With the recent explosion of the art festivals, I’m happy to say we have yet another winner in our mist with the arrival of the Baseline Project. Housed at Hanger 1018 for the night, the location proved once again just how versatile and engaging it can be with the right event and Baseline Project hit the mark all night long. With art, live music, comedy, performance art, live painting, video/film installations and more, there was always something fresh going on.
When I arrived at 9:30 or so, the comedic performances were already well underway with a mostly attentive room enjoying the routines with laughs and smiles all around. As the photographer, even I took a few shots from the last comic of the night with the usual “Take the picture already!” and indeed I did get a very interesting shot of the funny man with the beard. I’ll have to bill him for that one.
With the comedy finished, it was time to make room for the bands on the main stage. Up first was Peachcake. A young three piece (sometimes four) out of Phoenix with an interesting electro pop thing going on. Despite the plethora of stuffed animals on stage, Peachcake elevated themselves above the run of the mill bubble gum pop trash we can’t stand for a minute let alone the three minutes thirty they normally spin for. Good fun! Up next in the music line up, Test Shot Starfish poised with a set of electronic music and video projection that led me to wonder at times whether they were mixing the music or the video for the seamless integration of the two. Fantastic!
Between sets I wandered back outside to check the progress on artist Tazroc’s graffiti creation (a portrait of a woman in the blue hue) to find yet another musical act starting in on a set. With all this going on I decided to duck back in for a drink.
Before long Ringer was on stage going through their set. After a short time checking them out I made my way back to the Performance area where Alex Ebert of Ima Robot had started his performance piece with a load of onlookers crowded around two “Door Man” types stationed in front of velvet ropes that separated the stage (basically a large light box) with Ebert atop from the rest of the room (small as it was). With video cameras mounted around the space and an applause sign hanging behind him, Ebert moved around the stage in the fashion of a caged animal in distress. Distress being the key word, I will not attempt to interpret only describe. In all, I’d say he was up there for at least two hours if not more; as I recollect two bands playing their sets and a third coming to the stage in the next room throughout the duration. Intense.
OK, back in time and back to the music stage for one of the highlights of the night. After Ringer and a long break between sets, Antoneus Maximus & the Nuthouze Band took the stage with the largest ensemble of the night. Lead by Antuan Tran, the group included six vocalist, guitar, bass, drums and keys. I think I’ve mentioned everything. These guys are funky! If you like to shake your ass then you would’ve been shakin’. I later found out that the delay between sets was to give time for sometime collaborators DJ Motiv8 of Black Eye Peas and Kid of Kid and Play time to get through traffic on the 101. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the stars for this night and still they blew the place up just the same.
In all everything about Baseline Project seemed to fall right in to place. The mix of art, music, visuals and most of all the people behind this event kept things interesting throughout the evening. I’m already looking forward to the next installment of Baseline Project.
