December 2005

12.1.2005 | Thurs

Slowing Room with Moss Mtn. Project

8:30p, $5, 18+

Slowing Room creates their own brand of swanky original live house, chill out, and trip hop. Jazzy pseudo disco guitars mesh with teched-over house beats and chilled pop grooves, conjuring images of smokey lounges, seedy dance floors, and gin soaked eroticism. Their first show in over a year, this will also mark the relaunch of the bands’ live music efforts and will celebrate the release of “Sequences, Martinis and Hangovers: The Best of slowing room 2000 – 2005”. Moss Mtn. Project opens with their post punk lounge dittys. DJ Jason Keith spins records, too.

12.2.2005 | Fri

First Friday Arts Walk

5-8p, Free, All ages

New Works by Cassie Jones and Michael Zachary. Jones’ new paintings—acrylic on Duralar—operate in a dialogue between their cool, almost diagrammatic style and their eccentric, intuitive sense of abstract form. Where her earlier work often featured a play between biological and technological processes, the new work favors biomorphic forms presented in a more symbolic manner. Zachary’s paintings strike a balance between the destruction of information and the creation of information. New marks obscure existing ones, while allowing past configurations to emerge through the surface. Through Dec. 23.

12.3.2005 | Sat

Holiday Shop-a-do

10a-5p, free, All ages

It’s no suprise that Portland is a great place to find local arts and crafts. SPACE hosts a group of creative vendors who will sell housewares, clothes, art objects, jewelery, and more. And don’t forget about Art*O*Mat -- a token for Maine’s only art vending machine makes a fantastic stocking stuffer.

12.3.2005 | Sat

Cerberus Shoal and Wilderness and An Evening With

8:30p, $5, 18+

After traveling far and wide in our great nation, friends and artists Cerberus Shoal celebrate their return to Portland with a night of slithering, buzzing cacophony of avant-garde folk insanity. Joining them are Wilderness, an experimental/post-punk project from Baltimore. This quartet’s self-titled debut conjures images of Metal Box-era Johnny Lydon fronting Savage Republic or Explosions in the Sky. Cascading guitars build into the most beautiful pop epiphanies, as though the Edge were leading a modern day Popol Vuh up the mountain before us. Their self-titled debut album was recorded with Chad Clark (Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U) and TJ Lipple (Blue Velvet, Aloha), and issued on Jagjaguwar in July 2005.

12.7.2005 | Sat

Craft-a-do

5-8p, $5, All ages

If you understand that homemade gifts are the most loved, then Craft-a-do is for you. Hosted by our friends from Kaleidoscope Arts, we’ll have projects ready to make: books, pillows, gift boxes, and more. Families welcome! Ticket price includes material fees.

12.10.2005 | Sat

Lunchbox with Rebecca Bond: A Curious City and SPACE event

11a, $3 / $5, All ages

In the book THIS PLACE IN THE SNOW, kids rush outside to find a mountain of snow waiting for them to carve, shape and play about. Lunchbox kids will create a winter wonderland with Rebecca and our intrepid art teacher Kelly McConnell.

12.10.2005 | Sat

Emilia Dahlin Quartet with Cerf Volantes

8:30p, $5, 18+

Wielding a voice that defies the size of her body and strong storytelling sensibilities, Emilia Dahlin has carved her name as a unique songstress. Joined with the forces of her dynamic trio, the quartet serves up rootsy, acoustic music that swings, grooves and pulls from the sounds of early jazz. Voted as Best Female Vocalist of 2005 in the Portland Phoenix’s Best Music Poll and a finalist in the 2005 NEMO Songwriting Competition, the Emilia Dahlin Quartet deliver a night of mesmerizing music that’s not to be missed. With Cerf Volantes, a new Portland duo evoking Elliot Smith and Kings of Convenience.

12.15.2005 | Thurs

Doc. Film: Abel Raises Cain

7:30p, $5, all ages

Official Site here.

Alan Abel is a professional prankster whose hoaxing career began in the late 1950s with a campaign to clothe all animals for the sake of decency. Fueled by the overwhelming response he received from this simple yet silly idea, Abel continued concocting a myriad of elaborate hoaxes and schemes with such stunts as Euthanasia Cruises and the KKK Symphony Orchestra. His story is brought to light for the first time in this amusing and touching documentary by daughter Jenny Abel, who not only has had a ringside seat to his antics throughout her lifetime but, on several occasions, was also an unwitting accomplice to his mischief. Winner Grand Jury Award - Best Documentary Slamdance 2005.

12.16.2005 | Fri

Miss Fairchild with Sontiago, Moshe and Erin Davidson

8:30p, $6, 18+

Packing a ten piece sound into a three piece suit, the entourage of Daddy Wrall (lead vocals and percussion), Samuel P. Nice (turntables and hot sauce) and the The Great Dunlap (flute, keyboards and hype) travels light but leaves an impression. Their work ventures on a musical journey from Memphis Soul to New Jack swing, with a drive through Paisly Park. They’re just back from a national tour, and will be releasing their new album, “Miss Fairchild Presents: Housing Prodgect.” Special Guests Sontiago, Moshe and Erin Davidson round out the evening.

12.17.2005 | Fri

Writing Workshop with The Telling Room

2-4p, free, grades 5-8

At The Telling Room’s Middle School Kids’ Writing Workshop at SPACE we are shipwrecked. We have dug up a map. We will go on a scavenger hunt to find our stories. In a series of quick exercises that follow, we will convey the elements of great story telling (sensual detail, character, conflict, rising action, epiphany,denouement).

12.17.2005 | Fri

X- ray Actress CD Release

8:30p, $5, 18+

X-ray Actress celebrates the release of their long-awaited first full-length CD, Weird Box. Referencing styles and periods before and beyond, the band has put together the Red Planet Brass Quartet, four of Portland’s premier horn players, to perform X-ray’s trademark horn samples, as well as prominent concert grand harpist, Sarah Welch. Tracks from Weird Box have been used as background music and themes for a handful of television shows and ads, including Real World, Road Rules and Second Chance on TLC. With lots of surprises, including 60’s-style lighting and projections, this promises to be memorable night. Described recently as a band that’s “impossible not to dance to”, sensible shoes are recommended.

12.23.2005 | Fri

As Fast As acoustic with Jon Nolan and Melvern Taylor

8p, $12, 18+

As Fast As brings a special evening of acoustic renditions of their songs to their hometown crowd. Many of your favorite As Fast As songs will be plucked, strummed and pumped on ukelele, standup bass, parlor piano, acoustic guitars and drums. We’ll also hear from Jon Nolan and his band Hokum, who call to mind Wilco, Ryan Adams, The Beach Boys and Neil Young. And let’s not forget Melvern Taylor and The Fabulous Meltones, on their first visit to Portland, reminding us that “pop” isn’t a dirty word.

12.27.2005 | Tues

Phyz Kids

Each performance starts at 12pm. Tickets: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors, $5 for kids twelve and under, All ages

A nontstop thrill ride through an exciting series of performers! These variety shows feature expert juggling, incredible illusions and mystifying magic, captivating storytelling, and more physical comedy than we have ever packed together before!

LOUIS GERVAIS: Bringing together his dance background and a love of storytelling, Louis’ genre breaking works are gifts of the imagination and joyful expressions for all audiences. MORTEN HANSEN: A cornucopia of visual illusions in which glowing balls describe wondrous patterns in the dark, spinning batons come to life, and Chinese tops are spun on a string in a variety of patterns that are sure to amaze. LEONARD SOLOMON: No description can adequately convey the goose-honking and train-whistle cacophony of the Majestic Bellowphone! Leonard Solomon offers an irreverent one-man recital of music and comedy, featuring your favorite symphonic works arranged for such unusual instruments as Dog Whistles and Bicycle Horn.

12.27.2005 | Tues

MOCK CALDECOTT: Vote for the Best Picture Book of the Year

2p, One new or gently used book per family , All ages

Each year the Caldecott Medal is awared to to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. At this Mock Caldecott event, the pages of a dozen picture books will be projected onto a large screen for the audience, while local celebrities read aloud from the books. In lieu of a ticket price at the door, families are asked to bring one new or gently used book for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Donated books will be packed and shipped by the UPS Store who will be on-hand at the event, then distributed through First Book. Presented by Curious City.

12.28.2005 | Wed

Phyz Kids

12pm, Tickets: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors, $5 for kids twelve and under, All ages

LOUIS GERVAIS (see above), STITCH: Stitch is a master object manipulator, whether it be cigar boxes or ladder balancing. He also possesses impeccable timing, cutting wit, surprising skill and the occasional down-right nutty outburst. BRENT MCCOY: Whether Brent’s counting all the way to five, setting up a tripod, or discovering a mysterious hole in a string, nothing seems to go according to plan.

12.29.2005 | Thurs

Phyz Kids

12pm, Tickets: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors, $5 for kids twelve and under, All ages

STITCH (see above), ZEV EISENBERG: Zev has developed an unbelievable routine with a Rubix cube that must be seen to be believed! Zev also performs eye-popping tricks with a diablolo. ANTONIO ROCHA: This accomplished performer turns himself into a monkey, spider and many other enchanted creatures of the jungle in his performances that blend mime and storytelling from his native Brazil.

12.31.2005 | Sat

New Years Bash

9p, $5, 21+

We always have a great time ringing in the new at SPACE -- join us for music, games, and merriment.

We’re looking for new members!
Information on memberships is available on our website at http://www.space538.org/pages/membership.php