Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
The fine folks at the NYT (via the Chicago News Cooperative) have taken some time to talk up the fine efforts of the Chicago Independent Radio Project(full disclosure: an organization of which this author is a member - ed.). President Shawn Campbell discusses the terrestrial broadcasting opportunities nearing possibility in the wake of Obama's signing of The Local Community Radio Act, as well as the challenges still left to overcome. (No word yet on whether the Wall Street Journal is preparing an article and hedcut drawing for Ms. Campbell.)
Josh Grier's black Sturgis slogan'd t-shirt was a fitting choice; Sturgis tends to represent a rough and tough rock n' roll crowd. The same kind of raw energy that Greir's Minnesota-based indie-rock band Tapes n' Tapes pounded down on Saturday night's Lincoln Hall crowd. The quartet, framed by Erik Appelwick's visceral, fuzzy bass lines and Jeremy Hanson's insistent drum beats, compelled the crowd into a jerked dance motion from the first chords of "I'll Leave the Light On" to the house lights coming down after critically acclaimed "Insistor" and every song in between.
T-shirted Grier complimented his shaggy hair and '70s throwback mustache with plenty of hints of hazy Southern rock as the band, to percolating crowd fervor, intermixed songs from 2005's The Loon and 2011's The Outsider. The Outsider hasn't received the same critic fanfare afforded to their earlier release, but it's hard to follow up genius. Overall, tracks from The Outsider are softer, poppier and less stylized. The album also lacks the emotion and drama of the band's debut. Not one of those adjectives, however, applied to the band's Lincoln Hall show. The show could be described as hard hitting, jammed out rock n' roll anthems texturized by Matt Kretzmann's horns and keys plus a dramatic echo'd vocals — a straight up rock show, never mind the indie part.
The best of shows are the ones that are just as enjoyable for the performers as the audience. Luckily for attendees of Saturday night's Banner Pilot show at the Beat Kitchen, such a balance was struck and the result was just plain fun.
As the late show headliner, Banner Pilot kicked off just before 11:30pm in front of a wildly receptive crowd. Of course, it's no wonder that Chicagoans would be drawn like moths to a flame to a band that cites both Alkaline Trio and the Lawrence Arms as direct influences. What ensued next was forty minutes of fist pumping, hand clapping, anthemic punk rock.
German IDM duo Mouse on Mars will unleash a brand-new slew of blippy electronic beats at the latest concert in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNOW series this Monday at the Harris Theater. The never-before-heard piece, specially composed in collaboration with the CSO, will be followed by a performance of "A Cat's Seven Lives," which was composed by Martin Matalon to accompany Luis Bunuel's surrealist film Un Chien Andalou. Fans of orchestral-electronic alliances can expect more from Mouse on Mars in September, when they'll collaborate with the Koelner Philharmonie's MusikFabrik in their hometown of Cologne. At the post-concert reception at the Harris, music lovers can nosh on free food and drink and chat with the musicians. Brad Miner of Illmeasures will perform in the lobby before and after the show.
The performance takes place Monday, January 31st at 7 PM at the Symphony Center's Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph). General admission tickets cost $20.
Check out the latest Schubas/Lincoln Hall Friday mixtape from this weekend's residents Tapes 'n Tapes. (We'll have a review of their Lincoln Hall show on Saturday, so keep eyes here for more.)
Jazzman Ken Vandermark will play in sweet home Chicago with friends before he kicks off a new European tour with CINC in February with some cozy nights at the Green Mill, February 4th and 5th.
Damon Locks and Wayne Montana, two of the mainstays behind local dub/funk/world/jazz/who-knows-what group the Eternals, are back with a new mind-expanding album, Approaching the Energy Field. The album isn't due until February 15, but the lucky folks who attend their record release show at Schubas (3159 N. Southport) on Friday, Feb. 11, can buy theirs early. While maintaining some particularly Eternals-esque elements, Approaching veers in a wild, new experimental direction for them. Catching the Eternals live is highly recommended, as is, of course, grabbing the album.
The show starts at 9:30 p.m., is 21+, and tickets are $10. Local group The Bedfellows (including ex-Watchers members) will open. Get your tickets on the venue's site or at the door.
Today in not that shocking: The Trib's Greg Kot tells us that Wilco has abandoned the major life to create a label of its own: dBpm Records. The Chicago group has been known over the years for doing things their own way, as evidenced in great detail in the documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart where the band is dropped by Warner only to have a subsidiary of the major label pick up their now acclaimed breakthrough album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Wilco is currently at work in its famed North Side loft on a sixth studio album.
Bay-area rapper Lyrics Born (Tom Shimura) hits the stage at the Abbey Pub this weekend with no less than a full band and hopefully some fresh batteries in his microphone. The maestro has rocked stages at Lollapalooza, and almost all the venues in town — he tours so much he must have mastered the science of packing a suitcase. But this isn't just your ordinary "Hip-Hop Hooray" rap artist. Blessed with a gift for enunciating the most complicated of rhymes, and for the good sense to bring a solid live band into the studio, Lyrics Born is as entertaining to listen to as he is to shake your booty to.
His latest album, As U Were is no exception to a series of energetic solo releases which began back in the late-'90s with singles, and really took off with 2003's ...Later That Day and the widely successful remix album, 2005's Same !@#$ Different Day. He followed up with a live double album in 2006, another studio release in 2008 and this fall's latest album, As U Were. This one isn't just rap beats, but LB takes a lot more funk into the studio to create some pretty groovy songs like the more sung than rapped "Lies X 3" and the disco-influenced "Coulda Woulda Shoulda". Songs like "Oh! Baby" are classic Lyrics Born with machine gun-fast lyrics alongside piano and brass horns, oh, and some vocoder too.
[mp3] Lyrics Born - Lies X 3 (Keys N Krates remix)
Lyrics Born performs at the Abbey Pub along with Keys N Krates, The Opus, Abstract Giants, and Vapor Eyes on Saturday, January 29th. The doors open at 8pm, music starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are $18 (adv), $20 (door). 21+. The Abbey Pub is located at 3420 W. Grace St. 773-478-4408.
Ólafur Arnalds is a 24-year old multi-instrumentalist whose piano-based compositions weld electronic and classical music. The Icelandic performer had previously been in little-known hardcore bands, but it's his solo output that has garnered the most attention. His most recent album, ... and they have escaped the weight of darkness, adds strings and more influence from pop music than he's let in before, but where his music really excels is in its crescendos. Many songs begin with simple piano and slowly work in strings, percussion, guitars and effects/programming to the point where it's eventually a melodic cacophony.
2011 is shaping up to be a big year for Arnalds, most notably because of three film scores, including for the much-discussed Another Happy Day that premiered at Sundance this past Sunday. On this tour, Arnalds' performances will be assisted by a light and visual show as he grinds out music from all phases of his solo career. (Sorry to anyone expecting hardcore.)
Ólafur Arnalds has two shows in Chicago on Sunday. At 3pm, he'll play at the Chicago Cultural Center as part of their Sunday Salon series. Admission is free. At 7:30pm, he'll play at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Admission is $10 for students, $13 for members and $15 for everyone else. Chicagoan Paul Giallorenzo opens at the MCA. Both shows are open to all ages. The Chicago Cultural Center is at 78 E. Washington. The MCA is at 220 E. Chicago.
DJ Afrika Bambaataa has been forced to cancel this Wednesday's (Jan. 26) show at The Mid due to an illness. Bambaataa is the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation and currently tours dance clubs across the country spreading messages of acceptance and peace. Most notable for his wide scope of influences including hip hop, salsa, reggae, funk, jazz and African, Bambaataa has been hospitalized and, while he is expected to make a full recovery, will be unable to appear at tomorrow night's show.
Plans to reschedule the show will follow once the musician has recovered and is ready to perform again. Ticket refunds are available through The Mid.
Gapers Block wishes Bambaataa the best and a quick return to health.
This morning Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records announced Wayne's "I Am Music II Tour" with special guests Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Travis Barker and Mixmaster Mike. The 24-city tour makes its stop in Chicago at the United Center on April 1.
Still fresh off his Nov. 4 release from Rikers Island, Lil Wayne is apparently dead set on making up for lost time. With a video for his first single since his release ("6 Foot 7 Foot") on the way and Tha Carter IV already slated for winter 2011, now Lil Wayne is rivaling his 2009 record setting first installment of "I Am Music" with this star-studded super tour.
In the aftermath of 2009's dark and brooding Embryonic, it's no surprise that the Flaming Lips would plot a return to lighter fare. The elder statesmen of confetti-cannon psychedelic rock will perform 1999's The Soft Bulletin in its entirety at the Aragon Ballroom on July 7th -- a repeat of an equally nostalgic New Year's event in their hometown of Oklahoma City. Look forward to a hyperbolic show packed with crowd-pleasing anthems like "Race for the Prize" and "Waitin' for a Superman" as well as wild visuals and kooky onstage hijinx, though there's no word yet on whether Wayne Coyne will be breaking out his human-sized hamster ball for the performance.
The Flaming Lips play the Aragon Ballroom (1106 West Lawrence Avenue) on July 7th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35 and go on sale Saturday, January 29th at noon.
Saturday night was a juxtaposition of elements. It was old to new, experience to inexperience, Chicago legend to Chicago's latest club, Felix Da Housecat to The Mid. Felix is no newbie. The Detroit-born / Chicago native / L.A. relocated DJ started making house music in the middle of Chicago's second wave house scene at 15 years old (his first track "Phantasy Girl" blew up in Chicago in the summer of '87). And his 20+ years of throwing down is no joke.
Pre-Felix the Mid was primarily seated or hanging by the bar. As soon as he hit the decks the Chicago native took the Mid on a Rocket Ride. Post-Felix everyone from the Felix fans to the kids who just showed up were up, shaking with their arms waving overhead. As for the music, most people would have expected Felix to drop his usual catchy electro-clash-pop (see acclaimed Kittenz in the Glitz ), but on Saturday Felix focused on a more electronic sound, throwing in an eclectic mix of Chicago house classics and in-your-face-disco. Proof that "House music doesn't go anywhere, they just give it different names" (in an interview at Real Detroit Weeky ). It was a mix all two-stories could get down to.
Wanted to dance with Janet like it was 1814, but didn't get tickets to her sold out Chicago Theatre shows in time? Mark your calendars for January 29th--that's when tickets go on sale for the just added third night of her Number Ones-Up Close and Personal Tour. Tickets range from $50 to $200 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster or at the Chicago Theatre box office. And don't forget to nominate a deserving young person to be one of Chicago's 20 under 20.
Janet Jackson - Number Ones - Up Close And Personal Tour: March 7 & 8 sold out. Third show added for Wednesday, March 9, 7:30pm. The Chicago Theatre is located at 175 N. State St.
Earlier this week, news broke that Arcade Fire would be touring through Chicago in April, with The National opening. The big news today is that it will be two shows at the UIC Pavilion instead of just one. This may be your best bet to see either band outside of a big festival -- Arcade Fire will be headlining both Tickets go on sale Saturday at 11am for both dates, April 24 & 25. If you can't make it to Coachella or New Orleans Jazz Fest, and The National will also be at Coachella.
By tradition, hip-hop videos are always great for capturing neighborhood vibes, and these couple from Chicago rapper Cojack, feature the city's Southeast side.
CMJ talks to Thrill Jockey artists Future Islands' frontman Samuel T. Herring. (They play the Empty Bottle on 2/19.)
Chris Catania explores whether going to fewer shows in 2010 led to better experiences, and how a dip in show attendance affected the music industry.
Download some tracks from Chicago psych/Kraut rockers Verma. (They'll play the Hideout on Saturday 1/22 as a part of Psych Fest.)
The Hideout's weekly (delicious) Soup & Bread events are getting more musical as of late, with reports of DJ sets from the likes of The Reader's Peter Margasak and music and vats of soup from Numero Group's Michael Slaboch who made Spicy Tortilla Soup last week (recipe). Recently behind the soup pot they've also had Sound Opinions producer Robin Linn, and Bloodshot Record's Rob Miller (with reports he brought over a Venison Chili). Check out who's up next by keeping an eye on the Hideout's calendar every Wednesday this winter, or the Soup & Bread blog.
As the weather gets colder, it gets harder to justify leaving the warmth of our homes. However, beginning in February venue/bar/art gallery/record label The Whistler is giving Chicago music fans a reason to get out every Wednesday. As part of the new, and rather self-explanatory, series "50 Free Records" the Whistler will be handing out free CDs to its first 50 patrons on Wednesdays starting on Feb. 2.
The free discs will all be selections from the Whistler Records catalog. In the months to come "50 Free Records" will also feature exclusive releases from The Whistler's favorite local artists and labels.
The Whistler is located at 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave and opens at 5pm on Wednesdays. For more information call The Whistler at 773-227-3530.
It's been so miserably cold in Chicago lately, and unfortunately, summer is still in the distance. That's why it's good to see bands like Guster--their breezy music is like a tanning bed for your ears. Guster is currently touring in support of their sixth full-length studio album, Easy Wonderful. The tracks unabashedly seep sunshine-pop from every chord, with hand claps, "doo-doo-doo" choruses, easygoing harmonies, and ah hell, church bells. Think Barenaked Ladies. Think the Lovin' Spoonful. You get the idea.
Guster play the Riviera (4750 N Broadway) on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will set you back $29.50.
Starting this February 13th, hungry music lovers of all ages can head to Schubas' music room on Sundays at noon to gobble their fill of hearty fare and low-key country, blues, and folk at the weekly Acoustic Brunch Series. Local string-pluckers The Pickin' Bubs kick things off on the 13th with a mix of traditional ballads and original compositions for the mandolin, guitar, fiddle and banjo. The folky flavor of tunes like "Sweet Bird" and "Long Black Veil" go great with a two-egg country breakfast from the Harmony Grill's extensive brunch menu. Also on the schedule: Goldmine Duo, Birdy, the Kettle Moraine String Band, and Sleepy Lou.
Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport Ave. (at Belmont). 773-525-2508.
Ever since her debut with the Fugees in 1993, there have been two distinct ways the public has viewed Lauryn Hill. For the first part of her career, she was seen as a driving force in the hip-hop community. With her intelligent rhymes, intense delivery and excellent singing voice, she represented something exciting and fresh. Ever since 2001, Hill has been portrayed as inconsistent performer, showing up to shows with incredible lateness and performing unrecognizable versions of her songs.
In 1996, Hill and The Fugees released The Score, featuring hit remakes of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" and Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song." In 1998 Hill released her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The hit single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" went to #1 on the pop charts and won a Grammy for album of the year.
2001 marked the release of her live MTV Unplugged album, which was full of erratic ramblings and unfinished songs. Since then, Hill has mostly been absent from the live scene except for a handful of shows with the Fugees and a few solo gigs.
It's always a tiring yet exhilarating experience to attend the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival and this year, spread across the three venues of Schubas Tavern, Lincoln Hall, and Cabaret Metro, it became much larger than ever before. That said, it was impossible to get to every band but the shuttle between venues did prove reliable for those who wanted to try to see as much music as humanly possible.
The Concretes' latest album WYWH is a bit of a departure from the style that most people would associate them with. It's much more reliant on electronic beats than any of the organic indie-pop that they've released over the years. For that reason, their set list on Saturday sounded as if it had been picked from two entirely different bands. On one hand were non-WYWH songs where guitars led the way and on the other hand were WYWH jams that sounded as if their origin was based out of a drum machine. (This clearly was not a bother to the proud drunk who sauntered on stage uninvited and sloppily danced during one of WYWH's more upbeat songs, inciting her friends to scream approvingly.) Years ago there would've been no reason for two sets of keys/synths at a Concretes show. Now those instruments are used for nearly half of their songs.
Fans can split into two separate groups when a band A) loses the dynamic vocalist that led them to initial fame; B) alters their musical style: 1) carry on as if it's no big deal and be open to the change (AC/DC effect); 2) mope about it not even being the same band and deride new material (Genesis effect). While WYWH songs weren't heckled or anything, it seemed clear that most people at Schubas fit into the latter category and saved the biggest applause for old songs like "Say Something New" and "You Can't Hurry Love" (played with almost a garage-rock dirtiness) from their first album. Singer Lisa Milberg's voice may not carry the same weight as Victoria Bergsman's did, but she handles herself well and lets the music pick up slack. Covers of Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary" and the Rolling Stones' "Miss You" showed the band having a little fun with their new disco-influenced sound.
Concretes bassist Martin Hansson (Photos by Kirstie Shanley)
As a part of its Friday night series "Mayhem at the Mid," Chicago's newest venue, The Mid, is welcoming a familiar name. Tommy Lee's (yes, that Tommy Lee) latest venture into the electronica/club scene Electro Mayhem will be spinning The Mid on Feb. 11. Lee and his turntable partner DJ Aero have been sharing the stage since their days together in Lee's rap-rock side project Methods of Mayhem, but began touring together as Electro Mayhem in 2007.
Joining Lee and Aero will be Sonny Moore, better known as Skrillex. Moore last visited Chicago in October as a last minute add on to the sold out Deadmau5 show at Congress Theater. Now he's back celebrating his recently released EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, a record that earned Skrillex a top ten spot on Beatport charts and a #1 position on iTunes dance chart.
"Mayhem at the Mid" featuring Electro Mayhem and Skrillex starts at 10pm on Friday, Feb. 11. Chicago's own Alex Zelenka will play the opening set. Tickets are $18. The Mid is located at 306 N. Halsted and is 21+. For further "Mayhem at the Mid" concert listings, visit the venue's website.
In the world of Gangsta rap, where stereotypes abound, the weed smoking rising and the misogynistic lyricism coupled with the constant chanting of "Fuck Police" during Friday night's Freddie Gibbs show might only perpetuate these ideas. But all the negative stereotypes fall to the wayside when you look at the raw talent the charismatic (and easy on the eyes) Gibbs possesses. The Gary, IN native had a bit of a homecoming party, the stage packed with an entourage milling about, while the simply monikered MC G hyped up the crowd with songs about kush and gunfire.
R&B crooner Otis Clay is a native of Mississippi who moved to Chicago as a child. Clay joined the gospel group Blue Jay Quartet of Birmingham at the age of 15 and worked with a variety of gospel groups throughout the late '50s and early '60s. Clay was a very influential soul artist during the '60s and '70s and his hit "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)" is a classic in the soul and R&B world.
In 1971, Clay began recording for Hi Records, where he wrote the soul hit "Trying to Live my Life Without You" which was later covered by Bob Seger and made it to #5 on the pop charts.
Otis Clay takes the stage at SPACE in Evanston on Saturday, January 15 at 8 PM. The show's all ages and tickets are $15 in advance, $20 the day-of and $25 for reserved table seating. SPACE is located at 1245 Chicago Ave.
There are some shows you just don't want to end. The Besnard Lakes last night at Lincoln Hall was of those performances. Their ethereal albums are hypnotizing enough, but live everything is bigger, louder and more wicked. To look at the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, you may expect flower power folk; instead you get a wallop of psych rock with modern electric touches.
The Besnard Lakes' Lasek and Goreas (Photos by Kirstie Shanley)
Last summer the Montreal pair opened Millennium Park's Downtown Sound series at the open air Pritzker Pavilion. It seemed the most fitting way to hear the group, under the night's sky, but last night being up close and personal was that much more powerful — a different but equally compelling feeling. Their set got underway almost a half hour earlier than their scheduled 11 o'clock time since opening girl-group Frankie Rose & the Outs played for only 20 minutes. As the room filled up, the band hit full stride by "Land of the Living Skies". It was at times a transcendent experience, juxtaposed by the casual banter and stories from the band (including one about being compared to David Koresh!). We got plenty of Lasek's mighty falsetto on songs like "Chicago Train" and "This Is What We Call Progress", and he brought out a captivating white 12 string electric guitar for "Albatross", on which wife Goreas takes the lead on vocals. The contrasting sweetness of "Albatross" made the following song, "Like The Ocean", all the more haunting.
It'd been almost two years since the Helio Sequence played Chicago. Back then it was opening for Keane at the Aragon. Last night they were at the friendlier-sounding Lincoln Hall for the first night of Tomorrow Never Knows Fest. After a lengthy delay between sets, guitarist Brandon Summers and drummer Benjamin Weikel emerged from behind the curtain and immediately put forth an engaging performance highlighted by Weikel's energetic and chaotic drumming. The Portland duo have made a career of blending the raw Pacific Northwest indie-rock sound with ambient music and some psychedelic leanings. Take a little Quasi, a bit of Tristeza, some American Football and you'll eventually get the Helio Sequence.
Helio Sequence drummer Benjamin Weikel (Photos by Kirstie Shanley)
Chicago is one lucky city. It's not often that the Montréal based psychedelic band The High Dials grace our streets but the band has secured an opening spot on the bill for this Saturday night January 15th at The Double Door. Despite the season's winter chill, the band's lush sound will be sure to warm you up.
The High Dials create songs that are not psychedelic in a harder edged droning way but are elevated to a more pop appeal. Think a catchy and less idiosyncratic Syd Barrett or Pretty Things, for example. Throughout their two EPS and four full lengths, most recently 2010's Anthems for Doomed Youth, the band has worked on perfecting the subtle art of rocking out in transcendent ways but at the same time being accessible and blissful to listen to. Their sense of rhythm and talent is unmistakable and one can't help but see the five piece as one of Canada's best. In previous live shows in years past, they've taken their already amazing recorded songs to the very edge and still managed to keep perfect control over the essence of the compositions themselves. If the world can be separated into those music fans who listen to what is meaningful and life changing and those that prefer mindless pop music instead, it's clear High Dials fans belong to the former group of folks.
Just make sure to get there early so that you don't miss a single note of their rare visit! Doors for this show are at 8pm and show starts at 9pm. Also on this bill are bands Aetiology , The Town Monster, and headliners Rubblebucket.
It's a big month for CHIRP, Chicago's independent, all volunteer run, online radio station (CHIRP is acronym for Chicago Independent Radio Project). Not only is CHIRP launching a month long celebration in honor of its first 365 days on-air, but CHIRP is also celebrating a major victory in the passage the Local Community Radio Act - the bi-partisan bill which will decentralize radio and expand community radio in urban areas.
From its launch on January 17, 2010, CHIRP has dedicated every on-air hour to providing Chicago with community radio focused on the representation of local people, events and issues alongside an eclectic array of independent, under-appreciated and local Chicago music. CHIRP volunteers have also dedicated many off-air hours to lobbying for the passage of the Local Community Radio Act.
While some were trying to replicate the moonwalk, others were copying or creating their own dance moves straight out of Rhythm Nation. That later group has something to really get excited about: Janet Jackson is bringing her Up Close and Personal Tour to the Chicago Theatre on March 7th and 8th. On this 35 city tour, she'll be strictly performing from the 35 songs on her new CD, Number Ones. Don't expect bravado and special effects though, this tour is about getting intimate and personal with the star, just as the tour's namesake states.
Plus, there's another special aspect to this special tour. Know a young person in your community who is making a difference? Janet wants to meet them. Nominate them on janetjackson.com for a chance to be one Chicago's 20 under 20. In a statement from her press release:
I'm asking my fans and their friends, parents, relatives, neighbors and teachers to nominate five people to qualify as one of the 20 under 20 in each place I will perform. At each concert the 20 people chosen and the person who nominated them will be VIP guests at my show. I will invite the 20 sponsors and the 20 winners to the concert and back stage. There are many young people changing the word and I want them to be recognized during my tour. I want them to be my guest at my show and they will come back stage as I learn from them how young people are changing the world.
Tickets range from $50 to $200 and go on sale this Saturday, January 15th at 10am on Ticketmaster or at The Chicago Theatre box office.
Last year, Minneapolis' Jeremy Messersmith completed his third album, The Reluctant Graveyard, that followed up on two other albums of singer/songwriter tunes evoking power-pop ("Violet") and chamber-pop ("A Girl, A Boy, and A Graveyard") like if Liam Hayes and the gentler Brendan Benson collaborated. Folky elements dot his music and with those come sad moments, but listening to Messersmith is mostly an uplifting experience. He's clearly comfortable jumping genres and adept with an olio of instrumentation. Even when the subject matter is grim (as you might imagine it would be on an album titled like his most recent), the music is bouncy and his voice is warm so you could choose to listen to it simply as another instrument.
Jeremy Messersmith opens for Markéta Irglová at Schubas on Thursday, January 13. Sam Amidon and Bone & Bell also play. The show's 18+ and starts at 8PM. It's sold out, but someone will probably be trying to get rid of a ticket. Just be sure to get there early for Messersmith. (Personally, I'm interested to see how he fits a string ensemble on that little stage with him and his band.)
Now that cabin fever is settling in as we hit mid-January in Chicago, it's time to get yourself out of the house and into a concert (or five). Schubas and Lincoln Hall's annual winter music festival Tomorrow Never Knows kicks off next Wednesday, and this year has some extra special perks, including the Metro getting in on the act--which also means official SmartBar after-parties, and shows for the kids.
Still debating whether or not you should pick up one of those 5-day passes? Perks include admission to all shows at all three venues, plus free trolley rides between them. You'll also be invited to the opening night party at Lincoln Hall which includes a hosted bar by Tito's Handmade Vodka, with Sound Opinons hosts and music critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot providing the tunes (You can also get in by purchasing a ticket to that evening's The Helio Sequence show).
For all the details, and to purchase single day tickets or 5-day passes, check out TNK's official website where you can also listen to some of the bands playing the fest. Be sure to check back with Transmission next week because we'll be bringing you reviews of various TNK shows throughout the fest.
When we're not exchanging trees for mulch, we're exploring music stuff online:
Did you get missed at the New Year's Day Hood Internet show at Lincoln Hall? Someone wants to find you!
Local jazz musicians take the shuttering of the Velvet Lounge for an opportunity to open a new music venue nearby. They'll launch on January 21st with the L26 Restaurant and Lounge.
If you missed out on Yeasayer's NYE and NYE-E shows at the Metro last week, you can still get a dose of them live by paying "what you want" for their Life At Ancienne Belgique album which was just released digitally.
Need a reason to test out those new speakers? Check out this 12-CD mp3 compilation of female-fronted heavy metal bands from 1976-1989. The title of the project lacks some imagination, Female Fronted Metal, but the music doesn't!
Meet Nick Demeris, self-styled MC/clown. Now, that particular hybrid probably brings up an unlikely beast along the lines of the Faygo-shilling Insane Clown Posse or perhaps a 2-legit-2-quit Bozo. But no. Instead, based on his Internet videos, Demeris seems to be a rapper who seems to be simply, well, goofy. Check out Demeris' ode to our fair city in "Chicago," or see how he flips a Janelle Monáe track.
It's the first week of January and you're coming out of that post-listmaking funk when you've shelved Kanye West, Deerhunter and Autre Ne Veut for a little while. So why not kick off your year of showgoing (if you haven't already with Chuck Berry or Nobunny or Holdfast) with a couple Chicago bands? With numerous 2010 releases, Secret Colours and Apteka (not the Polish band) have anchored themselves as local names to keep an eye on. Secret Colours' debut album showcases them establishing psychedelic-like moods with cool detached vocals, reverbed guitars and a range of percussion. Apteka dial it up a notch with pummeling rhythms and guitars like jackhammers. Both have a keen understanding of their ideal atmosphere and keep listeners locked in.
Secret Colours headline the end of a short tour at Subterranean on Saturday, January 8. It's an early all ages show at 6PM. Admission's $10. Apteka and Indianapolis' We Are Hex open. Subterranean's located at 2011 North.
I first saw Netherfriends some four years ago in my hometown of St. Louis, MO. Their style was original, vocals were spot on and performance was just downright fun. But, after keeping up with the band's goings ons, what began to stand out to me the most was Netherfriends' tenacity. In a city like Chicago--flooded with indie poppers--relentless touring and promotion is what elevates Netherfriends above others in the local music scene.
Fresh off his "50 Songs 50 States" project, Netherfriends' mastermind Shawn Rosenblatt is back in the Midwest and ready to rock his hometown. Rosenblatt spent the majority of 2010 traveling to all 49 continental states with the dream of writing a song in each U.S. state. Now Rosenblatt is celebrating his homecoming tomorrow night with a Netherfriends performance at Subterranean. Due to touring, this will be the last time to hear Netherfriend's psychedelic pop tunes live in Chicago until May. Joining the Netherfriends on stage will be The Loneliest Monk, Dozens and Wolf In A Spacesuit.
Below is Netherfriends's video for "Bret Easton Ellis Novel" off their debut LP Barry and Sherry.
For the second day in a row, Brian King and David Prowse of Japandroids played Schubas Tavern to a New Years Day crowd that mainly consisted of post new years eve celebrants looking for some post-angst rock. Joining Japandroids for the New Years day night hijinks was the Chicago anthemic synth-rock band Light Pollution. They took the stage promptly at 10:00 p.m. and began playing to an already full room.
Light Pollutions' James Cicero and Matt Evert, the long-haired, bearded friends, were joined by guitarist Nick Sherman and newcomer, bassist Justin Park. Perhaps a nod to the sentiment of the night, the band began the set with "Sleepwalker," new material that will potentially go on their still unnamed forthcoming album. Interspersed through the set were fan favorites and critic approved "Oh Ivory" and "Good Feelings." In between songs, Cicero warmed up the crowd for the "super cool dudes" from Japandroids and removed a grey sweater to reveal a white Hawaii shirt that looked like it had seen extensive touring. After playing through "Bad Vibes" off of Apparitions, Cicero took tambourine in hand and finished the set with new song "Wild World," a mournful, yet redeeming tune.
After finishing their set, Light Pollution quickly packed away their instruments and made their way to Schubas' green room. Cicero, Evert and Sherman sat on a long couch with their backs to a concrete wall furnished with the concert posters of acts passed. Bassist Justin Park paced back and forth, chowing down and pita bread and hummus that Schubas had provided.
Hordes of lurching shoeless drunk girls shivering in tiny dresses, boys covered in glitter and sweat, and a dance floor littered with popped balloons and an air of bad decisions is just another typical New Year's Eve in Chicago. Maybe it was the unseasonably warm weather or maybe people were just ready to say good riddance to 2010, but the crowd packed into the Flosstradamus New Year's Eve party at Lincoln Hall were not content with just standing on the sidelines; they came to dance.
Wanted to dance with Janet like it was 1814, but didn't get tickets to her 
