Rare Forms Gives Local Multi-Hyphenates a Space to Explore

At this weekend’s Rare Forms show at dadaLab, prepare for there to be multiples. Actually there will be multiples of multiples.

The multimedia showcase brings together multiple local multi-hyphenates such as Jonas Wilson, SINE, Curse Mackey, and King Thievery – the new creative project from Jeff Henson and Deezie Brown – for an evening where paintings, fashion, film, literature, and projection art share equal billing with live music. Instead of treating those disciplines as side projects, Rare Forms presents them as “artists in parallel” of the same creative practice.

Multi-instrumentalist, producer, educator, and touring musician Wilson and musician, visual artist, and author Mackey wanted to create a space where they, and other Bastrop-resident friends, could display their work. Shortly after, they organized Rare Forms.

“We were looking for a proper place to showcase something we could do as an immersive event,” Wilson said. “Everybody [has] worked in multimedia, everybody’s a painter and a visual artist, and all have visuals for our show.”

Presented by Cool Molecule and dadageek, the idea found its home at dadaLab, whose projection-ready walls allow performers to build environments around their music instead of simply playing through a club set. Before the performance begins, audiences can browse artwork, handmade clothing, hear excerpts from Mackey’s recently published book The Sound Philosophy: An Artist’s Survival Guide, and watch experimental films before the evening pivots to a series of audiovisual performances.

For SINE – an electronic act created by drummer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Rona Rougeheart – the visuals are as important as the songs themselves with performances combining original music with self-produced video. Every backdrop, animation, and film clip is created using footage she shoots and edits herself, timed to interact with her movements on stage. “I really just wanted something for people to look at while I’m performing,” SINE said. “I think that the visuals help me tell a story by just giving the overall atmosphere of whatever song I’m doing.”

Her DIY philosophy extends beyond the screen. What began as cutting apart leftover merchandise evolved into handmade stage outfits, jewelry, and accessories built from reclaimed material sourced through Austin Creative Reuse. Rare Forms, she says, allows a chance to show audiences that artists don’t stop creating when they leave the recording studio. “It’s almost like an art opening and concert,” she said.

Mackey shares that philosophy. A longtime fixture in industrial music (Pigface, My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult), he began making large abstract paintings during solo performances by covering the stage floor with canvas and allowing paint and movement to become part of the show. 

His book, The Sound Philosophy, grew from a different kind of creative challenge. Written in 2020, the collection uses stories from decades spent touring to explore resilience and persistence. “My book is sort of a practical survival guide,” he said, describing it as a handbook for artists navigating the inevitable setbacks that come with pursuing creative work.

That collaborative spirit also drew Henson – best known as the guitarist for Austin heavy rock band Duel – to debut his new project, King Thievery, at Rare Forms. Created with rapper, producer, and creative director Deezie Brown, the duo blends hip-hop with heavy psychedelic guitars in what Henson described as “uncharted waters” for his work.

Henson was drawn to Rare Forms’ immersive format. “You’re inside the performance with the artist, and I think an experience like that is very different than just going to a regular bar or club to see a band.”

Although the artists work in different genres, a common thread emerges throughout each conversation – that they see Austin’s creative community as strongest when disciplines overlap rather than compete.

Rare Forms opens its doors at 7pm on Saturday, July 11 at dadaLab. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 in advance, and $15 at the door. This is an early show scheduled to end at 11pm.

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