Ecstatic Music Festival

I don't have the most reliable memory in the world so I'm glad that at some point I started writing notes on my drawings... aside from knowing that I went and really enjoyed it I don't remember all the details of my day at the Ecstatic Music Festival back in January. The impressions stuck though, some more than others.

Timothy Andres, my notes tell me I developed a crush on him while he played "Peeling Onions" (?)... guess I kind of remember him being pretty adorable though my drawing doesn't seem to reflect that.

Face the Music, what youngsters are capable of when they play things besides video games. Some of these pieces were reeeeally INTENSE, they more than held their own.

These 2 drawings are the Chiara String Quartet. Loved drawing the violinist, he looked like he was carved out of stone, so formal and severe, hair pulled back soooo tight.


This guy John Matthias was the highlight for me, he looked like he was from another time and place (kept picturing him thatching cottage roofs in Scotland...) He's the one I would go out of my way to see again, unfortunately according to songkick he has no upcoming shows. He was fascinating to watch, Audrey and I were hypnotized and struggling to capture his shaggy hangdog face. I read later and was not surprised to find that he had played on the Radiohead album The Bends.

He played "What Happens" and "Cortical Song" check out the audios on the link. "What Happens" was especially beautiful, his voice was so growly and mournful and the violin and piano were giving me goosebumps, and all that the clicking/clacking like needles up and down my spinal cord, creepily effective. John Matthias you gained a fan that day. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/beyond-words/2011/02/ecstatic-marathon-countdown---3---john-matthias-co.html

Last but not least So Percussion, who are always awesomely creative and worth seeing reapeatedly! This show was infused with sweetness, one of the members Jason Treuting told everybody he was about to become a father any minute(!!!), the guy was glowing, couldn't stop smiling the whole show :) a few days later Audrey and Julia and I went to see them again and he was missing, off spending time with his wife and getting to know brand new baby Elsie.