We were lucky to catch up with Chris Mackin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve been currently working on is Electric Wonderland, a psychedelic concert version of Alice in Wonderland. I work as a producer and guitarist in the jam band music scene, which heavily focuses on covering legacy artists. I promote and perform in tons of shows covering bands such as The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Talking Heads. Doing original work can be very difficult in this context. I spoke to my songwriting partners about coming up with a show that we can write entirely original music to while maintaining a level of marketability. We decided to reinterpret Lewis Carroll’s novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass as a theatrical concert with characters, dancers, costumes and projections. Since Carroll’s work is in the public domain and there’s already a cross over of psychedelic music fans and fans of Alice in wonderland, it was the perfect project to dive into. We’ve already done one version of the Wonderland show last October at Brooklyn Bowl, and we have another one coming up Sat March 16 at the Sultan Room performed by my original band Boojum.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a NYC based producer and guitarist. I run a production company called Loop Troupe and a series called Bushwick’s Dead in addition to co-founding and performing in the bands Boojum and Walrus. I have a background in theatre, having worked for a Broadway Production Company for 5 years before COVID caused me to get laid off. That was really a blessing since it encouraged me to take my own projects seriously enough to start monetizing them.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The ‘show’ is always driving me. Whether it’s theatre or a concert, the idea of the show constantly structures my life. From the perspective of a producer, the show date dictates how far out it needs to be announced, what promotional materials are needed and when, and how many rehearsals are required. From the perspective of a creative, I am always striving to perform as best as possible for the show and to be as rehearsed as possible for a particular show when it arrives.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As a musician who plays a lot of improvised music, the most rewarding aspect of performing is when the entire audience is along for the ride on an improved jam. Those who haven’t yet delved into jam music might think that long improved sections are boring or self-indulgent, but the reason that people love this style of music is because the band interacts with the audience on building and releasing tension. When a room full of people gets more excited for an improvised jam than a recognizable song they love, there’s something really special happening in the room. These moments are the most rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.walrusjams.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisqmackin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoopTroupe/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mackin-12744713b/
- Other: Loop Troupe links: https://www.instagram.com/looptroupe/ https://www.facebook.com/LoopTroupe Bushwick’s Dead links: https://www.instagram.com/bushwicksdead/ https://www.facebook.com/bushwicksdead
Image Credits
Taylor Weinberg