I\'m A Badass Caption: I can haz links, style or anything that is valid markup :)

Festival News: Avant Garde Mastermind Bob Drake To Fill The Spotlight At NEARfest '07

Posted on Tuesday, November 14 @ 05:58:56 UTC by nightowl

A true prog rock iconoclast in every sense of the word, Bob Drake is a trifecta of musical virtuosity, artistic vision and an idiosyncratic sense of the sublime. Whatever else you may think of him, Drake's work has his unmistakable stamp upon it. Originally from the Midwestern United States, his musical wanderings have taken him to Colorado, Los Angeles and to his current home in France. In addition to his extensive work as an engineer ? from his more mainstream work with Ice Cube, George Clinton, Tina Turner, and even Charo and Shirley MacLaine; to more progressive rock-oriented work with NeBeLNeST, Hamster Theatre, Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, and Blast; to his remastering work for the Art Bears, Henry Cow and Slapp Happy ? Drake has also performed with a veritable who?s who of the avant garde: 5UUs, Thinking Plague, The Science Group, AA Kismet and others.



His solo credentials are impressive in their own right and incorporate such disparate influences as folk, avant garde, Lovecraft and anthropomorphism; as well as his multi-instrumental prowess on vocals, bass, drums, guitar, banjo, organ, violin and other sundries. His discography includes the six wonderfully weird discs The Shunned Country, 13 Songs And A Thing, The Skull Mailbox And Other Horrors, Medallion Animal Carpet, Little Black Train, and What Day Is It?

For his NEARfest 2007 performance, Drake will be presenting work from his solo output, as well as one or two new surprises. Utilizing both guitar and banjo, he?ll be accompanied by David Campbell on guitar, bass and backing vocals. Campbell (from Ontario, Canada) is a composer who, in addition to writing for symphonies and string quartets, writes and produces soundtracks for TV and documentaries. In 2005, his work was featured at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Electro-Acoustic Festival. Campbell also performs in three bands (The Rebel Wheel, Filth Therapy, and vZZZt) and freelances as a jazz musician.

[Source: NEARfest]

Posted in Festival News