Weird Music Night 4/26/26 Ely Center

 Can I get an amen? I must be blessed. Joe Morris’ Sunday afternoon recitals, spring and fall series at the Firehouse, odd offerings from the Space Ballroom, local scenesters like Fernando, DJ Shaki, and Manic Mark, the FIM noizoids, not to mention what passes through Yale or Wesleyan. So how bout adding Weird Music Night to that mix. Started by local Dadaist John O’Donnell, the series provides a showcase for regional electronic and video projects that are definitely of the left field variety. The new Ely Center is growing on me. The lack of a sign, the heavy windowless metal door, no light in the foyer, as if to say, “ you’re here for weird music, go find it”. The evening had five artists, I arrived late so I unfortunately missed the first up DJ Turd Burglar. I enter to the sounds of Long Island’s Chants Voyage. He is a traditional DJ with a trippy kaleidoscopic video backdrop. The sounds changed pace, slurred and stuttered, with the DJ in total control of the volume. The trick to this music is to get heads bobbing, Chants had a good percentage. After a brief break, New Haven’s KC1YMF takes the stage. The room has been darkened, like totally. Some weird static and grainy video appear. From stage right enters a sashaying figure dressed in a Sasquatch suit with illuminated night vision goggles. For those familiar with the work of visual artist Nick Cave, not the musician, can conjure the visual of this apparition. The figure hulas in slow motion toward the crowd before kneeling in front of the stage in child’s pose. The sounds pick up and the Sasquatch exits. A young man appears with laptop and two vintage slide projectors, applying sounds to the overlapping images. Something about the sound and operation of the projectors transported me to the early 70s with my dad at the helm putting the slides in upside down. Next up is a Boston based Berklee student who goes by the name Cskonopka. Solo laptop performer also had the kaleidoscopic video. He cut and spliced photos of monuments while soundtracking the video. Didnt stick around for the last offering from Ithaca’s Anna Oxygen, but I’m sure it was weird.