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.
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Wednesday, December 24
If a fairytale was set in the Gulag, the band Beirut would be the perfect soundtrack. Evoking both a breezy sound mixed with Eastern European touches, Beirut has popularized their own brand of old-meets-new indie pop.
— Lisa White
Minneapolis' Haley Bonar released her latest album "Golder" back in April, and now she is headed to Chicago this weekend in support of Holcombe Waller and Chicago's Judson Claiborne. Bonar has a way of taking what seem like straight forward alt-country tunes and twisting them into something beautiful and interesting. "Golder" is Bonar first full-length album since 2008's Big Star (Afternoon Records). The shows a huge progression in her sound, and presents a fuller and more orchestrated approach than on Bonar's previous album. On the album she plays Wurlitzer, guitar, piano, synth, keyboard, shaker, Leslie, tambourine and provided an angelic but bluesy vocal style.
Haley Bonar will be performing at The Hideout on July 2nd with Holcombe Waller and Chicago's Judson Claiborne at 9pm and tickets are $10.
— Jason Behrends
Friday's forecast calls for the Triple H: Hot, Hazy, and Humid. But at Beauty Bar Friday night the weather's going to be cool and crisp with three masterful DJs set to spin and a beach party theme sure to get a fair share of skin showing. The Wet Hot American Beach Party kicks off at 9pm with DJ sets from Empires, My Gold Mask's Jack Armondo, and Greg Corner. There's a hosted vodka bar from 9-10pm and tropical drink specials. Plus, $3 Bud Drafts, $3 PBR Tall Boys, $4 Well Drinks, and Beauty Bar's classic $10 Martini and Manicures deal. As a bonus, each drink purchase means a donation gets made to Rock for Kids, an amazing local non-profit that brings music programming to at-risk youth in Chicagoland. There's also a $3 suggested donation at the door which goes to the charity (if you're not going, but like the idea of helping kids, make a donation online).
Beachwear is suggested, so drag out those coconut bikinis that have been gathering dust since Halloween! Beauty Bar is located at 1444 W. Chicago Ave. RSVP on Do312.
— Anne Holub
I have to admit that Times New Viking frustrated me for a long time. The Columbus trio's lo-(lo-)fi rock'n'roll came off as disjointed and abrasive to my ears far more than once. But when they finally clicked (at Metro when opening for Super Furry Animals in '08), they clicked in a big way. Gone were the unintelligible vocals, tinny guitar and muddy percussion. In were the otherwise buried harmonies and pummeling hooks. And the energy... oh, mercy; they had it in spades. 2008's Rip It Off is where all of the elements really fell into place, but it's 2011's Dancer Equired that sounds like a major turning point. Now, yes, it's a bit more streamlined and accessible than TNV's been in the past, but it's also the best documentation of their live strengths where what was lost behind the distortion is nowup front. And no matter what their records sound like, they always bring the goods live.
Times New Viking headlines the Empty Bottle on Wednesday, the 29th. Local garage rockers Tyler Jon Tyler and Dusty Bibles open at 9:30PM. The show's 21+ and $12. The Empty Bottle's at 1035 N Western.
— James Ziegenfus
Breakups are hard. The end of any relationship, romantic or not, has similar rituals. Tension mounts, you stop talking, you finish up projects and obligations before you cut ties. Sometimes there is something (or someone else). All situations are applicable even for a band, and especially for the short lived Death From Above 1979.
But just like some relationships, bands also get back together. Just like the breakup the reasoning can be the same; it can be for money, because you miss each other, love, or because you don't even remember why you broke up in the first place. Sometimes it takes stepping away to realize that you've got something really good, and I can assure you the electro dance-punk that DFA1979 churns out is something incredibly good.
— Lisa White / Comments (1)
Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan (photos by Steve Stearns)
The Canadian electro-pop duo (Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemous) that is Junior Boys brought their cold romanticism through Chicago's Metro on Friday night. The pair is currently on tour in support of their fourth album release It's All True, but their Metro show was culmination of their eight year career, with a heavier focus on past versus present material.
The non-nonsense duo went straight to work with set opener "Parallel Lines" (from third album Begone Dull Care) and didn't take time out for much else 'til curtain close. The cold "Parallel Lines" took percussive beats from a slew of sources while Greenspan's characteristically whispered vocals floated in falsetto above, ironically speaking to final amends. Greenspan himself never became attached to the emotion behind the lyrics he whispered. The detachment of "Parallel Lines" defrosted with crystalline organ-synth to warm it (and the crowd's dancing feet) up before blue lights aided the imagery of the bereft nostalgia of "Please Don't Touch". The latter song's bouncing beats and snare effects contrasted the desolation of the lyrics: common objects, with their lived-in comfort, held sentimental history. Greenspan, seated behind his keyboard, begged through the chorus that the sentiments not be altered ("Please, please don't touch").
Junior Boys' Matt Didemous (photos by Steve Stearns)
— Bonnie Page
Over the last 20 years, Ben Harper's worked all over the map - heading bands with the Innocent Criminals and Relentless7, collaborating with the Blind Boys of Alabama and playing with Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison (you know, George's son) in Fistful of Mercy. But he always returns to solo albums where he's comfortable rolling out whatever mix of rock, blues, folk, etc. that he's feeling at the time. His latest, Give Till It's Gone, is no exception with Harper drawing from a variety of influences and even featuring legends like Ringo Starr and Jackson Browne as guests.
Gapers Block is giving a pair of tickets to Ben Harper's show at the Vic on Friday, July 1. Write into contests@gapersblock.com with "Give Till It's Gone" in the subject line for a chance to win! [Update: Holy cow. Our inbox was slammed with responses to this. But we have a winner and her name's Amy. Have fun at the show, Amy! And thanks for reading, everybody!]
Ben Harper plays the Vic this Thursday and Friday, June 30 and July 1. They start at 7:30PM. Both shows are sold out. The Vic's at 3145 N Sheffield.
— James Ziegenfus
Far too many people claim that far too many bands must be seen live to be fully appreciated. Now, there are a lot of bands who use their live performances to add respectably to their recorded catalogs and are usually very good on stage. However, few are actually entertaining enough to be must-sees night after night. But Les Savy Fav is one of those. And we've been lucky in Chicago to see them often over the years. Neither Saturday at Subterranean nor Sunday at Green Music Fest were exceptions.
For as much as people talk about Tim Harrington's antics as the main draw, the band behind him is totally underrated. Like Jon Spencer, Drive-By Truckers and anything with John Reis, Les Savy Fav figures out how to turn studio weaknesses into live strengths. Post-punk hooks that don't stand out on a record come across monstrous. Choruses that should be anthemic find life. Now, don't get me wrong, it's unlikely many people go to Les Savy Fav shows to hear some riff pop out, but it's not uncommon to see a lot of heads faced toward the stage no matter where Tim Harrington ends up. But he'll always be the star.
On Saturday evening, Harrington walked out in a wig, a woman's red shirt, striped shorts and he'd taken some liberties with eye black. He doled out Ritz crackers like holy wafers (and then spit a chewed one into a fan's mouth), adjusted the lighting rig, hung upside down on the spiral staircase, drank a beer poured to him from the balcony (though it mostly ended up on his chest), used every available inch of microphone cord in a 10-block radius, walked to street level, made his way to the soundboard a few times, lost clothing at regular intervals and on and on. After a lengthy delay on Sunday, he emerged from backstage looking pretty dirty (though we've seen him dirtier) in a knitted poncho, a Paisley-patterned shirt and normal pants. His first order of business was pulling two ropes from the mobile stage corners, tying them together and using them to balance on the barrier railing and leaning over the crowd. The ropes held, but not for long. Soon enough, he was in the crowd, encouraging Moshing 101, dogsitting, ending a song on top of a tent, crowdsurfing in a chair (though no competition to crowdsurfing in a garbage can), smearing eye black (again) all over his body, finding his way to a 2nd-floor apartment and Lord knows what else on street level that could only be seen by immediate bystanders.
Through it all, the band plowed through their set and treated Tim as if he were just a large child who gets crazy sometimes but will always work his way out of trouble. They know what they're in for and look like nothing he'd do would surprise them. The same probably goes for most people who've seen them a few times. Yet they still command attention like few bands and always leave people shaking their heads and saying, "I've never seen that at a show before." Of course they didn't. They're a must-see for a reason.
— James Ziegenfus
I first met Michael McDermott, a local singer-songwriter with a dedicated fan base across the country, at a photo shoot in a Chicago graveyard six years ago. For a college magazine class assignment, I wanted to follow around two bands and/or musicians — one more established, but still trying to break through, the other just beginning its journey.
After a few weeks of searching, I received separate e-mails from McDermott and the Mannequin Men, a spirited Chicago punk band still making great music, saying that I could follow them around if I wanted.
I spent the next two months at gigs and occasionally in bars with McDermott, talking about music and listening to his stories.
I found McDermott charming, talkative and very open. I wrote my piece and decided to separate Mannequin Men's and McDermott's story, because they were unique in their own way. I held on to each story, waiting for the right moment to pitch it to a publication. It just never felt complete.
Until now.
McDermott will be performing his first album, 1991's 620 W. Surf, and its follow-up Gethsemane, in their entirety at Lincoln Hall on Saturday. This year marks the 20th anniversary of 620 W. Surf, which referred to McDermott's Lakeview address at the time. The album brought McDermott some fame 20 years ago, but the lifestyle that followed the newly-found fame also introduced him to the darker sides of life. Mark Caro also profiled him recently in a great piece for the Tribune.
— Sheila Burt
When we're not trying to get George Michael songs out of our head (well, just the sax solos), we're often online looking at cool Chicago music news.
— Anne Holub
Brass-enhanced indie-rock band The Island of Misfit Toys' debut album, Bear Hair, is due out next Tuesday, June 28 on Tandem Shop Records. Meanwhile, you can stream it for free on Bandcamp ...or below.
— Andrew Huff
Don't be scared, or maybe you should be scared. Mexicans With Guns are headed to Chicago. However, this is a music blog and I am talked about the not-so-secret identity of San Antonio's Ernest Gonzales. Last month the electronic music producer released his debut album, Ceremony, as Mexican With Guns. Album is swirl of traditional Mexicans styles mixed with pulsing and inventive electronics and beats. The album was released by Innovative Leisure/Friends of Friends, and has received a lot of great praise in the last few months.
Below is the short film/music video for the track "Dame Lo". You can catch Mexicans With Guns at Darkroom on June 24th for Face Melt with Chicago's Down Giant and residents Intel, Maker, and Phaded.
— Jason Behrends
News broke this morning that Emmis Communications has sold Q101 (WKQX) and the Loop (WLUP) to Merlin Media, led by former CEO of Tribune Co. Randy Michaels. While neither Q101 nor Merlin Media have officially announced the fate of the station, journalist Robert Feder tipped us off this morning that 101.1 will drop music and become an all-news station within the next 45 days. While we are still awaiting an official announcement, several Q101 DJs and employees have all but confirmed the rumors via Twitter this morning.
Q101 has been an alternative music institution in Chicago for the past two decades and their departure will undoubtedly leave a gaping hole in the heart of the Chicago music scene.
— Stephanie Griffin / Comments (6)
Chicago Live!, Chicago Tribune and Second City's weekly radio show on WGN, will be welcoming Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan next month in front of a live studio audience. Corgan will be interviewed along with Chicago Fire team captain Logan Pause and Trib editor Gerould Kern, and will follow the interview with a short acoustic performance. The taping will take place at the intimate Downstairs Theatre at the Chicago Theatre, which seats a mere 252 guests. After the show, audience members will be invited to a reception with the show's cast, crew, and guests. To snag one of these seats, head on over to Ticketmaster or the Chicago Theatre box office. Tickets are $20 ($26 with Ticketmaster fees).
The episode tapes July 21st at 6:30 pm, and will air on WGN as the show's season premiere Saturday, July 23rd at 11:00 pm.
— Stephanie Griffin
Graham Van Pelt, who's done time with Think About Life, heads up Montreal's Miracle Fortress. His first album under the name was 2007's guitar-driven pop surprise Five Roses that mixed 60s pop, lush soundscapes and psychedelic undertones. Those who've been waiting for the sophomore effort... well, they need to keep an open mind. Was I the Wave?, released in April, marks a style shift as Van Pelt pulls the synths from the background up front. Now, instead of sounding like Yo La Tengo, Miracle Fortress calls to mind the Radio Dept. or a more rock-based Lindstrøm. Even though there is a noticeable difference between Five Roses and Was I the Wave?, Van Pelt's innate pop sensibilities are on full display throughout both. A fan of the debut wouldn't have any trouble finding the same earworming hooks on the followup, especially once they get to the back half and get a hint of "Miscalculations."
Miracle Fortress opens for Junior Boys at Metro on Friday, the 24th. The show starts at 9PM. It's 18+ and $16. Metro's located at 3730 N Clark.
— James Ziegenfus
Jake Rodriguez was reportedly a child actor way back in the day. As the stacks of memoirs lining the bookshelves of any modern day fame-junkie will tell you, that'll mess with anyone's mind, especially the impressionable youth. Just look at that face up there -- born to sell soap flakes and castor oil. Regardless of his past, Rodriguez's project The Bran (...another plight of medic's...) Pos, usually shorted to Bran Pos or Bran (...) Pos, is a project headed for the future.
— Chris Sienko
It was a Downtown Sound soul night to remember with this excellent double bill between Kings Go Forth and opener Ben L'Oncle Soul. Both bands had major soul influences and nine piece ensembles live. Each also had charismatic and energetic frontmen that were able to inspire the crowd to get out of their seats and dance. With the perfect weather and the sweet sounds of soul wafting through the air, the glorious feeling of summer was again upon us.
— Kirstie Shanley
Let's start the week off with the announcement of another solid music festival in Chicago, shall we?
Riot Fest just announced their largest line-up to date, with headliners Weezer, Social Distortion, and Descendents, along with a special major headliner announcement on Friday June 24th. The festival will be in Chicago October 5th-9th, and this year it will expand and have Riot Fest East in Philadelphia, September 24th.
Thus far the line-up includes the following acts: Weezer, Social Distortion, Descendents, X (play "Los Angeles"), Youth of Today, Suicide Machines, ALL (Scott, Chad and Dave), Helmet, D Generation, Down By Law, The Business, Strike Anywhere, The Tossers, Macabre, Nachtmystium, The Flatliners, Flatfoot 56, The Menzingers, Banner Pilot, The Pavers, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Shot Baker, The Copyrights, Cheap Girls, Larry and His Flask, Chines Telephones, The Crombies, The Holy Mess, Van Buren Boys, Neutron Bombs, The Infected, and many more will be announced throughout the week.
Multi day passes and individual tickets go on sale Friday June 24th at 10 in the morning CST. Tickets will be on sales at Ticketfly. The 5 day festival pass will be $145, and includes access to all Riot Fest 2011 shows, and includes access to secret shows leading up to the fest this summer. There will also be the Congress Pass for $135, and that includes access into all the Congress Theater shows during Riot Fest 2011.
The Riot Fest shows will be held at the following venues this year: Congress Theater, Bottom Lounge, Double Door, Cobra Lounge and the AAA Warehouse. There will also be a shuttle bus that will take fans from venue to venue.
Riot Fest has really expanded fast since it kicked off in 2005. It's a great way to end the festival season, consistently offering up a solid bill and some of the best secret shows in the city (I recall the secret Naked Raygun show at the AAA Warehouse a few years ago being one of the best shows of the year for me). We'll announce the special headliner on the 24th, and then make sure you get online and grab a ticket before some of these shows sell out.
— Lisa White
The Poetry Foundation is offering you a chance to win tickets to a free concert by Neko Case this Saturday night. They'll give out pairs of tickets to 90 lucky fans for Neko's show at the Poetry Foundation's Open House at 61 W. Superior St. at 8:30pm on June 25th. How did the redhaired wonder get involved with the Poetry Foundation, you ask? Well, besides being an accomplished songwriter, she also contributed an essay on how poetry is not just for the intellectual elite for Poetry magazine's November 2007 issue.
To enter, fill out the online entry form starting at noon today and before 5pm Tuesday, June 21st.
— Anne Holub
There comes a time in life to eat tacos and sit outside — this weekend is one of those times. But if you're on some wifi, maybe check some of these items out:
— Anne Holub
We're getting ready to start cranking out some Lolla previews here on Transmission (August is so close in the grand scheme of things), but before we do some changes have already been made in the Lolla line-up.
If you were planning on moshing in the hot sun to the abrasive sounds of Sleigh Bells Friday at Lollapalooza, change of plans. Lollapalooza posted today that due to scheduling conflicts the duo had to cancel their appearance. Replacing them are another female fronted garage rock outfit, Le Butcherettes.
Le Butcherettes were praised by Jim DeRogatis during SXSW, and their first full album was released on the label started by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of Mars Volta and At the Drive-In fame. They're a good act to check out if you're a fan of intense hot chicks singing agressive gritty garage rock. Personally I get my fill with The Kills (or early Yeah Yeah Yeahs, two bands this group is clearly influenced by/ripping off), but it's something worth stopping for and checking out. Or if you miss this set just go over and see The Kills, who are playing 15 mins after Le Butcherettes wrap up.
On another note, I'm still pouting over the Friday scheduling conflicts (Seeing Muse again before they more than likely disband, would have liked Girl Talk or Ratatat as a back up other nights) and the fact that the reformed Death From Above 1979 are playing at four in the afternoon. There are always some conflicts, but so many artist of similar sound are going up against each other this year, and the spacing of variety seems really off. Anything you love or hate about the schedule this year?
— Lisa White / Comments (4)
Night 3. It's all over. While it's clear that I was far from enthused with everything that passed their year's Neon Marshmallow stage, Sunday was the kind of straight flush seen maybe one or twice in a poker player's life. Everybody on tonight's lineup kept the crowd on its toes, and the usual night three exhaustion didn't seem to creep in as it did last year.
— Chris Sienko / Comments (6)
Serpents have long been held as alluring beasts, slithering stand-ins for charm and sexual energy. That tradition continues with ssssnake, the brainchild of local musician and singer Noah Tabakin. He of the perpetually raised eyebrow is a fixture on the scene as a regular in circus-punk marching band Mucca Pazza and kinda-indie/kinda-Fishbone group Dead Rider (previously D. Rider).
Tabakin's busting out ssssnake's inaugural album, Hostile Takeover with an aggressive summer and fall tour schedule and a special CD release show on Friday, June 17, at The Observatory (3036 N. Lincoln Ave., Apt 4). Produced on Logic software (and relayed through his iPhone during live shows), the album is a hostile takeover alright -- of your pants. Seriously, soulful funk-hop tracks like "Sheet Music" and "Wolf and the Bear" are made for booty shaking and/or boot knocking. With his penchant for shedding down to his skivvies, it's easy to think of Tabakin as Chicago's very own Har Mar Superstar.
The CD release show starts at 9 p.m. Opening acts include Deep Wizard, Wannabe Heroes, and Arkatext. Keep an eye on ssssnake's Facebook page for more details.
— Kara Luger
Booker T Jones was a musical prodigy who got his start at Stax in Memphis while still in high school. That was nearly 50 years ago and his career shows no signs of ending. Saturday night he was at the Old Town School of Folk Music for two shows. Playing in support of a new album, The Road From Memphis, it was no surprise when the early set began with two of its tracks - "Harlem House" and "Down in Memphis." The former was a nice introduction that showcased some of Booker T's absolutely sick skills on a Hammond organ. The latter was a rather pedestrian bluesy number.
But then the fun began with "Green Onions", one of the most iconic instrumental songs of all-time. It wasn't completely faithful to the version everyone's heard a hundred times, though. A few guitar licks differed and the tempo was just barely slower. But if you figure Booker T plays it at every show, the man's allowed some leeway. At any rate, it certainly excited the crowd. That trend would continue on numerous songs with freestyling and improvisation peppering music that's been in his repertoire for years and even some that's new. After the first of three from 1968's Soul Limbo album ("Born Under a Bad Sign"), Booker T (now on guitar) and his backing band rolled through covers of "Take Me to the River", "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Ain't No Sunshine."
— James Ziegenfus
Now that the second full night of the Neon Marshmallow Fest has come and gone, it's becoming easier to chart the peaks and valleys of the festival, its overall feel, and the tenor of the crowds. Because of the reduced number of acts from last year, the flow from act to act becomes more pronounced and concentrated, and bands with vastly different methodologies are even more pronounced by their proximity. What I mean by all of this was that I really liked the stuff I liked, and for the other stuff, well, there's always the pool room.
— Chris Sienko
One-third of the 2011 Neon Marshmallow Fest has already come and gone, and with a new venue and a new emphasis on different types of artists, there's plenty to talk about, so let's get started.
First off, the Empty Bottle was able, as ever, to accomodate a wide range of sonic and visual requirements. Slide projectors and LCD projectors are scattered through various rooms, projecting curated images on the walls -- tonight's visuals were by Loo Tapes, and they ranged from washed out slides to viscous purple and green washes of computerized texture. There was also a giant print of a cat's head on the wall near the bar that was reproduced, ad nauseum, hundreds of times all of the walls of the Bottle's (ad nauseous) bathroom.
— Chris Sienko
Gruff Rhys (Photo by Kirstie Shanley)
Frontmen's solo efforts can be a mixed bag of why-didn't-you-use-these-songs-on-your-band's-album and this-is-dreadful. Gruff Rhys' solo albums are not exactly an intercontinental flight away from his day job at Super Furry Animals, but they can run on a path far from that highway. Rarely is there anything dreadful about them, though. His latest, Hotel Shampoo, sounds at times like a laid-back SFA with keyboards often leading the way. Thursday's set at Schubas began with the album's closer "Rubble Rubble" and Rhys deadpanning that "not many people have reached the song." From there he moved onto selections from 2007's Candylion, a few from 2005's Yr Atal Genhedlaeth and even from the weird 2010 collaboration with a person named Tony Da Gatorra while playing piano, guitar, digital air drum sticks and using a turntable as accompaniment for sound effects.
A half-hour into a 100-minute set, he reeled off a slew of Hotel Shampoo songs that were rather faithful to their recorded versions. While they were received with nice applause, all night it was the Candylion songs like "The Court of King Arthur" and "Cycle of Violence" that received the biggest hands. When Rhys last came through Chicago to play those, it was a simple acoustic affair. But with a full band, those tunes were fleshed out and showcased from psychedelic to straight poppy rock.
— James Ziegenfus
When we're not reading Goodnight Moon to the tomato plants, we're often looking at some cool stuff about music online.
— Anne Holub
Toronto's Dinosaur Bones are playing tomorrow night, June 11th, at Schubas. They released their latest album, My Divider, through Dine Alone Records in March. The band has toured with Tokyo Police Club and supporting Broken Social Scene, and tomorrow night will be opening for Jeremy Messersmith.
Late last month they released the great video for the track "N.Y.E." from My Divider.
— Jason Behrends
We're less than 24 hours from the start of the 2011 Neon Marshmallow Fest, a three-day event featuring experimental electronic artists from all over the continent. I'll be recapping the event after each night's festivities, but in the meantime, I wanted to add a few details that have happened since the last update.
First, Sunday afternoon will feature a special bonus round event, the 2011 presentation of Sonic Celluloid, Northwestern University's yearly combination of film and sound. This year, the Empty Bottle will host Zac Davis (formerly of Lambsbread), Lichens, and Sam Prekop starting at 2:30. Tickets for this event will be separate, but for purchasers of the three-day pass, Sonic Celluloid is included in your ticket.
Speaking of three-day tickets, time's running out to get one. If you're planning on going the distance, there's not much time to get all three days at a discount. Visit the festival site for more info on individual and three-day passes.
Finally, if you really can't make it, but you want a taste of those that were there, there's a Neon Marshmallow fundraiser cassette available by mail, again from the fest page. $6 ppd. gets you a rather lengthy tape featuring unreleased and exclusive tracks from many of the festival's highlights, including Leslie Keffer, The Rita, Sickness, Telecult Powers, Lucky Dragons, Pulse Emitter, Lichens and Outer Space. It's a nice looking package, and at no extra charge, the cassette itself is purple! You're welcome.
See you there!
— Chris Sienko
Marcus Schmickler, an early and vital voice in digital electronic music and late-'90s post-rock (under his pseudonym Pluramon) has been steadily accruing power and esteem over the past decade for his tough, detailed sound fields. A staple on labels like Mille Plateaux, A-Musik, and Editions Mego, Schmickler concerns himself with big sonics and expansive ideas, but with flair and real-world experience (i.e. killing in front of audiences) that elevate him above more academically-flavored granular synthesists. This Saturday, Schmickler will make his first appearance in Chicago since 2002, again through the grace of Lampo, the non-profit international experimental music series. Schmickler performs "particle/matter-wave/energy," a composition that will ask the age-old musical question, "What does it sound like when galaxy clusters of 30 objects reciprocally influence each other by means of gravitation? Using a sonification of astrophysical data, Schmickler will collide first two, then three simulated galaxies." As you'd imagine, this will likely be no shrinking violet of a composition....smashing galaxies is a surefire way to wake your neighbors.
Schmickler performs at the Graham Foundation Madlener House (4 W. Burton Pl., Chicago) this Saturday (June 11) at 8 p.m. The event is free, but tickets are currently sold out. However, you can get on the waiting list should ticketholders not arrive by 8:00 by visiting the eventbrite page and letting them know you want in. No guarantees, but you can damn sure believe it's worth a shot.
— Chris Sienko
Up and coming Chicago pop-rock darlings Holdfast are playing the this Saturday, June 12 in continued support of their EP Like The Sun which dropped earlier this year.
The unmistakable screeching of an El train that Like The Sun opens with is about the only sound on this short, but oh-so-sweet disc that is Chicago-born. This EP plays more like something that would hail from the West Coast, a smooth-rocking surfer's nightcap. With twinkling guitar lines, warbling vocals and folky breakdowns, every song off Like The Sun could be the soundtrack to the picturesque scene that's splashed across the EP's cover.
— Katie Karpowicz
Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan tweeted this morning that his younger brother, Jesse Andersen, had been attacked and robbed this morning. Confirmed this afternoon by the Red Eye, this attack was the mugging that occurred on the red line early this morning at the Chicago station. According to the Red Eye story, Andersen had his iPod snatched by a group of four males and one female, who punched him in the face when he tried to grab it back. Andersen, who is Billy's half-brother, suffers from cerebral palsy and Tourette syndrome, which adds an extra level of sadness to this story. We hope for a speedy recovery for Jesse.
— Stephanie Griffin / Comments (3)
Amazingly, Kanye West is just about the only Chicago rapper not in the news lately for stirring up trouble. In addition, to turning 34 today, Yeezy has finally unveiled the final cut of the video for his latest single, "Monster".
West managed to rope all of the track's guest vocalists (Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver) in for the video shoot. It's a five-minute dark, twisted fantasy full of self-indulgent close-ups, controversial imagery and visuals that can only be described as eye candy--everything you might expect from one of hip-hop's biggest livewires.
Anyone else curious as to what sort of over-the-top shenanigans Kanye has planned for his birthday?
— Katie Karpowicz
It wouldn't be Summer in Chicago without free music Monday in Millenium Park; it wouldn't be free music Monday without having to battling wine sipping afterwork types, suburban transplants and a smattering of hipsters for lawn space (or in the case of this past Monday night, concrete space). To give you an idea of the expansiveness of the crowd who came out for headliner Iron and Wine and opener Head and the Heart: people spilled off the lawn onto the concrete sidewalks and all of the tree filled areas surrounding the pavilion. But, once (and if), a spot was found, snacks were passed around and wine opened, the hassle of getting to that point evaporated like sweat on skin. If, however, you were unfortunate enough to arrive post-5:30 pm there wasn't a plot of grass to be sat upon. There's just no such thing as a free lunch, or concert, as the case may be.
Monday night started out with the Seattle based Head and the Heart (much, much beloved in their Western state of Washington). The warm, folk-rock band played a brief 5 song set, which featured strong vocal harmonies and popular track "Lost in My Mind". The song perfectly paired with Iron and Wine's indie-folk sung tales. Notably, Iron and Wine's (also short 60 minute set) was a lot more up-tempo with a full-band, and a lot less lo-fi, bedroom recording sound the band is known for - but this jives with the band's album progression. Iron and Wine's latest albums Kiss Each Other Clean, and preceding Shepard's Dog feature layered and texturized instrumentation, full bands and projected versus whispered vocals. Iron and Wine lived this statement with Monday night with opening song "Rabbit Will Run"; a rhythmically layered track. And the crowd may have been glad to see Sam Beam's breathy vocals give way to something with more projection. Otherwise, his lyrical story tales may have been lost in the expansively hot Chicago night, amid wine and conversation. That plus Pritzker's great sound system and the full band held their attention, for the most part.
— Bonnie Page
For anyone who might be a fan of music that is vital, expressive, and unique in a world filled with indie copycats, Parenthetical Girls are the band for you! Lead singer Zac Pennington's strange and wondrous swooning voice occupies his records and stage presence in a way like none other. It's unforgettable and visceral and it makes you feel like you're dancing. It would be wrong and dismissive to label it only as experimental or as pop music but it contains the best qualities of both worlds. In a whole new way, it reinvents something particularly enchanting.
Don't miss Parenthetical Girls and if you're intrigued do have a listen. The band hasn't come to Chicago in five years now and this reviewer humbly recommends seeing them. This 17yrs and over show begins at Subterranean and starts at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm) with openers Jes Kramer and Advance Base Family Band (who is Owen Ashworth of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.)
— Kirstie Shanley
The Stepkids may seem stuck in the past at first listen, but they are reviving a vintage sound that not too many others are attempeting right now. The trio of singer songwriters reflect on psychedelia, but mix in a healthy dose of jazz, funk, neo and classic soul, and so much more. The band released a 12" single through Stones Throw earlier this year and are planning a full-length album later this year.
The Stepkids will be performing at Lincoln Hall Thursday, June 9th, with Dennis Coffey & Friends and DJRC. Lincoln Hall also just announced that the tickets are now buy one, get one free!
— Jason Behrends
The Bouncing Souls are performing four consecutive nights at Reggie's Rock Club - 2105 South State Street - June 9th through the 12th. Each night they'll play two albums from start to finish, beginning with their first record and concluding with their most recent full-length. Thursday, 6/9 gets underway with The Good, the Bad and the Argyle and Maniacal Laughter, with supporting bands The Flatliners and Old Man Markley. On Friday, 6/10 it's their self-titled album and Hopeless Romantic, while The Arrivals and The Brokedowns open. Saturday, 6/11 will feature How I Spent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Away, and The Falcon and Night Brigade play first. Lastly, The Gold Record and Ghosts on the Boardwalk will be performed on Sunday, 6/12, with opening acts The Copyrights and The Reaganomics. All shows start at 7:00 PM and are all-ages. Tickets cost $18 in advance / $20 day of show and can be purchased here.
— Katie Hovland
Squat The Condos is an eclectic band combining bubble gum pop, and early '90s garage pop on their recent free debut EP We Should Be Together. The band has a knack for creating get melodies and it makes their EP a fun summer listen.
Squat The Condos recently recorded a session in their living room for the wonderful Coach Potato series. They performed my favorite track from the EP "Missing You" which the most catchy track I've heard in awhile.
— Jason Behrends
In 2003, I saw Andrew Bird debut his latest album, Weather Systems, at the Old Town School of Folk Music. It was an incredible show, and afterward I wished I'd had a recording of it. A couple years later, I was searching for something on the Internet Archive when I stumbled into its Live Music Archive, a vast collection of recording of concerts from all over the place, much of it downloadable in multiple formats. I did a quick search, and there was my coveted concert, free for the taking.
As I revisited Andrew Bird's listing on the LMA to see if his Gezelligheid show was available (it's not), I got to thinking recently about how much local music there is available in the archive, and how hard it is to sort through. One of the easiest ways to approach it, in my mind, was to break it down by venue. So that's what I did. Here's an exhaustive list of links to recordings made at bars, concert halls, theaters and pavilions in Chicago and the suburbs. I've also included the few music festival recordings I could find. There are a handful of stragglers and outliers that I didn't include here, mostly single shows at marginal venues; search Chicago for an unfiltered list.
— Andrew Huff
For two hours Friday night, Ozomatli was exuberance personified.
That's been their game since they emerged from Los Angeles in the late '90s: an only-in-L.A. brew of rock, salsa and hip-hop tossed with an earnest message of social consciousness and a high-energy show sure to punch through the ironic detachment and cynicism of the most jaded Pitchfork reader.
They turned the Congress Theater into a summer block party with a potent seven-man attack featuring trumpet, saxophone, guitar, bass, drums and loads of percussion. The horn blasts and rock riffs of "Saturday Night" and "City of Angels" got the crowd moving, and salsa favorites like "Chango" and "Cumbia De Los Muertos" had them shaking their hips.
— Jim Reedy
When we're not applying sunscreen liberally and regularly, we're often inside, looking at cool stuff on our laptops.
— Anne Holub
A man donning a rabbit mask prancing around atop a Vietnamese restaurant in the middle of the night in Chinatown sounds more like a manifestation of my strangest nightmares than a fun night out, but luckily I like it when things get a little weird. My dreams become reality this Saturday night as the Empty Bottle's Music.Friendly.Dancing series welcomes garage rock band Nobunny. This monthly concert series kicked off last March, and in appreciation for the Bottle's loyal customer base, the shows are completely free (with RSVP). For this month's show, they'll be moving away from the Empty Bottle and heading significantly further south to the upper level of Hing Kee Phohung Restaurant in Chinatown. Make sure to leave ample room in your stomach for some delicious grub; I hear their pulled noodles are tasty.
Hing Kee Phohung Restaurant is located at 2140 S. Archer Ave (between Wentworth Ave and 21st St in Chinatown). Music.Friendly.Dancing with Nobunny starts at 8 pm, but an RSVP does not guarantee admission so plan to arrive early.
— Stephanie Griffin
Transmission staffers share their most cherished memories and moments while writing for Gapers Block.
Alarm Magazine
BackStage
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Boxx Magazine
Brooklyn Vegan Chicago
Can You See The Sunset From The Southside
Chicago Reader Music
Chicagoist Arts & Events
ChicagoMusic.org
Chicago Music Guide
Chicago Singles Club
CHIRP
Country Music Chicago
Cream Team
Dark Jive
Daytrotter
The Deli Chicago
Jim DeRogatis
Do312
Fake Shore Drive
Gowhere Hip Hop
Gridface
The Hood Internet
Innerview
Jaded in Chicago
Largehearted Boy
Little White Earbuds
Live Fix Blog
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Loud Loop Press
Oh My Rockness
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Pitchfork
Pop Matters
Resident Advisor
Songs:Illinois
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Sun-Times Music Blog
Theft Liable to Prosecution
Tribune Music
UR Chicago
Victim Of Time
WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Windy City Rock
Abbey Pub
Andy's Jazz Club
Aragon Ballroom
Auditorium Theatre
Beat Kitchen
B.L.U.E.S
Bottom Lounge
Buddy Guy's Legends
The Burlington
California Clipper
Concord Music Hall
Congress Theater
Constellation
Cubby Bear
Double Door
Elbo Room
Empty Bottle
FitzGerald's
Green Mill
The Hideout
Honky Tonk BBQ
House of Blues
Kingston Mines
Lincoln Hall
Logan Square Auditorium
Martyrs'
Mayne Stage
Metro
The Mutiny
Old Town School of Folk Music
Park West
The Promontory
Red Line Tap
Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint
The Riviera
Rosa's
Schubas
Thalia Hall
The Shrine
Smartbar
Subterranean
Symphony Center
Tonic Room
Township
Uncommon Ground
The Vic
The Whistler
Alligator Records
Atavistic
Beverly Records
Bloodshot Records
Dave's Records
Delmark Records
Drag City
Dusty Groove
Flameshovel Records
Groove Distribution
He Who Corrupts
Hozac
Jam Productions
Jazz Record Mart
Kranky Records
Laurie's Planet of Sound
Minty Fresh
Numero Group
mP Shows
Permanent Records
Reckless Records
Smog Veil Records
Southport & Northport Records
Thick Records
Thrill Jockey Records
Touch & Go/Quarterstick Records
Victory Records
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Transmission is the music section of Gapers Block. It aims to highlight Chicago music in its many varied forms, as well as cover touring acts performing in the city. More...
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Editor: Sarah Brooks, sarah@gapersblock.com
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