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. ✶
[This piece comes to us from reader Rachel Angres.]
After Rabble Rabble played Psych Fest last year, it was months before anyone heard anything from them. Now, after a brief hibernation, the Chicago four-piece is returning to the stage with a free (with RSVP correction: straight up FREE) show at the Empty Bottle. Rabble Rabble is one of those bands with shameless stage theatrics, whose sound is a mix between The Kinks and Pavement in the '90s, with smoothed out sharp edges of skuzzy guitar riffs and messy yet hooking arrangements.Their live sets are exciting and at times borderline offensive ("Fuck you" is often an opening comment from the band when introducing a song). They have their shtick — performing with a tone that's abrasive and wildly unabashed. This is what they do best and they're sticking to it.
The band got their start three years ago, after they met at a DIY basement show and decided to collaborate. Tonight, Rabble Rabble will return to the live stage at the Empty Bottle, where they plan to play some new songs from their upcoming sophomore album.
As the "official Chicago visitors' site," Choose Chicago aims to provide information and updates on all the city has to offer, "whether you're visiting for business or pleasure." And, like their fellow citizen ambassadors, they want visitors to experience the city with the access and ease of the savviest locals. Recently, to sum up their mission and the city they represent, they commissioned a song -- anthem -- from Umphrey's McGee/Buddy Guy/Chicago that was instantly met with varying degrees of harsh criticism and articulated distaste.
Chicago is a fast, friendly, colorful city with littered backstreets and sparkling main streets where even locals get lost in the grid among skyscrapers, sandwiches, CTA stations, corner bars, festivals, foot traffic and the overwhelming sense that there's always more to do than there are hours in day. We're a diverse but segregated city, a city full of progress but with a conservative side. Comedian Greg Proops, in an Eight Forty Eight interview on WBEZ last week, called Chicago, "the real New York ... I love the culture, the avidity."
To many — including us — the new anthem sounds like the product of design by committee. Take out the word "Chicago" and it could be about any city. (In fact, "Toronto" fits perfectly in there -- maybe we could just donate it to the Canadians.) A.V. Club's Steve Heisler discovered that it's ready-made for karaoke -- the willfully generic tune already sounds like a keyboard cover.
So, in the spirit of positivity, here are some alternatives from the literally dozens of songs about the city that Choose Chicago could choose to use instead of their manufactured monstrosity. Think you've got one that's even better? Add it in the comments.
Multi-disciplinary illuminati aficionado and DJ Meaghan Garvey released a mixtape of current Chicago Hip Hop so ill it'll put your Friday into quarantine. The Drillmatic features a window rattling mix of current breakout Chicago Hip Hop that serves as a companion to Meaghan's article highlighting Chicago's female MCs underground on Creamteam. Tracklist after the cut.
Funding creativity isn't always easy. It's usually not cheap either. As money and the economy are a near daily worry for many Chicagoans, it's no surprise that music labels of all shapes and sizes are also pinching pennies. More musicians and music industry professionals are turning to the kindness of friends and fans to advance their artistic endeavors. These appeals are seeing a much better response thanks to the online crowd-sourced funding site, Kickstarter.
Kickstarter, if you're not familiar, allows musicians and artists (and indeed, any creative thinkers) of all types to create online campaigns asking fans to help fund creative projects, such as a book, an art installation, or even a new album. Each campaign has a set number of days to reach a predetermined monetary goal through donation pledges. Chicago alternative rockers State and Madison turned to Kickstarter last fall when they found themselves with an album's worth of recorded songs and not enough money to produce that albuma physical product (an expensive endeavor that includes mixing, mastering and pressing CDs).
The band's experience was one of the many Kickstarter success stories. On April 3, 2012 State and Madison released their new full length record Tar & Feather. The album is a product of both the band and its dedicated fans thanks to the band's Kickstarter campaign. After first pooling all the money that the band members could contribute, State and Madison estimated they still needed more. They set a campaign goal of $5,500, and by January 2012 had accrued donations from 106 people amounting to $6,200.
Tickets for the 2012 season at the Ravinia Festival go on sale Thursday, April 26. Offering up a near-nightly soundtrack to Chicago summers since 1904, this will be the first year you can use a special Ravinia smartphone app not only for your purchase, but also for connecting with friends while attending a show. If you have never been to a concert at Ravinia (located north of Chicago in Highland Park), there are two seating options: a reserved seat under the pavilion (with views of the stage) or a GA lawn ticket which is generally under $20 for most shows, with no sight of the stage. The benefits of a lawn seat are many, besides the lower price. First, you can picnic (with alcohol) on a blanket under the stars or beneath some of the ancient leafy trees on the site. Secondly, you can corral all of your friends together for an outing where everybody gets to enjoy some cheese, wine, and music in the fine summer weather. The "corralling" however, is the tricky part, especially given Ravinia's lack of distinct landmarks besides "right" "left" and "tree." Typically, there's a lot of people standing up with their cell phones clutched to their ears and waving with the other arm, that is, until the sun sets.
Over the last decade, collaborative group Mice Parade have cultured a somewhat mysterious, textured sound that places the sum of the parts ahead of any single voice or instrument. Their last full-length album, 2010's What It Means To Be Left Handed (FatCat Records) blends beats from South America, Africa, and Europe with electronic touches reminiscent of '80s pop and synth. It goes along to show the group's ongoing challenge to parse musical influences wherever they might be found, and cook them together in a delicious auditory stew. Check out a track below:
Their upcoming album, Candela, will be released later this fall. In a twist, Mice Parade has embarked on a small U.S. tour as an acoustic trio in advance of this studio album, and while they might play new songs, there's no telling exactly what this paired down, acoustic show will become, based on the band's history as a large-scale electronica outfit. On the tour, group founder and multi-instrumentalist Adam Pierce will star on stage along with classical guitar virtuoso Dan Lippel and a special guest Icelandic female vocalist, to be announced at a later date (I've been told it's not Bjork, but honestly I never even suspected it would be). The threesome hits the Hideout tonight for an intimate show. Tickets are a mere $8. Chicago band Cloudbirds open at 9:30pm.
If you'd like a chance to enjoy this show for free, and hear some of the group's new licks, we have a couple of pairs of tickets to give away to some lucky readers. Just email us at contests@gapersblock.com with the subject line "Squeak" and you and a friend will head to the show tonight, gratis.
Record Store Day — come get your bargains (photo by Kelly Loris)
A few Transmission staff members headed out into the fray over the weekend to check out the scene at record stores around town. With some successes (and failures) under our belts once again this year, here's our recap of Record Store Day 2012 in Chicago.
Tonight a grand science experiment will be conducted in The Metro. After the Record Store Day pop-up has packed up astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will not make an appearance but a swarm of German technocrats will begin assembling an immersive sound and light display. Tonight the whimsical euro-crunk bass masters from Berlin, Modeselektor will cram their festival grade Coachella weathered show full of into The Metro.
No joke. Here's a cure for the rainy day blues. If you like this, check out JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound live (likely sans scatting Muppet er, puppet) at the Metro on April 27, 2012. Tickets are $12. 18+.
Jennifer Hudson, Death Cab for Cutie, Chaka Khan and Dierks Bentley will headline this year's Taste of Chicago concert series July 11-15, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced today.
Jennifer Hudson will kick off the concert series on Wednesday, July 11. Death Cab for Cutie, who were in town for two shows at the Chicago Theatre this week, perform on Thursday, July 12, as part of the 25th annual WXRT concert at Taste. Opening acts for both shows have yet to be announced, and Friday night is not yet booked.
Chaka Khan headlines the V-103 concert Saturday night, July 14, with Raphael Saadiq opening. And on Sunday, July 15, Dierks Bentley plays an early show, with Lindi Ortega opening.
For the first time ever, seating in the Petrillo Music Shell will be ticketed; a total of 3,000 seats for each performance will go on sale in late May for $25 apiece. Lawn seating will remain free. Ticket buying details will be available on the Taste website.
Like many in this neo-analogue age, Matt Carlson (known both under his given name and as the project Golden Retriever) looks forward by looking backward, reviving the sound and structure of analogue synth music of the '60s and '70s with modern means and equipment. But while so many would-be Vangelises of our time venture as far as texture and atmosphere, Carlson can spin you a mighty melody as well, those majestic, cyclical pentatonic modal improvisations that Tonto's Expanding Head Band or Synergy did so well, that put you, whether you were "enhanced" or not, smack dab into the middle of a Roger Dean/Heavy Metal: The Movie landscape with only a sinister cybernaut nearby to lead you back out. And you KNOW that guy's got designs on the Loc-Nar that the embattled old wizard gave you, so step lightly.
(Keith Whitman at Mimaroglu Music Sales really NAILS it in his description of Carlson's Particle Language LP in his catalog description, both the power of Carlson's vision and the occasional paucity of ideas among his peers, so let's bask in his reflected glory: Carlson "immediately eradicates my growing fears of this current wave of renewed interest in the format yielding nothing more than a few dozen "module hoarders" (i.e. trust-funded "curators" of well-intended systems acquired purely for "archival" purposes [i.e. using the same set of neurons previously necessary for maintaining a thriving ho-scale "train village"] that produce nary a sound)."
This Saturday, Matt Carlson presents a new series of compositions for "analog modular and digital synth, voice, and an array of time-lag effects" as the debut of Lampo's Spring season. The event takes place at 8 p.m. on April 21 at the Graham Foundation's Madlener House, 4 W. Burton Pl., Chicago. Tickets are FREE, and you can RSVP here.
Here is a TV performance of Carlson's composition, Merv from Portland's "Experimental Half-Hour" TV program:
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs announced its free summer concert lineup for The Jay Pritzker Pavilion within Millennium Park. This year we get four series: the electronic and new music heavy Loops and Variations, indie rock star studded Downtown Sound, the classical-leaning Grand Park Music Festival, and Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz.
Downtown Sound
Monday, May 28, 6:30 pm
Kelly Hogan + Scott Lucas and the Married Men
Monday, June 4, 6:30 pm
Jonathan Richman + Joel Paterson and the Modern Sounds
Monday, June 11, 6:30 pm
The Eternals + Wild Belle
Monday, June 18, 6:30 pm
Cloud Cult + Judson Claiborne
Monday, June 25, 6:30 pm
Occidental Brothers Dance Band International + Chico Trujillo
Monday, July 2, 6:30 pm
Joan of Arc + Daniel Knox
Monday, July 9, 6:30 pm
The Sadies + James Vincent McMorrow
Monday, July 16, 6:30 pm
Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires + Abigail Washburn
Monday, July 23, 6:30 pm
Ana Tijoux + Sidi Touré
Monday, July 30, 6:30 p.m.
SMOD + M.A.K.U. Soundsystem
Ahoy all vinyl-loving music fans! Another Record Store Day is nearly upon us. Come this Saturday, April 21st, the doors of your local record shops will be thrown open, and all the masses are welcome to flip, peruse, and, most importantly, purchase some amazing new tunes. Chicago stores have always embraced this (most holy) of music celebrations, and this year is no different. Plan your route, or in some cases your level of caffeination, and head out to one of these shops for some RSD fun.
Note: shops have, in most cases, pre-ordered special releases for Record Store Day, but they won't know what they've been sent until the boxes are opened this week. (It's more of a wish list, really.) Check out what you might find with this long run-down of special releases for RSD 2012.
You can't fight the times. Or technology. Most genres have come a long way since planting their musical roots. Many of them have even spurred new sub-genres as responses to social and technological changes over time.
That said, there is something refreshing about bands that favor antiquity when writing their music. That's exactly what Chicago act Akasha do with their reggae sounds. Their songs stick to the upbeat, chugging rhythms that first popped up in the '60s. It's traditional, but that doesn't mean it's a sound that's gone out of style.
Akasha play the Tonic Room (2447 N. Lincoln Ave.) on April 20. They'll be sharing the bill with Mos Scocious and Root Cause. The show starts at 8pm and it's $7.
North Coast Music Festival has been teasing fans all night on twitter about some big news, and just now the festival announced the first wave of acts to play Union Park this year. Gracing the stages August 31-September 2 are the following acts:
-Pretty Lights
-Axwell
-Atmosphere
-Big Boi
-Steve Aoki
-Excision
-The Rapture
-Alesso
-Modestep
-Mord Fustang
-Felix Da Housecat
-Yacht
-Dan Deacon
-King Khan and The Shrines
-Rebirth Brass Band
-Van Ghost
-Maya Jane Coles
-Com Truise
-Auto Body
and many more to be announced. The initial lineup is already looking solid for the third year of the festival, with the promise of even more headliners and other impressive acts to follow. Check out their site here with more information including how to purchase tickets.
Nashville native Justin Townes Earle has gradually carved out his own name for himself in the music scene. Son of legendary musician Steve Earle and named after songwriter Townes Van Zandt, it was basically predestined for Justin Townes Earle to mature into the dynamic country/folk musician he is now. Earle's tumultuous early life was spent wrestling drug addiction and playing short-lived stints with a variety of bands before setting off on a solo career. This path allowed him to hone in on a mature sound and create an intimacy in his music that is unprecedented in the songs of many other country/folk musicians. The struggles brought pain to Earle's early life also created raw emotion that he pumps into his music with every song.
Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap, is an upcoming documentary by Ice-T about the roots, culture and artistry of rap and hip hop. The film includes interviews with dozens of artists from both the new school and old school, including Chicagoans Common and Kanye West.
Meanwhile, local music video producer Konee Rok has put together a documentary of his own: The Rebirth of Chicago Cool, telling the story of how nightclub owner Joe Russo came back to Chicago to open The Shrine.
[This review comes to us from reader Jason Duarte.]
New Brunswick, NJ's Screaming Females are not just another three-piece punk band. It would be unfair and inaccurate to pigeonhole their sound as simply punk, garage or indie because it's all too vague. If you threw indie, garage, punk, noise, pop and a dash of darkness into a blender and set it to high, walked out of the kitchen, forgot about the blender, then came back an hour later, you'd come back to a huge mess, blended to perfection. Soak it up, wring it into a glass, introduce some radiation from your microwave and then you have Screaming Females.
Screamales, as the band's fans refer to them, played the Subterranean in Wicker Park Thursday night in support of its new fifth studio full length; the Steve Albini-engineered Ugly, out on Don Giovanni Records. Screaming Females' vocalist/guitarist Marissa Paternoster has a voice that carries the Riot Grrl torch. It isn't "pretty;" actually, it's quite an acquired taste, but once the taste graces the palate, a Screamales song to a fan is the bell to Pavlov's dog.
Anyone who's considered the option of aging gracefully needs to spend an evening in close proximity to Charlie Gabriel, the 79 year-old clarinetist and saxophonist who plays with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and has a penchant for shaking his booty onstage. Gabriel's family has been playing music since the 1850's, and Gabriel himself has played with jazz luminary Lionel Hampton, among others.
Tuesday's lineup of PHJB musicians read like a who's-who of New Orleans Jazz: trumpeter Mark Braud; the aforementioned Charlie Gabriel; trombonist Freddie Lonzo (who's bio omits his birth-date, stating simply that he was "Born in New Orleans, Louisiana;") pianist Rickie Monie; clarinetist and vocalist Clint Maedgen; drummer Joe "Little Joe" Lastie, Jr.; and tuba player Ron Johnson. The group, whose members number at least in the teens, appeared at S.P.A.C.E. in Evanston as part of their 50-year celebration tour. They will continue to tour through mid-August, playing in venues from coast to coast, and internationally in Canada, Brazil, and Argentina.
The last time Transmission gushed over Disappears it was in praise of their New Year's Eve show featuring cover songs from clear influences. However, what made more of a lasting impression was the encore of new tunes (and a spectacular "Marigold") that were driving, heavy and more psychedelic than Disappears have sounded on their first two albums. Their third album Pre Language begins with a trio that hammers ears (like "Replicate" out of the gate) before easing up a little bit. The Kraut/garage rock elements that Lux introduced and Guider capitalized on are still prevalent, but it's clear (perhaps due to the formal addition of Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley on drums) that Disappears is branching out a little more. Some tracks are more instantly accessible while others like the sprawling "Joa" demand some attention and time to grow. But no matter how you hear Disappears on a record, their live show is pummelling, raucous and always tight.
Disappears headlines Lincoln Hall on Friday, the 13th, before heading out on tour. Deerhunter side project Lotus Plaza and local rockers Implodes open at 10PM. The show's 18+ and $14. Lincoln Hall's at 2424 N Lincoln.
Apparently, if it's a lakeside rave that you're looking for this summer, you won't have to look far. Hot on the heels of the announcement of the inaugural Spring Awakening Music Festival--billed as Chicago's first all electronic music fest--comes the announcement of another electronic music festival in Chicago.
Wavefront Music Festival will hit Montrose Beach June 30-July 1 with an all electronic/DJ lineup. Notable performers include headliners Duck Sauce, Erick Morillo and Boys Noize--who played a killer set at Lollapalooza back in '09. James Murphy--you know, that guy from LCD Soundsystem--is also slated to play a DJ set.
This might be the right alternative if Spring Awakening is sounding a little too pricey. Tickets are $49 for single day admission and $89 for two-day passes.
I've always had a soft spot for the founding fathers of a genre, the foundation of a type of sound or style. Those acts that are super influential to a community, but are are overlooked for the most part by popular culture. Call it respecting your elders or knowing your roots, but sometimes the best albums can be found when you trace back what writers and musicians cite as their favorite and most influential pieces of work.
One of the acts that influenced much of the underground hip hop world in the 90s was the trio Company Flow. Made up of three rapper/producers (El-P, Mr. Len, and Bigg Jus), the groups debut album, Funcrusher Plus, was a cacophony of heavy beats and jarring samples that somehow blended into an impressive album of work. The lyrics ranged from abstract to social commentary, and with three innovative producers in the mix, the album became a creative touchstone of what was becoming the East Coast sound of that time. The album garnered critical claim (it still has a lot of love online from Pitchfork), but the band had severe problems with their label, and ended up disbanding to go their own way with solo work.
Personally I've followed El-P's solo stuff the most, which includes an impressive body of work ranging from collaborating with Trent Reznor to creating his label Def Jux to the wonderful instrumental and remix work he produces. I had the pleasure of chatting with him when he performed at Pitchfork Festival a few years back, and it was obvious the extreme care and dedication he has with all his work. But I know I'm not the only one excited to see Company Flow together again onstage. Since breaking up they've had a few shows here and there (including a set for Portishead's curated ATP fest), but this is the first show they have ever done in Chicago. There is no guarantee when and if they'll be back, so spend Thursday night educating yourself in hip hop history by celebrating the return of Company Flow.
Company Flow is tomorrow night, Thursday April 12th at the Metro. Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 the day of the show, and you can purchase them here. Doors open at 8pm and show starts at 9pm. There are four openers, so expect a long night of music (not that you'll mind at all).
The official 2012 Lollapalooza lineup was announced at midnight at the Do312 Lolla announcement party at Debonair Social Club, and it is exactly identical to the list leaked on Monday, with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath and Jack White as the big headliners.
Greg Kot reports that the Black Sabbath reunion will include original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. The Afghan Whigs and At the Drive-In are also reuniting for the festival (and their own reunion tours).
Meanwhile, the other three headliners, RHCP, the Black Keys and Jack White, are all Lolla veterans (although White previously played with his band the Raconteurs). Bloc Party, Delta Spirit, Miike Snow and the Temper Trap also return for another go.
If you're looking for some last-minute plans tonight, check out this music video for Perfume Genius' "Hood" off his sophomore release Put Your Back N 2 It on Matador Records, and you won't be able to resist catching his show at Schubas tonight. The video features gay porn star Arpad Miklos, who is shown doing everything from brushing the emotional singer's hair and applying his lipstick to dressing up as Freddy Krueger.
Perfume Genius plays tonight at Schubas, 3159 North Southport Avenue. The show is $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and starts at 8 pm. Parenthetical Girls open. 21+.
The show is scheduled for Thursday, April 19. Doors open at 8pm, Show starts at 8:30pm, $10 suggested donation at the door. All proceeds will be donated to Rudy, who is recovering. For more info visit Double Door.
Chicago's own Motown-inspired rockers The Right Now celebrate the release of their newest album today, April 10. The difference between The Right Now's sophomore release Gets Over You and their 2010 debut Carry Me Home is stark, but you know that even before the album starts playing. The phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind. This album should absolutely be judged by its cover--especially when you sit it next to its predecessor. The warm hues in the cover art of Carry Me Home have been replaced by a dark city scene. The pastel lettering ousted for a neon marquee. Angular edges jut into the scenery where rounded, abstract shapes once did. The Right Now's new album is gritty. The band all but drops the pop sheen that illuminated Carry Me Home and trades it in for a bluesy production style. Gets Over You is a sexy step in the right direction for this these local up and comers.
When this reviewer spoke with guitarist/keys player and lead songwriter Brendan O'Connell he explained the band's second studio effort was more of a collaborative effort. Before heading to L.A. to record the album The Right Now spent the majority of 2011 holed up in its recording space working together to develop each song.
The supposed official 2012 Lollapalooza lineup was leaked over the weekend in a grainy cellphone photo. The official announcement will come on at midnight Tuesday, April 10 at the Do312 Lolla announcement party at Debonair Social Club, so this isn't a huge leadtime. In fact, that lends this list more credibility than the @lollaleaks fiasco did. Lollapalooza has been leaking acts itself via ads on the CTA -- all of which are on the alleged leaked lineup except Kimbra.
We'll hold off until the official announcement to do a full analysis, but if this is the real list, it looks pretty good.
A recent performance by the PHJB on The Late Show With David Letterman.
Legendary New Orleans jazz group the Preservation Hall Jazz Band continues its celebration of 50 years and running with two back-to-back performances tomorrow night at S.P.A.C.E. (1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.) Tickets run from $26-$46, shows are at 6:30 and 9:30. They probably won't be this far north again for a long time, so catch them while you can.
It happens to every band fortunate enough to make it past its second album. The act of compiling a set list when it's time to tour becomes a sheer balancing act--deciding what new songs to debut on tour but still mixing in enough old fan favorites to keep audiences appeased.
This was what I was afraid of when I went to see Say Anything last Wednesday (April 4). Fresh off the release of their fourth album, Anarchy, My Dear--and factoring the double-disc element of their sophomore release, Say Anything have quite the arsenal of songs to select from. Despite my instant affinity for Anarchy and the well-deserved attention the album's been getting from publications like SPIN and Rolling Stone, I was still hopeful to hear hear some old gems at the pop punkers' headlining show at House of Blues.
There has been a lot written over the years about second acts in American lives, or the lack thereof. Many musicians have tried to follow up great success with different success. Some have triumphed. Others have crashed and burned. While it might be silly to some people to suggest that Wild Flag, born from the ashes of Sleater-Kinney, Helium and the Minders, could somehow live up to the sum of those acts, perhaps nobody told that to the ladies in Wild Flag. They have a fresh approach, unlike anyone who'd be cashing in on past successes with a phoned-in product. On their self-titled debut, the guitars are aggressive, the keys add pop and Janet Weiss' drumming is frenetic, as always.
At last night's sold out Metro show, the band was top-notch performing most of their debut, as well as new tracks and a few surprises. They began with "Electric Band", which is as close to a theme as they'll get without something called "The Wild Flag Song." Once the crowd settled after a couple familiar tracks, the band dropped in a few new songs that stayed consistent with their fiery tempo; one even coming across with a little Gang of Four-like angular sound. The set was front-loaded with Mary Timony-led songs that inspired her to strike rock star poses as she wailed, as long as they didn't interfere with her and Carrie Brownstein's little kicks. (At one point, Brownstein commented about the Nationals/Cubs game across the street and appeared shocked by the boos from many White Sox fans in attendance.)
Even though most of the album tracks didn't stray much from the record, "Glass Tambourine" and "Racehorse" featured significant diversions with a little psych-rock influence before falling back into place. A frenzied "Romance" closed out the main set to wild cheers from a mostly respectful crowd. For the encore, Wild Flag went to one of their hidden strengths in three covers - Television's "See No Evil", Bobby Freeman's "Do You Wanna Dance?" (closer to the Ramones' version) and Fugazi's "Margin Walker." They may never be revered like the bands the members are best known for, but that doesn't seem like their objective. Writing good songs, being entertaining, having a hell of a lot of fun? That's more like it. And they're certainly getting that done.
Hospitality opened with a set of catchy yet conventional indie-rock songs that sounded like if Camera Obscura had a bit more bite but less melody. Their set was also plagued with a strange mix in which the vocals took a while to get right and the bass guitar dominated, which led to one of the few times I've ever heard an audience member yell, "Turn it down."
Let's skip the small talk: Yo-Yo Ma will perform Dvorak's Cello Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on May 5 and 6, 2012. I could list all the reasons why you should see this concert, but that would waste time. Simply put: whether you're into this classical music stuff or not, everyone should see Yo-Yo play the undisputed giant of the cello repertoire. But if you can't get tickets to the Dvorak concerts, try May 10 or 11, 2012 when Yo-Yo plays the Haydn concerto; or April 29, 2012, when he joins longtime collaborators guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad and pianist Kathryn Stott in a concert of Brazilian music. Frankly, it doesn't matter if he's performing with Elmo or hanging out with a wombat, Yo-Yo is one of the most magnetic performers of any genre and always worth the price of admission. So call the Symphony (312-294-3000) for tickets.
Look at the beard on Zs' saxophonist Sam Hillmer. Now look at yourself. Unless you're a graduate of a wizard academy you lack his face plumage. Parishioners of the magical arts like Sam are known for their reality warping rituals. With the sax and electronic drone music of Sam's arcane named project Diamond Terrifier he folds the layers of reality into a cosmic blanket fort and invites us into his world. The gateway into the adjacent dimension opens as Diamond Terrifier and Bachanalia's Flu Riddim Tour stops at Soapbox Music.
Muddy Waters would have turned 97 on April 4. In 1974, the very first episode of "Soundstage" on PBS featured a "blues summit," featuring Muddy joined by an all-star band: Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Dr. John, Buddy Miles, Junior Wells, Nick Gravenites, Johnny Winter and Mike Bloomfield (as well as an uncredited Pinetop Perkins). Here it is in its entirety.
Hot 97's DJ Funkmaster Flex debuted a new track by Kanye West Wednesday night called "Theraflu," featuring DJ Khaled and DJ Pharris.
For most of the last minute, DJ Pharris runs through shout-outs to various Chicago neighborhoods:
This is Chicago, nigga!
South Side we're in this bitch!
East Side crazy blow that loud!
Low End! 39th! the Ickes!
47th Street! Garfield Park!
79th! Stony Island!
K-Town and Wild Hundreds!
This is Chi-Town!
Dro City! The Village!
Harvey World! O-Block!
64th and Normal!
64th and King Drive, what up!?
83rd! Cottage Grove! The Gardens!
This Chicago, nigga!
The Dearborns! 55th!
Cabrini Green! Terror Town!
West Side! Pocket Town, it's Chicago!
Halsted to the Ida B. Wells!
Lawn-City! The Manor, London Town!
Chiraq Drillinoise!
DJ Pharris, fuck around and get embarrassed.
There's always something to be said for a band that's hard to pin down, and that certainly applies to Toronto's Fucked Up. It's easiest, of course, to paint them with a broad punk or hardcore brush, and certainly some of the notes are there: bearded, shirtless, yowling frontman, check. Howling, three guitar wall-of-noise, check. Unprintable/mentionable band name seemingly suitable only for Xeroxed flyers, roger. But that hardly scratches the surface. Take a closer look and it becomes clear that Fucked Up is a band that is leading a rich inner life. In 2011 alone, the band managed to release the critically acclaimed David Comes to Life, one of the most successful takes on a concept album in recent memory, as well as releasing David's Town, an ambitious Record Store Day release of surprisingly convincing "hits" from fictional Byrdesdale, UK. The band's live shows are an excellent tightrope walk between the rich, visceral chaos of their punk leanings and frontman Damian Abraham's force of nature stage (or perhaps more appropriately, venue) presence, and the bands clearly well crafted and capably executed songcraft.
[Note: Originally, Fucked Up was supposed to play Lincoln Hall on Sunday, April 8th. From LH: Due to a scheduling conflict the show has now been moved from April 8, 2012 to April 9, 2012. All previous ticket holders will be contacted directly.]
The far western suburbs, that is. On Sunday, July 8, a dream lineup (for me, anyway) of Wilco, Andrew Bird and The Congregation will perform at the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva, home of the Kane County Cougars, as part of WXRT's 40th anniversary celebration. To top it off, there will be a fireworks display after the show.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 7 at 10am via eTix -- or pick them up at either the ballpark or Vic Theater box office to save the service charge. They'll run you $50 apiece and are general admission, so you can pack a blanket and lay out on the ballfield if you'd rather not sit in the stands.
The Congress Theater housed a UK dubstep invasion on Saturday night. If you kept reading past the word "dupstep," I'll now attempt to review just what that show was like. However, I feel that given the recentrumblings surrounding the Congress as of late, it's definitely worth addressing the differences that I noticed in the Logan Square venue since it was slapped with an April 17 Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance Hearing at City Hall.
But first, let's talk about Feed Me. Now, I'm just like a lot of you, Chicago. I came from the land of the two to five hundred-person rock show. So seeing several thousand furry-boot-wearing, pacifier-sucking twenty-somethings bum rush a stage that doesn't actually hold a single instrument is not the norm for me either.
The Oxford-based Jonquil are currently on their first US tour that brings them to the Empty Bottle on Wednesday. On their latest record, Point of Go, the band delivers a sound that's somewhere between a lush Vampire Weekend and a more mainstream Miike Snow. It has a tropical/calypso-like sound molded with electropop vibes, all highlighted by Hugo Manuel's terrifically lilting vocals. The album doesn't spend a lot of time off course as it clocks in at 38 minutes, but it packs a lot in its 11 tracks that are catchy, breezy and full of subtle surprises for ears. Singer Hugo Manuel's side project Chad Valley played Schubas last year and one Transmission writer (okay, it was me) was straight-up blown away by how strong his vocals sounded live. I wouldn't expect any different on Wednesday.
Jonquil plays with Keep Shelly in Athens at the Empty Bottle on Wednesday, the 4th. Chicago's Speck Mountain opens. The show's $12, 21+ and starts at 9:30PM. The Empty Bottle's at 1035 N Western.
The first time I heard the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, it was instant love. They are not a band you have to listen to over and over to "get;" Of Monsters and Men are a solid septet of Icelanders supplying memorable melodies, thoughtful lyrics and general good vibes. Looking over the sold-out, packed-in crowd at Park West on Friday night, I got the sense that Of Monsters and Men has that effect on a wide range of people.
From hoodies to button-ups to flannels, the social genres blended together in the standing room only space at Park West. The band gave enough beat and energy for an occasional fist pump and enough pensive lyrics for a romantic sway or two.
Of Monsters and Men at the Park West (photos by Steve Stearns)
As the "official Chicago visitors' site," 
Tickets for the 
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Double Door is partnering with the bands 
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