I don't go see live music all that often. But I've gotten hooked on The Gatherings Concert Series here in Philly over the past year. Since fall of 2005, I've seen shows by Jeff Pearce, Saul Stokes and Michael Bentley, The Ministry of Inside Things and Orbital Decay.
What makes the Gatherings so appealing? Part of it is the location: Concerts take place in St. Mary's Hamilton Village, a church on the University of Penn campus. True, pews aren't the most comfortable seating option for a concert. But concert-goers are welcome to lay out sleeping bags or camping chairs in front of the stage. And if you bring a blanket, the pews aren't too bad. The ambiance is a perfect fit for this contemplative style of music. The stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings and altar ornaments take on a new life when paired with the trippy visuals and light shows. You never know what you'll get from one show to the next: I've seen everything from a lo-fi fractal screensaver, to a photography and CGI slideshow perfectly timed to the musical composition, to a laser and fog-machine fantasia.
But the music is the real draw, of course. In fact, I tend to close my eyes for almost half of the show to try and absorb more of the swirling sounds. I've never been great at describing music in conventional terms. I don't read music and haven't played it since my third-grade viola lessons with Mr. Bulcavage. But I know how it makes me feel when I hear something special. And I'm fascinated by those who have the talent and ability to stoke those feelings with music.
At the concerts mentioned above, my mind has wandered to places it simply never goes during the usual day-to-day, much less the workweek. Maybe I'm odd that way. How often do you find yourself imagining what it would be like to exist in another galaxy centuries from now? Or even in another part of the world, like a rain forest, volcano crater or in the desert under a full moon? I've done the last three but they're often tucked back in the corners of my memory, eclipsed by more practical matters like paying the rent. The electronic, ambient, so-called space music at the Gatherings is an escape hatch from all of that. While we obviously can't live in the worlds of Blade Runner or Serenity, an imaginary visit ain't bad. (And considering how crappy most sci-fi movies are, it's now a must if you like that genre.)
Perhaps best of all, the artists are accessible. Often they're selling their own CDs on the table at the entryway. After the show, most are glad to discuss their music, their skills, their backgrounds, etc., in an informal way that never happens at typical concert venues. It's a small community. Many of the same faces pop up at show after show. That's how it started for me only three shows ago. I'm still a bona fide newbie. But hey, the fall season is right around the corner now -- and I'm already dusting off my sleeping bag.
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