Canasta @ AV XPLO, Sept 6

(sent on 2003-08-26)

AV XPLO
featuring
CANASTA / MIDSTATES / MIXEL PIXEL / ALAN ASTOR
THE POISON ARROWS / NAD NAVILLUS
Saturday, September 6th @ Subterranean
(2011 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park)
Doors: 8:00 pm

After their Grant Park debut this past weekend, where their noses got sunburned and their hair flew in their face, Canasta is wisely retreating to the dark, smoky nightclubs where they've made their name. The location is familiar (the always elegant Subterranean) but this event promises to be very different from past Canasta shows.

How? Well, their friends in Midstates have curated a veritable smorgasbord of music and art. For one, Canasta will rotate with five other bands on stage, including a couple acts from Noo Yawk, which we hear has quite the "scene" lately. (Could Fabrizio Moretti and Drew Barrymore be in the house? We're crossing our fingers!) Then, while the bands are a-rockin', 15 visual artists will have their photographs, paintings, and mixed-media sculptures on display around the club. (Fun fact: Eleven years ago, Canasta keyboardist John Cunningham and displaying artist Dan Grant played dueling rivals in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." If you're lucky, they'll bust out the plastic swords for one last fight.)

If you were thinking, "Sounds like an audio-visual explosion!" you've got the right idea. The show's called AV XPLO, and if you ask me, it's gonna be pretty hard to pass up. Canasta won't take the stage until around 11 pm, but you're welcome to come early and stay late!

IN OTHER NEWS: Canasta's website now features five audio clips in the ever-popular mp3 format. They're rough mixes of songs that will be on their forthcoming EP, so be the first on your block to grab a listen! (Also, be sure to check out some photos from our July 31 show, courtesy Sara Murphy and Jon Mastantuono.)

~ CANASTA

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