tune in to elastic arts!

We’ve got an exciting Elastro planned for November featuring the trio Garden Parties, a duo of Jack Langdon / Olivia Shortt, and a solo set from Nolan Chin.

Opening Sunday, November 17th, ‘𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒶𝒸𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇’ brings together the intricate webs and weavings of Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and sewist, Lee Miko Romero. Through drawings, quilts, and functional objects, Lee's works present a timeless story of their own, of slowing down and rest, of slow labor, of interconnectedness. Framed by moments of catching oneself getting lost in thought, or dreaming of a flourishing spring in the dead of winter, the show is meant to capture the feeling of a cunning fox prancing through moss covered rocks to find a gem long-lost in the thicket.

Join us for a soft opening reception for the visual gallery at Elastic Arts on Sunday, November 17th, from 2pm-5pm. Following a short discussion with the artist and curator, we will have light snacks and refreshments. We invite you to bring crafts to work on alongside viewing the exhibition.

Join Homeroom for an exciting evening at Elastic Arts as we premiere a documentary-style short film created by Rhizomes Films capturing the artistry of Spectralina (the audio-visual performance project of Dan Bitney and Selina Trepp), created with footage from Spectralina’s Homeroom Residency earlier this year.

The film features Spectralina collaborating with a range of special guests, including Ben LaMar Gay, Frederick Wells, Ayako Kato, Jason Roebke, Norman Long, Amalea Tshilds, Lia Kohl, Chér Jey, and Mabel Kwan.

Join us this upcoming Monday for November’s Pleiades Series featuring the shredding rock trio Barbiefoot and a duo of computer synthesis/guitar from Hedra Rowan and Alex Maerbach.

After the planned sets we’ll return to the classic Pleiades Open Jam where any/all femme/trans/nonbinary artists are invited to bring an instrument and get in on some improvisations

Meditations: Reflections on John Coltrane

Curated by Angelo Hart, piano

with

Greg Artry, drums
Sarah Clausen, saxophone/bass clarinet
Hunter Diamond,  electronics/sax
Marion Mallard,  bass

More info TBA

2 Sets of improvised music welcoming Jean-Luc Capozzo from France paired with some Chicago favorites.

At this Friday’s Elastro series Ále Campos presents a second iteration of a collaborative, live audio/visual performance project titled onto a skin, highly reflective. This iteration's collaborators include Bun Stout, Magnus, and Will Mitchell. onto a skin, highly reflective is an abstraction or rather a refraction of drag; it possesses a desire to free the drag persona from any one singular articulation. It muses over the multitudes of a projected psyche, the fluid range of emotional states experienced creating versions of the self, seeing oneself through the eyes of others, as well as the care inherent in holding and witnessing each other as queer agents. Performed in green screen suits, the performance incorporates a live stream of visually mediated bodies both in space but also video. This iteration will be set to a score of live sound by Will Mitchell and samples of original text written by me. ​ This project's first iteration was created for and performed at SITE/less and was crafted with the format of the SITE/less’ stage in mind. This iteration will adapt to and harness Elastic's 16 channel CLEAT system to bolster the poetics inherent in this project.

'a skin highly reflective, a surface with sharpened edge' 'a muse is a muse, is a muse, my muse, for us, for my my muse, only for you, for us, for them, a muse over muse'

Joining the evening will be performances from Ruby Que and Claire Staples x Hunter Whitaker-Morrow aka ASTROMETRICS.

The Bridge, a transatlantic organization connecting jazz and creative musicians in Chicago and France, returns with a their group #2.11. The band includes Greg Ward, Nicolas Peoc’h, Hélène Labarrière, and Isaiah Spencer. They have organized a string of shows in Chicago and nearby midwest featuring the quartet, but also these 4 musicians collaborating with various other local musicians. Tonight ensemble member Hélène Labarrière represents from #2.11 in a trio with Ishmael Ali and Katinka Kleijn. Opening we’ll hear from a trio of Ernest Dawkins, Kioto Aoki, and a non-Bridge related French musician Jean-Luc Cappozzo who just so happens to be visiting at that time. We’ll kick things off at 8pm. Join us!

HIPPY HOLY DAZE Music & Art Holiday Celebration returns for its 7th year featuring a night of standout performances by some of Chicago’s elite musicians and performers.

Curated by Poet, Rapper, and Performance Artist, Kao Ra Zen.

Tonight we host FPE Records as they present an album release party for Yea Big and Tatsu Aoki. The Hand and the Moon is the first duo recording from Yea Big and Tatsu Aoki, two improvised sets on their favorite instruments: bass clarinet (Yea Big), shamisen (Tatsu Aoki, Part One), and bass (Tatsu Aoki, Part Two). Its floating, nighttime vibes showcase a comfortable conversation between two musicians who are loving the process of getting acquainted.