Laurie Anderson: Lou Reed Drones, Viola Duets

Please note: This is a general admission event held at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. SF. Lou Reed Drones is an installation/performance piece. Laurie Anderson and guest musicians will interact and perform throughout Grace Cathedral during the duration of the session. The piece has a duration of 4 hours, and we encourage people to come and go as they wish. The audience is enouraged to bring an instrument if they like and participate in the performance.

Please note that the the volume level of the installation will be louder than a typical SFJAZZ concert, and earplugs will be provided to those sensitive to certain frequencies.

Laurie Anderson presents an incredible drone-based sonic experience utilizing a number of historic guitars from her late husband Lou Reed's collection. This installation, curated by Reed's former guitar technician Stewart Hurwood, places the instruments in an arrangement against a group of amplifiers so that their tuned feedback creates an enveloping drone of harmonics that shifts and changes depending on the audience’s location within the grand space of Grace Cathedral. Further, the Cathedral’s natural 7-second echo will add immeasurably to the profound Doppler effect the audience experiences as they move around the space. Anderson herself will perform live with violist Eyvind Kang and saxophonist Ulrich Krieger.

FROM LAURIE ANDERSON:
“I’m really looking forward to presenting Lou Reed’s powerful drone piece. Something between an installation and performance this piece features the hypnotic overtones and harmonics of guitar feedback. As part of it, I will be joined by Eyvind Kang and Ulrich Krieger.”