http://videopoem.tv Giving voice to the voiceless Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:04:18 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Sonic Youth played a fantastic show on July 31 as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn series in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Showing no signs of slowing down, the band continues to push the boundaries of conventional music. Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=369 The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police shooting of Oscar Grant refers to the fatal shooting of unarmed civilian, Oscar Grant, by BART officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California, United States, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009. Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=357 Patti Smith addressed the Pen Conference held at Cooper Union back in May in support of her new memoir, Just Kids. The book talks about her chance encounter with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and their journey and rise in New York art world of the late sixties and early seventies. In this talk before a rapt crowd at Cooper Union, Patti raps about the point of view she adopted for writing the novel and how New York city was a down and out city at that time which allowed for artistic growth because it was very... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=338 Videopoem featured The Smithereens from their set at the State Theater in New Jersey on April 30th. In support of The Court Tavern, a legendary bar in New Brunswick where bands like the The Smithereens and musicians from The Patti Smith Band honed their skills, the band displayed the fine rock chops they are famous for. In a time when musicians no longer play their instruments, The Smithereens showed they can lay down a driving beat with the best of them. Riveting up the crowd with old favorites like Onl... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=330 Patti Smith and her band put on an amazing show at the benefit for the Court Tavern at the State Theater in New Brunswick, New Jersey on April 30th. At the top of her game, Patti shows no signs of slowing down exhibiting a tremendous amount of energy. The concert had all the earmarks of a hometown show. Conceived as a benefit for a legendary rock bar The Court Tavern where Lenny and Tony from the band played in earlier days, there was a local hometown feel to the show as the crowd too very warmly to the musicians.... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=322 This Town This Far explores my relationship and identity with the landscape around Chappaqua. From the jet sound in the opening credits which can be heard quite often since we are in the flight path of Westchester Airport to the closing view of the nature sanctuaries set to the music of Hot Tuna's Water song, this Videopoem is about finding transcendence in one's backyard, which is a famous dictum from Ralph Waldo Emerson. This show also takes inspiration from the sustainability movement that is beginning to gain momentum in counties like Westchester. Although the show does not s... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=318 There's a reason that John and Exene are playing sold out shows thirty years after hitting the music scene. They just keep getting better. After the glow of their youthful punk days waned when they were the king and queen of the Los Angeles punk scene, the foundation upon which they based their musical inspiration has only gotten stronger. Where most bands fade in an instant, John and Exene has created an enduring appeal which draws upon their considerable music appeal as well as their winning personalities.... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=311 I had the great opportunity in the fall to see Dave Kolker and his band at The Bitter End. Playing originals mixed in with a few covers the band put on quite a show. Dave plays with a lot of soul and shows great dexterity on the guitar with the band providing a strong backing. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend seeing them. They will be at Kenny's Castaway's in April. Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=307 The River Blues explores the supernatural aura of the Hudson River landscape. Within this aura exudes a sublime comedy...deer unseen deep in the woods...expressionistic sunsets of vivid color...a pulsing blues rhythm underlining the commercial reality of the environment and expressing my personal vision of the landscape where reality is made to resound quite naturally with overtones of the weird. Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=305 On Saturday, January 9, 2010, Videopoem braved deep-freeze temperatures and ventured to Issue Project Room in Park Slope (Brooklyn) to catch an evening of great ambient, improvised, psychedelic and electronic rock. Fortunately, quite a few other folks did too. The night's performers included Concord Ballet Orchestra Players, Forma, and A.R. Plovnik (who also provided interesting visual projections for the entire show) Concord Ballet Orchestra Players (sometimes known as "C.B.O.P.", pronou... Read more..]]> http://videopoem.tv/?p=289