True story: In college I was studying for a music appreciation class, listening to an organ piece by Bach. As soon as the piece (I with I could remember which one it was) came on my mom’s cat ran down the stairs and began to rub his body on the speakers of the boombox. I quickly jumped the CD to the next track and the cat peeled his body away as if nothing happened. I played the Bach again, and again the cat and stereo became one. The cat was drooling and purring in a way I’d never seen him bliss out before. When maman came home from work I tried it again, same response. That cat was in love. But it was only Bach and only that particular piece.
Weird right? Maybe not. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, musicians and performers extraordinaire Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed are putting on a special concert just for dogs as part of the Vivid Live festival in Sydney on June 5. The 20 minute show will consist of high frequency music that’s mostly inaudible to humans. Dogs, however, will join the masses as Anderson/Reed fans. The free concert will also feature sound meters so humans can see that something is, in fact, happening. Though if that cat of my mom’s is any indication, Fido and friends will let their owners know how happy they are.
Anderson and Reed also curate the festival, which has a line-up from heaven, including Boris, Melt-Banana, My Brightest Diamond and, for those a little less avant-garde-inclined, the Blind Boys of Alabama. There are a ton of other acts but since I can’t go [cough, donations of a plane ticket and a place to crash are totally welcome, cough] it just seems cruel to list off all the amazing shit this festival has in store.
Having been thrown off Bennelong Point for walking my dogs there, I am wondering how this is going to proceed. Opera House bylaw 9(1)(j) states that animals are prohibited. Even if that is relaxed, Richard Hull, the Opera House CSM also opposes having animals around during events.
It would also be difficult getting dogs to Bennelong Point without a car and parking, given NSW’s draconian rules about pet transport.