A Renaissance man of music, art, performance and design, and a throwback to a time when a single individual could master nearly all the domains of making, Brian Dewan is a worthy and fascinating subject for a documentary. Dewan’s résumé is a bizarre and singular marvel: He has released several puzzling and brilliant records of original songs – most performed either on a modified zither or accordion – that capture essences and tell stories of an eccentric American past. He composed the music for the Blue Man Group; he designed the album cover for Neutral Milk Hotel’s underground classic In an Aeroplane over the Sea, as well as for the early They Might Be Giants gem Lincoln; along with his cousin Leon, he designed and built a line of novel analog synthesizers under the name Dewanatron, many of which use rotary phone dials and other antique artifacts as controls. He is additionally known for his filmstrips, furniture designs and poetry.
On Friday, January 19 at 7 p.m., Time and Space Limited (TSL) in Hudson is showing Analog Dreams: The Art of Brian Dewan, a documentary film about the popular Catskill resident. Dewan will perform after the showing, and the film’s director Keif Roberts will be on hand for a question-and-answer session. Tickets cost $7.
TSL is located at 434 Columbia Street in Hudson. For more information, visit http://timeandspace.org.