Saturday, February 29 was a big date at the [Knockdown Center](https://knockdown.center): starting with two in-house art openings followed by a transcendent performance experience, the night kicked off a multi-disciplinary music series dubbed _Outline._ Housed in a former warehouse-turned-cultural space for experimentation, the series will feature a unique event for each season of the year, starting with an eclectic lineup of performances in _Outline: Winter_ to honor the leap year and bid farewell to the winter months.
"_Outline_ developed really naturally, as a way to emphasize what we do best - bring different kinds of music, visual art, and performance together under one roof, while highlighting the unique spatial possibilities of Knockdown Center,” shared the Knockdown Center’s Director Tyler Myers. “We hope that attendees come for an act they are familiar with, and leave with a sense of wonder, having been introduced to new artists and new ways to experience our space."
Walking into the 50,000 square-foot building, the visitors were immediately welcomed by Laurel Sparks’ _Quad Relay_ — a mural that draws from sestinas, a complex form of mathematical poetry structured by six stanzas organized in numbered sequences. The guest could then walk into a gallery space that opened two exhibitions from emerging artists that night: [**Dakota Gearhart**](https://www.instagram.com/tiffkota/)’s _The Sextant of the Rose_ and [**Catalina Ouyang**](https://www.instagram.com/kittytuna/)’s _it has always been the perfect instrument_. For both of these exhibitions, the artists presented new video and sculpture works that deal with relevant topics like control and power dynamics.
The night continued with an _Outline_ performance headlined by **John Maus** with immersive tinsel installation by artist [**Aya Rodriguez-Izumi**](https://www.instagram.com/__iamaya__/) that accentuated the unique architectural elements of the Knockdown Center’s space. During the event, an avant-pop artist [**Katie Gately**](https://www.instagram.com/kgsounds/) also took the stage to celebrate the release of her newly released album _Loom_ with an exclusive New York City appearance. The somewhat psychedelic, otherworldly tunes akin to those generated by percussion instruments like xylophone and triangle sent the visitors into a state of meditative euphoria and bliss.
The show has then switched over to the second stage where Chicago’s jazz artist **Ben LaMar Gay** performed a dark ambient set as a duo with Bitchin Bajas’ [**Rob Frye**](https://www.instagram.com/flux_bikes/). A combination of sounds generated by trombone, bongo drums and voice, the tunes gave off an exotic yet spiritual vibe, inviting people to wander around and fully immerse themselves in what was happening at the Knockdown Center space. The music act finished off with performances by breakout experimental producer [**DEBBY FRIDAY**](https://www.instagram.com/debbyfriday/), **Patience** and the new age synth legend **Don Slepian**.
While the _Outline_ performance has come to an end, the revelry continued at the _Basement_ with techno sets by DJs like **VSK**, [**Henning Baer**](https://www.instagram.com/henningbaer_/), [**Volvox**](https://www.instagram.com/djvolvox/) and **Auspex** — finishing off the full night of art and music encapsulating the spirit of Knockdown Center.
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Photo by: [Taylor Brown](https://www.instagram.com/taylorbrown1/)
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