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Duke Arts Presents

Dark Dark Dark

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 | 8:00 pm


Seamlessly fusing disparate elements such as New Orleans jazz, dusty Americana, lush chamber-pop, and Eastern European folk, the captivating sextet Dark Dark Dark is a rising force on the national indie scene. Haunting and homespun, the “tight, intuitive unit” (Pitchfork) fashions spare yet layered landscapes with an eclectic array of traditional instruments, swirling evocatively around Nona Marie Invie’s singular voice.

Dark Dark Dark finds a kindred spirit in A Hawk & A Hacksaw, which began as the solo project of former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes before solidifying into a duo with violinist Heather Trost. Natives of Albuquerque and travelers in Eastern Europe, the pair’s music is rich with folk traditions from the Americas and the Balkans. Their distinctly old-world flavor owes a debt to Hacksaw’s friend and patron Zach Condon (of Beirut), who featured them on his debut album, Gulag Orkestar. Protean Chicago combo Pillars & Tongues round out a bill that celebrates international folk music as a living, changing, challenging entity.

Co-sponsored by THE PINHOOK.