Madison Square Garden
An articulation of absurdly lo-fi audial experiments begun in Apartment 2, circa 1995...
Aaron began recording film and television samples over long and repetitive guitar riffs while drunk. Jeff began dabbling in keyboards and algorithms. Jason showed up occaisionally and contributed little. A performance was scheduled...
Originally, the set was to be performed by Aaron and Jason, playing borrowed/stolen guitars. The two would engage in an improvised, call-and-response interplay of clean guitar phrasings while obscure samples played nearly inaudibly in the background. After one practice session, it was determined that this was a stupid idea.
A new and decidedly better idea was conceived in which Aaron would play guitar, Jason bass, and Jeff drums. Practice sessions were held for three days at the Vinyl Connection record store where Aaron worked. Material that had been developed almost exclusively on guitar by Aaron in the preceding months found new and evolved voicings in the three-piece mode, and several "songs" were composed.
The trio, calling themselves Madison Square Garden, opened for a tech-savy cadre of pretentious rich kids playing Robert Fripp-style soundscapes over found-percussives, and a punk band from Florida who, having been turned away at the Canadian border, retreated to Fargo in need of gas, food, and alcohol.
Jeff wore a beautiful kimono and played exceptionally, beating out rhythms in tandem with Jason's down-tuned, Jaco Pastorius-meets-Joe Preston-style bass fuckery. Aaron told dirty jokes to the audience through a distortion box while teasing groans and screams from his guitar, breaking a few strings along the way.
After the show, the three drank heavily, had breakfast at The Iron Skillet, and never played together again.
-Jason
Members
- Aaron Esterby
- Jeff Esterby
- Jason Miller
Highlights
the shark.....lo-fi guitar abuse vol. 1
Shows
We had a show at 1st ave in Fargo. Jeff had some Phil Wongs hot wings and was in rough shape. MASTER OF THE REEF.
