Into the future: An interview with Steven Alexander of the Dance

Loydell, Rupert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2730-8489 (2025) Into the future: An interview with Steven Alexander of the Dance. Punk & post-Punk journal, 13 (3). ISSN 2044-1983 (In Press)

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Abstract / Summary

Steven Alexander is an American artist who makes abstract paintings. His work is held in private and public collections worldwide and has been featured in more than one hundred exhibitions, most recently in one-person shows at Spanierman Modern in New York, and in numerous solo and group exhibitions and art fairs throughout the US and abroad.
In the late 1970s and early '80s, Alexander also composed, performed and recorded original music, collaborating with John Cale, Arthur Baker, Chandra Oppenheim and others. He performed frequently at CBGBs, Max’s, Hurrah, Danceteria and other important rock venues, as well as at Carnegie Hall in 'The First Concert of the '80s' along with Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, John Cale and others.
I had been following artist Steven Alexander's Instagram account and reading his website journal for several years, but only recently did I connect the name with the musician who was part of Model Citizens, an obscure New York new wave band who released Shift the Blame in 1979 and then split up. Whilst one half of the Model Citizens became Polyrock, a minimalist art-rock group who signed to RCA and released two albums produced by Philip Glass along with a mini-album – Polyrock (1980); Changing Hearts (1981); Above the Fruited Plain (1982), the other half, including Alexander, became the Dance. As their name suggests, their post-punk music drew on mutated funk rhythms, and having recorded a 12" EP, Dance For Your Dinner in 1980, the group released two albums on Statik Records: In Lust (1981) and Soul Force (1982). These, as well as a new compilation of singles, b-sides, and unissued tracks, Do Dada, were reissued by Modern Harmonic in 2022. A similar compilation of Model Citizens' live recordings and their John Cale produced Shift the Blame EP was also released in 2023.

It's always interesting to find out more about previously neglected music, and to get some information about what was happening 'over there' in NYC by those who participated, so I thought I'd ask Steven Alexander about his memories of the music, city and venues back then.

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