no.216 | In Front of the Monkey Tree
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no.216 | In Front of the Monkey Tree
Live for Artist Run Club, Newsletter Edition..
Early Burly
I got up at around 10 minutes to 5 a.m. This was way too early. I only needed to travel about two minutes by car down the long hill that is Azie Morton Road to the south entrance parking lot of Barton Springs Pool. The Monkey Tree is a huge pecan just outside the gate to the pool. This is where I wanted to play my PSO set for the Artist Run Club. Every Sunday since time eternal, Austinites have assembled there at dusk to bang all manner of bongos, drums, and whathaveyou. It's kind of an institution.
I waited until just before 6 a.m. to head out. It was still dark as night. Wearing my headlamp, I slowly approached the tree, I caught a glimpse of a hammock and some other camping stuff just as the sprinklers activated. In light of all this, I set up in the sandy parking lot and played for about 40 folks and a dog!
This week’s PSO is the last minute and a half of about a 15-minute set of tunes. The sun came up while I was playing. It was super fun. Also, I changed hats for running. The image was taken that morning of the Monkey Tree and then I scrambled the code because I just can’t help myself.
AR Postcard
I have been experimenting with Augmented Reality and tried for this live event. It might have been complicated for the folks there, but I thought I would try it here.
Augmented Reality (AR) is kinda like a QR code on steroids. In this case, the AR experience (a photograph that when tapped on your phone plays music) is triggered by a target (the PSO logo) after you click the link. The Logo will change into a photo that will play music when tapped!
Here is how it works:
You will need either to read the newsletter on your desktop/laptop and also pull it up on your phone. Or if you have a sticker, you can point your phone at that and dispense with the whole two-computer thing. HMU if you want stickers.
While looking at this logo on your computer or sticker, click on this link on your phone.
Follow the prompts and point your camera at the logo.
Tap the picture on the phone to hear a snippet of the music.
Please let me know if you made it work through the comments here or drop me a line via email!
Podcast 7
This week’s pod features this week’s PSO and a selection of works from the past.
Including PSO no.156 In Store Appearance, which is a gonzo-style recording made in Strait Music Company from October 17, 2021
An early one from June 13, 2019, no.58 recorded from the “free side” of Barton Springs Pool AKA “Barking Springs” includes the whistling of a passerby and of course, barking dogs.
Another highlight my internet “random” number generator happily included was PSO’s collaboration with Michael Zapruder from no.151 released on August 26, 2021. Check out his newest band rrunnerrss!
There are also selections recorded in New Orleans and during the February freeze of 2023.
PSO in the James Turrell Sky Space on UT Campus Sunday, October 15, 6:30-7:30pm
Free, but you must reserve your space here.
Reservations should be available around September 15.
There are only 30 spots.
PSO will play a special hour-long set at sundown beginning around 6:30. This is part of the “Songs in the Skyspace” program. The Color Inside is an iteration of the artist James Turrell’s sky spaces. These are rooms ringed with slope-back benches that comfortably orient viewers toward an aperture cut in the ceiling. There are subtle lights in the room that during sunrise and sunset interact with the natural light to create spatial and phenomenological changes of the sky observed through the aperture.
I think this will be a super special show.
Do you want to join the Porch Swing Orchestra?
Reach out! I am always game to collaborate. This can be done remotely or in person. LET’S TALK! Reply to this email or contact me at info@porchswingorchestra.org
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