The Pink Canoes were an electro-acoustic improvisation quartet from Oakland, California. Their vocabulary was as varied as the instruments they played, which included, but was not limited to prepared guitars, saxophones and laptops to homemade analog synthesizers, circuit bent toys and other salvaged electronics. As an ensemble, they ran the gamut of texture and volume, turning on a dime from chunks of abrasive noise to moments of barely audible sound inspection. Oftentimes they strived for the seamless integration of instruments, electronics and electronic instruments. Other times the disjunction between the aforementioned instruments was so severe that it could only be described as a chaotic splattering of electronics amidst a backdrop of sonic depravity. In many cases, these extremes occurred just mere seconds apart, which only added to the quirky, unpredictable intrigue of each of their performances. With any luck, they tied your synapses in knots.

The Pink Canoes were, in no particular order: Noah Phillips (guitar, electronics), Zachary Watkins (laptop, circuit bent electronics), Travis Johns (bass, laptop, electronics), and Aram Shelton (saxophone, laptop).

Releases

Past Performances

2011

• 02.02.11 – Kingman’s Ivy Room, El Cerrito, Ca.

2010

• 03.06.10 – Life Changing Ministries, Oakland, Ca. w. Hydrogen Pellets, Grr on Grr, Julia Mazawa and Peace Loving.
• 05.02.10 – Life Changing Ministries, Oakland, Ca.
• 07.09.10 – Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, Ca. w. Ettrick and Sean

2009

• 02.28.09 – Sea and Space Explorations, Los Angeles, Ca. w. Elise Baldwin, Dave Holton, Kadet Kuhne & Patrice Scanlon.
• 03.06.09 – The Pharaoh’s Den, Riverside, Ca. w. Starkiller, Chyna Pi, The Racket, Mongoloid, Kurtis Jones, Mira La Luz, Rolly Polly & Tirawana Pather y Tainonegro.
• 03.08.09 – Echo Curio, Los Angelse, Ca. w. Metal Rogue & The Warm Climate Big Band.
• 03.18.09 – The Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, Ca. w. NVH, Gerritt Wittmer & Cenk Ergun.
• 03.28.09 – The Golden Trapperkeeper Lodge, San Francisco, Ca. w. Aaron Drake, White Leopards and Italic Indian.
• 04.19.09 – The Razorwire Compound, Oakland, Ca. w. Chrome Genie, Gumball Rimpoche & Cartoon Justice.
• 04.30.09 – Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, Ca. w. w. Rubber (o) Cement, Critical Monkey & Terror Apart.
• 05.04.09 – Blondie’s Bar and No Grill, San Francisco, Ca. w. Little Bridges & Clarissa Explains it All.
• 06.25.09 – The Lab, San Francisco, Ca.
• 07.31.09 – Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Ca. Performance of Mark Applebaum’s Metaphysics of Notation.
• 12.18.09 – Cafe du Nord, San Francisco, Ca. w. Pink Mountain, Arrington De Dionyso, T.I.T.S., Work, Al Qaeda and Seven Lies About Girls.

2008

• 03.21.08 – 21 Grand, Oakland, Ca. w. Phillip Greenleif, Liz Albee, Tatsuya Nakatani & Marielle Jakobsons.
• 06.03.08 – The Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, Ca. w. Holly Caust & Moe! Staiano.
• 07.18.08 – Mission Creek Music Festival, San Francisco, Ca. w. Oaxacan, Barnwave & efft.
• 09.04.08 – The Knockout, San Francisco, Ca. w. Dr. Dino.
• 09.14.08 – Golden Trapperkeeper Lodge, San Francisco, Ca. w. Vis Viva, Pykrete & The Warm Climate Big Band.
• 11.18.08 – The Uptown, Oakland, Ca. w. the Weasel Walter Clarinet Choir.

2007

• 01.16.07 – Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, Ca. w. Rubber (o) Cement, a pink cloud & xome.
• 03.28.07 – G3 Lounge, San Francisco, Ca. w. dss, marissa magic, acre.
• 03.29.07 – Luggage Store, San Francisco, Ca. w. dss.
• 03.30.07 – Delta Of Venus, Davis, Ca. w. dss, Solomon Sokay.
• 03.31.07 – Revolution Cafe, San Francisco, Ca. w. dss, reptet.
• 05.01.07 – ArtSF, San Francisco, Ca. w. Rubber O Cement, Core of the Coalman, Hydrogen Pellets,Telepathik Friend, Head Boggle Domo in Auralsize, Aspedelone and Bones.
  04.12.07 – Il Corral, Los Angeles, Ca. w. dss, Toy Junkies.
• 08.18.07 – KFJC, Los Altos Hills, Ca. Live on the Radio.
• 10.11.07 – 21 Grand, Oakland, Ca. Pink Canoes w. Headboggle, Winters in Osaka, Mykel Boyd, Kukie Matter& Mr. Mercury goes to Work.
• 12.18.07 – Climate Theatre, San Francisco, Ca. w. Rut-ro & the Logs.

2006

• 02.18.06 – Mama Buzz, Oakland, Ca. w. Liz Meredith & Steini Gunnarsson.
• 03.17.06 – 21 Grand, Oakland, Ca. w. The Late Severa Wires.
• 03.25.06 – Il Corral, Los Angeles, Ca.
• 04.15.06 – 21 Grand, Oakland, Ca. Pink Canoes w. Gregg Kowalsky, T/R & Luz Alibi. ::listen::
• 05.05.06 – Il Corral, Los Angeles, Ca. w. Nels Cline, Jeremy Drake, Gowns, Auto-Da-Fe.
• 05.18.06 – Luggage Store, San Francisco, Ca. w. Jon Brumit & Wayne Grim.
• 08.19.06 – ArtSF, San Francisco, Ca. w. Ben Bracken, David Slusser, Dead Black Wolf.
• 09.23.06 – ArtSF, San Francisco. w. CoCoNut, Filthmilk, Chris Brown & Matt Davignon.
• 11.07.06 – ICMC, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
• 11.08.06 – Neutral Ground Coffeehouse, New Orleans, La.
• 11.15.06 – 21 Grand, Oakland, Ca. w. Atomic Bomb Audition, Charity Chan/Jordan Glenn Duo.