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Robert RichLive atThe Gatherings Concert Series8 April 2000The Cathedral in Philadelphia, PA |
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Review: The Gatherings with Robert Rich
Robert Rich returned to Philadelphia to reprise his 1996 performance. Unlike most gatherings, he was the only act on the bill, playing three sets. He started out on the grand piano playing rapid, but gentle notes in heavy layers. The instrument was tuned in what I believe to be just intonation because it sounded very similar to some of Terry Riley's work in the same area. The couple in the row between me and Bill Fox was quite moved by Robert's piano, with the woman swaying first her head, then shoulders and finally her whole upper body. Robert quickly moved on to his electronics, starting with a soft drone and cricket noises. He extracted many sounds from the pedal steel guitar with a host of effects. It sounded organ like at first and later changed to his signature voice-ish wail. Pounding percussion was introduced for a while and then he went into a long jam on the various hand made wood and PVC flutes while the synths cranked out drones and odd distant "barks". The third set was much more tribal with lots of percussion and more flute jams. These were interspersed with bell and gong tones. At one point he got quiet with a very peaceful resonant drone and the smallest of the flutes. The percussion came back suddenly, jolting me awake! Robert got a standing ovation. The lighting was very subdued. Dozens of small candles lit the foot of the stage and two sail shaped screens behind Robert featured subtle, yet complex computer generated graphics. We await the day when Robert will do another Sleep Concert in the Delaware Valley!
by Andy Wing Review: The Gatherings with Robert Rich A stark contrast from his 1996 Philadelphia performance when Rich offered a well rounded blend of all facets of his musical styles. This time around Robert seemed mired in his dark, swampy 'humidity' like textures, never really emerging from the depths until 'Lapis', from his recent 'Seven Veils', appeared at the evening's conclusion. Ah, too late for me, I fear. I'm afraid by this point I was lost "in a miasma of malarial delusions" of my own. Darned mosquitoes.
by soma611
Following The Gatherings Concert Series event, Robert Rich's Sleep Concert of 10.13.96 was re-aired on the 04.09.00 broadcast of STAR'S END. |
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Review: The Gatherings with Robert Rich
I really enjoyed seeing Robert Rich live in Philadelphia on Saturday at The Gatherings. It was a little different than the other Gatherings, with Robert playing two sets by himself, as well as surprising us with a very different opening...... My wife & I arrived at the Cathedral -- our first time there (we're still kicking ourselves for missing Vir Unis). We REALLY like this place a lot! It's got great acoustics, with a really tall ceiling, and lots of room. And padded seats! Yes! No more need for the stadium cushions (grin). It was a great vibe, and it was really nice to meet Kevin, Bill, and everybody else. Lots of discussion going on before the show & during the intermission about Robert & spacemusic, etc. After buying a copy of Humidity, and a Humidity Tour T-shirt (great idea), we settled in for the show. Chuck gave the introductions, and out came Robert to applause and then hushed anticipation. Robert surprisingly went straight to the grand piano in the front, and proceeded to start creating some nice washes of notes. Somewhat fast tempo, in a diminished sort of mode. There was almost a classical quality to the waves of notes, with lots of pedal. Very unexpected, and refreshing to see a purely acoustic & traditionally classical instrument used to such effect. It set a different mood. After about 15-20 minutes, the piece came to an end. More applause. Then Robert stepped back onto the stage, and the rest of the first set began. I've been a big fan of Robert's work for almost ten years, but I had never seen him perform live before. So I was particularly interested in how he made some of the voices that he is known for. I had always thought that the ethereal, disembodied, muse- like voice that occasionally calls out was synthesized. I was amazed to see that he creates this sound using a pedal steel and e-bow, with lots of processing! I never would have guessed that's how it was done -- I always thought it was done with a synth patch. To me, the true artists of the spacemusic genre are always fascinating to watch in performance, as the creation of the sounds can be quite unexpected. Also, knowing that Robert improvises his shows, one never really knows exactly what will happen. Which makes each performance unique. By being part of the audience, we create a vibe that influences the artist and the performance to an extent. I recall the set beginning with some loops of crickets & nighttime ambience, with Robert starting on the pedal steel. He went for a rather exotic sound that reminded me somewhat of his pedal steel work at the beginning of Seven Veils -- the tuning definitely struck me as non-Western, and I found out later Robert is indeed into just intonation, etc. Robert then proceeded over to the keyboards, where he occasionally brought in looped percussion, and played some interesting parts. The flute was brought in, although it was employed more in the second set. There were some really neat soundscapes that Robert got going near the end of the first set, with some sections quite minimalist. Robert has a unique primal/archetypal quality to his work. There's a certain edge that is very recognizable as Robert Rich, and that was the case here. There was a period here where I found myself going into a bit of trance, and I wasn't the only one. I recall barely being able to keep my eyes open, and all of the small candles in the front creating a rather bright, hypnotic light. Robert almost seemed to be floating over and behind the candles at times. It eventually came to an end, and Robert announced a short break. This was a nice chance to stretch, go the bathroom, walk around, etc. I always enjoys hearing snippets of conversations at the Gatherings when I walk around. John Dilberto was talking with some folks, Chuck was with another group, etc. And we were having some intersting discussion in our area about the Ian Boddy music playing during the break. Set Two began (more thunderous applause), and this was quite interesting. There were some very interesting stereo effects that Robert had set up on some of the loops, and the set really went on quite a journey. The flute came out quite a bit more, and there was another flute that employed, which seemed more traditional, Native- American than the other one. Robert had a neat headset mic that allowed him to move around, and keep the flute perfectly miked. This set really got into a nice space, and I found myself fading into that zone that I frequently into at the Gatherings. Perhaps it's all of the brainwaves in the room slowing down, or just the concentration of everybody. The intense quiet is what spacemusic needs, and it's amazing how so many people in the room can be so accomodating. Robert was circulating among the keyboards, the lap steel occasionally (the ethereal voice really came out in the second set, my wife thought). I really have to complement whoever came up with the lighting. It was quite subdued, and complemented the music very well. At times, I've felt that some of the past shows had lights that were very distracting, and not appropriate for the music. Not the case here at all. There were a couple of backdrops in the back of stage, which looked like white fabric stretched out. It allowed some abstract video images to be projected, and Chuck mentioned after the show that the music was at times triggering the images. It was very subdued, and worked very well, I thought. A very, very good job done here on the lights, guys. Robert brought us back at the very end with the final track from Seven Veils. The looped percussion was quite powerful -- I always like the clay pots, and was hoping to see Robert loop some live. I don't recall seeing any. But the percussion was quite powerful, and could be easily felt -- just like the album. This was one of the longest Gatherings I've been to, and after the thunderous standing ovation, Chuck mentioned that they would have to start tearing down soon. Robert graciously autographed and chatted with folks for a while, though. I was really glad he autographed my copy of Humidity, and thanked him for a great show. My wife agreed that it was an excellent show, and full of surprises. It certainly was transporting! And it was great to come home and listen to the '96 Sleep Concert re- broadcast for the rest of the night. It was like a Robert Rich festival, and that's fine with me. Sorry this review was so long, but I really enjoyed the show! I had asked Chuck last summer about getting Robert Rich to come back to Philadelphia, and was thrilled to find out it was going to happen. I can't wait to see him again! My thanks to everybody involved for putting on such a wonderful experience, especially Robert Rich. He has a unique sound that continues to evolve, and is one of the true masters of the genre, as he has been for many years.
by Joe Olnick
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