Freelance Curator of Experimental Music at Urbus Orbis

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Friday, October 13, 1995
Section: Friday
Column: After hours
URBUS ORBIS
By Achy Obejas

… Michael Zerang has been a longtime favorite of this column. We like his music, we like his performances. And we’ve been generally impressed with his curatorial prowess (it was Zerang who began booking experimental artists at Club Lower Links). He continues putting together innovative series, currently focusing on experimental music at Urbus Orbis, the Wicker Park coffeehouse cum theater that serves as nerve center for hipness. Zerang, a brilliant percussionist who has played with both Hamid Drake and Mats Gustafsson, pairs them for a night of music and noise at 9 p.m. Thursday. Drake is more soulful, Gustafsson more cerebral (and maybe more raucous with his reeds than Drake is with his drums) and the conflicting interests make for some powerful sounds. The show will celebrate Gustafsson’s “Parrot Fish Eye,” a new CD featuring innovative duets. On Oct. 26, Zerang takes the stage with clarinetist Gene Coleman and cellist Fredrick Lomberg as Trio Troppo. Count on something more melodic for this outing, although just as adventurous. Urbus Orbis is at 1934 W. North Ave. Covers vary. Call 312-252-4446…

PHOTO: Michael Zerang will exhibit some of his many talents in a series of performances at Urbus Orbis. Photo copyright (copyright) 1995 by Marc PoKempner.