Poetic Vibration - An Evening with Christen Lien

Thursday, May 6th
7-10 pm
Poetic Vibration: An Evening with Christen Lien
An elegant evening of breath-taking music and an exploration of synesthetic state through taste, art, and poetic vibrations.

Christen Lien will be gracing us with a live performance employing a unique interweaving of viola and guitar effects using a looping machine to express stories that delve into the depths of human.

As a classically trained violist, Lien performs original compositions on viola and harmonica that are a beautiful mixture of East and West, classical and postmodern, acoustic and electronic. Lien's debut album is called Vol. I: Battle Cry and it reflects a 24-year journey of challenging and expanding classical Viola expression, taking it to a whole new level. Spontaneously creating then incorporating layers of live effects, Lien paints music with guitar effect pedals, live looping, melodic mixing and expressive performance.

Writer Camilla Griggers has said

"Not since Sigur Ros's Jon Thor
Birgisson have we seen an original musical genius of this nature. Christen Lien exudes an exalted vibration meant to lead us home in an historical moment that marks the end of empire and the
beginning of a new dream of consciousness."

Lien's music and activism were recently showcased on January 18th on NPR, describing how Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced the inspiration behind her album.

Click here to listen to the interview or watch a video about the motivation and backstory of each song from Vol. I: Battle Cry, an album dedicated to the "fierce urgency of now."

Lien is also recognized for the use of her song 15 Aftermaths in the acclaimed video Midway. Message From the Gyre. in collaboration with Seattle artist Chris Jordan .

The opening of the evening will be catalyzed by a performance from Satori Laurel and Isaac Cotec.

www.itsnotaviolin.com