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Jawnts: Raising a ruckus - hey, it's art

Certain forms of artistic expression seem almost intentionally off-putting. That's fine of course. There must be space for art where mass appeal is not the goal, where the creator hopes to break through to something different, something new.

Certain forms of artistic expression seem almost intentionally off-putting. That's fine of course. There must be space for art where mass appeal is not the goal, where the creator hopes to break through to something different, something new.

For the average consumer immersed in the culture that the rebel is striving to tear down, it can be a deeply unpleasant experience. Imagine how abrasive the Sex Pistols seemed to the disco-attuned ears of the 1970s. Today it is hard to imagine what the fuss was about. The lads barely even cuss.

Still, it's hard to imagine the mainstreaming of the sonic bombardment that no doubt awaits attendees of next Saturday's noise show at Vox Populi.

"For the uninitiated it can sound unappealing," admits Eric Laska, who is curating the event. "It tends to [attract] people who have spent a lot of time with the subject. It's not that it's not meant for everyone. But in the same way that contemporary art might be unattractive, it is meant to play with expectation a little bit."

This exhibition of the aural avant-garde will be structured much like a traditional concert, with three artists following one another while the audience drinks beer. Laska is not yet sure of the duration of the show but estimates that each set could range from 10 to 45 minutes.

The last piece, by New York City's Jordan Topiel Paul, is described as being of "variable length" - a concept championed by old-school Lou Reed collaborator John Cale - and means that the attendees can expect something akin to freestyle by way of droning electronica. "Blocks of sonically dense noise, tones, and rhythmic pulses are separated by periods of silence that articulate the space's resonant qualities and ambient background," reads Paul's promotional materials.

Also performing will be Lauren Pakradooni, who specializes in cassette tapes and sampling, and local composer Bhob Rainey, who Laska says will be "playing the computer." (He won 2013's Pew Fellowship in the Arts and is a frequent collaborator with the theater troupe New Paradise Laboratories.)

It's easy for those who aren't submerged in this subculture to sneer at an art form that can seem so purposely, and relentlessly, alienating. But there's a long-standing tradition of musical revolutionaries upending the status quo and suffering for it in the short term: Ornette Coleman's free-flowing style got him a punch in the mouth, while Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring allegedly provoked its unhappy Parisian audience to riot. Noise shows at least have the power to hit back.

"In terms of when something doesn't sound good, it actually has the ability to hurt you," says Laska. "I'm interested in expanding the conversation and bringing this closer to prominent or mainstream forms. But, at the same time, when you are working with noise, it has the power to physically hurt you and hurt your ears."

He pauses. "I'm not selling this very well."

In short, bring earbuds and a willingness to give this stuff a sporting chance.

The show at Vox Populi, 319 N. 11th St., is at 8 p.m. Saturday. Entrance is free.

Have an event for Jawnts? jake.blumgart5@gmail.com@jblumgart