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Ruby’s 20th Anniversary Celebration 1988-2008

with The Thing

Mats Gustafsson (Sweden) - baritone sax
Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (Norway) - contrabass
Paal Nilssen-Love (Norway) - drums

Fri Nov. 14th
doors 7PM

@ Ruby’s BBQ   (512 West 29th Street, just off Guadalupe.) rubysbbq.com

very limited $10 advance tickets available now at Ruby’s BBQ.

Additional tickets available to supporters of Epistrophy Arts for $20 minimum donation.  Please contact P.G. Moreno for information.  pg (@) epistrophyarts.org

“Tapping into rock’s most primal forces with a fire and fury that’s something to behold” MOJO

“The sheer power they can generate from wood, metal, breath and muscle is stunning” BBC

“The Thing Convert nouveau punk and vintage garage-rock into a roaring scream up, but the sheer energy and love of the music keep gimmickry at bay” UNCUT

Free Jazz ecstasy meets Garage Rock Intensity.  Scandinavian action jazz ensemble The Thing in a rare intimate performance following the release of their limited edition box set ‘Now and Forever’ and in anticipation to their upcoming Steve Albini produced release ‘Bag it’.  The Thing blends the spontaneity and imagination of classic free jazz with the emotional immediacy of underground garage rock. With acoustic traditional jazz instrumentation, the three young Scandinavians can match the power of the fiercest rock band. The Thing’s repertoire consists of 60’s era new-jazz (Don Cherry, Ayler, James Blood Ulmer, David Murray) and reinterpretations of underground rock classics (PJ Harvey, White Stripes, Sonics, The Ex, Lighting Bolt). This is no watered down jazz-rock. The Thing take the most uncompromising aspects of both genres and turn up the heat. Tearing down the walls that separate free jazz/punk rock/garage/noise/improv etc.with wicked glee, The Thing shine a searing hot light on the idiocy of getting hung up on categories.

Individually and collectively, The Thing’s genre defying spirit has led to collaborations with a wide range of today’s most creative musicians including Joe McPhee, Thurston Moore, Otomo Yoshihide, Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann and many others.  Saxophonist Mats Gustafsson is a frequent collaborator with Sonic Youth and is featured on their recent release entitled _Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth_ with Japanese noise legend Merzbow.

Since 1999, Ruby’s Barbecue has been a regular supporter of Epistrophy Arts.  During the Thing’s first visit to Austin in 2004 the musicians were so impressed with the food and hospitality that they adopted the iconic Ruby’s T-Shirts as their stage uniform.  Since that time, The Thing have worn their Ruby’s shirts onstage in hundreds of concerts across 3 continents.  Epistrophy Arts and The Thing are proud to help celebrate the legacy of a great family-owned Austin institution and their generous support and advocacy for the arts.  Ruby’s makes Austin a great place to live!

*Only 4 U.S. dates on this tour - http://www.paalnilssen-love.com/band_thething.html

And check out an interview with Thing saxophonist Mats Gustafsson

http://www.bagatellen.com/?p=1969

Reviews of the CD “Action Jazz” by The Thing.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22619

http://www.dotshop.se/ds/release.php?code=STSJ123CD

About Epistrophy Arts:

Epistrophy Arts is a grass-roots organization dedicated to presenting the finest in improvised and adventurous music in Austin Texas.  Since January of 1998 we have presented over 60 concerts with leading international figures in improvised music and modern jazz.  Epistrophy Arts is funded and supported in part by individual contributions, the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

For more information on the artists:
http://www.ingebrigtflaten.com/
http://www.paalnilssen-love.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mats_Gustafsson
http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/