Open Lot to present concert featuring Paul Metzger, Tim Kaiser on March 18

Via 52nd City, we learn that Open Lot, an arts collective and performance space located at 1310 S. 18th St., will present a concert featuring Paul Metzger and Tim Kaiser on Tuesday, March 18.

Metzger (pictured), who's from St. Paul, MN, draws on multiple musical genres and uses a variety of extended techniques to perform improvised music on specially modified guitars and a custom-built 12-string banjo. Kaiser is a multi-media artist from Duluth, MN who incorporates circuit-bent electronics and found instruments into his "post-modern folk music."

According to the post at 52nd City, Open Lot includes a printmaker, two architects, a painter, and a sculptor who share live/work space and are now opening it up to others for events and performances. Here's hoping their schedule will include more adventurous, experimental, and/or off-the-beaten-path shows like the Metzger/Kaiser bill.

Bluiett, Weinstein to receive "Kick Ass Awards" from 52nd City

Baritone saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett, a co-founder of both the Black Artists Group and the World Saxophone Quartet, and Josh Weinstein, host of KDHX's eclectic jazz and improvised music program "All Soul No Borders" will be among the recipients of the fourth annual "Kick Ass Awards" sponsored by local literary magazine/arts cooperative 52nd City.

The awards ceremony/celebration is free and open to the public, and will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday, November 26 at Duff’s, 392 N Euclid Ave in the Central West End.

The Kick Ass Awards are presented to "St. Louisans, collaborators and organizations, (who are) dedicated to quietly improving the civic life of this City and region." The publishers of 52nd City Magazine and a small committee of volunteers selected the nominees for 2007.

Other 2007 recipients who may be familiar to local jazz fans include artist Bill Christman, who runs the performance space Joe's Cafe, and Bernie Hayes, known as a radio personality, journalist, author, teacher, master of ceremonies and "all around great guy." You can see the complete list of 2007 winners here, and the press release for the event here (.pdf file).

RFT's Schaeffer reviews 52nd City "Sound" issue

A while back, StLJN told you about the upcoming "Sound" issue of the local arts journal 52nd City. Well, the CD-as-audio-magazine, which features spoken word and musical performances from a variety of St. Louis artists and musicians as well as an interview with Ornette Coleman, has been out for a couple of weeks now, and the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer has a review in the paper's current issue. Read it online here.

52nd City to explore St. Louis' "Sound"

Aficionados of audio esoterica may want to keep an ear out for the next issue of 52nd City, the quarterly St. Louis arts magazine run by Andrea Avery, Thomas Crone and Stefene Russell. That's because this time the magazine, which organizes each issue around a single topic, will actually be a CD, themed "Sound".

The CD will feature an eclectic mix of contributions from performers drawn from St. Louis' music, art and literary communities, albeit with something of a lean toward the white, South Side hipster set. "The piece overall, is a mix of music, experimental noise assemblages, spoken word, the one interview and a piece of a live "radio play," says Crone (via email).

Saxophonist Dave Stone appears twice - once as part of "a long sound collage by Eric Hall," also featuring Jeremy Brantlinger, Fred Friction, Brett Underwood, Jeremy Kannapell, Sunyatta Marshall, Jason Hutto and Derek Mosely; and again backing poet K. Curtis Lyle on "Nut Check". "Also of note is a Josh Weinstein recording of Ornette Coleman, which is an interview on the notion of Sound, which runs about five minutes," adds Crone.

Other contributors include KWMU reporter Tom Weber, doing a spoken word piece; Tony Renner's latest ambient music project, Learn, Artist; Cloister; Julie Dill; Cold War; Robert Goetz; the Mad Art Radio Hour; Heidi Dean; James Weber Jr.; MC401(k); Aaron Belz; and the Private Sector.

52nd City is throwing a release party for the "Sound" issue from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 14 at the Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway. The event is free, and copies of the CD will be on sale for $8. After that, you can order one through the magazine's Web site, or pick up a copy at Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records, Dunaway Books, Left Bank Books, Subterranean Books or various other independent retailers and businesses around town.