Karl Evangelista

I Eat Death Threats for Breakfast is a combination musical work and film by Karl Evangelista centered on connecting Free Jazz, Asian American art, and stories of revolution in the Philippines, South Africa, and elsewhere. This piece will feature his longstanding project Grex. ABOUT THE ARTIST Grex is an experimental music duo based in Oakland, California. In biology, a “grex” refers to an entity composed of multiple organisms, a concept that mirrors the band’s hybrid approach to sound. Grex operates at the intersection of surreal songcraft, free jazz, industrial hip-hop, and art rock. Described as an “otherworldly experience” (Eugene Weekly) and “true genre-warping music” (KFJC), their work evokes the ecstatic energy of John Coltrane, the electronic intensity of Death Grips, and the intimate songwriting of Mitski. Grex has performed at venues and festivals including Ars Nova Workshop, The Great American Music Hall, Slim’s (SF), Myra Melford’s New Frequencies Festival, Switchboard Music Festival, Sonic Circuits Festival (DC), and the United States of Asian America Festival. During the 2020–2022 pandemic, they organized a series of online Lockdown Festivals, directing proceeds toward organizations such as the Milford Graves Memorial Fund, Black Organizing Project, Shuumi Land Tax, Alameda County Food Bank, and international relief efforts. The duo has collaborated with artists including Fred Frith, Andrew Cyrille, Bobby Bradford, Tony Levin, Zoh Amba, Luke Stewart, and Asian Improv aRts, grounding their practice in improvisation, experimentation, and collective care.