Corpus Callosum
Spirits of the Red City
Anthonie Tonnon
Shenandoah Davis
at the Fortress Callosum
750 Natoma St, San Francisco
Wednesday, September 25th, 2013
6:30 doors, 7pm music
$10 suggested donation
This is the show of the year for 750 Natoma, and we are ever so excited to make the official announcement. We are quite looking forward to having you over, serving you tea, and presenting the best music you will ever hear, hyperbole aside.
Our closest friends, our perennial rivals, our decisive betters, the Spirits of the Red City will at last perform at 750 Natoma. In 2009 we fell in love in more ways than musicians should speak openly about, and they remain our favoritest band ever. The Spirits have challenged us as composers, inspired us as collaborators, and been the dreamiest tour buddies imaginable. The songwriting is unrivaled and the heartfelt, honest presentation of the music is legendary in these circles. We are honored to be able to host them, at last, in a room that we built intentionally with their sound in mind. Spirits will be touring with their new album, Jula.
listen: spiritsoftheredcity.com
We have fawned over Shenandoah Davis's songwriting and performancing for years. Her magical fingertips are the prevailing reason we even bother tuning our piano (not even a joke). I do believe all the birds on Natoma Street stopped singing just to listen to her voice the last time she performed here, and we invite you all back to witness the recreation of that spectacular event.
listen: shenandoahdavis.bandcamp.com
Anthonie Tonnon, New Zealand's shining star, has made room in his US tour to perform in our humble San Francisco warehouse. Really, we don't deserve this caliber of musician and, yet, he will be here, in the flesh, on our rug, close enough for the sweat from his brow to drop onto our trembling knees.
listen: anthonietonnon.com
As of last week, after a solid year in the studio, Corpus Callosum's upcoming album is now recorded! We take a breather from the mixing and mastering process to perform with a bill of our bestest friends in the whole world.
listen: corpuscallosum.bandcamp.com
Corpus Callosum's Avery Burke performs at the Corpus Studio this Friday with Shivering Timbers (OH), Miwa Gemini (NY) and Grannia Griffith (NM), music at 7pm, $5-10 suggested, none turned away for lack of funds, free fine tea:
With fantastically full 60's-folk-rock arrangements and beautiful lullaby-like vocals, Shivering Timbers is by far the coolest new music that we've come across in an embarrassingly long time. This family band is spot-on, and we honestly expect that they'll be too famous to even talk to us by this time next year. But in less than two weeks we will have them trapped in our rehearsal space for a very special one-night-only affair.
http://www.shiveringtimbersmusic.com/
By some incredible coincidence, we are being graced by a visit from our good friend Miwa Gemini from New York City that same night. Everything about Miwa is wonderful - not "wonderful" in the way that you would describe a cupcake or a sunshower, however, but "wonderful" in the way you might use in reference to a tortoise with seagull wings, or one of those ethanol-soaked-animal-brains that Stephanie Stewart Bailey is curating in her room.
http://www.miwagemini.com/
Co-headlining this show will be our own Avery Burke. If you have not yet heard Avery perform solo (or close to solo), he is absolutely amazing when the rest of us aren't drowning him out, so be sure it will be a treat. (I'm being quite serious that Avery's solo performances are incredible, so don't miss this chance!)
And lastly, our special guest is Grannia Griffith of New Mexico's Cloacas, a fantastic young songwriter that we're delighted to have up this way.
How about some Corpus Callosum fanfic to brighten your Friday evening?
(This work of art was written and sent to us by our very good friend, Kai Stewart.)
"I'm sure they'll turn up in time," Qarly's voice was cheerful, like some birds. "After all, in the hundred years we've been playing together as an immortal-wizard-folk-noir band, we've never been late to a show once. That's how we got this plaque, remember?" She gestured to an ornate golden plaque hanging by the laser control panel that was engraven with the words "Dear Corpus Callosum, thank you for being the most on-time band in the history of music. Also you are all very handsome." Avery regarded the plaque, and for a moment his eyes became distant.
He was probably thinking about a woman. Usually when Avery's eyes became distant like that, it was a woman. Sometimes it was math. Occasionally, however, when he got that distant look in his eyes, it was because he could hear, far off in his innermost distant regions, where he kept his immortal wizard magic, a new song.
"That may be," said Avery. "But 'in time' is now."
As the last syllable fell from his sculpted lips to clatter on Fort Callosum's hand-tiled floor, the lock to the nether hatch started to turn. It turned exactly 1353º, or about three and three-quarters times, and then the hatch creaked open. One thousand and fifty seven tiny robots skittered out. They ranged in size from largish beetles to smallish rats, and they glittered with blinking lights and edges. They skittered into the middle of the floor and the hatch creaked shut behind them. They hurried into the center of the floor and then converged, climbing over and onto each other. Periodically their edges clicked together and they fused, smaller bits finding larger bits, until they had made a glittering metal humanoid figure. The patterns of the robots made it seem as if the figure was wearing a t-shirt with the words "Maximum Occupancy" on it.
"See?" said Qarly. "There's Stevie."
"Hey guys," the cyborg said.
"Stevie!" Avery wrapped his root-like hands around the cyborg's shoulders. "We're running late for the show at the governor's mansion!"
"I know," the cyborg replied. "I just uploaded a reminder into everyone's brains." Avery and Qarly started a little as the alert beeped. "Fifteen minutes 'til the show at the governor's mansion," a soft voice whispered in their minds.
"Good thinking, Stevie!" said Qarly.
Then the teleporter pad hummed with the distinctive hum that meant it was warming up. The lights turned on so that the person or people teleporting in could get their bearings quickly and the scent dispensers dispensed a soothing scent.
"That smells like Jason and Stephanie," said Qarly. And, indeed, when the teleporter had finished powering up, the two statuesque forms that wavered into existence were Jason's and Stephanie's.
Jason had obviously been in his laboratory. He was dressed in a milky lab coat and still held a pearl-encrusted banjo in one hand. In the other he held a sheaf of readouts. His unflappable calm was not disturbed, but those who knew him well could tell that he was hurrying to finish reading. His ruggedly handsome face was entirely relaxed, and one lock of his chestnut mane curled over his forehead. He paused at the edge of the teleportation pad, then tossed the papers up into the air and swung his banjo around. He struck a chord, the most beautiful chord, a chord that sounded like a tiny waterfall in a wet green gorge in West Virginia, with an old person sitting on a rock looking at the waterfall and drinking coffee. In the shock of that perfect chord, the papers lined themselves up side by side in the air and hung there. Jason cross-checked a couple things and nodded. He gently strummed another chord and the papers stacked themselves neatly on the teleporter's control panel.
Stephanie had been in her lab, too. Her ivory gown and lean, balletic limbs were spotted with blood and entrails. She smiled like sunshine and tucked some eyeballs into a small beaded handbag. She and Jason stepped off the teleporter in tandem.
"Where's Dax?" Avery asked.
"He married a supermodel and moved to Corsica."
"Oh," Avery said. "Then where's Andrea?" Just then a great sound was heard, like the rapid blinking of one thousand baby's eyelashes, or the sighing of seventy-five angels. A great wind lifted Qarly's hair around her head and made her blue and purple plaid petticoat thrash around her legs. Avery put his vast, gnarled hand on his hat to keep it on his head. They both looked up. The light from the long chimney that helped bring light and air into the fortress was shattered by a great many fast-moving shapes. They moved too fast to tell what they were, but they were getting closer. "There's Andrea," said Qarly.
It was true. The other band members were blown back against the wall of the control room by the beating of tremendous wings, except for Stevie whose pincers were locked securely into the floor, and Andrea lightly alit. Her chariot was drawn by two jet-black pigeons the size of cows, with shining red eyes and gleaming beaks and claws. Surrounding her were twelve or so other pigeons, equally large, in shades ranging from milk white with caramel speckles to the grey of storm clouds with iridescent bands of green and purple around their throats. Seventy or so smaller pigeons flew down with them and landed on whatever they could find. One plump redhead landed on Avery's hat. "Hey, Andrea," said Stevie. He had long ago let his visual sensors slide into obselescence, letting them be replaced by smaller, more reliable topographical and chemical scanners.
Andrea gripped the reins of her chariot. Her eyes glowed with amber light and her lip piercings shone like twin moons. She was wearing a dress made of lace and the fallen feathers of pigeons. It had a train that trailed behind her as she walked and a high collar that came up behind her head like a wave. Her hair was coiled like shiny dark-brown snakes around her creamy shoulders. She threw out her hand and said "There's no time! We have to get to the governor's mansion! My pigeons will take us and the instruments. It's the only way!" Avery said "Good point!" and jumped into the saddle of the nearest pigeon. Stephanie and Jason quickly followed his lead. Stevie reconfigured himself into a helicopter. Qarly jumped on her rocket skateboard and yelled "Woo hoo!" As one, the pigeons launched themselves skyward, some carrying band members, some clutching instruments or sound gear in their beaks and claws. They rose through the chimney in a mass and swooped towards the governor's mansion.
Each of Corpus Callosum’s members is integral to the whole, contributing to their offbeat orchestra and also singing in their immense chorus, which is a distinctive part of their lush sound. Some of their more theatrical performances even feature a sort of second-hand spectacle: items plucked from junkyards and thrift shops, converted into puppets, instruments and props; mythic properties given to what was once on the figurative trash heap.
Dearest Corpus Callosum fans: repost this until your fingertips bleed, until your real friends unfriend you, until the waters rise and tardigrades of outrageous proportions kidnap all the heads of state and we are forced to abandon our home planet and find new digs in outer space.
[Riding Home is Corpus Callosum’s second official music video, shot entirely DIY in and around Oakland, CA. Thank you to our friends and family for loaning us your hands, cameras, lights, furniture & wheels.]
We have an old ukelin; it's broke in a million places. Stevie was looking for a really crusty sound to use as the backbone for the upcoming recording of "Trials, Troubles, Tribulations," so tonight Dax C-clamped the thing back together to if it would still make sound. It stayed in tune for about 5 minutes, but maybe 5 minutes is all we need.
In our feeble attempt to upload our 2010 self-titled album as a youtube playlist, we have unwittingly opened the archives of the last 10 years of Corpus Callosum history. Contained herein is Dax before the moustache, Avery before the vest, Jason missing an arm and sometimes legs. Here you can see us on the deck of our old rehearsal ship the Cinnabar. There is photographic evidence that Jason danced with praying mantes. There is even a photograph of our headless bodies staring out the windows of the Daly City digs.
The 300 some-odd photographs in these videos were culled from 10 years of tours, rehearsals, street performances, recording studios, video sets, photo shoots, radio stations, warehouse construction, workshops, weddings, parades, festivals, and farms.
We hope this photo album is entertaining and nostalgic. Thank you, everyone, for being with us along the way
