Sxip's Hour of Charm

Show Description

Sxip's Hour of Charm is a unique "only in NYC" night of incredible performing artists curated and hosted by composer/performer Sxip Shirey.

Featuring:
A brief history of the “F” word by Jesse Sheidlower lexicographer and writer of "The F-Word, a detailed history of the word ****”
Turntablist/percussionist/producer VAL INC. who pulls beautiful ghosts from a table of machines.

Very very real, very very human and very very funny New York stories by Greg Walloch and Chris Wells.

Fascinating smart songs and live electronic compositions of composer Amy X Neuberg.

Beautiful and compelling 4 part vocal music of Trevor Wilson and Ensemble.

And new composition inspired by Ali Farka Toure by Sxip Shirey.

With harmonica and megaphone in hand, Sxip Shirey taps the loop-sampler with his foot. Dirty hip-hop beats scroll out of the sound system, as the human beatboxer kicks in a counter rhythm that unfurls a tight breathy snare for a distinctly urban sound. Before the night's over, shards of blue light will bathe the stage as the earthbound shadow reaches for the cosmic: red marbles rolling in electroacoustic glass bowls, industrial flutes, bass siren whistles, a regurgitated music box, and deep klezmer mutant harmonica.

Sxip Shirey has played exploding circus organ for the pyro-technic clowns of the Daredevil Opera Company at the Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center, industrial flutes for acrobats on mechanical jumping boots at The New Victory Theater on Broadway, Appalachian music for gypsies in Transylvania and gypsy music for Appalachians in West Virginia and has had had audiences dancing at underground parties in NYC to mutant harmonicas for 10 years. Shirey composed the music for "Statuesque" a short silent film directed by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods) and staring Bill Nighy, which premiered on Sky TV in the UK on Christmas day 2009. His composition "Melody for Lizzie" was premiered by The Boston Pops New Year's Eve 2009. He is currently working on Theodora Skipitara's "Lysastrata" to premier on February 1rst at La Mama. The music for his upcoming album "Shadow Land" is a collaboration with Rachelle Garniez and was developed for a program at MOMA. "Brooklyn Bridge Song" fromhis latest album "Song New York" was featured as NPR's Song of the Day.