Big Ears Festival 2010

Mar 26th - 28th, 2010

historic Knoxville, Tennessee

The BIG EARS FESTIVAL is proud to announce another weekend
of visionary music, exploratory art, and southern hospitality for March 26,
27, and 28 in historic Knoxville, Tennessee.

This time, BIG EARS is especially proud to host the legendary American
composer TERRY RILEY as Artist in Residence for the weekend with a series of
concerts throughout the weekend celebrating Riley¹s 75th Birthday year. In
addition, the weekend will feature an exciting array of artists and
performers from the worlds of rock, jazz, classical, and avant garde music
along with installations, exhibitions, interactive experiences, talks, and
workshops.

One of the most influential musicians and composers of the past century,
TERRY RILEY¹s impact and influence on contemporary music and art cannot be
overstated. In 1964, his revolutionary composition IN C launched the
Minimalist movement in music, his influence still heard today in the work of
Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams and other classical composers. His
subsequent early works, A Rainbow in Curved Air and Poppy Nogood, with their
kaleidoscopic, psychedelic atmospheres, sent waves across the musical worlds
of the 1960s, strongly reflected in the music of The Who, Pink Floyd, and
other rock bands of the time. That influence continues today, in the music
of Radiohead and Animal Collective and even The National and Bon Iver.
It¹s no surprise that TERRY RILEY was recently selected by the London Times
as one of the ³1000 Makers of the 20th Century.²

³It¹s a tremendous honor to have Terry Riley participate in our festival
this year. It¹s a dream come true.² says Big Ears founder, Ashley Capps,
also a creator and producer of the renown Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

RILEY himself will perform in several different concerts of his work during
the weekend, with a variety of musicians. Also, the Calder String Quartet
will present a program of his work. And a sure highlight of the weekend
will come when many of the artists performing during the weekend join
together for an unforgettable performance of IN C, ³one of the definitive
masterpieces of the 20th century.²

The full BIG EARS 2010 line up will be announced and tickets will be
available in early December.

www.bigearsfestival.com

For more information contact: Carla Parisi at Kid Logic, kidlogic@nj.rr.com
or 973-563-8204.

Additional Info:

BIG EARS debuted in February 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee with a line up
that included Philip Glass & Wendy Sutter, Antony & the Johnsons, Jon
Hassell, the Necks, Fennesz, Pauline Oliveros, Negativland, Michael Gira,
Sparklehorse, Ned Rothenberg, Dan Deacon, Neil Hamburger, and others.

The mission of BIG EARS is to offer an exciting and dynamic platform of
musical and artistic discovery by artists possessed of singular and unique
visions that stand apart from the mainstream.

Response to the first BIG EARS was phenomenal from audiences and artists
alike. Here¹s a small sampling of what was said:

³It was a tremendous experienceŠ.It¹s my impression that there¹s a real
cultural renaissance going on in the southŠI look forward to coming back.²
Philip Glass

³Šthe best audience we¹ve played for in America.² Wendy Sutter

³You could say that Big Ears was for people who like hearing nuanced music
in excellent theaters, in a small town with no hassleŠat times, it was
heaven.² The New York Times

³Šan inspirationŠArtists shared advice. Fans shared gratitude.
Collaborations abounded. Surprises happened.² Pitchfork

³A phenomenal success. If next year is even half as eclectic and
adventurous as the first Big Ears, it will be incredible before it even
starts.² Creative Loafing (Atlanta)

³There was something strange and somewhat magical about the atmosphere in
downtown Knoxville this weekend.² The News-Sentinel (Knoxville)

INITIAL LINEUP INCLUDES:

Vampire Weekend, Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, the Calder Quartet, Andrew WK, The Ex, Gang Gang Dance, Clogs, 802 Tour (Nico Muhly / Doveman / Sam Amidon with Nadia Sirota), The xx, Javelin, DJ/Rupture (solo), DJ/Rupture and Andy Moor, My Brightest Diamond, Gyan Riley, and jj

Legendary Minimalist Composer TERRY RILEY is Artist in Residence BRYCE DESSNER of THE NATIONAL curates during weekend With more artists and details to be announced...

Festival weekend passes on sale Friday, December 11

The groundbreaking Big Ears Festival slated for the weekend of March 26-28, 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee - is excited to unveil the initial line up for this year¹s event. Building on the visionary programming of last year¹s inaugural festival, the 2010 Big Ears expands with a remarkable line up of even greater depth and breadth than its predecessor...with over 30 artists/bands expected to perform some 50 concerts in at least 8 venues this year. In addition, there will be art exhibitions, installations, film screenings, workshops, interactive experiences, lectures and discussions.

The initial Big Ears line up for March includes Vampire Weekend, Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, Andrew WK, The Ex, Gang Gang Dance, Clogs, 802 Tour (Nico Muhly / Doveman / Sam Amidon with Nadia Sirota), The xx , Javelin, DJ/Rupture (solo), DJ/Rupture and Andy Moor, My Brightest Diamond, the Calder Quartet, Gyan Riley, and jj.

As previously announced, visionary American minimalist composer Terry Riley has been confirmed as artist in residence. Celebrating his 75th birthday in 2010, several of Riley¹s compositions will be performed throughout the weekend, including an all-star ensemble for his seminal In C and performances by the composer himself. Bryce Dessner, best known as guitarist for the acclaimed rock band the National, has signed on this year as a curator for the festival. He¹s involved in selecting artists to perform during the weekend, commissioning new work, and conceiving of several unique programs.

The Inner Ear Weekend Festival Pass goes on sale Friday, December 11, at 10 a.m. Eastern. This limited edition pass offers premium access to all Big Ears happenings throughout the entire weekend (subject to available
capacity) as well as exclusive invitations and access to select special events as well. They may be purchased through www.bigearsfestival.com or by calling 865.684.1200 ext. 2 between the hours of 10:00am and 5:00pm eastern .
Tickets for individual concerts and events will go on sale in early January .
At that time, the schedule of events for the Big Ears weekend will be announced as well.

More artists will be announced in the coming weeks, along with other information about programs, exhibitions, installations, workshops and more.

Launched in February of 2009, BIG EARS was created as a forum to present the most exciting music of our time, while exploring connections and interfaces between music, visual art, and film. The brainchild of Ashley Capps, also know as the founder and co-producer of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Big Ears was a great success, receiving rave reviews from audiences, artists, and critics alike and achieving immediate international recognition and acclaim. Composer

Philip Glass said that Big Ears was ³...a tremendous experience.²

Pitchfork called it ³...an inspiration.²

And the New York Times wrote, ²At times, it was heaven.²

Visit www.bigearsfestival.com for up-to-date information, announcements, information about travel and accommodations, and more.

For more information contact:
Carla Parisi at kidlogic@nj.rr.com or 973-563-8204

BIG EARS 2010 Gets Bigger!

The National, Dirty Projectors, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Iva Bittova, Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, Tracy Silverman, and Buke & Gass join expanding lineup for second Big Ears Festival March 26-28 in Knoxville, TN

KNOXVILLE, TN. The lineup for BIG EARS 2010 continues to grow, with the
National, Dirty Projectors, Bang On A Can All-Stars, Iva Bittova, Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, Tracy Silverman, and Buke & Gass now announcing their participation in the groundbreaking weekend of music, art, and film.

They join an already extraordinary array of artists playing the second incarnation of the festival. Vampire Weekend, the Calder Quartet, 802 Tour (Nico Muhly / Doveman / Sam Amidon with Nadia Sirota), Joanna Newsom, St.
Vincent, Andrew WK, The Ex, Gang Gang Dance, Clogs, The xx , Javelin, DJ/rupture (solo), DJ/rupture and Andy Moor, My Brightest Diamond, Gyan Riley, and jj were announced in early December.

BIG EARS 2010 will also be celebrating the 75th birthday year of the legendary American minimalist composer, Terry Riley. Riley is ³Artist in Residence² at the festival and will be performing several concerts during the weekend. The National¹s Bryce Dessner is co-curating the weekend, with a number of surprise collaborations and presentations being planned.

The National With the much anticipated release of the follow up to their highly acclaimed record, Boxer, due this spring, the National will present their first performance of 2010 at Big Ears, debuting material from the new record and more.

Dirty Projectors With one of the most acclaimed records of 2009, the dazzling Bitte Orca, the Dirty Projectors became renowned for their virtuosic live performances, ecstatic critical reviews and inventive collaborations with Bjork and David Byrne.

Bang on a Can All-Stars - This celebrated ³classical² ensemble is really one part rock band, one part amplified chamber group. The Bang on a Can All-Stars will form the nucleus of an all-star performance of Terry Riley¹s legendary piece, In C, joined by a number of special guests. Bang on a Can All-Stars will also perform Brian Eno's celebrated Music for Airports at Big Ears and present a number of other works at the festival.

Tim Hecker The music of this Canadian electronic artist (also known as
Jetone) is described by the New York Times as, ³foreboding, abstract pieces in which static and sub-bass rumbles open up around slow moving notes and chords, like fissures in the earth waiting to swallow them whole.²

Ben Frost Icelandic experimental composer and colleague of the 802 tour, Big Ears will mark his first US performance since the release of, By the Throat, which received a rave review on Pitchfork last week. ³This is Arvo Part as arranged by Trent Reznor." - Wire Magazine

Buke & Gass Described as a ³'two-man (wall of sound) band'- although one of them is a woman.² (the Deli Magazine). Buke & Gass play bass, guitar, ukulele, kick drum, snare tambourine and sleigh bells... while singing at the same time.

Tracy Silverman The ³greatest living exponent of the electric violin² (BBC), Tracy Silverman has performed with a virtual ³who¹s who² of both the classical and pop music world. He will be performing at Big Ears in one of Terry Riley¹s groups.

Iva Bittová - The virtuoso violinist and singer from Czechoslovakia is an amazing performer who moves freely through the worlds of classical music and
improvisation. ³Iva Bittová is an extraordinary artist. Raw and refined,
passionate and contained, she has the soul of a gypsy, the voice of a troubadour, and the mind of a genius.² NPR/All Things Considered

BIG EARS will consist of over 50 performances by over 30 artists during the weekend. There will also be art exhibitions, installations, film screenings, workshops, interactive experiences, lectures and discussions.

The initial allotment of weekend festival passes, the ³Inner Ear² pass, sold out in early January. Remaining Inner Ear Weekend Festival Passes are available now through www.bigearsfestival.com or by calling 865.684.1200 ext. 2 between the hours of 10:00am and 5:00pm eastern.

The BIG EARS FESTIVAL is proud to announce its initial schedule
for the weekend of March 26, 27, and 28 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

On Friday, January 29 at 10 a.m. EST, a limited number of individual show tickets will go on sale for Vampire Weekend, the Dirty Projectors + Bang on a Can All-Stars, Joanna Newsom + special guests, St. Vincent + special guests, The National, Andrew WK performing with the Calder Quartet, Clogs with very special guests + My Brightest Diamond, Terry Riley performing solo and with his quartet, The xx + jj + Nosaj Thing, Eno¹s Music for Airports performed by Bang on a Can All-Stars + the Books + special guests, and a collaborative performance of Riley¹s celebrated piece, In C featuring Bang on a Can All-Stars and The Big Ears All-Stars.

In addition, Bang on a Can will perform Brian Eno¹s Music for Airports in a special show with The Books and Tim Hecker.

Rock guitar legend Adrian Belew (Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson) will introduce his new solo work during the festival.

Aritst-in-residence Terry Riley¹s series of programs during the festival weekend will also feature some rarely heard work. Riley will perform a concert on the extraordinary new pipe organ at the University of Tennessee¹s Cox Auditorium, presenting music commissioned in 2008 by the LA Philharmonic to christen the pipe organ at Disney Hall. This will mark the first time that the program has been presented outside of Los Angeles. Riley will also perform his rarely heard recent work, Autodreamographical Tales, with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, prior to a performance of his legendary masterwork, In C, with an all-star cast of festival performers. In addition, Riley will perform other solo work as well as with his quartet, featuring electric violin virtuoso Tracy Silverman, guitarist Gyan Riley, and drummer Ches Smith (of Secret Chiefs 3 and Marc Ribot¹s Ceramic Dog).
The Calder Quartet will also present a program of Riley¹s string quartets as well.

The Big Ears Festival also marks a couple of other exciting ³firsts²:

It will be the first time the Dutch punk anarchists The Ex have ever performed south of the Mason Dixon line in their 30-year historyŠand the festival finale will feature the long-awaited return of The National, who will debut new material from their much anticipated new album to be released in May.

The full schedule of concerts will be announced today, Wednesday, February 17, and tickets for the new shows will go on sale Friday, February 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets are already on sale for many of the major concert events of the weekend, and a limited number of ³Inner Ear² all access weekend festival passes are still available as well.

Tickets are available through www.bigearsfestival.com or by calling 865-684-1200 ext. 2 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern.

Additional elements of the Big Ears Festival weekend will be revealed in the coming weeks, including surprise collaborations, art installations, a film program, workshops, lectures, interactive experiences, and more.

BIG EARS 2010 is celebrating the 75th birthday year of the legendary American minimalist composer, Terry Riley. The National¹s Bryce Dessner is co-curating the weekend.

Artists performing include Vampire Weekend, the National, Joanna Newsom, Andrew W.K., St. Vincent, The xx, the Calder Quartet, Iva Bittova, Tim Hecker, Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, Sam Amidon, Doveman, jj, and more. For a complete listing and for more information, visit www.bigearsfestival.com.

More festival details, including travel and hotel information and up-to-the-minute news and additions to the schedule and line-up, are available at www.bigearsfestival.com.

Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit www.bigearsfestival.com for the most up-to-date information on the Big Ears schedule, lineup and ticket prices.

A limited number of Big Ears 2010 ³Inner Ear² weekend festival passes are still available for $249.50 plus applicable service fees. The Big Ears 2010 Inner Ear weekend pass offers premium access to all Big Ears 2010 happenings throughout the entire weekend (subject to available capacity for each venue) as well as exclusive invitations and access to special events.

Individual tickets and Inner Ear passes may be purchased online at www.bigearsfestival.com or by calling 865-684-1200 ext. 2 between the hours of 10:00AM and 5:00PM EST.

BIG EARS 2010 Initial Schedule:

BIJOU THEATRE:
Friday, March 26th:
7:00 pm - Terry Riley Quartet featuring Gyan Riley, Tracy Silverman and Ches Smith 10:30 pm - The xx + jj + Nosaj Thing Saturday, March 27th:
1:00 pm -Clogs with very special guests + My Brightest Diamond 7:00 pm - Andrew W.K. performing with the Calder Quartet 10:00 pm - Joanna Newsom + special guests Sunday, March 28th:
7:00 pm - St. Vincent + special guests

TENNESSEE THEATRE:
Saturday, March 27th:
2:30 pm - Dirty Projectors + Bang on a Can All-Stars 8:00 pm - Vampire Weekend
12 midnight - Terry Riley¹s In C, performed by Bang on a Can and special guests + Terry Riley solo Sunday, March 28th:
2:00 pm - Brian Eno¹s Music for Airports, performed by Bang on a Can + the Books + special guests 9:00 pm - The National + special guests

Additional individual tickets for theatre and club shows will be available in the coming weeks for many more performances and collaborations including:

The Ex
The 802 Tour ( Nico Muhly, Sam Amidon, Doveman, with Nadia Sirota) Ben Frost Tim Hecker DJ/ rupture Gang Gang Dance Gyan Riley Iva Bittova Javelin ....and more to be announced!

Visit www.bigearsfestival.com for the most recent schedule, artist additions, ticket and festival information.

Travel Packages:

Travel packages, including two Inner Ear Weekend Festival Passes, two nights at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, two posters and two t-shirts or hoodies are available at www.bigearsfestival.com.

More festival details, including additional travel and hotel information and up-to-the-minute news and additions to the schedule and line-up, are available at www.bigearsfestival.com.

For more information contact: Carla Parisi at kidlogicmedia@gmail.com or 973-563-8204