The Angers Series

These are created from photographs I took in Angers, France in September 2018.

I was in Angers to perform solo during Austin Week (we are their sister city), at the invitation of Bruno, Vincent and Gerome. So, after my shows in Berlin and a trip to Prague to visit friends and play jam sessions, I took the fast train to Angers with a stop to change trains (and stations) in Paris. Vincent met me at the station and got me set up in the home of my gracious hostess Marjolaine, but not before hitting the Jokers Pub for a celebratory drink!

At the bar, I met up with my pal Dylan Cameron and the lovely people from Holodeck Records who are also the band Troller. They were all in town to perform as well, and that night I got to see them at the Jokers Pub.

I myself was booked to play at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, projecting psychedelic video from my laptop with prerecorded drones and pulses, and adding electric guitar through a small modular electronic effects case. Vincent loaned me an almost unplayable guitar (“each string is from a different set, I’m afraid”), but it looked very cool, and I managed to coax enough notes out of it for my electronics to work with, though very few notes had any sustain.

We were given tickets to the big Levitation France festival, across the river from the Castle, the most prominent feature of the small town of Angers. I say small; one could get everywhere one needed to by walking. I got very familiar with the layout of the city quickly. We all did a long day of checking out the town, treated to a sumptuous meal at a prix fixe restaurant by Bruno, and spent a long afternoon in the Castle, or Château, taking in the massive collection of Apocalypse Tapestries and exploring the grounds. I took many photos of lichens which grew on the parapets of the river-facing battlements. Also part of our wanderings was Galerie LTK, a small but vibrant modern art gallery. I took photos and video of the concrete floor there, because I like to archive the places I visit by documenting the textures rather than normal family-style photos. I created the Angers Series of photos by layering the castle fungus with the concrete floors.

On the last full day I was in Angers, I was told that I would be a part of an improvised set with Troller. They sent me the location and time, and I suggested that we meet after their soundcheck and before the gig to get lunch in the neighborhood of the location, which was a 30 minute walk from where I was. I lugged my gear to the address I was given, and found out that there was no gig happening at that location! So I found some wifi and started trying to find someone who knew where and when things were happening, and how to get me there (because I was hungry and my feet hurt). The actual location happened to be across the river, and after many back-and-forth calls that went nowhere, I trekked across the river and got to the location, ate a quick sandwich and set up. It was determined that I should play guitar through my setup, and Troller handed me the guitar that had been arranged for them: a beautiful Epiphone Les Paul that played great!