Runaway Circus with Fight the Giant Bull and Ilad on Tuesday

On Tuesday, the circus is coming to town. For complete information about the extravaganza, which will feature the Runaway Circus, Fight the GIANT Bull, and Ilad, visit the RVAjazz Featured Gig. Peter McElhinney wrote a great article in Style Weekly to preview the event: Circus Folk. Britt Tyler is the leader of the Runaway Circus […]

June 29, 2009; 1:30 PM • by Dean Christesen

On Tuesday, the circus is coming to town. For complete information about the extravaganza, which will feature the Runaway Circus, Fight the GIANT Bull, and Ilad, visit the RVAjazz Featured Gig. Peter McElhinney wrote a great article in Style Weekly to preview the event: Circus Folk.

Britt Tyler is the leader of the Runaway Circus and Loose Cabooses, which is based out of Ashville, NC.

Tyler:

I’m very excited about this collaboration. I’ve known Cameron and Cary [Ralston] for at least 13 years and I’m extremely impressed with both of their artistic talents. Of all the road tour shows we have booked I’m looking forward to the Richmond show the most. I’ve been checking out Fight the Big Bull for quite some time and really enjoy their music. I’m especially excited about this even bigger venture with Fight the Giant Bull. Our Community circus in Asheville [Runaway Circus and the Loose Cabooses] has a band of about 15 members which include a lot of horns, strings, and accordion, we play a bit of a different style. On tour we will have a trombone, euphonium, keys, guitar, drums, and accordion. So again similar instruments, but different style then Fight the Giant Bull. I think it’s going to be a great show that will highlight various styles of music and performance. I’m thankful for the chance to work with some really talented artists.

During our tour last winter some of the members of the circus had a band and they opened up for the circus a number of time. Also in the larger community circus we’ve had a number of bands open up for the circus. It’s great for the circus because I think having acts before hand warm up the audience and so when you come out on stage for your first act they’re already primed to have fun.

Fight the Big (Giant) Bull’s Matt White:

Were there any changes in the music you needed to make to accommodate for the extra musicians?

I haven’t written the music yet, but I think I’m going to do 2 old ones re-orchestrated and 2 new ones – real loose, spaced out, stony Pink Floyd jams. There’s no rehearsal so we have to be able to pull stuff out on the fly so I should probably keep it loose. I’m real excited about Gabe’s [Churray] synth – I’ve been listening to all these 70’s synthy jazz records and I think they sound amazing. Anyhow, this question would be better answered if I had written anything yet.

How intense is it going to be?

Intense. I wrote a theme song that we are all going to sing. I want to incorporate some group singing among the stony, Pink Floyd, synth jams.

Are you excited to open up for a circus?

Very excited, although I’m pretty much in freak out mode regarding our music – I really need to start on that business.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Runaway Circus, Fight the Giant Bull, Ilad
Gallery5
8pm
$10, all ages
200 W. Marshall St., Richmond, VA 23220

June 29, 2009 1:30 PM 1