light - A Solstice Celebration”
Jenn Bliss of MOONSHIP and Sue Eaton of MAGICAL CREATIONS team up to present SEASON OF THE LIGHT, the tale of four Winter celebrations, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas through interactive storytelling and live music! Bring your whole family and Share the Light!!
Tickets-$7/Free for ages 3 and under
Info: 617-620-9517 www.sueaton.com, www.themoonship.com


Sunday, 16 Dec. @ OUTPOST free
2pm Reception, 4:30pm Screening
Richard Sandler - NYC photographs & film screening

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION
"Living For The City: Street Photographs Of Boston and New York, 1977-1992," by Richard Sandler.

Guggenheim award winning NYC photographer & filmmaker Richard Sandler presents his New York black and white photography at Outpost. Reception @ 2pm. The show will run through most of January.

FILM SCREENING: "THE GODS OF TIMES SQUARE"
At 4:30pm he will present a showing of his award-winning documentary feature film “The Gods of Times Square”, on the occasion of its dvd release by Brink Films.



PHOTGRAPHIC EXHIBITION: "Living For The City"

"Living For The City: Street Photographs Of Boston and New York, 1977-1992," by Richard Sandler.

Richard Sandler began shooting pictures on the streets of Boston in 1977 during a heyday for Boston photographers. He crashed a photo class at Harvard with Ben Lifson and studied briefly with Garry Winogrand at the New England School of Photography.

Richard Sandler moved to New York in 1980 and intensively photographed on the streets there until 1992,the year he began shooting street video. Richard's photographs are in the collections of the New York Public Library, The Brooklyn Museum and The Museum of Fine Art, Houston.

Sandler's videos and films are, "The Gods Of Times Square"(1999), "Brave New York" (2004), "Sway" 2006, "Everybody Is Hurting" 2006, "The Rocks Of Eternity: Conversations with Satish Kumar" 2007, and a film, (in progress) "Aka Martha's Vineyard." Sandler has received two New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships in photography (1992, 1998) and a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship for filmmaking in 2006. "The Gods Of Times Square" has won a number of festival awards including "best documentary" at the '99 Chicago Underground Film festival and the '99 Rotterdam Film Festival.

FILM SCREENING: “THE GODS OF TIMES SQUARE”
THE GODS OF TIMES SQUARE was shot over a six year period that witnessed a radical transformation of Times Square. Gone now are the mom and pop stores, squeezed out by a real estate gold rush. Gone too are the colorful characters who made Times Square a "speaker's corner". THE GODS OF TIMES SQUARE thus records a time
in New York City history when the place most identified with free speech and the soul of New York, changed from a democratic and interracial common ground, into a corporate controlled, soulless theme park. The former versions of Times Square offered its
congregants a place to air their thoughts and blow off a little steam, to rant about God and race on the one hand or see a "B" movie or buy sex, at the other end of the Times Square spectrum. Now the choices are fewer, the prices are higher, and the "sin" is gone. Times Square now plays host to the newest of Gods: Micky, Minnie and Goofy on one corner, Bugs, Daffy and Porky on the other...God help Times Square!


"The Gods of Times Square is one of those rare documentaries that combines a cinematic eye with a compelling and genuine narrative. This is what doc filmmaking is about." - Scott Petersen, indieWIRE



Sunday, 16 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
“The Whimsy!” Song & poesy, bohemian vaudeville, open mic

Fri. 21 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
VORTEX presents:
Gary Fieldman, solo percusion
Percussionist, composer and music educator Gary Fieldman is active in a variety of musical genres throughout the US and Europe. He has performed with Joanne Brackeen, David Liebman, Bill Frisell, Ben Monder and Bevan Manson, and has recorded with Don Byron and George Garzone.

NOTE: THIS SHOW IS CANCELED & WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN JAN - THANKS.
Saturday, 22 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $10 or b/o
“Dave Maxwell & the Electrosonics”
David Maxwell - electric piano / Todd Brunel - bass clarinet & electronics / Robert Rivera - cello & electronics
Dave plugs into electro-acoustic space with key local improvisers to take it OUT at the OUTPOST.

NOTE: AL'S CROCKPOT IS ON VACATION UNTIL JAN 6 - THANKS.
Sunday, 23 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $5 or b/o
“Al’s Crockpot” presents : Nidle’s Saturnalia
Al cooks, you eat. Madness, satire, music & espresso for the post-apocalyptic set.

Fri. 28 Dec. @ OUTPOST, 8pm $10 or b/o
VORTEX presents:
“Improvelocity”
Andrea Loretz Frey - soprano / Toni Maria Pinheiro - vocals / Ukumbwa Sauti - percussion / Joel Cohen - cello / Todd Brunel - clarinets / Michael Carey - sax and flute / Paul Rodriguez - guitar / Grant Smith - drums

A collective improvisational experience, fusing jazz, symphonic, microtonal, blues and elements from the other side of the universe.

CONCERT SERIES AT OUTPOST:

(on sabbatical til Feb)
BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC ~ an improv residency
Thursdays, 8pm free or b/o
Members of the legendary electrified chamber ensemble Birdsongs of the Mesozoic will be in residence at Outpost this fall with occasional special guests. The group normally performs almost entirely composed music, complex enough that it is read on stage from sheet music. Birdsongs will be incorporating for the first time large amounts of textural improvisation. These evenings will be devoted to public experimentation in this direction.
http://www.birdsongsofthemesozoic.org

VORTEX - 1st & 3rd Fridays, 8pm $5 or b/o
Microtonal soundscapes painted over a radiant sea of anarchy. New and improvisational music, featuring various guest artists in different incarnations, seeking truth and the voice that brought them to this point. Hosted by Todd Brunel - http://www.clarinetconspiracy.com


CELLO ALLEY - 2nd Fridays, 8pm $5 or b/o
New & Improvised Music
We will present all aspects of the modern improvising string player, in solo and ensemble settings, with electronics and without. Hosted by Robert Rivera
www.myspace.com/riveracellist

IMPROVELOCITY - 4th Fridays, 8pm $10 or b/o
An interactive, improvisational "kaleidoscope for the ears" fusing jazz, symphonic, microtonal, indigenous, ambient, vocals, written words, and elements from the other side of the universe. Hosted by Toni Pinheiro and members of Improvelocity.
http://www.improvelocity.com

subconsciouscafe new chamber music : - occas. Saturdays, 8pm $10 or b/o
Rob Chalfen's long-running improvised music series continues at OUTPOST and elsewhere. Innovative chamber music at play on the spectra of jazz, electronic, classical and world. Also may be dug by the non-subconscious mind.

THE WHIMSY! - 3rd Sundays, 8PM $5 or b/o
Song & poesy, bohemian vaudeville, open mic
Hosted by Markus Nechay

AL’S CROCKPOT - Sundays, 8pm $5 or b/o
Al cooks, you eat. Madness, satire, food, music & espresso for the post-apocalyptic set. Crackpots welcome. Hosted by Al Nidle, so it's only fair.

MOONSHIP presents - for kids - 3rd Saturdays, $5, under 3 Free 1pm, 1hr.
family shows for young and old. From pirates to dragons, fairies to magic beans, each month THE MOONSHIP will take you on a wonderful adventure with storytelling, music, puppets and more!www.themoonship.com/calendar.html


MOONSHIP - 3rd Saturdays 1pm(kids)+8pm, $5 or b/o
Pirates, aliens, poets and madmen, belly dancing goddesses and shamanic punks.
www.themoonship.com/calendar.html


PRODUCERS:
subconsciouscafe : Rob Chalfen : robchalfen@hotmail.com
VORTEX : Todd Brunel : thbrunel@earthlink.net
Improvelocity : Toni Pinheiro : improvelocity@comcast.net
Cello Alley : Robert Rivera : cello_alley@hotmail.com
Moonship : Jason Berube : jason.berube@hotmail.com
Birdsongs & Friends : Ken Field: ken@kenfield.org
The Whimsy! : Markus Nechay - markusnechay@yahoo.com
Al's Crockpot : Al Nidle - alanidle@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER:
All disclaimers are for reflexive and tautological purposes only, and should not be construed as applying to any errors, typos, or outright fraudulent misrepresentations, real or imaginary, that may be embedded in this notice.

Thank you,
Harlan T. Flash
Corresponding Secretary

Outpost is coming!

After much sturm und drang, the Outpost Media & Performance Center is coming this fall to 186 Hampshire St., a former short-lived site of Zeitgeist, when we were sharing space with Axiom (c. April-Nov. '06)(I realize this saga has more twists and turns than a 19th c russian novel). Current grandiose schemes include a video production studio, low power fm & webcast community radio, on-line progressive political magazine, and in the main space, visual arts & regular producer-curated series of experimental and improvised music. The space(s) are now under renovation, but some events may happen there as early as September, and will be posted here. Birdsongs of the Mesozoic has already scheduled an open-rehearsal series for October. My subconsciouscafe new chamber music series will return to the space, for all but the largest shows. Stay posted for further mutations.

Low power fm (lpfm) radio may come to Outpost in legitimate (or quasi-legitimate) garb, as the Local Community Radio Act ( http://www.freepress.net/lpfm/ ) is in the Federal legislative pipeline, and from what I hear ( http://prometheusradio.org/content/view/524/1/ ) stands a reasonably good chance of passage in the next Congressional session. This means that urban non-profit community groups previously denied access may soon apply for lpfm (up to 100 watts) licenses. An informal group of local radio-heads has been meeting at the Middle East to discuss creation of a Cambridge community radio station; to be hooked up send me an email (robchalfen at hotmail).

Dig also:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2458757462

Space Opera : the View from May

Here's a frame shot of our rapidly morphing surreal estate scene:

Space 1:
616 Cambridge St., Hard-nosed landlord is putting it on the market at 13Gs, but renting to us on an ad hoc basis @ $7 (both floors), with 2 months free, and 3 month notice. He also seems willing to rent the 2nd floor separately for 3 Gs. The dollar store is clearing out, and should be outta there by 1 June. A large housing development near Lechmere that was to galvanize the district seems stalled. Our view is that what he's asking is so hopeless given the market that we're likely to be there for a while, barring angry, torch-bearing mobs or regulatory equivalent.

2nd fl:
A test party we held on 27 April resulted in the cops responding to a noise complaint from the family adjacent to 2nd fl rear, who live above their fish store, the New Deal ("nude eel"). An acoustician I brought by says that the most cost-effective way to damp the sound is to fill in the 2 existing walls between the performance area and the back wall. When doors are closed, this would in effect create 2 rooms of 'dead air', which are considered most effective means of sound insulation. Rough estimate for materials for this is 2G, sheet rock & framing. Labor will be largely donated from gallery work pool.

Concept
Long term plausibility index of this space for our purposes is unknown, but sufficiently intriguing to check out. Being able to have even a modest schedule of events (without benefit of constabulary) would build public momentum towards opening space 2 in Sept/Nov range, not to mention the invaluable boost that having a clubhouse would be for the ever-parlous Zeitgeist morale.

Rent to be covered largely by tenants. Ben Vigoda's computor company is the prime commercial tenant, and we will share performance with him.

1st fl.
The dollar store should be vacant by 1 June. Our ability to do events there will depend on neighbor & civic response to 2nd floor doings. We're thinking of just letting the city know that this is a transitional space, and not throw the entire licensing & zoning book at us - they'll have plenty chance to do that at Space 2. If we dont try to do a lot of performances there it could be worth holding on to as a gallery-annex. The landlord may decide after awhile that the path of least resistance is to let us have it for what we can pay, the space not otherwise going anywhere. It is certainly not worth putting a lot of dough into without a lease, and would be fairly expensive to get up to code for occupancy, requiring sprinklers & fire-coded corridor wall for 2nd egress. In short, this could be a Groovy Underground Scene, transient by nature, but may have some longer term potential, as various issues play out.

Space 2:
The former Portuguese Social Club, just in from the corner at Prospect on Cambridge St, Inman Sq. Landlord, mellow cat, down with the concept of an Arts Center. Has already begun renovations, and has made verbal commitment to install full sprinkler and safety systems. Rent is $6k for 5K+ sf 1st fl plus basement, 4 months free buildout, 20 year lease.

The main space is 1st floor and fully handicapped access. Concept is to have 1200/1500 sf Zeitgeist type perf & exhibition space, cafe, recording studio, community fm/web radio, silkscreening studio, various retail. Varying commitments exist from these tenants to date.

So I Thought You Guys Were Moving to Union Square?

Karen Boutet of the Zeitgeist answers a FAQ @ our (ill-starred) Union Square Gambit

The Union Square bank space fell through in February. Alan and I went through a period of discouragement, where we weren't sure what we would do, and were worn out with talking about things.

At any rate, what happened at the Union Squre Bank space is that after bringing in architects and city inspectors, we found that the building needed around $100,000 worth of work for us to be able to turn it into a public use space (it was private offices before.) For us to be able to do what we do, it would need a sprinkler system, wheelchair lift, two handicapped access bathrooms, and a second means of egress. (The handicapped access rules kicked in due to it's being on the second floor.) We were advised that this would cost approximately $100,000. After that we would still need to do all the usual sheetrocking, painting, lighting, and sound system installation. Despite extensive attempts to negotiate with the landlord (Ifeanyi Menkiti), he finally made it clear that he would not be willing to pay for any portion of this work, nor would he give us periods of free rent so that we could undertake to fund it or work on it ourselves. We have attracted a backer recently, who was willing to put up $50,000, but we didn't feel comfortable about raising the rest of the money without being able to use the space, while paying rent on it. Also, some problems arose with the Diesel cafe, who signed a lease on the first floor. They did not want to work together to develop the building, in fact they refused to give us a couple of feet we would need on the first floor to put in the whelchair lift. This would have resulted in an additional cost of $20,000 to build the wheelchair lift on the outside of the building. They were not willing to approach the city together for facade funding- they went separately as did we, which was not going to work, since the facade was made up of one wall of glass spanning the two floors.

The whole thing started to feel untenable and kind of hostile. We felt misled by the landlord, as he had initially expressed an interest in participating in an arts and cultural center, bringing people from his native Nigeria, putting on poetry events, etc. (Mr. Menkiti is a poet.) He neglected to mention that he was not willing to participate financially. We also felt betrayed by the Diesel cafe people, as Alan brought them into the space, yet they weren't willing to work with us in the most rudimentary of ways- in fact they stopped talking to us! Also, the realtor said the place already had a sprinkler system, which it didn't.

At any rate, we got a lease lawyer and got out of the lease. Mr. Menkiti gave us back our whole deposit, but the realtor, Kevin Delaney, still wanted his commission, so we had to pay that (even though Alan got him a tenant, which he hadn't been able to do in three years!) We also had some lawyer's fees. But we were very relieved to get out of there- it just felt really cutthroat. The Somerville Arts Council and Union Square Main Streets were very supportive, but they were powerless against this stuff.

So we are still looking about for an appropriate space, with a landlord who genuinely wants to work with us to make it happen!

Thanks for your patience and support.

Karen and Alan

party: fri 27 april : LIVE ART FRESH KILLED!

gang ~ come party at the potential new Zeitgeist Outpost in East Cambridge, on Cambridge St just after the tracks going towards Lechemere. Entrance to the right of the dollar store.

LIVE ART FRESH KILLED

A Zeitgeist Gallery Production

Performance, music, video

FRIDAY APRIL 27th, 8 pm till midnight

616 Cambridge st.

Go to Lechmere station at the end of the Green line. Follow Cambridge street until you'll come upon the big yellow chicken with the black letters "LIVE POULTY FRESH KILLED" near the railroad tracks... or take the 69 bus from Harvard square through Inman. Across the street from where the chicken crossed the road, you'll see a sign "Superdollar". On that same big yellow building, you'll notice a handpainted sign "Live Art Fresh Killed" which will mark the entrance to the space. Walk upstairs and enjoy the music.

8 till 10 Stephane Wrembel Band.... Lickedysplit guitarist who toured with

David Grisman is accompanied by a standup bass and a washboard.

10 till 12 Gypsy Jazz Jam Session.... 1930s style Jazz Hot Club Band w. Ben Vigoda

Come on down............ Don't be chicken !!!

about Zeitgeist Outpost

OUTPOST is a blog for the Zeitgeist Diaspora, a Virtual Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, Mass.) for the wayward scattered legions (you know who you are). Its a more interactive version of the Z website, to post what's up with you, news about potential new spaces, what you think about what the Zeitgeist should be, performance and art event info, praise & hosannas, grousing & crabbing. You'll be able to put up images & sound files, eventually if not already (I'm a blognoramus) (but I'm learning). Consider it a work in collective progress - it'll be interesting to see how it actually plays out - make the law of unintended consequences work for you!

Other ways I'm thinking about OUTPOST is as a magazine open to various creative networks, containing all the kinds of stuff we think of as going on at the Z: art & music, but also poetry & writing like we had in the Zeitgeist Improbable 'zine. OUTPOST may eventually have a paper component - I still dig being able to hand people a Thing. Consider me the editor/curator, but I'll rule with an iron feather.

Since I'm starting the damn thing, it'll also be a sort of clearinghouse for stuff I'm doing &/or interested in, like:

-subconsciouscafe new chamber music series
-community media : fm radio & webcasting
-jazz & improvised music
-Outpost itself as morphing phenomenon
-Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge, MA)
-friends
-writings, drawings & photos, new & archive

for now here are a few key links:

new amazing boston jazz/improv site:
http://brilliantcornersabostonjazzblog.blogspot.com/

my woefully neglected sub'cafe site:
http://subconsciouscafe.org/

Prometheus community radio site:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/

Chalfenalia:

Library of Vinyl Experience : a 4 page tour through my 78rpm record stash :
http://libraryofvinyl.org/love1_1/love1_1.htm

More obsessive ragtime arcana: JR Europe/Castles footage, 1914:
http://riddimmethod.net/index.php?s=Castles+in+Europe&submit=Search

Institute for Parallel Studies: R&D from "the world next door"
www/skdeitch.com

Rob Chalfen
minister of propaganda / zeitgeist gallery
robchalfen@hotmail.com