The Trojan Pony Tour, presented by Specific Recordings, features films and live music by artists and musicians from the fabled city of Troy, New York. Featured in the show is infectious, charming, and subversive live music from Specific Recordings artists Ross Goldstein and Jesse Stiles, sexy/patriotic short videos and the debut of Sittin’ on a Million, a surprisingly funny new documentary about a famous Troy madam by Penny Lane and Annmarie Lanesey. The program raises questions about memory and nostalgia in the construction of our shared national narratives - in a ridiculously fun way.
About Specific Recordings - Specific Recordings specializes in audio recordings that are unique as a result of historical circumstances or other unusual factors. They represent singular moments that cannot be recreated and are presented here in the highest quality possible.
Ross Goldstein is an American Musician and Artist/Photographer. His “United States of Belt” recording project is a subliminal exploration of the American landscape/mindscape, combining field recordings, experimental music, and studio magic. Goldstein resides in Troy, NY where his collection of hand-painted signs play a vital role in keeping the public bewildered about what the hell is going on.
Jesse Stiles is a composer, multimedia artist, and sound designer. Stiles received a Watson Fellowship in 2000 to compose electronic music while traveling in India, Australia, and the UK for one year. His MFA thesis performance in Troy, New York opened the historic Gasholder Building to the public for the first time in 25 years, immersing hundreds of attendees in a performance of improvised electro-acoustic music and computer-controlled LED sculptures. He has performed and exhibited multimedia artwork internationally.
Penny Lane is an independent filmmaker and video artist living in Troy, NY and Northampton, MA. Her collaborative and solo experimental, narrative and documentary videos have screened at AFI FEST, Int’l Film Festival Rotterdam, San Francisco Int’l Film Festival, Seattle Int’l Film Festival, Women in the Director’s Chair, Santa Fe Art Institute, MOMA, and DUMBO Art Under the Bridge. Her award-winning documentaries The Abortion Diaries and Independent Media in a Time of War (the latter made with Hudson-Mohawk Indymedia) are regularly screened in classrooms, community centers and microcinemas across the U.S. and internationally on Free Speech TV and Yes! Television. And yes, that is her real name.