Following on from the success of the last kickstarter campaign to finance the making of my album, ‘Not Long For This World’, we have decided to go the same route again with the aim of raising funds to realize a new stage production. I was recently approached by the lovely ladies at the Bootleg Theatre in LA, with a view to staging my play with music, ‘The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse’ ( about the legendary Black Dahlia murder ). They want to have the play run for the entire month of September. The Bootleg is a great little space and the perfect location for this piece. The production will feature a rotating cast culled from the bleeding edge of contemporary theatre in Los Angeles as well as live music performed by Ego Plum ( Ebola Music Orchestra ) Ysanne Spevack ( Smashing Pumpkins etc. ) and myself. It will also feature the extraordinary, internationally acclaimed Butoh performer, Vangeline. The play will also be staged for one night and one night only, at the Million Dollar Theatre in Downtown LA on November 12, 2011. Please support us if you can!
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALTERNATIVE MUSICAL THEATRE DOUBLE FEATURE MOVED TO LATE FALL
..HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALTERNATIVE MUSICAL THEATRE DOUBLE FEATURE MOVED TO LATE FALLTheatrefication, the event slated to launch the City of Los Angeles’ “Broadway 100” celebration, has been postponed until later this year. Challenging production issues with equipment and retrofitting the Million Dollar Theatre proved to be a more daunting task than was initially anticipated for the musical theatre productions being featured. Producers rescheduled the event for Saturday, November 12, 2011. ”This was an easy decision. We have to do what is best for the integrity of the productions. We would rather present Theatrefication the way that it is meant to be seen. There are some logistics issues that presented complications that will take a bit longer to work out, especially in a historical landmark theatre that has been around for nearly a century,” says Helene Federici, whose ElectrOpera Theatre Company is producing the event. Theatrefication was scheduled to kick off the centennial festivities of the City of Los Angeles’ Bringing Back Broadway initiative’s “Broadway 100”, honoring 100 years of the Historic Broadway Theatre District on Saturday, March 26 at 7:00 PM at the Million Dollar Theatre. Even with the new show date, Theatrefication will remain a part of the celebration of LA’s Broadway District’s centennial. The event will present David J’s avant-garde play with music, “The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse.” Inspired by the Black Dahlia saga, this chilling play offers a new theory on the identity of the killer(s). The second musical production on the marquee will be Federici’s own electropera, “ET Mostavy,” a multimedia musical, featuring 3-D animated projections and atmospheric effects. This new format of musical theatre merges orchestral electronic dance music with urban and classical dance, trip-hop and opera vocals, and an electric string ensemble. Tickets that have been purchased will be given a complimentary upgrade to VIP seating or refunded upon request. Information regarding the rescheduled dates for Theatrefication will be available online atwww.theatrefication.com.
Ah! Nothing like starting off the day ( & the new year ) with a refreshing splash of narcissism!
‘Just received the following from the acclaimed photographer, Pixie.
www.pixievisionproductions.com ‘Told her I would post, so here it is. ( The track is Love & Rockets’ ‘Welcome Tomorrow’ )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ve-2el7wAk
The kickstarter campaign is doing very well & thanks again for all your support. There are only a few days to go now, so any additional assistance in helping us reach the target will be greatly appreciated! Below is a pic of the incredible ‘vibrabonaphone’ which David Jude Thomas constructed for the ‘Tidal Wave Of Blood’ video. This contraption ( which stands about 4’ high ) was played by Shok & can now be yours for a pledge of 1k!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1628561013/david-j-bauhaus-new-album-not-long-for-this-world
The augmented reality triggered video is finally up & running. To view all you need to do is purchase the single & hold up the graphic on the back of the sleeve to your web cam. Shazam!
To order single go to:
www.saintroserecords.com
The Saint Rose Records showcase festival at the Arlene Francis Center for Spirit, Art & Politics in Santa Rosa was a funky joy. Great ramshackle venue & a spirited crowd. I played with the chaps from the Luv n’ Rockets tribute band & so, naturally turned in a rather Rocketscentric set which is about as close to a L & R reunion that you’re ever gonna get! Immediately following the show, Dustin ( guitar player ) & I dashed through the fog & over to San Francisco to see my old pals, The Dandy Warhols play a best of the Capitol years set at the Regency Ballroom. They have so many great songs & when all those gems are lined up one after another, it’s a pretty dazzling display, although Courtney’s voice was in shreds from being on tour for seven months. It was quite heroic really, in that he was never holding back & this gave the whole thing a kind of ragged nobility. Hanging out with them on their tour bus afterwards, it made me itch for the road again. Hopefully my plan to tour in the Spring of next year will come to fruition & the wheels will once again roll.
This month saw a rare visitation by the exceptionally talented Damien Youth, who came over to LA from New Orleans to play a couple of low key gigs & record a track with & at the suggestion of award winning producer, Kerry Brown. For the session we were joined by Michael Berg on keyboards & Ysanne Spevak on violin & cello. The song in question was ‘Broke Heart Singer’, which Damien wrote for the Jeff Buckley tribute concert that he & I performed at in Pittsburgh earlier this year.
Damien, Michael, David & Kerry following the session. Photo: Sarah Morrison
Recording bass for Damien Youth session. Photo: Sarah Morrison
Whilst Damien was in town, I took the opportunity to abduct him for my own session & together with Tony Green on stand-up bass & Ysanne Spevak on violin & bowed bowl, we laid down a deep swirling maelstrom of a version of the track that we wrote together for the aforementioned Jeff Buckley tribute event. ‘Eulogy For Jeff Buckley’ will definitely be on the new album.
Available this month on DVD, Steven Johnson Leyba’s documentary ‘What Is Art’, for which I composed the theme music. ( The track now featured on: www.myspace.com/davidjonline)
Here’s the back story: When I turned up at Ego Plum’s East LA studio to record this, there was a industrial generator in the yard next door which was making a big industrial generator type sound. Ego was in a mild state of panic, fearing that we would be unable to record as the sound was bleeding through & into the studio. I, however, was delighted by this & immediately dragged a microphone outside to record the thing. This sound became the basis for the track with everything built around it’s heavy crashing rhythm. The vocal on the track is simply Leyba reading off the list of questions that he asks the artists in the film.
