Third edition of Alternational To Feature Experimental Dance Performance and Music

Abhijeet Tambe.

Abhijeet Tambe is no longer the guitar-toting vocalist of Bengaluru alt rock band Lounge Piranha, but like other members of the band [who stopped gigging in 2011], he’s found a way to continue contributing to the city’s live scene. His monthly music and live performance event, Alternational, hosts its third edition this month.

Alternational is Tambe’s attempt at introducing drama and theater at a club. Last month’s edition included a collaborative performance between Suman Sridhar, one half of Mumbai band Sridhar/Thayil, and performance artist and scholar Manola Gayatri. This month, contemporary dance trio Kha Foundation from Bengaluru performs their act titled NH7 [not to be confused with the Indie webzine of the same name], detailing the impact of immigration on rural and urban lives in Bengaluru.

Says Tambe about hosting dance troupes and experimental theater performances, “They are much more difficult to put together compared to bands. Their [bands] set is ready with songs but here [at B-Flat], these performers have to take a harder route to put their works into a club space.” Tambe likens the space of B-Flat bar’s performance area to give an intimacy of a black box theater space, minimal and unadorned. Another aspect that drew Tambe to curate performances apart from live music was also the body of work involved. “When bands create music and release it, it’s permanent. Theater, on the other hand, doesn’t have a guaranteed shelf-life.”

As for his DJ set, Tambe may include contemporary alternative acts such as Vampire Weekend and The xx. Tambe adds, “I also like to mix it up with Indian artists like Peter Cat Recording Co, Adam and the Fish-Eyed Poets and Lifafa.” Tambe is also a trustee at Bengaluru-based Arts trust Toto Funds The Arts [TFA] and helps shortlist bands for TFA’s annual award recognizing young musicians in the country. Surprisingly, he says it hasn’t reached a point of intersection with his choice of performers at Alternational. Says Tambe, “[Most of the performers picked] come through me and a community of people I know. My only criteria is that I want it [the performance] to be experimental, but not just random.”

Alternational featuring Abhijeet Tambe (DJ set) and the Kha Foundation takes place on October 30th at B-Flat, Bengaluru, 8pm onwards. Entry: Rs 200. Event details here.