For more than four decades, bass player, songwriter, poet, and raconteur David J Haskins has occupied a singularly mystical place in underground music. Whether anchoring the shadowy architecture of Bauhaus, shaping the widescreen dream-pop of Love and Rockets, or pursuing a rich and eclectic solo career, David J has always treated performance as something closer to ritual than mere entertainment. On June 18, he returns to Electron Gardens Studio in Avondale Estates for an intimate Summer Solstice celebration. It’s a seasonal companion to the Winter Solstice-themed performance he brought to Electron Gardens last December.
Poet Lisa King opens the show reading works that are steeped in alchemical symbolism, dreamlike themes of transformation, and imagery drawn from woodland creatures, coastal landscapes, and the unseen currents connecting them all. Her words will be accompanied by atmospheric soundscapes created by Penelope Courtney, creating an immersive prelude to the music.
The Hot Place set the music in motion with a stripped down lineup featuring King performing alongside guitar players Jeff Calder and Mike Lynn, playing a few songs from The Language of Birds and the 2022 self-titled LP.
James Hall of Mary My Hope and Pleasure Club joins the bill performing a solo set.
David J will draw from every corner of his catalog, playing older material alongside selections from his latest release,Tracks from the Attic Revisited—10 songs taken from his sprawling 2024 demo anthology, reworked, rewritten, and reinterpreted.
The Revisited album transforms decades-old home recordings into a fully realized collection shaped by four decades of artistic growth. He’ll reel through a few fan favorites that have followed him across decades and continents.
As the evening reaches its conclusion, guests will join David J on stage for a communal finale: James Hall will join in to collaborate on a handful of songs, as will King and Calder from the Hot Place, culminating in what promises to be one of the summer’s most memorable musical gatherings.
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