For the first of our two November shows in the Composers in Performance Series, we present Bill Baird, Jeffrey Alexander and Dereck Gaines.
Bill Baird:
Bill Baird is an American experimental musician. Formerly a member of Sound Team, Baird began performing solo in 2006, first as {{{Sunset}}} and later under his own name. He appeared in the 2010 documentary Echotone, a chronicle of the Austin, Texas music scene, where he offered a negative assessment of his time signed to a major record label. He is currently studying experimental music at Mills College in Oakland, CA.
http://www.billbillbillbillbill.com/
Jeffrey Alexander:
After following the Grateful Dead as a taper for many years in the 80s, Jeffrey settled into a Baltimore warehouse and started making music. There, he helped launch the acid-folk revival of the 90s with The Iditarod (1996-2003), as chronicled in the book Seasons They Change, The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk (Genuine Jawbone Books). His next group, Black Forest/Black Sea (2003-2010) - based in Providence RI - pushed the boundaries of experimental folk, touring heavily. Jeffrey also founded the heavy, free-rock group Dire Wolves (2009-present) and has also toured as a member of Avarus, Fursaxa, Es, as well as multiple collaborations with Tom Rapp/Pearls Before Swine, Manbeard, Kemialliset Ystavat, and Christina Carter. As former label owner of Magic Eye Singles and Secret Eye Records, he published 70+ titles and has curated several international music festivals such as Terrastock. Next stop - the backwaters of western Pennsylvania where he opened an espresso bar cafe, renovated crust-belt houses and drove a produce truck for a lovely gang of scrappy Amish farmers. Jeffrey is currently living in San Francisco where he plays in Jackie-O Motherfucker and hosts a weekly free-form radio show.
http://www.jeffreyalexanderlovesyou.com/
Derek Gaines:
New York City born, Connecticut raised, Los Angeles resident Derek Gaines is one half of the psych rock band Jerkagram. His solo material focuses on minimalist repetition and meditative yet engaged sound in vein of the style forefronted by Robert Fripp with his Frippertronics. With the release of his new tape "Laika", he tours the west coast sharing new work which brings a similar wave of ambience but with minimalist psychedelic melodies and hints of folk music inspiration.
https://jerkagram.bandcamp.com/album/laika