It took four years, but Texas-based instrumental post-rock outfit Explosions in the Sky finally released their sixth studio album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care and chose to promote with an interesting angle: Six visual artists interpreting all six of the new songs in an installation called “Taking Care: 6 Visual Interpretations,” which took place in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Hundreds of people attended the free event last Saturday, roaming the dark cemetery grounds with nothing but a map in the shape of a head and their Flashlight Apps. Each song emitted from their own speakers, loud enough to listen to and enjoy, but quiet enough so that it crept up on folks while they eerily walked the grounds looking for the next art piece. The installation was properly spaced out so that only one song could be heard at a time and only one visual piece could be seen at a time. Everything down to the Port-a-Potties was pretty, with a string of white lights lining the roof of each pot.
The art inspired by songs “Human Qualities” (James Fields) and “Be Comfortable Creature” (Jesse Fleming) had attendees walking inside mausoleums past photos of the dead and flowers left in their memory. Most were silent or talking in murmurs as they viewed night-time captures on the mausoleum’s marble walls (Fields) and nothing but “5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5” repeating on a big video screen (Fleming).
Chris Lipomi’s “Postcard from 1952” interpretation took viewers through a room filled with urns from the roof to the floor. In the center of the room were several railroad ties stacked upon one another, and then outside further away the piece continued, displaying a large square hole with the same kind of wood from inside surrounding the hole.
“Trembling Hands” (Matt Amato) and “Last Known Surroundings” (Matthew Lessner) took much different approaches. These interpretations provided a short film for attendees to watch, Lessner’s resembling a music video and Amato’s being a homemade video of a surfer (maybe?) holding a camera through the water and waves, with the movie rightfully ending with a shot of his hand.
People stood in line for Alexis Disselkoen’s interpretation of “Let Me Back In,” where folks had to literally lay down on top of graves to stare up at strings of white lights on a bright pink background that lit up according to the beat of the song.
All in all, a very hip and peaceful event, and a very entertaining concept. Not many can say they’ve roamed the Hollywood Cemetery at night with music from Explosions in the Sky looming in the darkness. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket before the concert sold out, you’ll see EITS perform at the same cemetery this Saturday.
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