KCHUNG Radio Archives

PERFORMANCE NOW is an hourlong show that happens on the third Sunday of every month, 5 to 6pm, on KCHUNG Radio. John Tain and I host live performances and talk to artists, curators, and each other about performance works happening in Los Angeles today. Below is a complete archive of our shows, updated every month.

Community Debrief
A special two-hour event in which John Burtle, John Tain, Carol Cheh, Jennifer Doyle, Dawn Kasper, Dino Dinco, Jamie McMurry, and Oscar Santos discuss recent performance events, including Confusion Is Sex and Perform Chinatown. The overwhelming response to this event spurred the creation of Performance Now.
August 11, 2013

Episode 1: Xina Xurner and Mutant Salon
Carol gets a haircut from Marvin on air while we listen to Xina Xurner tracks and discuss their practice.
August 18, 2013

Episode 2: Susan Silton
Discussion of recent works by Susan Silton, including In everything there is the trace, in which groups of participants collectively retype John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.
September 15, 2013

Episode 3: Within exhibition
On the occasion of the group exhibition Within, held at Cypress College Art Gallery, curator Chloë Flores and artists Nick Duran (now Nickels Sunshine), taisha paggett, and Ashley Hunt discuss embodiment/movement and the visual arts.
October 20, 2013

Episode 4: Open discussion and call-in
With guests John Burtle (in studio) and Karen Adelman (call-in).
November 17, 2013

Episode 5: Special Hammer Museum Call-In Episode
As part of KCHUNG’s residency at the Hammer Museum, Performance Now holds a special international call-in episode. Jennifer Doyle reports on performance from London while Carol reports on Performa from New York.
November 23, 2013

Episode 6: Year-End Wrap
John and Carol look back on significant art events of 2013.
December 15, 2013

Episode 7: The Power of Ritual
Amanda Yates Garcia (the Oracle of Los Angeles), Adrienne Walser, and Stacy Elaine Dacheux explore the power of ritual.
January 19, 2014

Episode 8: Rafa Esparza
Rafa Esparza discusses recent performances and his overall practice.
February 16, 2014

Episode 9: Identity Politics
Featuring Emi Fontana, with Fiamma Montezemolo and Nizan Shaked on call-in.
March 16, 2014

Episode 10: Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst
Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst discuss recent works and their collaborative history.
April 20, 2014 (recorded April 19)

Episode 11: The Dark Bob
The legendary Dark Bob discusses LA performance art history, the commemorative event he recently organized at Highways, and recent work.
May 18, 2014

Episode 12: ENTER>text
ENTER>text presents a performative interview with various call-ins.
June 15, 2014

Episode 13: Jmy James Kidd
Discussion of recent works by Jmy James Kidd. Interview conducted onsite at the Hammer Museum, where Jmy was in residence for Made in LA.
July 20, 2014 (recorded July 16)

Episode 14: Rap and hip hop
Discussion and music with Jibade-Khalil Huffman and Christy Roberts.
August 17, 2014

Episode 15: Land of the Locusts
Live radio play written and presented by Dorothy Hoover especially for KCHUNG, with actors Erica Bitton, Brock Jones, Monique Reymond and Jeremy Walton. Play followed by discussion.
September 21, 2014

Episode 16: Tea Ceremony
Cirilo Domine and Daniel Pontius serve us tea at simeona leona.
October 19, 2014 (recorded October 17)

Episode 17: LA Islam Arts Initiative
Maryam Hosseinzadeh, Gelare Khoshgozaran, and Arshia Haq discuss highlights of LA Islam Arts Initiative programming.
November 16, 2014

Episode 18: Brian Getnick and Ligia Lewis
Artist and performance organizer Brian Getnick and dancer/choreographer Ligia Lewis talk about their recent work together and reflect on the artmaking scenes in LA and Berlin.
December 22, 2014

Episode 19: CANDIDATE at Church of the Epiphany
Artists John Lovett and Alessandro Codagnone, along with vicar Tom Carey and event producer Emi Fontana, discuss their upcoming performance collaboration, CANDIDATE: Execution in Progress, taking place at the historic La Iglesia de la Epifania (Church of the Epiphany) in Lincoln Heights.
January 18, 2015

Episode 20: Asian American Estrogen Power Hour
Audrey Chan, Malisa Humphrey, and Soyoung Shin discuss their recent projects, their hair, and how we’re all going to form a band called the Asian Darias.
February 15, 2015

Episode 21: Los Angeles River: Art, Performance, Civic Engagement
It’s a pivotal time for the LA River as it embarks on a $1 billion revitalization plan that promises to restore the river as a natural resource and a site for recreation and civic engagement. Julia Meltzer, founder and director of Clockshop, and Cathy Gudis and Allison Wyper, founder and member, respectively, of Project 51 / Play the LA River discuss how artists are playing a key role in making this happen.
March 15, 2015

Episode 22: Renée van Trier
Hear excerpts of Renée van Trier‘s riveting performance at Otis’ Graduate Fine Arts Studios, followed by a brief interview and more music tracks.
April 19, 2015 (recorded March 26)

Episode 23: Nao Bustamante
Performance art legend Nao Bustamante discusses aspects of Soldadera, her current exhibition at the Vincent Price Art Museum.
May 17, 2015

Episode 24: Los Angeles Field Trips with Jamie McMurry
Jamie McMurry leaves us for Chile next month. Prior to his departure, he takes John and me to two very special sites in Los Angeles that have influenced his life and his practice.
June 21, 2015 (recorded June 13 and 14)

Episode 25: homeLA x WCCW
homeLA and the Women’s Center for Creative Work discuss their collaborative event in Frogtown. With Rebecca Bruno, Drew Mandibach, Sarah Williams, and Emily Marchand.
July 19, 2015

Episode 26: Molly Shea and Perform Chinatown
The one and only Molly Shea discusses her curation of Perform Chinatown 2015: RUSH HOUR.
August 16, 2015

Episode 27: Bruce Yonemoto and Freya Chou
John talks to artist Bruce Yonemoto and curator Freya Chou in Taiwan, following the opening of the exhibition An Asian Survey–Bruce Yonemoto at the Hong-Gah Museum.
September 20, 2015 (recorded September 19)

Episode 28: Adam Linder
Dance-maker and performer Adam Linder has been on an extended visit to Los Angeles from his home base of Berlin. John talks to him about his recent work.
October 18, 2015

Episode 29: Sabrina Chou and the Return of Heavy Noodling
We meet Sabrina Chou for dinner at the Mitsuwa Marketplace, where we discuss Sabrina’s recent exhibition at Human Resources while indulging in some Heavy Noodling.
November 22, 2015 (recorded October 26)

Episode 30: The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People
For our last episode of 2015, we present recorded excerpts from a pedagogical dance project that took place at LACE this past fall. The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People was created by taisha paggett and WXPT in collaboration with Ashley Hunt and Kim Zumpfe. Excerpts include the final performance on Dec. 6, Meadow, and NIC Kay’s movement workshop on Dec. 2.
December 20, 2015

Episode 31: Gerard & Kelly
We talk to Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly about their current dance project, Modern Living, taking place at the Schindler House in Los Angeles and the Glass House in Connecticut.
January 17, 2016 (recorded January 11)

Episode 32: Ron Athey
A chat with legendary performance artist Ron Athey.
February 21, 2016

Episode 33: Sonja Gerdes
While John is out of town, Carol chats with the amorphous Sonja Gerdes and plays two of her performance soundtracks.
March 20,2016 (recorded February 17)

Episode 34: Emily Lacy
An interview with artist, singer, and activist Emily Lacy followed by a set of recently recorded tunes, hand-selected by the artist.
April 17, 2016

Episode 35: YELLOW POWER RADIO
Performance Now joins forces with Jennifer Moon’s Adventures With You for this extra special two-hour power edition featuring all Asian American artists, writers, and scholars. John, Carol, Jennifer, and Audrey Chan are the hosts, and our esteemed guests are Elizabeth Ahn, Connie Ho, Young Joon Kwak, Yong Soon Min, and Karen Tongson.
May 15, 2016

Episode 36: Jennifer Doyle
Performance art curator and scholar Jennifer Doyle joins us for a chat about recent performance works we’ve seen and her current gig as guest curator of Tip of Her Tongue, a yearlong series of performance art events for The Broad.
June 19, 2016

Episode 37: Patrick Ballard
We explore the layrinthine architecture that is Patrick Michael Ballard and unlock some doors to his practice for our listeners.
July 17, 2016

Episode 38: Kandis Williams, Josh Johnson, Olin Caprison
The artists discuss their collaborative movement project, Affect: Network: Territory (a performance of syllogisms in motion).
August 21, 2016

Episode 39: Liz Toonkel
We explore artist Liz Toonkel’s performance practice, her Jizzy Lizzy alter ego, and how her day job as a set designer informs her aesthetic. We also play and discuss three of her songs.
September 18, 2016 (recorded September 16)

Episode 40: Radio Imagination
Julia Meltzer, founder and director of Clockshop, joins us to discuss Radio Imagination, a yearlong project in which artists and writers create new works inspired by the archives of groundbreaking science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler.
October 16, 2016 (recorded October 15)

Episode 41: Carmina Escobar
Experimental vocalist Carmina Escobar joins us in the studio for a chat, a couple of pre-recorded tracks, and an exclusive live performance.
November 20, 2016

Episode 42: Art and Action in the Age of Trump
Akina Cox, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Debra Scacco, and Megan Steinman join us in the studio for a year-end group therapy session, as we discuss our responses to the recent election results.
December 18, 2016

Episode 43: Edgar Arceneaux
Edgar Arceneaux talks with John in advance of a performance of Until, Until, Until…, which explores Ben Vereen’s infamous censored appearance at Ronald Reagan’s inaugural celebration in 1981. The performance, commissioned by Performa in 2015, is Arceneaux’s first live work. It will take place at LACMA on Friday, Jan. 20—the day of the 2017 presidential inauguration.
January 15, 2017

Episode 44: Simone Forti at the Getty
Legendary artist/dancer/choreographer/writer Simone Forti performs an edition of her News Animation series and speaks with John as part of KCHUNG’s News Body programming and Radio Residency at the Getty. Recorded live on February 12, 2017.
February 19, 2017
Visit getty.kchung.news to access recordings.

Episode 45: Suzy Halajian
Carol conducts an in-depth interview with curator Suzy Halajian, whose latest project, I can call this progress to halt, is currently on view at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE).
March 19, 2017

Episode 46: Elliot Reed
Artist, musician, and performer Elliot Reed performs a couple of songs for us on the piano at Human Resources before we interview him about his recent world tour.
April 16, 2017 (recorded April 13)

Episode 47: Psychic Body Grotto
We go live onsite for the first time, broadcasting from Los Angeles State Historic Park during the opening ceremonies for Anna Sew Hoy‘s public sculpture, Psychic Body Grotto. The sculpture gets activated with performances by Ethernet, Cirilo Domine and Tala Mateo, Corey Fogel, and LA Fog, and we are there to capture sounds, provide commentary, and interview artists and guests.
May 21, 2017

Episode 48: Artemisa Clark and ¡Mendieta Vive!
We talk to artist Artemisa Clark at length about her project, ¡Mendieta Vive!, aimed at keeping the spirit of Ana Mendieta alive, and her upcoming performance event at Human Resources, Dialectics of Isolation.
June 18, 2017

Episode 49: White and Wrong
Jennifer Doyle drops by to share her recent attempts at writing about race and art. We discuss hot-button incidents involving such artists as Edie Fake, Vanessa Place, and Sam Durant, as well as recent projects by Wiliam Pope.L, EJ Hill, and Rafa Esparza.
July 16, 2017 (recorded July 14)

Episode 50: Scott Benzel
Carol grills Scott Benzel about Mathesis and Mathematikoi, his recent performance work for KNOWLEDGES at Mt. Wilson Observatory. We also hear about his upcoming performance for Friday Flights at the Getty on August 25.
August 20, 2017 (recorded August 15)

Episode 51: Michael Parker and The ALMLA
We conduct an onsite studio visit with Michael Parker, who is protesting the displacement of artists from downtown Los Angeles with The ALMLA (Artists’ Loft Museum Los Angeles), a retrospective exhibition of artists who have lived in his spacious live/work loft over the years. We also do a live in-studio update with Michael who, following our visit, was served eviction papers.
September 17, 2017 (recorded September 6 and 17)

Episode 52: Maya Gurantz
This is the first show without John, who literally landed in Hong Kong today to start his new job. Maya Gurantz and I discuss her current work in progress, which investigates the movements and psyche of Elisa Lam, the Chinese Canadian tourist who died mysteriously at the Hotel Cecil in 2013. We also touch on other works and Gurantz’s practice in general, which incorporates dance, theater, video, and conceptual art.
October 15, 2017