Center for Sex and Culture

Conspiracy of Beards with opening acts Erin Brazill and Fancy Dan

Friday, May 11, 8 p.m.

Center for Sex and Culture

1349 Mission Street  San Francisco, CA 94103

A benefit for AIDS/Lifecycle and the Center for Sex and Culture

(75% of all door donations go to ALC; 25% to CSC)

Admission: $10-$25 sliding scale. Those who donate $25 or more get a limited edition Conspiracy of Beards CD as a thank you.

The Conspiracy of Beards is a 30-member male choir from San Francisco that performs gritty, original arrangements of the songs of Leonard Cohen. The group has won acclaim for its performances at Bay Area venues like the Cafe du Nord, the Great American Music Hall, and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The group’s debut at the 2011 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass earned a mention in Rolling Stone.

Transforming Cohen’s simple melodies into complex 4- and 5-part harmonies, the group achieves a sound that is both robust and tender, bringing rock, jazz, gospel, and doo-wop influences into their unique arrangements. Using the genius of Cohen’s words, the Beards inspire audiences to ponder longing, politics, sex and spirituality, all amid laughter and cheers.

The choir has performed at the Highline Ballroom, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Bowery Poetry Club in New York, as well at The Mint and Echoplex in Los Angeles. The’ve been featured on National Public Radio’s “West Coast Live,” on KFOG, KPFA, WFMU and on KQED-TV.

Conspiracy of Beards in the press:

 ”Like its inspiration, the group is deeply sincere, humble and humorous.”

—Las Vegas Sun

 ”Chelsea Hotel #2,” as performed by the somber San Francisco all-male

choir, is perfect in every way.”

—San Francisco Chronicle

 ”…the troupe breaks Cohen’s haunting warbles into multi-part

harmonies, exploring the dark edges with complex, expertly rendered

vocal interpretations.”

—Andrew Phillips, Flavorpill NYC

 Information on ALC:

The AIDS/Lifecycle is a 7-day, 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco

to Los Angeles that raises money and awareness for the HIV and AIDS services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. This year, Conspiracy of Beards member Christopher Pepper will be riding, and this concert will help support him on his ride.

More info:

www.conspiracyofbeards.com
www.youtube.com/conspiracyofbeards
www.facebook.com/Conspiracy.O.Beards

ERIN BRAZILL
Erin Brazill is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco who writes lovely, darkly vintage music with noir-ish themes, complicated rhythms and back alley chord progressions. Erin has recently written an entire suite of songs based on Alfred Hitchcock movies, paying homage to the master of suspense with songs that wind through themes of victimhood, villainy, love and horror all in 20 minutes of lush composition. She and her band have toured Europe, California and have played in San Francisco at Yoshi’s, Cafe Du Nord, Amnesia, The Rickshaw Stop and The Noir City Film Festival.

More info:
www.erinbrazill.com
www.facebook.com/erinbrazillandthebrazillionaires

FANCY DAN
The son of a preacher and a teacher, Fancy Dan Nordheim got his start in the Michigan garage rock band The Blanks. Now based in San Francisco, he’s released two albums with the Fancy Dan Band. Dan plays a combination of rock & roll, blues, country, soul and gospel to make an original sound that is undeniably American. The San Francisco Chronicle says “The Fancy Dan Band’s sound feels like you’re pushing the girl you love on a swing. She’s barefoot and wearing a summer dress and all you can do is smile because you know you’re going to get to kiss her on those sweet lips when she’s done swinging.”

More info:
www.fancydanband.com

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Can’t attend but still want to support? You can make donations directly: here: http://tinyurl.com/PepperALC