A Night With the Boston Typewriter Orchestra - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 2331754

A Night With the Boston Typewriter Orchestra

icon 1 Photo
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra performs at The Church on February 1. CARLIN STEIHL

The Boston Typewriter Orchestra performs at The Church on February 1. CARLIN STEIHL

authorStaff Writer on Jan 10, 2025

Clack-clack-clackity-clack, ping! It’s time for different type of music in a whole new key at The Church which presents a live performance of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra on Saturday, February 1, at 6 p.m.

By way of rhythmic typewriter manipulation, this collective of keystroke musicians entertains audiences of all ages with performance, comedy and satire. The rhythm-heavy performance will see typewriters mimicking a wide variety of sounds, from bongo drum grooves to heavy metal (no pun intended) jams. For more than 20 years, the Boston Typewriter Orchestra has been the only typewriter orchestra in existence, and the evening is guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind experience. Its members are Derrik Albertelli, James Brockman, Eric Donohue, Alex Holman, Chris Keene, Giordana Mecagni and Brendan Quigley.

What is an instrument? Can music be performed on objects of the business world? What is the intersection of industry and art? Where can we find beauty and purpose in the world’s relentless grind and repetition? The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is a collective percussive ensemble for typewriter and voice based in the Boston area. Creative. For 15 years the Boston Typewriter Orchestra has posed these questions, challenging the very notion of music itself. Liberated from the rules of traditional music, the BTO continues to reinvent itself with every song. Yet through the din, listeners can hear elements of dub, metal, musique concrète, kraut, French house and garage to name but a few genres they routinely explore.

Throughout its shows, the BTO maintains office chic garb contemporaneous with the typewriters they play; a corporate land before time where The Boss is never-present but always just around the corner. The members themselves are portrayed as corporate drones, who, despite their own self-inflicted wounds, still represent and celebrate disrupting the corporate monoculture from within.

Founded in 2004, the Boston Typewriter Orchestra got its start appearing at house parties, art galleries and street festivals. The group has since performed on local, national and international radio and television programs and appeared in the documentary “California Typewriter.” BTO has released several singles and five albums, the most recent of which is a collection of remixes entitled “Delegation.”

Beyond the show itself, the BTO seeks to educate and evangelize the archaic machines they use, allowing folks an opportunity to connect with history and industrial technology, sometimes for the first time.

Tickets for the performance are $20 (members $15, $10 admission for children under 12) at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor.

You May Also Like:

'Bonnie & Clyde' Cast and Crew Announced for Bay Street Musical

Bay Street Theater has unveiled the complete cast and creative teams for its pulse-pounding musical ... 7 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Claes Brondal Makes a Scene of Jazz

The day after the successful Hamptons JazzFest summer launch party attracted several hundred guests at ... by Dan Ouellette

Hamptons Fine Art Fair Returns to Southampton for 19th Edition

Jackson Pollock, the Abstract Expressionist painter who spent years on the East End, once quipped ... by Dan Stark

‘Six In The Mix’ Exhibition Showcases East End Artists at Ashawagh Hall, July 11 to 13

“Six In The Mix,” an art exhibition featuring local artists Kirsten Benfield, John Kneapler, John ... by Staff Writer

'The Westhampton Beach Project' Returns for an Exciting Weekend of Dance and Music

There’s no shortage on the East End of places to enjoy live music, fine art ... by Dan Stark

'Luminosity: LongHouse Benefit & Auction 2025' Preview Vernissage

LongHouse Reserve invites the public to an exclusive preview vernissage of “Luminosity: LongHouse Benefit & ... by Staff Writer

Ellen Wiener’s ‘Green Shade’ Grows Wild at Dan Welden Gallery in Noyac

Dan Welden Gallery in Noyac will present “Green Shade,” a solo exhibition by North Fork ... by Staff Writer

In Conversation: Carol Saft and Elaine Sexton, Sunday, July 13, at Duck Creek

Join artist Carol Saft and poet and critic Elaine Sexton for an intimate conversation Sunday, ... by Staff Writer

Feel the Groove: Joy Jan Jones Brings Jazz Vibes to East Hampton Library

Joy Jan Jones, a seasoned performer who has appeared at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, ... by Staff Writer

Bee Gees Gold Tribute Returns to The Suffolk for Two Shows

The Suffolk will welcome back “Bee Gees Gold: The Tribute” for two performances on Saturday ... by Staff Writer