Sunday Synth Jam: Hearts of Space host Stephen Hill shared this video of the Jeff Pearce concert at AMBIcon 2013.

Here’s what Pearce has to say about the set:

I played my set (which clocked at just over an hour- all of the musicians had between 60 and 75 minutes to play their music), and would once in a while emerge from a kind of musically induced trance and notice how “intently” I was being listened to- this audience was full of virtuoso listeners, and I don’t say that in a glib way- they really were superb listeners. They didn’t even run out of the place when I started playing my guitar with a paintbrush (a note to everyone who attended: if I could have gotten that sound without using a paintbrush, trust me- I would have, because I know it looks geeky for me to play like that in a live setting)

It couldn’t have all gone perfect, though, and about halfway through my set, I was startled out of my trance by some smooth jazz music- very quiet, but still there. It turns out that some Embassy Suites employee turned on the sound in the ballroom ceiling speakers, one of which was right above my head. The Delicate Productions sound guy, I was told later, shot out of the room, found the power supply for the ballroom speakers, and did unthinkably violent things to it, rendering it a large, expensive doorstop.

I closed my set with a newly arranged version of Brian Eno’s lovely “An Ending (Ascent)”. I’ve played this for a few years on Chapman Stick, but wondered if it would work on electric guitar. I felt pretty pleased with the version, and might do it again someday. After the song, some enthusiastic applause, which turned into a standing ovation, which left a big lump in my throat and caused me to quickly leave the stage before the waterworks started.

The AMBIcon 2013 Ambient music conference was held May 3-5, 2013. Premium videos & 5.1 surround audio for the concerts are planned. For more info see the Ambicon site.