Thank you all!!

The Circus was a tremendous success because of you, because of Arts at the Armory's support, because of the talented innovative artists that contributed to this experience and because of the volunteers who helped produce this event.

Keep an eye on this page for pictures, video and more documenting the 2009 Multimedia Circus, and just maybe a future event.

The original page is below with info on the artists that performed and contributed.

Friday May 8th - 7pm-10:30pm
at the Center for Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave.,
Somerville, MA


$10, all ages, 21+ to drink

Advance tickets available

About the Multimedia Circus

"Multimedia predominantly has come out in fairgrounds, circuses and theme parks. That's real multimedia." - Brian Eno

Aerialists, turntablists, circuit benders, 3D video, performance art, mixed media, experimental music, invented and found instruments, and more will fill this 3.5 hour long non-stop show.

Voidstar Productions has pulled together a mix of unique, skilled and innovative artists who leave an impact and pushed them to go all out. A blend of physical and high energy performance that anyone with a pulse can enjoy combined with mind bending media arts paced for sensory overload.

Picture of Eliza Blaze at Arisia (click for photo credit).

About The Performers (listed alphabetically)

Bill T Miller’s Orgy of Noise: Experimental musician, engineer, photographer and performance artist, Bill T Miller, uses home built instruments including amplified tennis racquets and circuit bent toys. Orgy of Noise’s rotating cast has included Wisteriax (cellist Karen Langlie), Twink (toy pianist Mike Langlie), Melt-Banana, Roger Miller (Mission Of Burma), Deftly-D (Nau-Zee-auN), Ajda the Turkish Queen, Reg Bloor (Glenn Branca Band), Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls), Ivan Stang (SubGenius).

Joining Bill for this show: Cathy Capozzi (Axemunkee), Tamora Gooding (Axemunkee), Kris Thompson (The Lothars), Jonathan LaMaster (Cul de Sac).

Bill T Miller has been a part of countless events including the Boston CyberArts Festival, MIT's International Noise Conference, Semata's Cross Pollenization Festival, and Bent2004 CircuitBending Festival.

Orgy Of Noise homepage

Top video of Orgy of Noise Live in Concert @ TT the Bear's in Boston/Cambridge on 10.30.08 - All Hallows Eve
Bottom video of Bill T Miller live in concert @ CrossPollenization Fest III at Piano Factory - Boston on 3.22.08.

The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is a collective endeavor which engages in rhythmic typewriter manipulation combined with elements of performance art, comedy and satire.  The Boston Typewriter Orchestra has been on numerous media outlets including NBC, Fox News and National Public Radio.

The Boston Typewriter Orchestra homepage

Rocketboom video of BTO including prepared typewriters.

Capoeira Luanda & Capoeira Gerais: Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that is part dance, part game and part fight. The capoeirista moves to the rhythm of the berimbau, an African string instrument, and as the tempo changes, so does the pace and energy of the game. Contra Mestre Marquinhos Coreba from the group Capoeira Gerais, Instructor Morcego, Coelho and Fantasma from the group Capoeira Luanda will be performing in a rare collaboration with contemporary musicians.

Capoeira Gerais homepage
Capoeira Luanda homepage

Video of Capoeira Luanda, New York, Batizado 2007. Credits at end of video.

Darryl Hell is a veteran multimedia artist, turntablist, musician, documentary maker, artivist, and underground journalist / archivist. In the early 70's he began dj'ing and exploring audio 8-track recording experiments.

By 1976 he began playing bass guitar and in 1981 he joined the New Jersey punk band Public Disturbance. 1986 brought about the creation of Abstinence, New Jersey's first industrial project in the vein of Einstürzende Neubauten, Sisters of Mercy, and Skinny Puppy. Hell was instrumental in nurturing a hardcore industrial scene in New Jersey. This happened simultaneously as he was honing his skill as a hybrid collage dj / turntablist.

In 1996 Darryl joined Emergency Broadcast Network, the creators of the first midi-triggered video sampling systems.

Darryl is currently technical director and co-founder of Chashama Arts, NY. Darryl Hell works as a teaching artist, creating web-enabled curriculum and empowerment programs for the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art, Brooklyn.

Darryl Hell homepage

Top video of Darryl Hell remixing Consolidated's Tool and Die filmed at Xris Flam's Mindswerve Studios (click for full details).
Bottom video remix Coldcut's Timber done by Emergency Broadcast Network and Darryl Hell.

David Pendu is an aerial silks performer who works with the Silkworms of Boston.

Eliza Blaze has performed as an aerial acrobat, a fire performer, and a living statue. Eliza Blaze trains and performs aerials with the Silkworms of Boston and teaches fire fan dancing at the Wildfire performance retreat in Connecticut. She also performs regularly with Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band and the Madcap Rumpus Society in Boston.

Eliza Blaze homepage

The Empire S.N.A.F.U. Restoration Project is an otherworldly multimedia, sculpture and performance art project that has been compared to the works of Hieronymus Bosch and H.R. Giger.  The works have appeared at Pan 9, The Voix, The Box Collective and The Von Buhler Gallery in NYC.

The Empire S.N.A.F.U. Restoration Project homepage

Picture of Empire S.N.A.F.U. Restoration Project's #022.008003-womanss

The Human Floor: Have you ever seen a man lie down on a bed of very long, very sharp nails while a woman jump-ropes on top of his chest? Have you ever seen Two Dozen Women in High Heel Shoes standing on top of one person, Including on his arms, thighs, and face? Have you ever Stapled a $20 dollar bill to someone’s forehead? Done, done, and done. Meet the Human Floor, a gentle giant of a man whose threshold for pain must be seen to be believed! The Human Floor has been amazing audiences throughout the Northeast for years. While performing in New York City, he set a World Record, when 20 Women with a combined weight of 2633lbs used him as a bus stop. The Human Floor’s performance credits include: The Gong Show, The Tyra Banks Show, HBO Late Night With Katie Morgan, The Opie & Anthony Virus Tour, The Coney Island Rockabilly Festival.

The Human Floor homepage

Mike D and the 3:2 Percussion Ensemble: Classically trained percussionist, composer, and musicologist, Mike D'Errico has had numerous compositions premiered and performed, along with presenting academic research projects on topics such as hip-hop and the compositional process of the DJ, Stravinsky, Electronic Music, and Stockhausen, at multiple university research conferences. In 2008 he formed the 3 in 2 Percussion Ensemble to perform Minoru Miki's epic "Marimba Spiritual," and since then they have commissioned multiple original works, along with performing repertoire from composers such as John Cage and Steve Reich.

Mike D. and the 3:2 Percussion Ensemble homepage

Nau-Zee-auN is a multimedia band that developed the world’s first midi controllable 3D video sample performance.  Nau-Zee-auN uses home made instruments and live electronics to put on energetic performances. Nau-Zee-auN has worked with countless artists including Merzbow’s Massami Akita, Throbbing Gristle’s Genesis P-Orridge, Emil Beaulieau, and rhythmic noise band Terrorfakt.

Nau-Zee-auN homepage

Photo of Nau-Zee-auN playing at Glitch Loft / Vermin St. by Bill T Miller

November 14 is the multimedia collage project of Jared Falcon.  Jared is a resident video artist for Anime Boston and Hands Productions recording artist Scrape[dx].  He has VJ'ed countless psytrance, jungle, and IDM events throughout the Northeast. November 14 is an experimental noise and dark ambient project utilizing video and sociopolitical commentary.

November 14 homepage

The Vomit Arsonist is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and sound collage artist Andrew Grant.  TVA performances are a hybrid of audio collage, power electronics, dark ambient, drone and acoustic experimentation.

The Vomit Arsonist homepage

About The Armory

Arts at the Armory is a non-profit organization that resides in a historic building that has been transformed into a community arts center for the residents of Greater Somerville. The Armory was built in 1903 by George A. Moore to house the Somerville Light Infantry of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. For nearly seventy years after that, it also housed the Massachusetts National Guard. For the last thirty years, the building was used for some community events but largely sat vacant until the State decided to sell the building in 2004. It is only in the last few months that it has begun it's new life as a performing arts center.

Photo by David Goldman as used for Boston Herald article. Excerpts of text have been taken from artsatthearmory.org.

About Voidstar Productions

Voidstar Productions is a record label, production company, artists collective and organization run by electronic experimental sound and performance artists for electronic experimental sound and performance artists. Voidstar Productions was founded in 1990 by Deftly-D (a.k.a. D. Dodson) and has over the years hosted and co-hosted hundreds of live events and released music from forward thinking independent artists who often had no other viable outlet for their work.

Picture from Nau-Zee-auN live performance taken by Jenny Fields.