May 18, 2011 was the last Noise Improv Hootenanny and Social Club convening at the Ivy Room. It was unplanned (the best Hoots are) to have the Albany Mom’s Get Out And Not Be Home OK Social Club convening at the Ivy Room the same night, and decking them out with Kerry Laitala’s chromadepth glasses was pretty fabu.
The bartender invented a fantastic Chromatic Cocktail for the evening, an extremely tasty and potent $1,000 value for the low low price of $8. This improvised partnership of art and commerce allowed us to meet the business expectations of the bar owner, flatten the customers, and give the Albany PoPo something to hunt after we closed. Isn’t. Music. Wonderful?
So, I’m thinking it was three years and, what, 30 shows? I’ll say 30 because it’s alliterative, and while possibly only a drop in the cosmic aural bucket, a memorable one, filled with tender and awesome moments. Thanks to Lucio Menegon for founding the Hoot, to Eric Leppo and Ken McCown, former bartenders at the Ivy, for supporting it, to Alan Korn for stepping in and to all of the musicians for convening and creating. You can read the whole history here and repeat it to your grandchildren, or your housemate who’s thinking of starting an informal convening of musicians during a slow night at a nearby bar. Good luck with that.
Bay area music documentarian Michael Zelner has 14 of the hoots wrapped up in flickr sets. We’ll be posting his audio recordings here in a helpful streaming radio format real soon now, but in meantime check out some samples.
Whither the Hoot?
We’ll take a break while we find a new home for the Hoot, definitely in EastBaynia, definitely back to Monday nights, definitely not before September, and definitely involving fermented liquid. Meanwhile, sate your need for the off-night out with Jacob Zimmerman’s Sunday Actual Jazz Series, Lisa Mezzacappa’s Monday MakeOuts, Aram Shelton’s Oakland Active Orchestra Tuesdays at the Uptown, and Rent Romus’ Thursdays at the Luggage Store.
Thanks everyone!
