This month the IU Art Museum will hosts a series of three Thursday night events in celebration of the special exhibit "Shot by Warhol". The events will feature film, art, food, and more.
This Thursday, local band Tammar will be playing a set of original and Velvet Underground songs at the event from 8 to 10 pm.
Live Buzz talked to band members, Ben Swanson and Josephine McRobbie about the event and their band:
Live Buzz: How did you get to be a part of this event?
Tammar: We heard a rumor last year that the Art Museum was interested in having us perform during the opening festivities for an upcoming Warhol exhibit. It sounds like there were a couple of people there who had seen us play before and thought we'd have the right kind of sound and vibe for a Factory / Exploding Plastic Inevitable-style event. Indeed, we're all huge fans of the Velvet Underground and are really excited to be a part of the event, and just as stoked to play in a venue as unique and atmospheric as the IU Art Museum atrium.
Live Buzz: Can you tell us a little bit more about the exhibit "Shot by Warhol"?
Tammar: The exhibit pulls from a recent gift to the museum of over 150 photographs by Warhol, including black and white photos and color Polaroids. We haven't seen the exhibit yet, but we're planning to add to the visual side of things by projecting something Warholian in the background while we play...possibly some of the artist's famous screen tests.
Live Buzz: You are playing both original songs and Velvet Underground covers. Are you all big fans of VU?
Tammar: We're absolutely big VU fans. Its been interesting to dig into the songs and realize that there's a lot more going on, structurally, than we're used to hearing. Learning to play their songs has definitely given us a deeper respect and appreciation for The Velvet Underground.
Live Buzz: Your debut LP sampler was just released in December. What was the recording process like?
Tammar: Super long. For a number of reasons, it just took us forever to finish the record. In a lot of ways this was our first proper studio recording - one that lasted more than an evening or two - and we found our biggest challenge was finding a new, different kind of energy in the studio from what we're used to live. It took a while to figure out what worked, but we're pretty happy with the end result. Now we just need to actually get it out!
Live Buzz: What is the latest project that you are working on?
Tammar: We just self released a CD+DVD, "Live at the Observatory," from a show we played in Chicago at The Observatory - an awesome performance and recording space. It's a small release, but we were so surprised with the quality of the video and audio that Dave put a cool little package together and brought a handful over to Landlocked Music to sell.
Hope to see you there!
-Katie
