Vegas Witchcraft, a live jazz and electronica band named after a Hunter S. Thompson short story, has been setting off Friday’s Ascension performance painting and gaming event at Dazzle for more than a year.
Its improvised sound, showcased on the forthcoming CD “Taurine,” will take a turn for the kitchen May 6 when the band’s entire set will be inspired by the restaurant’s appetizer menu. Here, multi-instrumentalist Marc Weinberg discusses the recipe.
Who would your money be on in a “Celebrity Deathmatch” between avant-garde music producer Bill Laswell and indie rock icon Jack White?
Most indie rock is an extension of pop music – overproduced, formulaic offerings for a musically sedated public. Laswell works with the heavy hitters. You think the Miles Davis or Bob Marley trusts would hand over original tape to just anyone?
Your average White Stripes or Britney Spears fan is neither going to understand or embrace the presence of William S. Burroughs on a track by Material, one of hundreds of bands Bill Laswell has worked with. Plus, the fear Bill generates from sheer size alone would probably win me the money.
Why do some music fans deem improvisation to be the musical equivalent of Cheez Whiz?
Cheez Whiz is definitely a mystery product: You don’t know exactly what it is. For us, at the beginning of the night, we don’t know what our product is going to be, either. The jam band scene has kind of worn people down, but our band promotes improvisation as a way of getting back to the roots of jazz. Players come together and improvise for the sake of creativity and having fun, which is an important part of it. And with some rotation of the players, we’re able to see the output change a lot.
Who is in your band?
We have a standard gathering of four. Chris Lawhead is the Swiss Army knife musician in the band – able to play any style on most instruments and not a threat to neighboring countries. David Arnold plays a mean bass, stemming from his punk and rock background. I’ve actually seen him sanding teeth marks out of his instrument.
Applying wood to skin is Nick Quinones. I play keys, vibes, samplers, and a few other instruments that only appear for a few seconds. As if my normal bunch of gear is not enough (at 350 pounds), I now carry another 150 pounds of gear to multi-track all of our live shows. We also have a long list of people who we will pull in regularly to change up the vibe.
Staff writer Elana Ashanti Jefferson can be reached at 303-820-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com.
