Date: May 17th 2007

THE FUNNY FARM PRESENTS

ELECTRIC ECLECTICS
AUGUST 3-5, 2007
MEAFORD, ONTARIO

Experimental music festival presents artists from around the world in relaxed, country setting

‘an extraordinary merging of art and music makers’ - Musicworks
Magazine, Toronto.

NIHILIST SPASM BAND (London ON)
ALEXANDER HACKE + DANIELLE DE PICCIOTTO (Berlin)
TONY CONRAD (NY)
MARY MARGARET O’HARA (Toronto)
EDWIN VAN DER HEIDE (Rotterdam)
THE HALLICRAFTERS (ALGIS KIZYS/ERIC HUBEL) (NY)
DORIT CHRYSLER (NY/Vienna)
GASTRIC FEMALE REFLEX (Toronto)
ROZASIA (Toronto)
WOMEN IN TRAGEDY (Toronto)
HANS PETER KUHN (Berlin)
JOHN KILDUFF (Los Angeles)
SPUNGE JOB YUR MUM (Vancouver)
DISGUISES (Toronto)
KEN GREGORY (Winnipeg)
BARRY SCHWARTZ (San Francisco)
ANNE BOURNE and group (Toronto)
LARY 7 (NY)
MICHAEL EVANS (NY)
WHIPPOORWILL (Toronto)
JAYMZ BEE’S COSMIC VISION (Toronto)
KELLY MARK (Toronto)
CHARLES FOX (Regina)
JOSHUA RICHARDSON (Owen Sound)
CLOCKDIN (Grey County)
BLUBE (Montreal)
AS IS (Owen Sound/Walter’s Falls)
MR + MRS HYPNOTIST (Toronto)
BITCHIN’ (Toronto)
BRAINFUDGE (Toronto)
TIM RIVERS PROJECTIONS (Toronto)
DJ’s: FABIO, RECORD PLAYER, SIR SPINNER AND MORE •
ADDITIONAL ARTISTS TBA

Last year, over 300 visitors per night attended the very first Electric Eclectics festival. They came from the local area, from all parts of Canada, and even from South America, USA, and Europe to experience a one-of-a-kind cultural event. This summer, Electric Eclectics presents its 2nd annual festival featuring internationally acclaimed musicians, media artists and sound artists. The 2007 Electric Eclectics Festival will take place on the Civic Holiday weekend, August 3 to 5 in rural Meaford. Sound installations and music workshops will expand the Festival and take place throughout the region in the weeks beforehand. In addition, camping is available for the night or the weekend at the Festival site.

In keeping with the growing interest in experimental music, both in Canada and internationally, Electric Eclectics aims to shove new music a little bit closer to the mainstream, making it accessible to lovers of many types of music and art. The Festival concerts take place on a sizeable farm near Meaford - the Funny Farm, site of many artistic and musical ventures. The festival creates musical connections and collaborations between local, national and international musicians, as well as the audience. Visitors can take in cutting-edge, avant garde and experimental music performed by world-renowned musicians and performance artists while relaxing under the stars.

One of the highlights at this year’s Festival will be a performance by the Nihilist Spasm Band. Formed in 1965, they are considered to be the world’s first ‘Noise Band’. Based in Canada, they have won the respect and admiration of musicians worldwide. REM has traveled to the Band’s hometown just to jam and, recently, the Nihilist Spasm Band opened for Sonic Youth at the Koolhaus in Toronto.

Other performers at this year’s Festival span the generations and the globe. They include San Francisco-based artist Barry Schwartz, who will attempt to recreate an infamous high-voltage performance. Toronto bands Gastric Female Reflex and Rozasia will play experimental noise and rock sets with a Russian twist. Edwin van der Heide will return to Meaford from Holland to present his Laser Sound Performance, which features high-powered lasers projecting through smoke and fog. Algis Kyzis, bass player with the legendary New York band The Swans, teams up with Eric Hubel of the Glenn Branca Ensemble to form The Hallicrafters, a shortwave radio duo who use live radio signals to generate soundscapes. And Mary Margaret O’Hara, the highly acclaimed singer-songwriter who was recently named by Mojo Magazine of the UK as one of the top 100 ‘cult music’ heroes of all time.

Also returning will be the audience favourites from last year’s Festival: Tony Conrad (New York), Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto (Berlin), Dorit Chrysler and Lary 7 (New York).

The Festival reaches beyond the concert stage by presenting sound installations in various public buildings throughout the area. Berlin artist Hans Peter Kuhn will present a four-channel sound piece in the L.E. Shore Library in Thornbury. As well, sound installations by various artists will be featured in the most public of places: the toilets of various area cafés. These projects can be visited for free in the weeks leading up to the Festival as well as during the Festival.

Another important event that will take place before the Festival is a return visit by New York based percussionist Michael Evans. Last year, Evans’ free, interactive percussion and drumming workshops were a hit with local youth. This year, during the week of July 30 to August 3, Evans will host workshops for drum enthusiasts at the Meaford Library, the L. E. Shore Library in Thornbury and the Meaford Military Family Resource Centre. He will also conduct daily hands-on rhythm and percussion lessons for interested youth. A special drum-kit workshop for those in the area who are avid drummers will also be part of this week of percussion.

The Electric Eclectics Festival takes place from August 3 to 5 and features concerts on several stages, unique vendors and many special surprises at its Funny Farm location. Featuring spectacular views of Georgian Bay and the surrounding countryside, the Funny Farm is located on Scotch Mountain, about 8 km from Meaford.

In addition to the concert and camping weekend at the farm, Electric Eclectics will present several other live events featuring Dorit Chrysler on theremin. Dorit will play the Meaford Harbour Farmer’s Market on July 20, the Harbour Nights concert series in Owen Sound on July 22, and the Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art in Toronto on July 29.

For up-to-date information on performers, concert schedules, tickets, locations, dates and times, please check the Electric Eclectics website.

www.electric-eclectics.com

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

WEEKEND FESTIVAL PASS (3 days including camping) $60
DAY PASS (including camping) $30
DAY PASS (no camping) $10

FOR DISCOUNTS ON ADVANCE TICKETS GO TO THE WEBSITE
WWW.ELECTRIC-ECLECTICS.COM
OR CALL 519-378-9899