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By now, fans have no business being bored by Ryan and Hays Holladay, who as Bluebrain have produced one script-flipping one-off after another in the two and a half years they’ve been making music in the District. But that doesn’t mean the experimental pop duo can’t get sick of their own shtick—or, let’s be honest, the shtick of one of their heroes, the avant-garde composer Phil Kline. Bluebrain’s first outdoor performance in the District was “Cakeblood,” a composition for 50 boomboxes in which the band led a procession of fans through Dupont Circle. Their second boombox performance took place during the Cherry Blossom Festival in 2010, and included music composed by Bluebrain’s peers. After today’s boombox performance, Bluebrain says it will retire the concept. Fair enough: The band, which has earned national notice for its musical iPhone apps, clearly has technologies to conquer that are less primitive than the boombox. The big difference, this go-round, is that this boombox walk takes place inside. It’s also more flexible, at least in terms of portable music devices. When you RSVP, you can request a cassette, a CD, or an mp3. Do it right and take the first option.
Bluebrain’s final boombox walk takes place Saturday at 3 p.m. at the United States Botanical Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. Email bluebrainmusic@gmail.com to RSVP.
Photo by Shauna Alexander for Brightest Young Things.