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EYES OPENED; EARS PLUGGED Growlers bartender Cabe Unger and others in the audience participate enthusiastically in Wampo's performance. Photos by Tyler Whitson and Arielle Scherr LUMPYTUNES LIVE SHOWCASES LOCAL EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC — AND NOISE — TO THE SARASOTA COMMUNITY By Tyler Whitson Contributing Writer Community radio station WSLR and popular local bar and venue Growlers –– both influ- ential forces in the Sarasota music scene –– joined together on Friday, Oct. 19, to bring residents and visitors alike a night of engaging performances at the third annual Lumpytunes Live concert. Those in the audience were treated to a variety of acts whose composi- tions and improvisations could be considered "difficult listening" as part of a live showcase of the artists and music played by host Rob Demperio on the Lumpytunes program on WSLR. Attendees who arrived at the showcase with- out an understanding of what difficult listen- ing is may have left a few hours later feeling just as, if not more, unsure than they did be- fore. That is because the term doesn't neces- sarily refer to any kind of music in particular –– it is a highly subjective label that can be applied to a diverse collection of sound, noise or the lack thereof, which challenges the ex- pectations of the listener. Some listeners, in fact, may not even consider much difficult lis- tening to be music. Essentially, it is in the eye –– or, in this case, the ear –– of the beholder. That being said, there was plenty to behold in the crowded bar that evening. Kicking off the show, a three-piece free jazz band performed an improvisational set with a highly unusu-