Music
The Edge of Heaven
Gary Lucas
A soulful, bluesy twang. A psychedelic fever dream. A burst of
back-porch finger-picking. Whatever the style, the sound of Gary
Lucas—described by The New York Times as a “songwriter
with a global guitar”—is unmistakable. Founder of the rock band
Gods and Monsters and a former collaborator with Jeff Buckley
(Lucas co-wrote the song “Grace”) and Captain Beefheart, among
countless others, Lucas continues to provoke and refashion American
music while finding its echo in unlikely places.
In The Edge of Heaven, that place is shidaiqu,
the alluring jazz-tinged popular music that flourished in 1930s and
40s China (and was used evocatively by Wong Kar-Wai in his 2000
film In the Mood for Love). Accompanied by Shanghai-based
vocalists Sally Kwok and Mo Hai Jing, Lucas and his band pay
tribute to two icons of this style, Chow Hsuan and Bai Kwong.
Wistful projections of street scenes of old Shanghai transport us
in this evening of lilting romantic melodies filtered through the
sonic vistas of American experience.
Gods and Monsters
Featuring special guests Shanghai vocalists Sally Kwok and Mo Hai
Jing
Lighting design by Kris Anton

This Grammy-nominated guitarist is one of the most celebrated rock musicians today.

This highly talented vocalist channels the spirit of the golden age of Chinese pop.

This vocalist has earned many accolades in her native China and abroad.

The 2013 Next Wave Festival showcases the very best in contemporary performance, plus artist talks, storytelling, visual art, and film.