Today, Moogfest announced the addition of musician/composer/visual artist Brian Eno to its October lineup.
Eno (whose full name, by the way, is Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno) joined glam rockers Roxy Music in the ‘70s before moving into his own ambient projects. He’s worked with Davids Bowie and Byrne, produced albums for Talking Heads and U2, helped popularizes Moogfest alum Devo and most recently released the collaborative album Drums Between The Bells with poet Rick Holland.
According to the press release, “Moogfest 2011 is honored to announce the exhibition of Brian Eno’s remarkable 77 Million Paintings as a part of this year’s continually expanding palette of festival offerings. …In addition to the 77 Million Paintings installation, Eno will also present one of his legendary and mind-expanding ‘Illustrated Talks’ during the Moogfest 2011 weekend.” Which all sounds great, but what exactly does it mean?
• 77 Million Paintings, released in 2006, involves two DVDs. One contains software that creates randomized atmospheric music and images that are projected onto a screen. the second disc is of interviews with Eno. Each viewer’s experience is different. “Obviously I have some control over that because I choose the inputs to the process, but I don’t choose the combinations. They happen randomly,” says Eno. Watch a short video about 77 Million Paintings here:
• An illustrated talk is pretty much a lecture with visual components. Eno’s recent illustrated talk in Vancouver was described as “discussing time, art, culture and creativity.” High Performance Rodeo explained that, “Armed with an overhead projector (an infinitely more sophisticated device than PowerPoint), Eno will lay bare his thoughts on generative art, haircuts, music history, screwdrivers, and the vast complexities behind them all.”
According to Moogfest (which runs Friday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Oct. 30 in downtown Asheville), “Both the 77 Million Paintings exhibition, and the ‘Illustrated Talk,’ will be separately ticketed events. During the Moogfest 2011 weekend of October 28 – 30, attendance at the 77 Million Paintings exhibition will be restricted to only Moogfest pass holders. VIP pass holders will be admitted free of charge, while weekend pass holders will be admitted at a specially reduced price. 77 Million Paintings will remain on exhibition in Asheville until the end of the November and will be open to the general public beginning November 2.
“Details regarding Eno’s ‘Illustrated Talk’ will be released in the coming weeks. Moogfest VIPs and weekend pass holders will be given first opportunity to purchase tickets to the talk at reduced prices for a limited period of time. Any remaining tickets will be offered to the general public afterwards.”
This totally stinks! For the assurance to get tickets to Eno’s talk, I have to possess Moogfest passes? At $200 each? If I cared about Moogfest, or indeed, any festivals in general, then it wouldn’t be so bad. My guess is I’ll see the installation at the YMI and that’s it. No Eno for us. I’d pay good money to see Eno but not mortgage payment money! I’m annoyed that against all odds Brian Eno is coming to my home town to speak and there’s a **huge** deck stacked against my attendance.
Brian Eno.
And?
Settle down Beavis.