Beat Circus

Infobox musical artist
Name = Beat Circus


Img_capt = Promotional Photo
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Flagicon|USA Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genre = American Gothic
Experimental rock
Years_active = 2002–Present
Label = Cuneiform Records
Innova Records
URL = [http://www.beatcircus.net/ Official website]
Current_members = Brian Carpenter
Jordan Voelker
Paul Dilley
Andrew Stern
Doug LaRosa
Paran Amirinazari
Gavin McCarthy
Past_members = Alec K. Redfearn
Matt McLaren
Kaethe Hostetter
Julia Kent
Brandon Seabrook
Briggan Krauss
Curtis Hasselbring
Jim Hobbs
Leigh Calabrese
Jerome Deupree
Ron Caswell

Beat Circus is a band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 2002. The band is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist / singer-songwriter Brian Carpenter, who has been its only constant member since its inception. The music draws heavily from several disparate genres including experimental music, progressive rock, cabaret, circus music, Appalachian string music, bluegrass, old-time music, Southern Gospel, and funereal music. [cite news |last=Monger |first=James Christopher |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:abfyxqraldfe |title=All Music Guide Biography |date=2008-01-28 |accessdate=2008-01-28]

History

In 2001 Brian Carpenter moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts and formed a collaboration with tenor banjo player Brandon Seabrook, which led to the first incarnation of Beat Circus. Aided by saxophonist Jim Hobbs, drummer Jerome Deupree, accordionist Alec K. Redfearn, tubist Ron Caswell, and musical saw player Leigh Calabrese, the group was a contemporary free improvisation instrumental ensemble which used circus music as a jumping off point. After a summer-long residency in Cambridge in 2003, Carpenter recorded the band's first album "Ringleaders Revolt" which was released by Innova Records in 2004. [cite news |last=Garelick |first=Jon |url=http://thebostonphoenix.com/boston/music/giantsteps/multi_1/documents/04140010.asp link |title=To Play is The Thing |publisher=Boston Phoenix |date=2004-09-24 |accessdate=2004-09-24] [cite news |last=Harrell |first=Scott |url=http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A5554 |title=When The Circus Comes |publisher=Creative Loafing |date=2005-05-12 |accessdate=2005-05-12]

In 2005, Carpenter steered the band in an entirely different direction with the development of "Dreamland", a 150-page through-composed score for nine musicians containing songs based around a stage play treatment of a story involving the turn-of-the-century Coney Island theme park which burned in a devastating fire in 1911. "Dreamland" began a shift away from instrumental music to narrative songs about children, dreams, fatherhood, revenge, and redemption. To develop the "Dreamland" score, Carpenter formed a second incarnation of Beat Circus with drummer Matt McLaren (a long-time collaborator of Cuneiform Records label-mate Alec K. Redfearn), Kaethe Hostetter from Boston, cellist Julia Kent of Antony and the Johnsons, trombonist Curtis Hasselbring, saxophonist Briggan Krauss of Sex Mob, and original members Alec K. Redfearn, Ron Caswell, and Brandon Seabrook. In 2006, Carpenter enlisted New York City-based producer Martin Bisi to record and mix "Dreamland" in Brooklyn. "Dreamland" was released on Cuneiform Records in January 2008 and announced as the first installation in Carpenter's "Weird American Gothic" trilogy. [cite news |last=Mason |first=Stewart |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hbfoxz9hldte~T1 link |title=Dreamland |publisher=All Music Guide |date=2008-03-01 |accessdate=2008-03-01]

In late 2006 near the completion of recording "Dreamland", Carpenter's son was diagnosed with autism. While coping with this, Carpenter began writing a song cycle for the second part of the afore-mentioned trilogy, entitled "Boy From Black Mountain". With the departure of Alec K. Redfearn and Matt McLaren, who wished to focus on their band The Eyesores, Carpenter formed the third incarnation of Beat Circus in 2007, casting himself as the lead vocalist with violinist Paran Amirinazari and violist Jordan Voelker as background vocalists, and introducing a rockabilly-style rhythm section comprised of upright bassist Paul Dilley of Reverend Glasseye, guitarist/banjoist Andrew Stern, and drummer Gavin McCarthy of Karate. Trombonist Doug LaRosa also joined the band that year. In summer 2008 Carpenter enlisted Boston-based producer Sean Slade to record "Boy From Black Mountain". The album reportedly marks yet another shift in direction, inspired by Carpenter's Southern heritage, Southern Gospel music, bluegrass, and Southern Gothic writers, and is planned for a 2009 release. [cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Jim |url=http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid54107.aspx |title=Notes on Beat Circus |publisher=Boston Phoenix |date=2008-01-11 |accessdate=2008-01-12]

Discography

*"Ringleaders Revolt" (Innova Records, 2004)
*"Dreamland" (Cuneiform Records, 2008)

Related Projects

*Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Orchestra (Carpenter, Seabrook, Caswell; 2005-present)
*Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores (Redfearn, McLaren; 1998-present)
*HUMANWINE (Carpenter, Dilley; 2005-present)
*Reverend Glasseye (Dilley; 2001-present)

References