Mercury Soul is a unique and groundbreaking event combining a sinfonietta, DJs, lighting, and art installations in large, open-format venues.
Forget flipping through an endless program book in the restrictive seating of a concert hall. The audience is given the same freedom to roam as at a rock show, with the program notes projected onto the walls alongside neon and aluminum art installations.
In between thumping DJ sets, classical performers appear scattered around the space, performing music from 20th Century heavyweights from Steve Reich to Ligeti. Along with slowly shifting lighting, groovy electro-acoustic interludes fusing sinfonietta and electronica help guide the crowd from one musical space to another.
First hatched at Berlin's Volksbühne (in its famed Roter Salon), Mercury Soul was most recently hosted at San Francisco's hotspot Mezzanine. 1,400 people turned out for the sold-out event, which brought together club-goers, symphony patrons, and other curious musical minds.