Gather is an experimental music series bringing musicians from different scenes, backgrounds, practices, disciplines, and communities together for connection and artistic exchange.
Gather is curated by Allen Moore, Nick Meryhew and Rebecca Himelstein.

This month’s iteration of the series, titled Studio Magick, is guest curated and organized by artist Sadie Woods.

Studio Magick highlights the studio practices of featured artists Omari Ferrell, A.J. McClenon, and Brother El exploring themes of community and storytelling. Join us for a night of experimental sound and music performances, and participate in our open mic!

7:00pm – Open Mic, Omari Ferrell
Theme: Appreciation + Self Discovery, feat. Tyran Freeman, Lyric, Herick + Guests

8:00pm – Sharks, Adolescence and Being the Darkest Girl in the Pool, A.J. McClenon
Sharks, Adolescence and Being the Darkest Girl in the Pool is a multi-media performance and experimental film series that speaks to the hunting of black and female bodies through non-linear storytelling that features coming of age stories exploring family, the sport of fishing, swimming, grief and the politics of sexual identity.

9:00pm – Live PA, Brother El

Bios
Brother El is an electronic music composer and multidisciplinary artist raised in the hip hop ascetic and DIY movement. His sets often include sequencers, synthesizers, drum machines and samplers for live improvisation and beat-making performances. His unique style has been described as Chicago’s pulse, the breath of hip hop, the heartbeat of club respiration and the clashing fusion of South Side meeting ancestral roots. Brother El is the founder of independent record label The Beat Bank, and performs collaboratively as a member experimental electronic acts Makers Of Sense and The Present Elders. Brother El has performed in local and national institutions including: The University of Chicago, Old Town School of Folk Music, The Department of Cultural Affairs, The Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art, Knobcon, and Loyola University.

Omari Ferrell, a founding member of the Young Fugitives Youth Ensemble, is an actor, artivist, writer, and emerging filmmaker. He has performed in multiple street a d experimental performances and competitions, including the August Williams Monologue Competition and Louder than a Bomb Slam Team Festival. Also, a signee of Lily’s Talent Agency; Ferrell has booked roles in Chicago P.D., and the XQ Institute’s, ‘I Want To Learn’ campaign.

A.J. McClenon is a Chicago-based artist, writer and musician by way of D.C. A.J.’s work sets personal narratives alongside empirical data, centering blackness, queering femininity, and leveling hierarchies of truth. A.J. is the co-director of Beauty Breaks workshop series and co-founder of F4F domestic space, and is currently a Sponsored Artist at High Concept Labs. A.J. has studied at The New School, and holds a BA from the University of Maryland College Park and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Official Website

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Tags: A.J. McClenon, Brother El, Chicago, Comfort Station Logan Square, Gather: Studio Magick, Herick, Illinois, Logan Square, Lyric, Omari Ferrell, Sadie Woods, Tyran Freeman