Tropicália '10? Fun Explosion hosts global act

Tropicália '10? Don't let fears of melting snowdrifts slow you down tonight. Instead, flood the dance floor at Brillobox, with an adrenaline rousing set by global-groove group Zun Zun Egui, who are stopping in the Burgh as part of their first U.S. tour.

Hailing from Bristol, England, the group's collective bio reads more like model U.N. than modern pop group. With members Kushal Gaya, Luke Mosse, Yoshino Shigihara and Matthew Jones calling all corners of the glob home—from Japan to Mauritius, the tiny island nation located off the coast of Madagascar—Zun Zun have emerged from within's the city's diverse musical heritage. Located in southwestern England, Bristol is known for its musical and cultural cross-pollination, where reggae and dub scenes gained in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s via lively, street-based sound system parties, and where DJs fueled a fusion of punk, soul, funk and, jazz at underground rock club, The Dug Out.

Drawing from artistic influences that may at first glance appear disparate—but which all strive to merge art, culture, and activism—from Brazil's Os Mutantes and Tropicalia scene to Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and even experimental U.S. rockers like Frank Zappa and Pere Ubu, Zun Zun Egui is gaining attention after recently touring Europe with legendary Dutch anarchist-punk group, The Ex.

The group's hypnotic sounds, thumping rhythms, angular melodies and impassioned vocals will have you enthralled with both the medium and the message. We can think of no better way to ring in spring.

Helping to round out the night's aural ambiance will be sets by local DJs extraordinaire EdUm and Pandemic Pete.

Squonk Opera premieres Mayhem and Majesty

Ear candy: What happens when mutating cells are animated by a post-punk soundtrack or when kinetic machines recreate the magic of music making?

Witnessing the premiere of a new Squonk Opera production is akin to experiencing a creative collective birth of sorts, with all of its mesmerizing movable parts, sensational sonic attacks, and edge-of-your-seat lights, camera, action! moments.

So why would you miss one? This March might as well be dubbed "Squonk Opera" month at the Kelly-Strayhorn, because it's when the homegrown theatrical company will unveil its latest "baby," dubbed Mayhem and Majesty—which could just as easily be the group's own tagline.

Featuring its usual arsenal of multimedia feats, this time in the form of projection puppets, kinetic machines and camera jibs, Mayhem and Majesty was created by the talented Squonkers to explore the poetry and the power of music and sound. And as its title suggests, the animated concert—the culmination of Squonk's residency at the Kelly-Strayhorn—features constantly shifting scenery and songs.

Oscillating between moody minimalism and raucous gypsy rock, the show will transport Squonk-goers straight into a swarm of stars, where lulling keyboards and sparse lullabies provide a soothing soundtrack. But just when you get cozy, the show will catapult you along within its ever-evolving interplay between image and sound.

Augmenting the creative cocktail that characterizes every Squonk happening are the production's accompanying series of pre-show mixers, post-show chats, and student art exhibitions.

Purchase tickets here.

Renowned guitarists benefit eco-education

Acoustic music and eco-education converge this Friday, March 12 at the Carnegie Science Center.

Boasting three acclaimed masters of the acoustic guitar, the concert for a cause will support the work of the North Side institution and the Allegheny Sierra Club. Proceeds from the concert will directly benefit the center's environmental education programs, which provide students from under-served schools and neighborhoods to explore eco-careers firsthand.

Featured guitarists Ken Bonfield, Steve Davison and Tim Farrell will perform selections representing a variety of musical styles and genres, from country, blues and ragtime, to folk, Celtic and jazz. Expect a couple of modern rock covers thrown in for crowd rousing.
 
Founder of Artistry of the Guitar, Ken Bonfield has performed with everyone from John Mayer to Arlo Guthrie. His recent release, Whistlin' Past the Graveyard, was named a "Top 25" CD by John DeLiberto of NPR's Echoes.

Originally a drummer, six- and 12-string guitar player Steve Davison has shared the stage with guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson, and was the 2005 winner of Arkansas' Acoustic Music Festival.
 
Doylestown, Pa. resident Tim Farrell has played with Yes keyboard legend Rick Wakeman, serves on the faculty of the Community Conservatory, and is artistic director of the Stretched Strings Concert and Workshop Series.
 
Arrive at 7p.m. for a pre-concert reception, which will feature bites and libations by Bloomfield bistro Sausalido. Following the concert, the featured musicians will autograph and sell CDs.

To purchase tickets to An Acoustic Evening, go here.

McCoy Tyner Quartet heats up MCG

Jazz fans should be abuzz about the McCoy Tyner Quartet's upcoming concert at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild on Sat. March 13. Tyner 's 7p.m. set is already sold out, so if you are considering catching the second show, get your tickets now.

Known for his accomplishments as both a long-time solo artist and a member of the legendary John Coltrane Quartet, the innovative jazz pianist is known for his distinctive left-handed style, sophisticated chords, rich melodic vocabulary, and percussive blues-based approach.

McCoy Tyner's influential 50-plus year career was first fueled when the Philadelphia native started studying piano at age 13, where he was encouraged by his mother and mentored by be-bop jazz pianist, Bud Powell.

In 1960, Tyner became the first pianist to join Benny Golson's and Art Farmer's legendary Jazztet. Soon after, Tyner famously joined Coltrane, touring relentlessly with his quartet and recording numerous classic jazz albums, including Live at the Village Vanguard, My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme.

After exiting Coltrane's group, Tyner produced a number of well-received post-bop albums for the Blue Note, Milestone and Telarc record labels, with many compositions finding Tyner taking up duties on the koto, flute, harpsichord, celeste, and even the Appalachian dulcimer.

One of the 20th Century's most influential pianists, Tyner has released some 80 albums, earned four Grammys and has been named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. Tyner's most recent quartet has featured saxophonist Gary Bartz, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt.

Hip hop superstar Jay-Z rolls into town

With some 40 million albums sold worldwide, 10 Grammys and a trendy clothing line—not to mention a talented wife named Beyoncé—it's no wonder Jay-Z's name soars to the top of the list when it comes to hip hop superstars. Last week, the Brooklyn-born rap star and business mogul kicked off his Blueprint 3 Tour in NYC's Madison Square Garden, and on Tues. March 16, fans at Mellon Arena will get in on the action.

It may be the name of the subway line he rode as a kid growing up in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, but today, the moniker is all his to own. Née Shawn Corey Carter in 1969, Jay-Z has worked for decades to become one of the country's most successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs.

Outside of holding the record for the most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, Jay-Z's list of accomplishments is not too shabby: creator of trendy clothing line Rocawear, former CEO of pioneering label Def Jam Recordings and co-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets, for starters.

The singer's foray into hip hop included stints with his mentor (and partial namesake) Jaz-O, rap legend LL Cool and MC Big Daddy Kane, and eventually the establishment of his own independent record label, Roc-A-Fella Records. His chart-topping albums include Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, from 1998, which went on to sell five million copies and garner a Grammy.

Deemed one of hip hop's "classic" albums, Jay-Z's sixth studio record, The Blueprint, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2001. With four tracks produced by Kanye West, the LP also features guest rapper Eminem. Jay-Z has collaborated with everyone from Timbaland, The Roots and Alicia Keys, to Linkin Park, Rihanna and R. Kelly.

In 2008, Jay-Z  become the first major hip hop artist to headline Britain's high-profile Glastonbury Festival. Last month, worldwide audiences heard the song "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)," which Jay-Z recorded with Rihanna and U2 for the Hope For Haiti Now telethon. Jay-Z's philanthropic efforts also include work on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and global water shortage issues.

Comics talk: Wayne Wise slide show & lecture

Next Tues., March 16, take a visual road trip through the history of comics, from the cave paintings at Lascaux to the latest adventures in animation favored by Hollywood.

Do you know the origins of the term Yellow Journalism? And what's an inker anyway? Pittsburgh-based artist, writer and comic book veteran Wayne Wise has all of the answers and more, in what he calls his virtual "Reader's Digest of the History of Comics."

Sponsored by Carnegie Mellon's Comics Club, Wise's lively talk will feature some 114 slides surveying the rich legacy of comic book art.
The art form will serve as a backdrop for Wise's insights about pop culture, social history and an insider's look at the industry and its artists, publishers and readers. Learn about how the popular and controversial "Yellow Kid" spawned a new industry in 1895, and how the heated Pulitzer-Hearst newspaper wars that ensued were linked to a comic strip.

A native of southwestern Pennsylvania, Wise holds an M.A. in clinical psychology, and has worked as a freelance journalist for more than nine years. In 1993, as a recipient of the first Xeric Foundation grant, Wise co-created the comic book, Grey Legacy. His first novel, King of Summer, was published in 2002. His writing and artwork have been published and distributed regionally, nationally and internationally.

Among Wise's students when he taught comic book art for kids at CCAC was Homestead native Ed Piskor, who went on to collaborate with comics pioneers Harvey Pekar and Jay Lynch. An employee at Phantom of the Attic, Wise is currently completing work on a new 27-page comic book. Wise also works as an inker on Chaos Punks, featured on the Web-based DrunkDuck.

Free and open to the public, Wise's talk will be followed by a Q&A session and reception.

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