Chicago artists Sen Morimoto and Tasha are streaming their live performances originally meant for the “Millennium Park at Home” virtual concert series. The event was meant to take place last month, but was canceled at the last minute. Morimoto later revealed that his set was “pulled from the lineup because of a statement [he] made in [an introductory] video concerning Mayor Lightfoot’s actions in response to the protests currently happening in Chicago.” Tasha asked to be removed from the bill in solidarity with Morimoto. Now, both artists are streaming the footage on YouTube. Check it out below.
Following the stream, Morimoto and Tasha will release the audio from their performances as a digital album available Friday (August 7) on Bandcamp. All proceeds from the Tasha and Sen Morimoto Live Sessions will go to the Prison and Neighborhood Arts Project, a visual arts and humanities organization that connects artists and scholars with people at the Stateville Prison by way of classes, workshops, and guest lectures. The album includes five improvised movements and an unreleased song titled “Goosebumps” from Morimoto’s upcoming self-titled LP. Tasha’s portion of the record features previously-released and unreleased songs that she recorded at dog haven in Three Oaks, Michigan.