John Colpitts and Man Forever will kick off the sixth annual Ecstatic Music Festival on January 29 with Tigue (photo by Lisa Corson)
Who: Man Forever, Tigue, Phil Kline, Judd Greenstein
What: Ecstatic Music Festival kickoff
Where: The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC and WQXR, 44 Charlton St. at Varick St.
When: Friday, January 29, $20, 7:30
Why: The sixth annual Ecstatic Music Festival, sponsored by the Kaufman Music Center, gets under way January 29 at the Greene Space with the pairing of Man Forever (Ryonen, Pansophical Cataract), led by John Colpitts (aka Kid Millions), and Brooklyn-based trio Tigue (Matt Evans, Amy Garapic, and Carson Moody, joined by Tristan Kasten-Krause and Ben Seretan) teaming up for a new look at Louis Thomas Hardin’s 1971 album, Moondog II. The evening will be hosted by Phil Kline (Unsilent Night), with discussions and Q&As with the artists and curator Judd Greenstein. “The Ecstatic Music Festival brings together artists who don’t typically work together and gives them the opportunity to create something completely new on the stage of an intimate chamber music hall,” Kaufman Music Center executive director Lydia Kontos explained in a statement. “The result is invigorating and often genuinely surprising concerts audiences would not be able to experience anywhere else.” Greenstein added, “This year’s festival is as varied as any we’ve ever presented, with collaborators coming from areas of the musical spectrum that are new to the Ecstatic Music Festival.” The festival continues through March 19 with more than four dozen sonic artists playing Merkin Concert Hall; a festival pass is $150, while other packages are available at various discount levels. Among the shows to look out for are Rachel Grimes and Longleash on February 10, Yo La Tengo and Alvin Lucier on February 17, Lee Ranaldo and Dither on March 2, and William Tyler, Quindar, and Nick Hallett on March 17.