From a drizzle to a stream, what began as a series of rainy day improvisations arose into an album.
Soundtracking the sunset this early evening is a first time public performance from our dear friends Dustin Wong & Gregory Uhlmann. We’re gathering alongside the LA River to celebrate their collaborative album Water Map, out now with Otherly Love. As the eight pieces on this album chart and navigate the fluidity of two friends in musical dialogue, the history of the LA River from Yaanga to channelization is its own document to our relationship with nature as humans and as Angelenos.
Come early for ease of parking and to meditate on the sounds of the LA River. Before our performance begins, we’ll be joined by artist Rosten Woo to set our collective tone for reimagining what our relationship with the LA River can mean.
Dustin Wong was born in Hawaii (1982) and grew up in Tokyo. He studied Film at the California College of Arts in Oakland (2001-2003) and sculpture and performance at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore (2003-2005).
After graduating from MICA, his creative focus shifted to music. Forming bands (Ecstatic Sunshine, Ponytail) and cultivating solo music projects opened opportunities for him to travel throughout the US and Europe.
For over ten years, the themes of Dustin’s work have been interested in the mystical, esoteric, and spiritual and, in recent years, have moved towards the idea of creating a space for healing through sight and sound.
Gregory Uhlmann is a Los Angeles based guitarist, producer, and composer with an inclination towards mixing the prickly and the beautiful.
Current
Projects: a duo with Meg Duffy, a duo with Dustin Wong, a trio with Josh Johnson and Sam Wilkes, and a quintet with Jeremiah Chiu, Anna Butterss, Josh Johnson, and Booker Stardrum called SML. Uhlmann plays guitar in some bands including Perfume Genius, Hand Habits, Fell Runner, and with Miya Folick.
Rosten Woo is a Los Angeles based artist and designer who works with community organizations and local governments to help people navigate complex systems and participate in group decision-making. He produces civic-scale artworks and works as a collaborator and consultant to a variety of grassroots and non-profit organizations. including the Little Tokyo Service Center, the Los Angeles Poverty Department, the Black Workers Center, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, as well as the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. He has several permanent public artworks in California and his projects have been exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Triennial, the Venice Architecture Biennale and The Exploratorium. He is co-founder of the Center for Urban Pedagogy, winner of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award.