Amy X Neuburg & her Cello ChiXtet April 17, 2007

Amy X Neuburg & her Cello ChiXtet (Jess Ivry, Elaine Kreston, and Beth Vandervennet) premiered their song cycle "The Secret Language of Subways" to full houses and standing ovations in December '06. Conceived largely while riding on New York subways, the songs use urban images and metaphors of war to explore love and loss, aspects of deceit, and the artist's struggle between personal expression and world concern. Using electronic drum pads, faders and pedals, Neuburg processes both her voice and the cellos with effects and real-time looping to build up layered harmonies and counterpoints live on stage.

A resident of Oakland, Amy X Neuburg has in recent years gained international recognition as an innovative voice and electronics performer/composer, known for her prodigious 4-octave vocal range, her compelling theatrical performances, her unusually "human" use of electronics and looping technology, and her uncategorizable blend of genres (spanning pop, classical, avant-garde, musical theater, and poetic wordplay) which she calls "avant- cabaret."

The Village Voice described Neuburg's distinctive style as one in which "she loops her voice and sings over her alter egos until she's a whole chorus, an opera, a circus act... Far more musical than Laurie Anderson and a hell of a lot cheerier than Diamanda Galas, Neuburg has scoped out her own territory in the gulf between pop and classical." Her performance highlights include the Other Minds and Bang on a Can festivals, the Berlin International Poetry Festival, two tours of New Zealand, frequent New York appearances, and college residencies and electronic music festivals throughout the U.S.

Ms. Neuburg has received commissions worldwide to compose for vocal and instrumental ensembles with live looping technology, composes regularly for dance, theater and visual media, and is a classically trained singer specializing in experimental music by contemporary composers. Equally at home in rock clubs, theaters, concert halls and museums, she is delighted to bring her new ChiXtet to Cafe du Nord, where she played many times with her art-rock band Amy X Neuburg & Men.

Openers: EMILY BEZAR; DEBORA PETRINA