Red Krayola at International House, Philadelphia (2006) (press release)
artdesigncafé | music + art room | Released 21 June 2006
The Red Krayola
August 3, 2006, 8pmInternational House (3701 Chestnut Street)
The Institute of Contemporary Art and International House Philadelphia are pleased to announce a rare performance by The Red Krayola, celebrating 40 years of the seminal band that has continued to redefine rock for four decades. One of a handful of dates on the East Coast, the appearance features a lineup representing all stages of the band’s life. The concert will take place on Thursday, August 3rd 2006 at 8pm at International House Philadelphia. Tickets for the event are $17 (general admission), $15 (students and seniors) and $14 (members of ICA and IHouse).
This one-night-only show coincides with “Make Your Own Life: Artists In and Out of Cologne” at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. The exhibition has been extended for a special tour prior to the show and ICA will be open 5-8pm on August 3rd. “Make Your Own Life” examines the mythic and art historical significance of Cologne, Germany, in the 1980s and ’90s when it was one of the most important centers for contemporary art in Europe. The Red Krayola, led by front man Mayo Thompson, has featured a rotating personnel of musicians and artists, including Albert Oehlen, Stephen Prina, and Christopher Williams, whose works are on display in “Make Your Own Life.” In fact, Thompson has been a key player in the artistic and social migrations at the heart of the exhibition, moving from Texas to New York to London to Cologne to Los Angeles, and Edinburgh, Scotland.
About the Red Krayola
Perhaps the longest running underground rock band around, the Red Krayola (alternately spelled “Red Crayola”) were formed in Houston as a trio in 1966. Along with fellow Texans the 13th Floor Elevators, and emerging groups like the Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, Mayo Thompson’s sonic experimentalism was viewed as a rejection of the prevalent “summer of love” sound of the time. From jagged feedback assaults to whimsical meandering folk melodies, the Red Krayola inspired countless underground rock phenomena for decades to come.
After relocating to Europe in the late-’70s, Mayo Thompson emerged as a main force in the experimental post-punk scene, reforming the Krayola with new members and producing numerous recordings for the Rough Trade label. As the Red Krayola moved into its third decade, Thompson’s unusual approach to songwriting and clever word play would fit perfectly with another new set of collaborators: England’s visual arts collective Art & Language. This period would prove to be especially fruitful for the band.
By the end of the 1980s, his enduring influence was keenly felt in the thriving US indie scene. At that time his recordings were re-released in the States and, meeting a new demand for his work, Mayo Thompson joined forces with a younger generation of artists, collaborating with Chicago avant-garde musicians Jim O’Rourke, David Grubbs (Squirrelbait, Gastr del Sol) and John McEntire (Tortoise, Sea and Cake). With a lineup that features McEntire, Prina, and Tom Watson (Pell Mell), the Krayola has released a new album this past April titled Introduction.
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