WAGFest

A look at what's in store for this year's avant-garde festival

by Joe Longone

Celebrating its fourth anniversary, the WAGFest returns to spotlight the strange, the off-beat, and the colorful. This year's event, which starts April 16 and runs for 10 days, features more than 50 performers from across the country. The show venues are even more

diverse (adding Gilreins to the mix) and incorporate previously successful vehicles, such as the Pelvic Carnival, that can only help bring out more folks to this unique annual gathering of artists.

Bob Jordan has been the WAGFest's promoter since its inception. He's excited by many of the artists involved in the upcoming festival. "There's got to be a story behind Leonid Rogach's move from Russia to Worcester," he says. "His locally generated CD sounds great, and it's sold hundreds of copies in this area's record stores, yet he's received little attention. If you love New Age, you'll love Leonid. Angel Dean is a story. She was part of the New York [music] scene in the '70s. She's been living in Providence, and I've been trying to get her out of retirement. She's a great country singer with a wonderful sense of humor."

Wednesday, April 16

The WAGFest takes over the Above Club's improv night to host an evening of weird yet homespun music. Featured on the opening-night event will be Providence's Third Program. Making an encore performance from last year's successful festival show, this group, led by Chris Turner and Rachel Maloney, should amaze music lovers. Turner and Maloney have been the co-music directors at the Trinity Repertory Theatre for years. Turner is an award-winning harmonica player and Maloney plays the violin and trombone. They have created compositions for movie soundtracks and children's cartoons. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Thursday, April 17

The festivities move to Gilreins' warm, wooden confines for a night of space-age and experimental music. Opener James Coleman is an acclaimed Theramin player. What's a Theramin? It's the world's first electronic instrument, invented in 1916, which Coleman will play to perform his beautiful compositions. Headlining will be one of New England's most respected trios, Architectural Metaphor. Paul Eggleston (synthesizers), Deb Young (percussion/ vocals), and Greg Kozlowski (guitar) create some of the best space rock in the land. The show starts at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 20

Heywood Gallery does its part by hosting the Pelvic Carnival, a showcase of more than a dozen artists, featuring local poets, dancers, filmmakers, performance artists, and musical acts such as Stricken for Catherine and a solo appearance by Black Rose Garden's Rose Elliot. Those with a taste for the musical avant-garde can catch the Industrial Sonic Echo, the Invented Thing Quartet, Jaws of Glee, Richard Goulis, and Mark Paulini. Bill O'Connel, Christen Gougen, and Dave Nader bring the spoken word to life. Top Rock Crew break dance to cutting-edge hip-hop and Jason vs. Jason, Tupac Agnew, and Gary Ramsay bring the gallery's interior to new heights of audio and visual splendor. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is hosted by artist Joey Mars.

Sunday, April 20

This event is being advertised as "a night with two local treasurers" -- which could be right. Author Nicholas Karcasinas is up first with readings from his awesome new collection of poetry and prose, All Time Is Now. If you missed his reading at Gilreins, you have a second chance. Leonid Rogach is of Russian descent and has now made Worcester his home. Rogach's latest CD, Hello, Hello, is a hit on the New-Age charts, but it is almost unknown in Wormtown. Here's your chance to check out the area's most successful electronic artist in concert. The show starts at 8 p.m.

Friday, April 25

The Above Club will spotlight three cutting-edge musicians: Rebby Sharp, Bob Jordan, and Angel Dean. Opening will be Dean, a singer who has worked with Pere Ubu and the Golden Palominos. She recently came out of retirement to resurrect her music career. Wormtown's godfather of the strange, Jordan, is up next to sing songs off his latest recording, Live and Let Live. Sharp is one of the world's greatest musical explorers of the last 20 years -- with more than a dozen breathtaking releases to prove it. This Virginia native has worked with the likes of 1/2 Japanese and Kramer. She should be great. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Saturday, April 26

The WAGFest closes with a party at the Above Club with Industrial Sonic Echo on display and the group Rhythm Party kicking in for your dancing pleasure.

All shows cost $5. For more information call 839-3692.

Best Music Poll update

You have just two weeks left to vote in the 1997 Worcester Phoenix Best Music Poll. You'll find a ballot on page 19, or you can vote in person at this week's Best Music Poll Ballot Nights -- at Jillian's on Saturday, April 12 (where you can check out Bill McCarthy and Russ Mullet), at Sir Morgan's Cove also on April 12 (when East Coast Psychos and Rut appear), on Thursday, April 17, at Tammany Club (catch the Bruce Mandaro Band), and on April 18 at the Blue Buffalo, Chicken Bone Saloon, and Mugs Away Pub, all in Framingham. Mail-in ballots are also available at area Strawberries and other retail locations.