CHICAGO | Earlier this month on October 20, I had the pleasure of seeing multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and improviser Macie Stewart in collaboration with Experimental Sounds Studio at the Epiphany Center for the Arts.
I knew I was at the right place when I noticed the flock of bicyclists with blue hair and colored tights locking their vehicles up in a corner. I fit right in — almost too much — as I saw someone wearing the same pair of deadstock Sears catalog overalls I was wearing. Somebody’s gotta change.
The Epiphany itself is something truly spectacular to behold. The former church-turned-center-for-the-arts was built in 1885, and stands in stark contrast to the RUSH Medical center across the street in the West Loop. Inside, I was greeted by art galleries, a cafe-cocktail-dinner-esque area with dim lighting and a live DJ, accompanied by more of the same beautiful architecture. The art galleries were particularly inspiring, as I overheard another patron describing the surrealist tapestries of Kathy Weaver as “Amazeballs.” Couldn’t put it better myself if I tried.
Even an hour before showtime, the entire building was abuzz; I was one of the many gawking around aimlessly, taking it all in. The walls of the concert hall itself are still semi-covered with the chipping paint of years before, and the lofty ceiling created some of the best acoustics I’ve heard from a concert before.
The concert consisted mainly of Macie’s Mouthful of Glass album, with some solo songs intertwined and improvisational duo Damon Locks and Dana Hall opening the show. Alongside Macie was a 12-piece orchestra made up of Mallory Linehan, Karlyn Gehring, Zara Zahareva (violin), Karlita Williams (viola), Zach Moore (upright bass), Lia Kohl, Olula Negre (cello), Sen Morimoto, Dustin Laurenzi (saxophone), Michael Hilger (keys/guitar) and Rob Frye (synth and multi-instrument). I was lucky enough to have Macie on our very own Radio Depaul before the show, where they spoke to me about their experience on tour, their work with Finom, and the night at the Epiphany in conjunction with non-profit organization Experimental Sound Studio. How fun!
In addition to her solowork, Macie is one half of Finom (formally known as OHMME) along with her bandmate and friend Sima Cunningham. This past month, they’ve re-released their first record under the title OHMME. The weekend before this performance, the band was a part of Northwest Side Solidarity Network’s fundraiser at Sleeping Village, DJing for the event, raising funds for necessary resources like food, hygiene and other products for migrant families arriving to Chicago.
Being active within the Chicago music scene and greater community is paramount for Macie, and having worked with Chicago-based Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) before, continuing their partnership to bring their vision to life seemed like a no-brainer.
“When I recorded the record, I really wanted it to be a full, fully orchestrated thing. That’s how I imagined it in my head,” Macie said. As a listener, I could hear the pull of full orchestration with rich and delicate tracks like “Finally” and the title track “Mouthful of Glass.”
I also spoke to Alex Inglizian, co-director of Experimental Sound Studios (ESS), on the making of this magical night.
“The idea was that she’d released this record… and she had this dream of orchestrating a lot of the songs and she was able to get a grant to make it happen and write the music and pay musicians… so we were able to put our resources to use… and put our forces together, and so all that planning was in the works for, geez, maybe four or five months initially,” said Inglizian. While actual in-person rehearsals are “just one big day” — productive day it must have been — the whole ensemble seemed to move like one big amalgamation of musical force.
Since its founding in 1986, ESS has been supporting and promoting artists exploring new and interesting ways to create sound. In addition to conducting live events, ESS is home to a full recording studio, audio archive and offers internships, artists residencies and exhibitions within Chicago; serving as one of the integral pieces that keep the arts so free and alive in this wonderful city.
The whole night accumulated to a perfect reflection of the Chicago music scene: taking place inside of a beautiful, reclaimed symbol of Chicago’s rich history, combining the delicacy of 12-piece orchestration with the movement and fluidity of improvisation.
Clergy members locked into Stewart and their twelve-piece orchestra | Courtesy of Alex Inglizian
Header image provided by courtesy of Alex Inglizian.