8pm • No Cover • $10-$20 suggested donation
Anthony Pirog Trio
Anthony Pirog • Adam Hopkins • Mike Kuhl
Washington, D.C.-based guitarist ANTHONY PIROG is a musician who knows no stylistic limits. Educated in jazz but enthusiastically embracing diverse forms from indie/punk-informed rock to ambient experimentation and free improvisation Pirog has emerged as one of the most noteworthy artists on the 21st century D.C. area music scene, defying predictability with live appearances in myriad configurations, from solo experimental sets to his genre-defying duo with cellist (and life partner) Janel Leppin in Janel and Anthony, his avant jazz trio with bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Ches Smith and The Messthetics (Impulse Records/Dischord Records). It's safe to say that no one knows precisely what to expect from Pirog, and that fact alone might make him noteworthy, but it's also helpful that he employs technology with uncommon intelligence, is guided by a surefooted artistic conception in each of his projects, and happens to possess killer chops.
Skullcap
Janelle Leppin • Mike Kuhl • Anthony Pirog
Janel and Anthony met Mike while working in the DMV around fifteen years ago and have been working together in different contexts ever since. In 2013 Anthony’s sextet, which included Leppin and Kuhl, opened for a Capital Bop event presenting Peter Brotzmann and Joe McPhee at Union Arts. The three first met while being a part of Adam Hopkins' Out of Your Head Collective in 2010 where he put together random ensembles at monthly concerts in Baltimore. OOYH Collective included the likes of Susan Alcorn and jaimie branch. This is the environment where the three first became aware of one another’s skills as improvisers. Leppin recalls, “We always wanted to work with a drummer and thought of Mike as a powerhouse on drums. In fact, I’ve called him Mike "Hurricane" Kuhl for years. His style is so technically fluid and powerful. We were elated when he said he’d like to work with us."
The speed with which they compose and learn the pieces together shows a band working on all five cylinders. Each player is at the top of their game technically and creatively. They mention an intuition that is undeniable in their improvisation and while writing. They also discuss a willingness to connect with all aspects of their musical knowledge; and could be a reason Skullcap’s music is so hard to categorize.
Skullcap