Free Concerts & Science Talk At The LA American Museum of Natural History
Marrying interesting scientific discussions with musical performances is always a seductive idea to me, that’s why I have decided to go to some of these series organized by the American Museum of Natural History, First Fridays. It is sometimes difficult to find time and energy on a Friday evening, but going to these gigs would be in my New Year resolution list if I had one.
The event happens the first Friday of each month, and the two first ones have just been announced:
On January 6th, after a discussion on ‘The Believing Brain :From Ghosts and Gods To Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them As Trusts’ with Dr. Michael Shermer (totally my kind of topic!), Mariachi! El Bronx and El-Haru Kuroi will perform in the mammalian hall. I saw Mariachi! El Bronx last year, and their punk-hardcore-turned-all-mariachi sound is a pleasant and energized surprise, like a second and unexpected facet of them. I have never seen East Los Angeles trio El- Haru Kuroi, but their facebook description says that they ‘have developed a powerful, unique style as rooted in Mexican, South American and African melodies and rhythms, as it is influenced by Fugazi and Gang of Four.’ Interesting!
On February 3rd, Amy Parish will discuss about ‘The New Science of Darwinian Feminism: Evolutionary Insights from Bonobo Social and Sexual Interactions’, and who doesn’t love sex-obsessed and cute Bonobos? This will be followed by a live performance by The Soft Moon, a band which is ‘digging his own niche, an intimate well-spoken whisper, carrying a heavy load of synths that creep and drums that command an uncontrollable pull from within’, and Light Asylum, which showcases a ‘fluid synth pop attack that shifts elegantly from mid tempo industrial dance to subliminal future ballads that are deceptively uplifting’.
And there are many more programs to be announced in the future. Each time, DJs provide the musical background for the night, you can even take a tour of the museum with some prestigious scientist, there are food, drinks, and the whole place is transformed into a nightclub. These dinosaur skeletons need some entertainment too after all.
