Alt-Nation: Freaqshow: A Fashion and Art Spooktacular!

This is part two of our interview with AV Vienna from The Viennagram (read part one) where we go more into their Halloween party called Freaqshow: A Fashion and Art Spooktacular!; how their new visual effects will bring audiences to the pyramids of Magic, Death, and Destiny; Vienna’s upcoming indie movie debut; and the album/film that The Viennagram plans to immediately begin work on after Halloween.

Marc Clarkin: What do you look for when putting together the visuals for the show? How did you put it all together?

AV Vienna: Every aspect of my creative process is based in chaos / collage / creation. Psychic media. I’m constantly inspired by the unexpected outcomes and accidental art while collaborating with a computer. The LTTTP motion picture process was very creatively fruitful and Adobe Premier was my mad science lab. To achieve my cinematic vision, I explored the concepts of editing and combining footage into a sort of electronic Apophenia (the spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness of unrelated phenomena). The end result is a hyper-surrealistic-psychedelic-singalong for the soul. An amusement park for your mind!

Here’s an example of my Irrational Solutions at work: For our song “Wake the Dead,” I wanted to convey the ideas of reanimation, necromancy and rebirth. I originally planned on cutting every classic movie death scene imaginable, speeding them up and then reversing the footage (madcap massacre montage?). I abandoned this approach early on, because pointless violence is not the message, but one from death back to life.  Let’s just say there were a lot of late nights editing a bouncing skeleton head over rotting fruits and vegetables in reverse! This process also led me to some amazing “accidental” compositions! Check some of them out at: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205641350627871.1073741835.1677153105&type=1&l=974d605abe

MC: Can it ever get too much where it takes the focus away from the music?

AV: I pose a similar question in the lyrics of our song “Learn to Tame the Patterns.” “How much is too much is too much is too much when too much is not enough?”

Now that the visuals are happening, it will BRING focus TO the music! I used to tell an audience, “Okay, now we’re going to visit the three pyramids of Magic, Death & Destiny.” That didn’t work. Then we had a robotic narrator tell the audience they were going to these pyramids; still not enough. NOW the audience will SEE, hear and experience what I’ve been trying to explain all these YEARS!

For me, I hear colors and see music. I write songs like a method actor and mix albums like a visual artist. The medium of moving image is the ultimate means of expression and exposure to create a focused shamanistic voyage; To Overcome the Perception of self in an immersive experience. Art has no rules. Sound is that invisible window to another world. This is a guided interactive divination dream for the viewer. Even if you’ve seen us before, in whatever forms, this is the one I’VE been waiting for! The future is now!

MC: In addition to the video, I hear you are starring in an upcoming independent film that Bill Murray is involved in?

AV: Yes. The movie, a dark comedy, is actually called “Saving Bill Murray” (haven’t met him … yet). [It was] shot over this summer by my friend and director, Chuck Kinnane, around his hometown of Little Compton. This will be my big screen acting debut and the process of filming this movie was completely unique. The crew consisted of the director, Chuck, and his 13 little brothers and all the dialogue was improvised! I had too much fun, they really created a monster! I found the process of filmmaking was strangely similar to performing: Hurry up and wait!

MC: I don’t know if there is such thing as a typical Viennagram show but if there is, this is not a typical Viennagram. What else is happening? What other types of acts will be performing on the 28th?

AV: Expect the unexpected is the kind of environment where anything can happen! The Columbus staff has allowed us access to the ENTIRE theater, so there will be surprises around every corner! On the Main Stage: The host and daredevil “Wyck” will be opening the event. I’ve heard many outrageous and incredible tales of Wyck and his inhuman tolerance to pain. See if the legends are true! Our best buddy band, Beta Motel, will also be performing! I can’t wait to see what their already incredible live show will look like in the theater! There will be visuals provided by Know No Truth, Liam Thompson, Lucid Harlequin, Derek Rook, and Michael Charles Photo. Vendors will include Electrikk Clothing, Bad Behaviour Boutique, Pickled Punks, Taxidermy by Paul Lonardo, and Crystals from Beitart Designer booth! Don’t forget there’s a COSTUME CONTEST! & a real GHOST!

MC: After this, what is next for the Viennagram?

AV: On November 1, We will begin work on the fourth Viennagram album and subsequent motion picture entitled: [U VIEW: NEW MUTOPIA:]. Delving into concepts of magic, mysticism, multiverses and other dimensions of reality! A sci-fi adventure fantasy epic! Be sure to follow us on your phone for further developments!

-AV. END [VIENNAGRAM:]

Freaqshow: A Fashion and Art Spooktacular! – featuring performances by Skull& Glossbones, Beta Motel, and The Viennagram as well as Nathalia JMag (of Project Runway!) Jeanette Converse Melanoir, special guest DJ Oscar Champagne, and a host of other surprises goes down at the Columbus Theatre on October 28.

Odds & Sods:

Alt-Nation Nightmare on Knight Street

The staff of Alt-Nation takes over the decks at the E&O Tap for a Halloween-themed party. Free admission and cheap thrills will go down on October 27 from 9pm till right around midnight at the E&O Tap.

The Blasters

The Blasters were way ahead of their time in terms of turning to retro sounds of rockabilly, blues and stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll that is so much a part of the modern Americana genre. The Blasters were formed by the Alvin brothers as the first wave of punk was waning in 1980. The Alvin brothers, like many brothers in rock ‘n’ roll, famously don’t get along, hence why the band only includes one of them, Phil Alvin, today. This should be one big hootenanny not to be missed!

The Blasters and The Delta Bombers rock Firehouse 13 on October 28.

Halloween Covers Night

One of the perks of Halloween weekend is there is usually a good cover show where one gets to hear bands do something other than the same set they do all year. TEAZER will be doing a set as Van Halen and Ratstab will be doing a combination of Shitkickers, Discharge and whatever other tunes they come up with. COROT will be busting out a set of ZZ Top. LVMMVX will be doing a set of Swans jams. If someone told me Van Halen, Shitlickers, Discharge, ZZ Top and Swans were doing a show together I’d be pumped for at least three of the five.

Halloween Covers Night featuring performances by TEAZER, Ratstab, COROT and LVMMVX shakes Dusk on October 29.

Henry Rollins

With the national shit show known as the 2016 presidential elections finally in the homestretch, it will be good to get some comic relief from former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. Rollins’ spoken word shows combine commentary on current events, comedy and tales from his lifetime in music. I’m hoping he tells his opinion on the current Greg Ginn version of Black Flag versus Flag, the Black Flag cover band composed of ex-members. Rollins always has an interesting and informed take, so if one is really still undecided (I don’t see how that is possible other than maybe considering a third party candidate), go see old Uncle Hank for some final political guidance.

Henry Rollins will be at The Met Café on November 1.

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com