Psionic Sports House Shows
August 1, 2024
The Art of Hosting
I've been fortunate enough to host two CNN-affiliated shows at my house with a third upcoming on August 4th. If you're interested in attending or trying it yourself, read on. I'll describe what I've got and you can decide if this is something you want to try, or at the very least, attend.
I rent and do not own. I've been a tenant for five years now, and I have good relations with all my neighbors and my rental company (damned if I'm calling anyone lord). The neighborhood itself is pretty chill -- not very HOA if you get my drift.
Over the past five years I've been recording and rehearsing with people at my house including the use of live drums and my Verellen Meatsmoke amp, which is so loud I currently don't have a cabinet it won't blow. When I crank my 808s, 909s, and 404s through my monitors fairly loudly, my neighbors have never said anything. I've asked too -- me and Mr. Will talk most every day.
One day I figured, hey, if three or four people in this room can hear each other with full amplification, and it doesn't irk my neighbors, what if I had people over to watch us too? And swap out the performers? Y'know, like a show.
Alien Day House Show
And then Alan of Easy Puzzles/Influenzer beat me to it! But the response to him and the artists he curated was great, the vibe was good, and it confirmed this was something I wanted to do.
The first show was loosely themed around it being held on 4/26 aka Alien Day (because of LV-426). Well, at least as far as the flyers I posted on Instagram. No one actually dressed as a Colonial Marine or a xenomorph. Dammit.
I was blessed to host and play with some CNN All-Stars: Leviathans of Black Hollering, Rurnt, Leperwitch, and Cooperative Future. I played as Disconcerting Signals. Everyone played it like they meant it (maaaan), but Rurnt's set was particularly exceptional. I do believe I was not alone in wanting more Leviathans of Black Hollering. I get it though, leave 'em wanting more and not wishing for less.
Psionic Sports Presents: House Party II
The second show was maybe even BETTER. It was the first week of June, and Dora (Leperwitch) and I used it for a shared birthday celebration. I made seafood etouffee, and she made dirty rice. Even though I had jasmine rice available, those in attendance cocktailed the two together and it was a brilliant combo. I was thrilled, not bummed, that I barely got a bowl at the end.
We started with Joe Micolo (Poxy Design) blasting his hardcore/ardkore/tracker/demoscene sounds. I'm not ashamed to say I tried some footwork and got dirty looks IN MY OWN HOUSE. I digress...
Leperwitch's performance was not the set of someone on cruise control in a friend's house for the second time. Nope, she brought the fire again. It's refreshing and amazing to take what is a very personal act (almost typed 'attack', ha!) and do it in someone else's house. It's more intimate than the Third Space of a venue, and I am totally down for this kind of human connection. When people sing in my house, I get goosebumps from the fact I can hear them without the microphone.
Full of food, the night shifted to a much quieter, dreamier, dronier affair with Luke Pigott and Slow Blink. Not that the goal is to please the normies, but I'm not ashamed to say I was happy to show a video of their sets to my mom (and FWIW, she was happy for me and happy her etouffee recipe makes people happy).
Luke's lush chords hitting that Vangelis spot inside me and Amanda's infinitely expanding and slowly mutating loops remind you Chattanooga Noise Night is just a name, Jennifer. Noise means a lot of things, and I am not here to gatekeep. God no. This wonderful accretion disk of weirdos I've fallen into is not a monoculture, and it is infinitely more interesting for it.
Psionic Sports Presents House Party 3: FIMBULSUMR
The third show will be me, Pippi Maraschino, Limbers, Millipede, Spife, Evangelist, and Certain Agony. The latter two are the first time I've got out-of-town talent. I have so much fun putting these bills together. As stated infra, I'm more about the broad spectrum experience rather than just five acts all sounding similar. A little bit of drony dance, a little bit of ambiguous ambience, a little bit of cacophonic confrontation. It's a great way to get people to hang out at your place instead of having to go out, I'll tell you that.
Another fortunate thing is the respect everyone has shown at these house shows. I think we've all been to less wholesome affairs, and I'm happy to report no one in attendance has ever done anything to make me regret opening my home. See you at the next one.
Photos courtesy of Leperwitch