“This is a really great way to put off your homework for Monday,” said Greg Bortnichak as he poised his fingers across the fretboard of his cello. Bortnichak makes up one half of Teach Me Equals along with Erin Murphy, a duo from Florida that brought their blend of classical instrumentation and modern experimental rock flourishes to the O’Shaughnessy Performance Space last Sunday, Oct. 5. Bortnichak’s quip hit home for most of the gathered crowd of students as laughter brought in the next song of squelching electronic loops and the roar of the band’s hypnotic, distorted tones. Before his set, Bortnichak spoke enthusiastically about SFUAD’s music program facilities, claiming amazement at the students’ easy access to performance and practice spaces, as well as recording facilities. Testament to this point is the ability for students to put on shows on a Sunday night, and several students took advantage of that luxury. The space filled up quickly as openers Venus and the Lion took the stage, and it was quickly apparent that these students were there to move to the music, not simply stand as idle observers. After releasing its debut EP Absinthe last February, the SFUAD-student band Venus and the Lion have been working on new material. These songs expand on a foundation of groovy, classic rock-tinged sound established on its freshman effort. These elements have been expanded into longer, more complex arrangements that still manage not to stray from the band’s ability to tap into a crowd’s lust for dance-ready rhythms. The audience was along for the band’s ride, taking in newer material with vocal enthusiasm, although there was a noticeable spike in cheers as the band tore into its best-known single “T. Rex,” whose bluesy stomp threw the crowd into a sudden blissed-out...

There’s a fire going outside and people huddle together, laughing and otherwise going on excitedly about “have you heard this band? And this band?” There’s even a trampoline, one of those big ones. Inside, past the front door that never seems to be locked, a band sets up in a large warehouse space. The energy is buzzing, people are smiling and, best of all, there’s no cover at the door. This is all a very regular sight for Radical Abacus, a warehouse in one of Santa Fe’s more business-oriented areas that has become one of the city’s more prominent independent performance venues in the past few years. Contemporary Music Program major Angelo Harmsworth, who recently became one of Radical Abacus’ residents, has been increasing his involvement in booking shows for local musicians as well as touring acts from around the US. “Nicholas Chiarella [former SFUAD Studio Arts administrative assistant/contributing faculty] was responsible for the current incarnation of the space…,” Harmsworth said in an e-mail interview, “He made the space available to the local and larger DIY community for art shows, little happenings, and concerts.” Following that legacy, Harmsworth’s role is simply that of a host/curator; he and his housemates do not take money for hosting these shows. Donations are often requested to be given to touring bands, mostly for gas money, but other than that the focus is on music. This model differs greatly from that of a more traditional venue, such as a bar that features live music. This use of non-traditional performance spaces has become a more frequently seen phenomenon in Santa Fe as well as cities across the country as a larger DIY-based musical community grows. Why do some gravitate toward DIY over a bar or another more established business? Harmsworth...

SFUAD Contemporary Music Program (CMP) Chair Steve Paxton talks about music, the CMP department and its students in this audio-visual story. Music by Ruder and the Shockwaves.

Jackalope Magazine’s series of interviews with student musicians continues with an interview with Conor Handolson, the drummer of the student band Skinflints and Scoundrels. Handolson is a drummer, guitarist and vocalist in the Contemporary Music Program.