Noise Fest/ Speed Trials

From The Archives is a new, occasional programming strand at White Columns that will reconsider seminal (or simply forgotten) moments in White Columns’ 35-year history. Drawing on material from White Columns’ own archive, augmented with video, sound recordings, photographs, and other materials from the original participants, the first exhibition in the series will consider “Noise Fest” and “Speed Trials”: two – now legendary – concert series held at White Columns’ Spring Street location in 1981 and 1983 respectively. Organized by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, “Noise Fest” would evolve over nine consecutive nights and featured such post No-Wave luminaries as Y Pants, Glenn Branca, UT, and Sonic Youth, amongst many others. Two years later – over five nights – The Fall, Swans, Beastie Boys, Lydia Lunch, and Sonic Youth amongst many others, played at “Speed Trials.” The second issue of White Columns’ new in-house journal “The W.C.” will be dedicated to “Noise Fest” and “Speed Trials,” and features contributions from Thurston Moore and former White Columns Associate Director Tom Solomon, and an interview with White Columns former Director Josh Baer.