Post by DeEtte on Sept 10, 2008 10:53:47 GMT -5
Returns to Buffalo with Albright-Knox as Host
After a year in the suburbs at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, Music Is Art 2008 is returning to its rightful home, Buffalo, as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will host the free local original music, art, dance, DJ, food and people event from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, September 13, on the museum grounds, 11285 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.
Due to our busy schedules, I interviewed Goo Goo Dolls bassist/singer Robby Takac, the originator and driving force behind Music Is Art 2008, the Music Is Art Foundation (which helps provide instruments and other musical items to schools in need), Good Charmel Records and Chameleon West Studios, via the Internet.
Along with Music Is Art 2008, Takac is curating a show of the artwork of the late musician, painter, artists and wunderkind of sorts, Mark Freeland, with an opening reception from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, September 12, in the Collectors’ Gallery at the Albright-Knox.
The schedule of bands, etc., for Music Is Art 2008 will appear at the end of this interview. For disclosure sake, my wife, Buffaloroots.com web mistress and photographer Val Dunne, is showing her work at Music Is Art again this year, and she was a longtime close friend and photographer of Mark Freeland.
Kevin and Robby at MiA '06
Well, here we go:
KJHosey: How happy are you that Music Is Art is back in the city, and how happy are you with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery being the venue? It seems sizable and very conducive to art.
Robby Takac: I can't think of a better place for this event, and (Albright-Knox Director) Louis Grachos and the AK staff have been amazing in letting us shape this year’s festival into the event we always felt it should have been. It's gonna be unbelievable!
KJH: What is the best part about being back in the city?
RT: It's a short ride from my house! . . . No really, it's where it began and where it belongs . . . . the folks in Hamburg were great to us, but there's no place like home. . . .
KJH: You and Louis Grachos seem to have a very good working relationship. How did this start and how does this help organizing Music Is Art?
RT: We worked together on curating the Wilco / My Morning Jacket Rockin' at the Knox show a few years back and we began a great relationship based on the new format of that great event and our mutual love for all that is different and adventurous. Louis has been an unbelievable addition to Buffalo's cultural landscape. And it goes without saying that being involved with the AK adds a legitimacy to our organization we could get nowhere else.
KJH: Is there a particular theme to this year's Music Is Art, or how would you explain to a person who has never been to Music Is Art what the event is and what it wants to accomplish?
RT: The theme is simple, and the same as it has always been, we have an amazingly creative population here, and this is a cross section of that creativity and celebration of many of its applications all in one heaping serving !!!!
KJ: It seems like a pretty good lineup of local bands, artists, dancers, DJs and so on will be performing and offering their art this year. How do you make it work and how do you choose people to help you make the festival work?
RT: We brought on various coordinators this year who have a great knowledge of many different styles of art, music, and dance. We also have an amazingly dedicated group of "logistical types" and great sponsors helping us pull together the specifics and monetary needs of the actual event. Don Keller, Conn Keough and Jason Klinger are working on the art, Marc Hunt, Curt Rotterdam, Dave Fenski, Eric Crittenden, Tod Kniazuk and myself are coordinating music, Eric Jensen is dealing w/ photography, Erin Gormley is doing dance, Brandon Chase is booking the DJ section and Heather Quigley is putting together the Kids Village. I'm sure I've missed something, but as you can see with 100s of volunteers and 100s of artists and 100s of musicians involved this is gonna be a HUUUUUGE event (to steal a line from a local car dealer). Add food, beer, wine and some cool cultural not for profits and we're gonna have a hell of a party on our hands. . . . .
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buffaloroots.com/Images/Music-is-Art-06CometoRobby.jpg[/img]
Come to Robby: MiA '06
KJH: I see Amungus will be performing in the DJ area.
RT: Yeah. . . . .it's gonna be awesome. . . . . boom chicka boom chicka boom chicka boom . . .amungus is so much fun for me. . . . . .We're also doing a set at Rockin at the Knox on the (September) 27th and a warm up show at the Stillwater on the 26th. . . . . this version of the amungus set will feature myself, Brian Schulmeister, Ali Critelli, Alex Kelly, Wise Mecca and Kim Monroe as well as Jordam Lema doing visuals during the set.
KJH: Why has this festival caught on so well with Buffalo/Western New York?
RT: The chaos / controversy of Allentown was a great launching pad for us, but I think the programming MIA has offered in the community over the past few years has added to the support we receive for this festival, which has become our marquee event for the year. www.musicisart.org can explain more about the 7 core programs we have running throughout the year in WNY.
KJH: Any surprises or major changes people should know about this year?
RT: All sorts, including Ryan Miller and Drew Stafford of the Sabres doing a Cheap Trick song w/ myself and Klear, and tons of live art installments as well. . . . we've got a bunch of high school bands playing this year too. . . . . and I'm really excited about the addition of the DJ area . . . . it's gonna be 11 FULL hours of excitement !!
KJH: You are also curating (if this is the correct word) a retrospective of the artwork of the late, great Mark Freeland at the Albright-Knox . How did that come about and how do you feel about it? You go back a long way with Mark.
RT: I think Mark embodied a lot of what we try to do at this event every year, and I was honored to be asked to curate a show at the Albright for him. . . .Mark's first Albright show was at the RATK show I mentioned earlier. . . . Freeland was a true original. . . .I really miss his energy and artistic madness. I hope some more of the "proper" art community here in town and beyond become exposed to his work through this show. . . .there's an reception on the 12th of Sept. in the gallery from 5 to 730 the day before MiA. . . . . .it's a great exhibit.
Ah, MiA '04, the Goo appearence...
KJH: You've had a pretty busy summer. Along with planning for Music Is Art, the Goo Goo Dolls had a song on a Summer Olympics CD and you guys played a party for Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean at the Democratic National Convention. How did those chances come about and why did you do them?
RT: Goo Goo Dolls has become a pretty far reaching entity within the mainstream of America and beyond. We always have great opportunities put in front of us, (and) I'm truly blessed to be involved in this band, and it's always my first love. And you Mr. Hosey did our first interview, remember that? I think we were sitting on a beer cooler in a deli John worked at on Linwood, who woulda thought huh !!!! (Author’s note: Robby is correct about that interview more than 20 years ago, and yes, the guys were sitting on a cooler in the back of a deli guitarist and singer John Rzeznik was working at at the time. Holy crap.)
KJH: What's next for you, and for your bands?
RT: The sky's the limit my brother !!!!!!
KJH: Thanks you very much as always, Robby. Maybe I'll find time to do a telephone interview some day.
RT: can't wait. . . talk soon !!!!
These are the announced as of September 8 bands and other performers for Music Is Art 2008:
Bands
Agent ME Maria Aurigema
Bev-Beverley Chylde
Crittenden Image Performance Dali’s Ghost
Ron Davis Acid Funk Duo Family FUNKtion & The Sitar Jams
FreshGuac Gamalon
Handsome Jack A Hotel Nourishing
Inlite (student Battle of the Bands winner) Johnny Nobody
Juxtaposse Klear
Last Conservative Lazlo Hollyfeld
Mandy K The Mom And Dad Love Parade
Peanut Brittle Satellite Psuedo Intellectuals
Rhyson Hall Rhubarb
Terry Sullivan Those Idiots
Type:Relevant Wisp
ALSO AT MiA ’08. . . . . . . gEt FrAcTaLs beat gallery
11 DJs including Jubei, Marc V, Tweak Nasty, dharmalab, DJ Brandon Chase and amungus . . . w/ special guest MCs and Vocalists throughout the day . . . .
w/ Dance Exhibitions featuring:
Amy Lynn's Dance Studio Bella Dea Bellydancing
Center for Dance Motivation Future Dance Center
Hamburg Performing Arts Ilya's Bellydancing
Janet Dunstan's School of Dance Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish Dance
Stacy Zawadski's ECNAD Dance
Remember to check the web site at www.musicisart.org for more information
buffaloroots.com/pages/RobbyInterviewMIA08.html
After a year in the suburbs at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, Music Is Art 2008 is returning to its rightful home, Buffalo, as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will host the free local original music, art, dance, DJ, food and people event from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, September 13, on the museum grounds, 11285 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.
Due to our busy schedules, I interviewed Goo Goo Dolls bassist/singer Robby Takac, the originator and driving force behind Music Is Art 2008, the Music Is Art Foundation (which helps provide instruments and other musical items to schools in need), Good Charmel Records and Chameleon West Studios, via the Internet.
Along with Music Is Art 2008, Takac is curating a show of the artwork of the late musician, painter, artists and wunderkind of sorts, Mark Freeland, with an opening reception from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, September 12, in the Collectors’ Gallery at the Albright-Knox.
The schedule of bands, etc., for Music Is Art 2008 will appear at the end of this interview. For disclosure sake, my wife, Buffaloroots.com web mistress and photographer Val Dunne, is showing her work at Music Is Art again this year, and she was a longtime close friend and photographer of Mark Freeland.
Kevin and Robby at MiA '06
Well, here we go:
KJHosey: How happy are you that Music Is Art is back in the city, and how happy are you with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery being the venue? It seems sizable and very conducive to art.
Robby Takac: I can't think of a better place for this event, and (Albright-Knox Director) Louis Grachos and the AK staff have been amazing in letting us shape this year’s festival into the event we always felt it should have been. It's gonna be unbelievable!
KJH: What is the best part about being back in the city?
RT: It's a short ride from my house! . . . No really, it's where it began and where it belongs . . . . the folks in Hamburg were great to us, but there's no place like home. . . .
KJH: You and Louis Grachos seem to have a very good working relationship. How did this start and how does this help organizing Music Is Art?
RT: We worked together on curating the Wilco / My Morning Jacket Rockin' at the Knox show a few years back and we began a great relationship based on the new format of that great event and our mutual love for all that is different and adventurous. Louis has been an unbelievable addition to Buffalo's cultural landscape. And it goes without saying that being involved with the AK adds a legitimacy to our organization we could get nowhere else.
KJH: Is there a particular theme to this year's Music Is Art, or how would you explain to a person who has never been to Music Is Art what the event is and what it wants to accomplish?
RT: The theme is simple, and the same as it has always been, we have an amazingly creative population here, and this is a cross section of that creativity and celebration of many of its applications all in one heaping serving !!!!
KJ: It seems like a pretty good lineup of local bands, artists, dancers, DJs and so on will be performing and offering their art this year. How do you make it work and how do you choose people to help you make the festival work?
RT: We brought on various coordinators this year who have a great knowledge of many different styles of art, music, and dance. We also have an amazingly dedicated group of "logistical types" and great sponsors helping us pull together the specifics and monetary needs of the actual event. Don Keller, Conn Keough and Jason Klinger are working on the art, Marc Hunt, Curt Rotterdam, Dave Fenski, Eric Crittenden, Tod Kniazuk and myself are coordinating music, Eric Jensen is dealing w/ photography, Erin Gormley is doing dance, Brandon Chase is booking the DJ section and Heather Quigley is putting together the Kids Village. I'm sure I've missed something, but as you can see with 100s of volunteers and 100s of artists and 100s of musicians involved this is gonna be a HUUUUUGE event (to steal a line from a local car dealer). Add food, beer, wine and some cool cultural not for profits and we're gonna have a hell of a party on our hands. . . . .
Come to Robby: MiA '06
KJH: I see Amungus will be performing in the DJ area.
RT: Yeah. . . . .it's gonna be awesome. . . . . boom chicka boom chicka boom chicka boom . . .amungus is so much fun for me. . . . . .We're also doing a set at Rockin at the Knox on the (September) 27th and a warm up show at the Stillwater on the 26th. . . . . this version of the amungus set will feature myself, Brian Schulmeister, Ali Critelli, Alex Kelly, Wise Mecca and Kim Monroe as well as Jordam Lema doing visuals during the set.
KJH: Why has this festival caught on so well with Buffalo/Western New York?
RT: The chaos / controversy of Allentown was a great launching pad for us, but I think the programming MIA has offered in the community over the past few years has added to the support we receive for this festival, which has become our marquee event for the year. www.musicisart.org can explain more about the 7 core programs we have running throughout the year in WNY.
KJH: Any surprises or major changes people should know about this year?
RT: All sorts, including Ryan Miller and Drew Stafford of the Sabres doing a Cheap Trick song w/ myself and Klear, and tons of live art installments as well. . . . we've got a bunch of high school bands playing this year too. . . . . and I'm really excited about the addition of the DJ area . . . . it's gonna be 11 FULL hours of excitement !!
KJH: You are also curating (if this is the correct word) a retrospective of the artwork of the late, great Mark Freeland at the Albright-Knox . How did that come about and how do you feel about it? You go back a long way with Mark.
RT: I think Mark embodied a lot of what we try to do at this event every year, and I was honored to be asked to curate a show at the Albright for him. . . .Mark's first Albright show was at the RATK show I mentioned earlier. . . . Freeland was a true original. . . .I really miss his energy and artistic madness. I hope some more of the "proper" art community here in town and beyond become exposed to his work through this show. . . .there's an reception on the 12th of Sept. in the gallery from 5 to 730 the day before MiA. . . . . .it's a great exhibit.
Ah, MiA '04, the Goo appearence...
KJH: You've had a pretty busy summer. Along with planning for Music Is Art, the Goo Goo Dolls had a song on a Summer Olympics CD and you guys played a party for Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean at the Democratic National Convention. How did those chances come about and why did you do them?
RT: Goo Goo Dolls has become a pretty far reaching entity within the mainstream of America and beyond. We always have great opportunities put in front of us, (and) I'm truly blessed to be involved in this band, and it's always my first love. And you Mr. Hosey did our first interview, remember that? I think we were sitting on a beer cooler in a deli John worked at on Linwood, who woulda thought huh !!!! (Author’s note: Robby is correct about that interview more than 20 years ago, and yes, the guys were sitting on a cooler in the back of a deli guitarist and singer John Rzeznik was working at at the time. Holy crap.)
KJH: What's next for you, and for your bands?
RT: The sky's the limit my brother !!!!!!
KJH: Thanks you very much as always, Robby. Maybe I'll find time to do a telephone interview some day.
RT: can't wait. . . talk soon !!!!
These are the announced as of September 8 bands and other performers for Music Is Art 2008:
Bands
Agent ME Maria Aurigema
Bev-Beverley Chylde
Crittenden Image Performance Dali’s Ghost
Ron Davis Acid Funk Duo Family FUNKtion & The Sitar Jams
FreshGuac Gamalon
Handsome Jack A Hotel Nourishing
Inlite (student Battle of the Bands winner) Johnny Nobody
Juxtaposse Klear
Last Conservative Lazlo Hollyfeld
Mandy K The Mom And Dad Love Parade
Peanut Brittle Satellite Psuedo Intellectuals
Rhyson Hall Rhubarb
Terry Sullivan Those Idiots
Type:Relevant Wisp
ALSO AT MiA ’08. . . . . . . gEt FrAcTaLs beat gallery
11 DJs including Jubei, Marc V, Tweak Nasty, dharmalab, DJ Brandon Chase and amungus . . . w/ special guest MCs and Vocalists throughout the day . . . .
w/ Dance Exhibitions featuring:
Amy Lynn's Dance Studio Bella Dea Bellydancing
Center for Dance Motivation Future Dance Center
Hamburg Performing Arts Ilya's Bellydancing
Janet Dunstan's School of Dance Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish Dance
Stacy Zawadski's ECNAD Dance
Remember to check the web site at www.musicisart.org for more information
buffaloroots.com/pages/RobbyInterviewMIA08.html