by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Classic rock supergroup? A few dudes from a few name bands (random movie star: optional) sketch songs on cocktail napkins, record an album padded with covers, and get plied with cash on tour, their star appeal driving up ticket prices and passing for news in city after city. But why waste time on hacks when hard-working acts like Kalmunity and Natacha’s Living Room Orchestra can do it better and think on their feet?

"It’s a place for musicians, poets and singers to come together, fuse their work and just play off the energy of the crowd," says Kalmunity founder, percussionist and unofficial conductor, Jahsun. "And it’s a really symbiotic energy, especially with improv."

The Kalmunity experiment unfolds every week, and has every Tuesday since March, at the Sablo Kafé (50 St-Zotique E.), a room that now barely accommodates the supergroup’s fan base. The parent bands include the Arcade Fire, Ark of Infinity, Bell Orchestre, Kali and Dub Inc., Moondata and Parkside Jones, whose members produce a rich, organic concoction of flamenco, blues, folk, funk, dub, reggae and even classical.

"One of the goals is to bring some liveness back to the music," says Jahsun, referring specifically to the electronic supremacy in the urban scene. "Computers and samples and drum machines are fine, but musicians need to continue their work as well, or there’ll be nothing left to sample."

Kalmunity’s intimate weeklies will continue, but la Sala Rossa will host their first out-of-Sablo experience (also featuring pamphlet-toting reps from CKUT, Bloodsisters and Librairie Alternative) to bring the group’s musical and communal harmony to a larger audience.

"It’s a beautiful event," says Jahsun, "and I hope people will walk away from it feeling entertained and uplifted."

And that spirit of cooperation and inventiveness lasts into the next day, when Sala hosts a CD launch with the good folks from Natacha’s Recordings. Couc Couc is the third compilation of mini sonic adventures and earthy soundscapes since the local label/collective was founded in January 2002, and the gang has concocted something special to mark the occasion: the Living Room Orchestra, featuring Natacha founders Léon Lo and Simon Bélair, Montag, members of Cian Éthrie, Emits Burning Stars and Helen of Troy, as well as Brian Lipson, the latest addition to the Natacha fold, all the way from the USA. With over a dozen players - more than double the number of bodies of their previous group effort, Natacha’s Recordings Soundsystem - the Orchestra has a bare-bones plan to ward off chaos.

"We’ve made some structures to build around," says Lo, "but we’ve come to realize that improvisation is a lot more gratifying than having something you’ve rehearsed for a month just not come out the way you wanted it."

If you want it acoustic or electronic, you’ve got it. Expect a set in five movements, with keys, synths and other machines, guitar, bass and drums, violins, horns and bells - "a lot of bells," according to Lo - and some sweet eye candy.

"We’ve really started enacting what we wanted to do in the beginning, which is the collective," he says. "Anyone in the collective can just call us up to play a show with them. It’s become a huge, extended band and we’re keeping things really liquid, really fresh for us and for the audience. It’s actually quite amazing."

Kalmunity at la Sala Rossa on Friday, August 29, 9:30pm, $12. The Living Room Orchestra at la Sala Rossa on
Saturday, August 30, 9pm, $5

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