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Walt Disney, meet J-Walt, the 21st Century?s answer to a new age of real-time animation.
The man, the musician, the master of the metaverse, if you will, has created his own ?Spontaneous Fantasia? in his performance, The OmniCentric Universe, taking place at Center Stage Theater tonight at 8 and 10 p.m., Saturday at 2, 5 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 5 p.m.
Described as feeling like you?ve just found yourself walking inside a video game, this one-of-a-kind experience promises to be like nothing audiences have ever seen before, ?unless they?ve seen my show!? remarked J-Walt.
And even then, his digitized improvisational artistic expression changes from performance to performance, resulting in 75 minutes of truly original work, every time. Even the music used to accompany the program is original, ranging from his interpretation of a Bach harpsichord piece, to a waltz, to electronic beats.
?I don?t think there?s anyone in the world that has pushed this type of technology to this level of sophistication,? said the 2006 Technical Academy Award-winner, who received the honor for designing the interactive software system used to produce this type of real-time pre-visualization.
Like a magician with an electronic wand, J-Walt makes The Omnicentric Universe an audiovisual odyssey of color, sight and sound. He stands before you as his stylus dances around the basic structure of the piece, playing with new ideas and images on screen, on the spot, creating ?dancing figures, abstract animated paintings, cosmic scenes and improvised landscapes,? he said, and all you can do is be mesmerized by the visuals before you; held captive by the abundance of surrounding stimuli.
Perhaps difficult to imagine without first-hand experience, said J-Walt: ?I believe I?ve tapped into a dream that many people share?that dream of being able to wave your hands and create your own world.?
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Close your eyes and you?d swear you were hearing the wavy-haired, moody, 90s grunge rocker Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Open them and you?d see the sexy shaved head of Santa Barbara?s own Jon Styles, 34.
The frontman of Burke N Styles hails from Hawaii, but has been performing locally for about five years with friends Dan (guitar/vocals) and Dave (guitar) Burke, fraternal twins, whose older brother Jason Burke joins in on occasion.
?We started out with a blend of three- and four-part harmonies in parking garages, just singing a cappella,? said Styles. From there, they took it to the stage with band members Luke Geis (lead guitar), Russ Cummings (drums, having toured the world with Isla Vista favorite: Tripdavon), and Gus Detar (bass, piano, but mostly guitar), covering the likes of alternative rock bands Radiohead, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam.
?Yeah, we don?t have enough money for Eddie Vedder, just Incubus,? joked Styles, of the upcoming concerts at the Bowl. The legendary Vedder plays his ?Ukulele Songs? on Saturday and the multi-platinum Incubus takes its turn on July 15.
The shows sold out practically as soon as they were put up for sale, but if you want to hear some of their work, it?ll be covered at 7:30 p.m. by Burke N Styles on July 17, playing after renowned jazz singer Theresa Russell at 6 p.m., at Whiskey Richard?s bar, 435 State Street?just don?t expect them to be too serious.
?Our show is very laid back,? said Styles. ?We?ll drink with the audience and sometimes have friends come up and guest spot ? performances can be intense, so sometimes we?ll change up the words to lighten it up.?
For example, they change the last refrain from Pearl Jam?s ?Better Man,? from ?can?t find a better man,? to ?can?t find the peppermints.? (If you?re not familiar with the song, just trust me, it works.)
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Ann Peyrat is a local writer and the former editor of Woman magazine.
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Whiskey Richard?s
435 State Street
(805) 963-1786
Burke N Styles
jonstyles@gmail.com
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Center Stage Theater
www.centerstagetheater.org
Box office: (805) 963-0408
J-Walt
www.spontaneousfantasia.com
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