Live Performance

Natural Information Society

October 12, 2025

A group of four people standing together in a magenta-lit room. They are standing in front of an abstract and colorful handmade tapestry.
Natural Information Society quartet. Photo credit: Robyn Farrell.

“Aficionados of transcendental music often have to choose between spiritual jazz & minimalist drone for their perfect hit, but the records of Joshua Abrams and his Natural Information Society essentially unite the best of both worlds.”
—Mojo

Ars Nova Workshop welcomes the “ecstatic minimalism” of Natural Information Society back to Philadelphia at The Fabric Workshop and Museum for two intimate shows. These special performances celebrate bandmate Lisa Alvarado’s tenure as Artist-in-Residence at FWM, and take place within her exhibition, Talismans for a Theater of Resistance.

Featuring

Natural Information Society

  • Joshua Abrams—guembri
  • Lisa Alvarado—harmonium
  • Mikel Patrick Avery—drums, percussion
  • Jason Stein—bass clarinet

 

Organized in conjunction with the exhibition, Talismans for a Theater of Resilience.

Explore FWM

Event Information

October 12, 2025

The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Shows at 3:30 and 5:30 PM
$30 Advance | $35 Doors (fees apply)
These are seated shows

Tickets

 


About the Participants

Natural Information Society (NIS) represents a convergence of musicians and artists to create sonic harbor, meditative space, and kinetic momentum music. Realizing compositions by composer Joshua Abrams, the group’s core quartet includes Abrams, Lisa Alvarado, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Jason Stein. Working the seams between minimalism, jazz, and experimental practice, the band has become a reference for contemporary non-idiomatic creative music. They have recorded seven albums for Eremite Records as well as collaborations with Bitchin Bajas for Drag City Records. Their next record, Perseverance Flow, will be released on Eremite Records this fall.

Learn more at naturalinformationsociety.com.


Support

Presented by Ars Nova Workshop. This program is made possible with support from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.