VertiGo-Go: WFMU 91.1 FM Benefit
Co-programmed by WFMU Freeform Independent Radio and Astria Suparak
@ Smack Mellon, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY
December 11, 1999
Performances by:
Thurston Moore with White Out; DJ Spooky and Vinicius Cantuaria with special guest Carl Hancock Rux; MC Fab Five Freddy; Brian Dewan; DJ Scud, Aphasic; DJ Olive, Toshio & RAC; DJ I-Sound; Jaiko (from Vampyros Lesbos); Bindlestiff Family Circus
Visuals:
Jen & Kevin McCoy; Brian Dewan
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Film and Video Room
Programmed by Astria Suparak
The 9-hours event included film and light installations, live film and music performances, and curated programs of film and video.
5pm: Westway To the World, Don Letts, 2000, 60min
Sneak peak of the new Clash documentary.
6:30pm: Broken Music shorts program, with work by Christian Marclay, Voice Crack, Sonic Youth/Chris Habib, Steina Vasulka, Ken Butler.
8pm: Spaceborne and Driftwork, Luis Recoder, performative films.
8:45pm: Shorts program with work by Joost Rekveld, Martin Arnold, Leslie Thornton, Jennifer Reeder.
10pm: The Way Things Go, by Fischli & Weiss.
Sound and light reflections by Bruce McClure.
10:30pm: The First Greyness to Emerge, Warren Ng and Recoder.
11pm: divider (Steven Aldridge, Jason Merritt, James Wolcott) performance/installation.
1am: booby trap (Max Panzner, Rolyn Barthelman): video test.
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PRESS
TIME OUT NY:
… Then toes will start a-tappin’ to a DJ marathon featuring the finest in lo-fi, chaotic, sampling abstractions (that you can dance to!) from DJ Scud and Aphastic, the cream of the British crop; DJ Steinski, the godfather of the collage hip-hop style; DJ I-Sound on the aggressive, chop-up turntablism tip; and then cool down to the sexy European ’60s sounds from the long-running Vampyros Lesbos party crew. Aaah.
Now we move on to the live portion of the evening, with more local noise superstars than you can shake a rusty, pointed metal stick at (and believe me, I’ve tried!), including wacky zitherist Brian Dewan, big papa Thurston Moore with noise ensemble White Out, and free-jazz staple Dorgon.
Plus, there’ll be tons of films, videos, and installations [programmed by Astria Suparak] in the huge Smackmellon space to stare at blearily while DJ Spooky provides back up for Brazilian guitarist Cantuaria and spoken-word deep guy Rux. Finally, Desco Records, NYC’s home of the “heavy heavy funk” sends over the Mighty Imperials to make us all shake our rumps to the funky stuff old-school style. And did I mention the whole shebang is hosted by the always fabulous Fab Five Freddy? All this for a measly ten bucks that goes straight to WFMU, the only radio station that doesn’t take a cent from the Man.
– A. Kellner
Astria Suparak 