Jeez, Blues Control‘s done toured steadily–performing in all eight known corners of the world (and a few that haven’t been publicly acknowledged yet) — but while they’ve worked to continue their face-to-face relationship with the finite many, they’ve shared a number of transcendent visions for the endless eyes that watch in the privacy of their own pods, with videos for tracks including “Love’s A Rondo” and “Walking Robin” (not to mention stopping by Drag City for a sweaty Drag City Limits steam room session taping of “Iron Pigs”). This has been going down ever since the release of Valley Tangents way back last year. But the gifts didn’t end in 2012, bubs and bubbettes; today, with esteemed video and performance artist Kathy Rose, they present a whole new level of video master-peace for the V.T. track, “Opium Den / Fade To Blue.”
Ahem. Reminiscent of videos made by Tony Oursler and Joan Jonas (with hints of Shana Moulton) and partly inspired by anarchist/para-surrealist painter Remedios Varo, “Opium Den / Fade to Blue” explores a mysterious environment where in a figure opens a pandora’s box containing an unknown substance [insert your own opiate here; it will serve as a variable placeholder for the prevailing metaphor being demonstrated]. The visuals matriculate into a swirling maelstrom, portraying an inner-sanctum; an interior environment of thought, of meditation, and of the soul. A metaphor mayhaps, or an interpretation of the Blues Control sound (likely both, one assumes). With we step into this fascinating and poetic alternate universe where the synthesis of sound and visual imagery creates an eerie, yet enticing environment. What’s more, the proprietors of this environment are headed your way! Blues Control bring their “unknown substance” to the friendly, local hop in towns across the United States beginning February 1st (with two warm-ups in Brooklyn to close out January). No mask necessary, but attendance is crucial if not downright mandatory! Now…where’s our laser pointer?
Sat. Jan. 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium w/ Home Blitz
Fri. Feb. 1 – State College, PA @ Schlow Centre Region Library
Sat. Feb. 2 – Ithaca, NY – House Show
Mon. Feb. 4 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar w/ Raw Thug
Wed. Feb. 6 – Oxford, MS @ Lamar Lounge
Thu. Feb. 7 – Shreveport, LA @ Fatty Arbuckles
Fri. Feb 8 – Houston, TX @ Mango’s
Sat. Feb. 9 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
Mon. Feb. 11 – Marfa, TX @ Lost Horse Saloon
Tue. Feb. 12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Small Engine Gallery
Wed. Feb. 13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Radical Abacus
Thu. Feb. 14 – Tucson, AZ @ Topaz
Fri. Feb. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom w/ OM, Sir Richard Bishop
Sat. Feb. 16 – San Diego, CA @ The Void
Tue. Feb. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Human Resources w/ Lamps, Jaws, The Urxed
Thu. Feb. 21 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Biko House
Fri. Feb. 22 – Eagle Rock, CA @ Center for the Arts w/ Rangda
Sat. Feb. 23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel w/ Rangda, Colossal Yes
Mon. Feb. 25 – Davis, CA @ Chillanova House
Tue. Feb. 26 – Arcata, CA @ MexNwoW w/ R. Stevie Moore
Thu. Feb. 28 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Fri. Mar. 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
Sat. Mar. 2 – Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
Sun. Mar. 3 – Olympia, WA @ Northern
Tue. Mar. 5 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux w/ Psychic Ills
Wed. Mar. 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge w/ Psychic Ills
Thu. Mar. 7 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive w/ Psychic Ills
Fri. Mar. 8 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall w/ Psychic Ills
Sat. Mar. 9 – St. Louis, MO @ 2720 Cherokee
Sun. Mar. 10 – Madison, WI @ Good Style Shop
Tue. Mar. 12 – Chicago, IL @ Permanent Records (instore)
Wed. Mar. 13 – Kalamazoo, MI @ The 411 Club
Thu. Mar. 14 – Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
Fri. Mar. 15 – Bloomington, IN @ The Ream
Sat. Mar. 16 – Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness w/ Tommy Jay
Sat. Apr. 27 – Detroit, MI @ Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography
Fri. Jun. 21-23 – Camber Sands, UK @ ATP curated by Deerhunter (Blues Control with Laraaji)
Fri. Feb. 1 – State College, PA @ Schlow Centre Region Library
Sat. Feb. 2 – Ithaca, NY – House Show
Mon. Feb. 4 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar w/ Raw Thug
Wed. Feb. 6 – Oxford, MS @ Lamar Lounge
Thu. Feb. 7 – Shreveport, LA @ Fatty Arbuckles
Fri. Feb 8 – Houston, TX @ Mango’s
Sat. Feb. 9 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
Mon. Feb. 11 – Marfa, TX @ Lost Horse Saloon
Tue. Feb. 12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Small Engine Gallery
Wed. Feb. 13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Radical Abacus
Thu. Feb. 14 – Tucson, AZ @ Topaz
Fri. Feb. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom w/ OM, Sir Richard Bishop
Sat. Feb. 16 – San Diego, CA @ The Void
Tue. Feb. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Human Resources w/ Lamps, Jaws, The Urxed
Thu. Feb. 21 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Biko House
Fri. Feb. 22 – Eagle Rock, CA @ Center for the Arts w/ Rangda
Sat. Feb. 23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel w/ Rangda, Colossal Yes
Mon. Feb. 25 – Davis, CA @ Chillanova House
Tue. Feb. 26 – Arcata, CA @ MexNwoW w/ R. Stevie Moore
Thu. Feb. 28 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Fri. Mar. 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
Sat. Mar. 2 – Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
Sun. Mar. 3 – Olympia, WA @ Northern
Tue. Mar. 5 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux w/ Psychic Ills
Wed. Mar. 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge w/ Psychic Ills
Thu. Mar. 7 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive w/ Psychic Ills
Fri. Mar. 8 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall w/ Psychic Ills
Sat. Mar. 9 – St. Louis, MO @ 2720 Cherokee
Sun. Mar. 10 – Madison, WI @ Good Style Shop
Tue. Mar. 12 – Chicago, IL @ Permanent Records (instore)
Wed. Mar. 13 – Kalamazoo, MI @ The 411 Club
Thu. Mar. 14 – Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
Fri. Mar. 15 – Bloomington, IN @ The Ream
Sat. Mar. 16 – Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness w/ Tommy Jay
Sat. Apr. 27 – Detroit, MI @ Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography
Fri. Jun. 21-23 – Camber Sands, UK @ ATP curated by Deerhunter (Blues Control with Laraaji)
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com