PERFORMANCES

The Orange Show Monument has been a memorable venue for some of Houston's best and most eclectic cultural performances for the past 40+ years, with a rich history of hosting concerts, performance art and other one-of-a-kind happenings from nationally and internationally recognized artists and performers on a regular basis.
FEATURED UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Maria Chavez

Friday, March 10 | 7-11pm
Opening Reception & DJ Set
The Orange Show World HQ
Celebrate the opening of “Maria Chavez: Absorption Sculpture Series’’ and be among the first to experience her original sound absorbent, site-specific sculptural environment made from repurposed fabrics and building materials that were otherwise headed for the landfill. Join us for this very special opening night durational performance and DJ set, showcasing Chavez's unique and avant-garde improvisational turntable technique.
Chavez is The Orange Show's Spring 2023 artist-in-residence, and marks her return to public performance following a four-year sabbatical after brain surgery. It comprises an immersive, monumental sound-absorbing sculptural installation made from found and recycled fabrics; artist-led tours; two youth workshops; an both an opening-night DJ set and durational performance and a closing recital with workshops participants and other special guests.
About Maria Chavez:
Coincidence, chance, and failure are themes that unite Maria Chavez’ book objects, sound sculptures, multi-media installations, and other works produced within her improvised solo turntable performance practice. Born in Lima, Peru, Chavez grew up in Houston and developed a self-taught and completely original approach as a DJ and turntablist that favors vinyl records’ unique defects and idiosyncrasies. She is heavily influenced by Pauline Oliveros’ “Deep Listening” concept that “fosters creative innovation across boundaries and abilities, among artists and audience, musicians and non-musicians, healers and the physically or cognitively challenged, and children of all ages.”
Saturday, March 11 | 1-4pm
Abstract Turntablism Workshop for Teens
Get a hands-on opportunity to use turntables and vinyl records as instruments from Maria Chavez. Teens (kids as young as 10 are welcome, parents must accompany kids 10-16 of age) will learn about Chavez’ equipment and practice and create their own variations on the form. Participants are also invited to perform a solo abstract turntablism piece at the residency-closing recital on March 17. $10 per participant.
Sunday, March 12 | 1-4pm
Abstract Turntablism Workshop for Adults
Get a hands-on opportunity to use turntables and vinyl records as instruments from Maria Chavez. Adults 18+ will learn about Chavez’ equipment and practice and create their own variations on the form. Participants are also invited to perform a solo abstract turntablism piece at the residency-closing recital on March 17. $10 per participant.
Friday, March 17 | 7-9pm
Maria Chavez Closing Reception & Workshop Participant Recital
Maria Chavez closes her Houston residency with a performance/recital featuring participants from the previous week’s Abstract Turntablism Workshops and a few special guests. FREE
The Orange Show presents
Nakatani Gong Orchestra

Saturday, March 25 | 7-10pm
The Orange Show World HQ
Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani is a road warrior who travels the country by modified panel van and performs hundreds of concerts each year in cities all over the world. The Nakatani Gong Orchestra is a touring project in which local musicians are trained in Nakatani’s bow technique and conducted through a performance of his transformative works on a collection of seventeen Chinese wind gongs. The Kobo bows, mallets, and surrounding equipment used in the performance have all been hand crafted by Nakatani himself. It is the only ongoing bowed gong orchestra project in the world.
About Tatsuya Nakatani:
Tatsuya Nakatani is an avant-garde percussionist, composer, and artist of sound. Active internationally since the 1990’s; Nakatani has released over 80 recordings and tours extensively, performing over 150 concerts a year. His primary focus is his solo work and his large ensemble project, the Nakatani Gong Orchestra. With his activity in the new music, improvisation and experimental music scenes, Nakatani has a long history of collaboration. He teaches master classes and lectures at universities and music conservatories around the world. Originally from Japan, he makes his home in the desert town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Nakatani creates his distinctive music centered around his adapted bowed gong, supported by an array of drums, cymbals, and singing bowls. In consort with his hand carved Kobo Bows, it is an instrument he has spent decades developing. Nakatani approaches his orchestral project (NGO) as an arrangement of formations of vibrations, incorporated in shimmering layers of silence and texture. Within this contemporary work, one can still recognize the dramatic pacing, formal elegance and space (ma) felt in traditional Japanese music.
The Orange Show presents
Eugene Chadbourne live at The Orange Show Monument

Saturday, May | 6-9pm
The Orange Show Monument
The Orange Show celebrates eccentric visionaries and few fit the description better than the North Carolina-based guitarist, banjoist, singer, and composer Eugene Chadbourne.
Since the late 1970s, he’s been the creative music world’s clown prince, skewering the powerful with satirical lyrics and prodding sacred cows of technique and taste with a delirious mashup of jazz, folk, country, unlikely covers, and fleet-fingered improvisation. His extensive and convoluted discography includes hundreds of self-released, small-batch recordings hand-packaged in uniquely collaged jackets made from found and repurposed materials.
In recent years he’s developed a profile as an accomplished self-trained visual artist and several of his works will be on view in the Orange Show Study Center in the weeks following his performance.
RECENT PERFORMANCES
Yasmin Williams - March 12, 2022
Video produced by: Nada Brahma Media
Edited & Directed by: Don White
Audio Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by: Shannon Smith
Susan Alcorn - April 23, 2022
Video produced by Nada Brahma Media
Cameras: Robert Johns, Don White
Edited and Directed by Don White
Audio Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Shannon Smith
SWAMP SALON SERIES
A presentation of The Orange Show Media Project
In collaboration with Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) and Houston Media Source




The Orange Show Media Project is a partnership with Houston Media Source and Southwest Alternative Media Project (SWAMP) to capture and edit intimate performances by visionary Houston-based performing artists in front of live audiences at the Orange Show’s collection of unique properties.
A 41-YEAR HISTORY OF PERFORMANCES
Take a look at some of the music and art performances we have brought in over the years...
Alasdair Roberts
Amanda Gregory
Astronautalis
Baby Dee
Beans Barton and the Bi Peds
Beach House
Benjamin Wesley
Bill Callahan
BLACKIE
Blackie Dammet
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
BooTown
Burt Jansch
Coughee Brothaz
Continuum
Come See My Dead Person
Dan Deacon
Daniel Johnston
Dengue Fever
Devendra Banhart
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Projectors
Extra Golden
Fire Moth
Flamin' Hellcats
Folk Family Revival
Former Ghosts
Get Down Stay Down
Herschel Berry and The Natives
Hillary Sloan
Jana Hunter
Joanna Newsom
Jo Bird
Kozmic Pearl
La Sien
Listen Listen
Los Guereros de la Musica
Los Skarnales
Mikey and The Drags
Mills-McCoin Rock 'N Roll Circus
Mother Falcon
Mucca Pazza
Nina Nastasia
Old Murder House Theatre
ORION
Phosphorescent
Pillars and Tongues
Poor Pilate
Quintron and Ms. Pussycat
Robert Ellis
Roky Moon and BOLT!
San Fermin
Say Girl Say
Sleepy Sun
Slow Club
SORNE
Soul Revels Brass Band
Southern Backtones
Stephanie Saint Sanchez
Thao Nguyen
The Dodos
The Grass Skirts 1909!
The Invincible Czars
The Most of All
The New Mercies
The Suffers
The Tyburn Jig
The Wandering Bufaleros
The Wave Pictures
Thao and Mirah
Thomas Helton
Thunderado
True Widow
Two Star Symphony
Tyagaraja
Venemous Maximus
Vinyl Ranch
Wave Pictures
White Hills
Wild Mocassins
Yasmin Williams
Xiu Xiu
You(Genius)
Young Mammals















