JOHN WIESE
Two avant CDs have thrilled me of late: Wobbly's Wild Why (Tigerbeat6), a frenetic, tour-de-force cut-up of corporate hiphop recorded off the radio, and John Wiese's Bubble Pulse (Kissy Records), a foaming morass of spliced bits, scraps, and other mottled specks of sound. Wobbly, alas, is not playing this gig, but Wiese, best known for his work with Bastard Noise, headlines a triple bill with "industrial noise betrayer" Gerritt and local scree kingpins Noggin. CoCA, 1420 11th Ave, 728-1980, 9 pm, $5.
SIL2K
I was an idiot to omit SIL2K from my "Experimental Music Almanac" article a while ago. Apart from its laudable track record running a weekly series at the now-defunct club I-Spy, this ensemble performs compositions that incorporate a vast array of improvisatory options, hand signals, and projected graphics. Now, after a year's hiatus, SIL2K premieres Stuart McLeod's Metamorph. Also on the bill are Eveline's Klang Quintet and the Wally Shoup Trio. Lo_Fi, 429B Eastlake Ave E, 9 pm, $5.
FRIDAY AUGUST 29
DORKBOT
Actually this exhibition is called "People Doing Strange Things with Electricity" and features art by the Seattle branch of dorkbot, a loose collective bent on twisting technology to artistic ends. This collection includes sound sculptures and installations by Canton Becker, whose Udderthump 2000 is a portable transducing platform that lets you feel as well as hear music, Lyn Goeringer's Application #2, Patrick and Christopher O'Dowd's Solar Music Box, John Bain's Autocaster, and others. Running through Wed Sept 3, gallery hours are Tues-Thurs 2-8 pm and Fri-Sun noon-5 pm. CoCA, 1420 11th Ave, 728-1980, noon-5 pm, $5 donation.
ANDREW DRURY & JESSICA LURIE DUO
Brooklyn transplants Andrew Drury (percussion) and Jessica Lurie (saxophones/flute) return to Seattle. Lurie, apart from playing Bumbershoot (see above) is also doing duets in more intimate venues. Drury, who also led junk percussion workshops for kids during his time in Seattle, has gigged with a long list of avant-jazz luminaries, including Myra Melford, Mark Dresser, and Wadada Leo Smith. Lurie and Drury share the bill with Joga, the trio consisting of PK (bass), Gregg Keplinger (drums), and Michael Monhart (soprano saxophone). Lo_Fi, 429B Eastlake Ave E, 9 pm, $7.
SATURDAY AUGUST 30
MORGAN & DULLEA
This UK-based violin-and-piano duo presents works by modern masters John Cage, George Crumb, Charles Wuorinen, and Morton Feldman. They also tackle newer pieces by Joel Cutler, Richard Causton, Morgan Hay, Yannis Kyriakides, and Andrew Poppy. Brechemin Auditorium, UW campus, 789-3628, 8 pm, $10/$15.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 3
LADONNA SMITH & DAVEY WILLIAMS
Two legends of North American free improvisation, LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams, pay a rare visit to Seattle. Apart from masterminding The Improvisor, a journal that has covered free improvisation since the early 1980s, this Alabama-based pair championed free improv when the music was a truly unknown, isolated endeavor. Essential. Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union St, 329-4224, 8 pm, $7.
