News

December 14, 2012

Jherek Bischoff invades NYC, Seattle, the Internet

It's been a big year for Mr. Jherek Bischoff, climaxing in a ton of high-profile activity this fall and winter. Let us count off some of the recent ways he has been rockin' his hometown, New York City and the world (wide web). (Speaking of rockin', is classicalin' a word? Maybe it should be?)

So, to recount all the ways Jherek has been classicalin'.

Maybe you caught Jherek in Amanda Palmer's "Do It Like A Rockstar" music video this past November? (Definitely rocking!) The video was filmed in Oklahoma City and you may have picked up on the psychedelic vibes contributed by Flaming Lips' frontman, Wayne Coyne who co-directed the clip with George Salisbury, Michael McQuilken, and Amanda herself. You may have also picked up on Jherek's intense attachment to musical instruments. In this gem he redefines the term "bassface":



If you're a Pacific Northwest resident you may have caught Jherek on December 1st when he had the biggest concert of his career, performing with a full orchestra and lots of special guests at the 1,400 capacity Moore Theater in Seattle. If you missed it, but are an internet denizen, you may have seen this lovely, smaller scale set he taped for KEXP with a septet of musicians, plus some singers (including himself):



Finally if you're in New York, you may be eagerly awaiting his Lincoln Center debut next Thursday where he'll perform two free (FREE!) sets backed by yMusic and Greg Saunier of Deerhoof plus some special surprise guests. The sets are at 7:30pm and 9:30pm, but show up early. These things may be jammed. Lots more details on the concerts right here, including the address and such. Make sure to read up and show up!

Once again, we'll remind you, it's free. Whoa. You're welcome.

Meanwhile, if you've accidentally come across this internet website and have no idea who Jherek is, we can help direct you to the knowledge. First we'd suggest this great video introduction created by the ever-generous Amanda Palmer camp.



And for those who are more old school and prefer writing this profile in Seattle's local alt-weekly The Stranger is pretty great. As an example, here's an account of an influential early musical experience Jherek had with his family:


When the Bischoff boys showed up on one of the San Blas islands and inquired about playing, they were taken to the local Kuna chief. He told them they could play in the town square that evening. The San Blas islands -- an archipelago that includes some islands so small they have a single palm tree -- were a striking place, Bischoff said last week while we sat in his instrument-packed apartment. "Huts with dirt floors, no running water, people wearing bones through their noses."

That night, they brought their gear ashore and set up in the dark. Someone wandered off to turn on a generator. A light came on, and the Americans heard a sudden roar—an army of clamoring children swarmed right up in their faces and were so jammed against their instruments that it was tricky just to play. The island had been equipped with a hospital a few years back, Bischoff explained, so the infant mortality rate took a nosedive and there was a baby boom. The kids had never heard rock 'n' roll before, Bischoff said, and flipped out when they started playing. They didn't know how to dance to rock music exactly (most of the music in the San Blas islands was reserved for religious occasions), but they loved it, and the Bischoffs became instant celebrities. The Kuna are also some of the shortest people in the world, supposedly second only to the Pygmies of Africa; the Bischoffs are all more than six feet tall. "So the next few days when we'd walk through town," Bischoff said, "we had kids hanging off each limb. It was wild."


This is turning into a long news post, huh? Imagine how tired Jherek must feel after such a crazy and wonderful year. He will conclude 2012 with a bang, though, as he performs at Amanda Palmer's Terminal 5 show on New Year's Eve, including a short set of his own music.

And then he will rest.

That was not a music notation pun. We swear.


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