Ben Chasny and Elisia Ambrogio are 200 Years
Ben Chasny has made several visits to Charlottesville, performing as Six Organs of Admittance, a collaborative project in which he cross-breeds nimble-fingered folk riffs with mind-expanding psychedelia.
One of his most memorable collaborators was Elisa Ambrogio (of the band Magik Markers), who joined Chasny onstage for a legendary show the UVA Chapel in 2008 to provide heavy walls of guitar noise, which contrasted wonderfully with Chasny’s gentle, understated aesthetic.
The duo now perform together as 200 Years, and their self-titled debut record, issued by the beloved Drag City label, is a more intimate and austere offering; they’re playing at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar on Friday, joined by fellow psych-folkers Arborea and local newcomer Virago.
Check out Cam Archer’s video for their song "Solar System," in which childhood VHS home movie footage is infused with a strange air of melancholy:
