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Gabonano is one of the four beatmakers who will live-score an animation film Saturday at Public Beer and Wine. Photo courtesy of Beat Theatre.<\/i><\/p>\n
When Robin Williams died in the summer of 2014, an unordinary tribute took place in the backyard of a low-key Long Beach home. Several of the late actor\u2019s classics such as Jumanji<\/i> played on a large screen, while off in a corner, a rotating crew of beat makers spun dark moody beats in lieu of the original audio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a yearlong hiatus, Beat Theatre is back in action with a pop-up show this Saturday at Public Beer and Wine, where four artists will spin original beats to a surprise animation film.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve never heard of Beat Theatre, it\u2019s one of the most novel undertakings happening in the Long Beach music scene at the moment. The concept is simple: it sets up shop in a variety of spaces \u2014 bars, cultural centers, backyards \u2014 and invites beat makers to live score classic films such as The Shining<\/i>, Taxi Driver,<\/i> Jurassic Park<\/i> and Rashomon<\/i>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably a dozen artists who\u2019ve played Low End Theory have played Beat Theatre,\u201d said founder Tony Damico, who will be spinning on Saturday under his moniker ONYMICO. \u201cPeople are super down to play it because it\u2019s a cool concept even though we don\u2019t have a big budget or often a very big crowd. It\u2019s just a really fun experiment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
What began as a fun experiment has found a niche in the intersection of experimental music and film, building a steady following with both movie buffs and beat lovers. Its growing roster of performers includes Zikomo, MNDSGN, Mike Gao (Alpha Pup), Co.Fee as well as resident performers from the Wizrds Only collective.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damico, who grew up in Pheonix, began experimenting with beats in high school. His father was a sound engineering hobbyist who passed on a love for hi-fi stereo equipment and jazz. On his own \u2014 against his religious upbringing \u2014 Damico snuck around cassette tapes of revolutionary rap such as Immortal Technique.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe music I\u2019m drawn to the most is gnostic, which brings together light and dark and how they play off of each other, rather than a lot of spiritual traditions where they\u2019re just about the dark or the light,\u201d Damico said. \u201cIt\u2019s a conversation \u2026 A lot of films that are really powerful do the same thing \u2014 they play off the polarity whether it\u2019s despair and hope or those sorts of dynamics.”<\/p>\n
In 2007, when he left Arizona for Long Beach to earn his master\u2019s in Communication Studies, Damico got busy exploring Long Beach and getting involved in the community. As part of nonprofit Shift Long Beach, he helped start Long Beach Exchange and Long Beach Fresh and hosted monthly salons that brought together art, music and speech surrounding topics of sustainability, consciousness and spirituality. Meanwhile, he continued making beats in his bedroom, sometimes collaborating with hip hop artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote most of my papers on the underground rap music,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was one of the reasons I was excited to move out here \u2014 to get face to face with more of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Around 2009, he and a friend made a habit out of turning on a cable channel that played music videos from the 70s to early 2000s while drinking a couple of beers. They would mute the TV with Damico turning on any music he wanted over it \u2014 often hip hop. That led to the genesis of what is now Beat Theatre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just kind of funny,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI love the juxtaposition and contrast. That eventually turned into hearing crazy experimental analog industrial beats over Jurassic Park while dubbing a ton of reverb of the sound of T-Rex roaring.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damico recruited friend and producer Josh Jetson, and they debuted Beat Theatre at the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach in downtown, where they hosted monthly shows for about two years. They\u2019ve since brought on Tall Robot\u2019s Rene Chargois to the team.<\/p>\n
Part of the challenge has been finding the right setting for a Beat Theatre show. Most have taken place at bars, such as Harvelle\u2019s, which is tricky due to the fickle nature of the crowd. Their biggest show to date was at Frida Cinema in Santa Ana back in 2014, a feat that Damico is hesitant to repeat due to large overhead costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to scale it up and it went okay,\u201d Damico said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t going off like gangbusters where we\u2019re packing out a movie theater. So we took a break but now we\u2019re bringing it back, keeping our options open and doing smaller shows.\u201d<\/p>\n
With its comeback, Beat Theatre is planning to widen its circle by bringing on live musicians. This summer, it will be pairing up with the Pow Wow School of Music as well as members from the Long Beach Symphony. And later this fall, they plan to host competitions where they will pair up USC film students with beat makers. Until then, Damico says Beat Theatre will continue hosting pop up shows at local venues that are receptive to the project. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to have a strong movement, we ought to see more venues as well as the city being more open knowing that when we do underground hip hop, beats or conscious MCs, it\u2019s a super peaceful vibe,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s way more peaceful than other types of shows the city might have.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n