Friday, March 14   8:00 p.m.
Habana Calle 6 Patio   (709 E 6th St)

  Joan of Arc - Fleshy Jeffrey
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The Chicago outfit known as Joan of Arc is, at once, many things to many people. Musical geniuses, bizarre conceptualists,
overly experimental, even lackeys; the band has heard it all and mirrored none of them.

Known mainly as the vehicle for musician/bartender Tim Kinsella, Joan of Arc has created a dichotomy of both hardcore
fans and unabashed enemies through the workings of an extensive back catalog of music, which contains approximately six
albums, over 20 varying band members and also, enough critical backlash to fill a textbook.

The criticism isn't completely unfounded. At times, even Joan of Arc seemed hell bent on criticizing Joan of Arc, but
'relent' never seemed to become a figurative part of Tim Kinsella's unique wordplay. You see, tenacity and candor have
been long-standing attributes of both Tim Kinsella and the revolving cast of friends and family that have helped him
musically realize Joan of Arc's many pursuits. And now, ten years later, Joan of Arc as a group, entity and all-too-often
easy target for structural criticism, remains at the forefront of creative reinvention in the world of independent music.
Ten years is an immensely long time to pursue anything in this world. For a band that's ignored convention, defied trends
and pursued artistic freedom even in the bold (and printed) face of critical adversity, it's quite an accomplishment. But Joan
of Arc has done just that, consistently battling negative press through each creative turn the band has taken over the past ten
years.

Along the way, Kinsella and company (though the many forms and shapes that Joan of Arc has encountered) have created a
stockpile of work that will continue to question, dare and endear all that encounter it. 'The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc'
captures that legacy, and additionally traces the history of a band that's evaded definition, scoffed at criticism and creatively
thrown caution to the wind.

'The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc' collects for the first time ever all the rare, out-of-print, vinyl only, comp tracks, and
Japanese bonus tracks the band has released in their 10-year history. This collection of undirected processes unknowingly
traces a history surrounding the myth and structure of Joan of Arc. Not to say that the band and the methods employed
throughout its evolution can be easily explained through a neatly-arranged filter of cause and effect. Rather, 'The Intelligent
Design of Joan of Arc' follows the encapsulated de- and re- constructed versions of both song and band, from its early days
of sparse experimentation (as heard on 'Please Sleep') to the more recently refined, terse version of the band (as sampled on
'For A Half-Deaf Girl Named Echo'). 'The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc' is Joan of Arc in true form, maturing in a nonlinear
sense through a splintered series of chance, experimentation and commitment to a greater goal.

Joan of Arc is, at once, many things to many people, and with the release of 'The Intelligent Design of Joan of Arc,' the
word 'legacy' can now be added to that collective meaning.