Artist Thu Jan 08 2009
The release of Mr. Bird's new album Noble Beast is just two weeks away, and we here at Gapers Block are pumped. In the meantime, NPR is giving you the chance to pick some Bird brain. Andrew will be signing in for a guest chat today at 1 p.m. to answer questions about his new album. You can join in on the fun here.
And if you can't wait until the 20th to hear Noble Beast, NPR will also be streaming the album all this week, and you can pre-order it over at Fat Possum's website. A deluxe edition of the album will be available, which will include Useless Creatures, an instrumental companion to Noble Beast, which is currently streaming here.
— Stephanie Griffin /
Event Tue Dec 23 2008
The lovely folks over at The Hideout are having their annual Holiday sale tonight. It's a handy event for all of us that loathe Holiday shopping and put it off until the last minute. Or at least prefer to shop while drinking. I thankfully fall under both groups.
You can find all sorts of items for sale. I saw some pretty sweet vintage guitar straps from Souldier that a few musician friends would love. And our friends over at Bloodshot Records will be there with a booth full of their aural goodness. If you don't own Buckle in the Bible Belt by Ha Ha Tonka, I suggest you pick it up while visiting their booth.
Best of all? The Holiday sale is totally free. It goes from 6:00-9:00 PM. So go support some local businesses, warm up with a nice drink, and get your last minute shopping done all in one place tonight at The Hideout.
— Lisa White /
News Wed Dec 17 2008
If you've got plans to go to DC (and a place to stay...) for Obama's Presidential Inauguration, you can celebrate the night before with the folks from The Hideout at The Black Cat where they, with Interchange, present The Big Shoulders Ball, a Chicago concert celebrating change. Hideout co-owner and staunch Obama supporter (as is evident by the ENORMOUS picture of Obama hanging on the front of The Hideout), Tim Tuten, has chartered two buses to take the bands and company on the cross country trip. Why am I getting a feeling of America ala 60s full of VW buses, hippie braids and peace signs... Anyway, the lineup is stacked; Tortoise, Waco Brothers, Ken Vandermark and Icy Demons are among the local artists already slated to play. Tickets go on sale today at 4pm and are $50. You can get them from The Black Cat's website, or pick them up in person at The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). The exact date of the show is Monday, January 19 (just in case you've been living under a rock and hadn't heard when Obama would take over as Commander in Chief). The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th St. NW WDC 20009.
**UPDATE** Andrew Bird has been added to the line-up as well!
— Michelle Meywes /
Concert Mon Dec 15 2008
Owned and operated by the crew at the Shape Shoppe studio and members of affiliated groups Icy Demons and Chandeliers, the recently-launched Obey Your Brain label aims to showcase the work of the Shoppe's allies, associates, and fellow travelers alike -- of adventurous musical artists from Chicago and from across the country. This Tuesday evening, the folks at OBY take the venture one step further as they kick off a series of monthly events that will be hosted by Sonotheque.
The lineup for the first show of the series features a headlining set from the Mahjongg side-project Waterbabies, and DJs Alex Valentine and Smart Cousin are scheduled to spin. Piling onto the bill at the eleventh hour are DJ HoloGram Trav (of the band Killer Whales) and a set from Warhammer 48K offshoot CAVE. Word has it that Nashvillian underground hip-hop emcee Count Bass D, who recently recorded some new material to be released via Obey Your Brain, might -- repeat: might -- also be in the house. Admission is free and doors open at 9 PM. 1444 W. Chicago Ave.
[video]: Waterbabies - "Whoop Draft"
[video]: CAVE - live at Heaven Gallery, 2007
— Graham Sanford /
Event Wed Dec 10 2008
Chances are you're familiar with the work of local visual artist Cody Hudson by now; either by way of his silkscreened posters for various events and venues, his public art installations, or perhaps even his work as in-house designer (under the moniker Struggle Inc.) for the Chocolate Industries record label. Or you might know him -- along with Mike Genovese and Juan Angel Chávez -- as one of a core cluster of this city's most notable street artists.
This weekend, Hudson will be trotting out a new batch of work at a show that opens this Friday evening at the Andrew Rafacz Gallery in the West Loop. Entitled "Tambourine Solo: Take One," the exhibition will also feature musical accompaniment -- a musical score crafted by local musician Zachary Mastoon. In recent years Mastoon's released albums of shoegazey, downtempo tunes under the name Caural. The score for "Tambourine Solo," incidently, was originally done in collaboration with Hudson for a show that took place at New Image Art in L.A. this past August. So peep the work, hear the soundtrack, maybe even buy a print of something. 835 W. Washington, 5-8 PM. 312-404-9188 for info. The exhibition is scheduled to run until January 24.
— Graham Sanford /
Event Tue Dec 09 2008
Did you ever wish that there was a radio station that would cater to you and play new music based on your likes and dislikes? Well, it exists as an Internet station called Pandora.
Pandora gives you the option to create many different stations for whatever your mood. Each station will play songs similar to your initial request, you give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down, and Pandora will use that information to specialize the station even more to you. It does this based on The Music Genome Project that founder Tim Westegren started in 2000 with other musicians and music-loving technologists. They broke songs down into hundreds of different attributes or "genes" for matching, not necessarily by popularity or genre.
Tonight, CTO Tom Conrad (Westegren himself was supposed to be there, but had to cancel for personal reasons) will be at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue to talk about The Music Genome Project, the history of Pandora, and Pandora on the iPhone (yes, you can take it with you, you aren't chained to your computer). He will also answer any questions you might have about anything Pandora related. It's free, and there's no need to rsvp, just show up! 679 N. Michigan Ave. 7pm.
— Michelle Meywes /
Event Wed Dec 03 2008
So you've gotten some friends together and decided to form a band. You've thought of a clever name for yourself and have written a few songs together. You're ready to take the next step, but aren't sure where to start. Rather than sitting around waiting to get noticed, you can take matters into your own hands. With some hard work and ingenuity, you can book your own shows, promote yourself, and sell your music without paying someone else to do it for you. Martin Atkins is here to show you the way.
Martin Atkins, author of Tour:Smart, has made a name for himself as a drummer for Public Image Ltd., Ministry, Pigface, Killing Joke, and Nine Inch Nails. He's also the owner of Chicago label Invisible Records, and writes an advice column for bands on Suicide Girls (link NSFW). Pretty much, this guy knows his stuff, and he's willing to impart his wisdom onto you and your band tomorrow night, for free. Martin will be hosting a seminar at Reggies on Thursday, where he will discuss the state of the music industry, plus how to book yourself, market yourself, and succeed as a band. Did I mention the seminar is free? They'll also have free appetizers and Red Bull.
The Tour:Smart Band Summit is happening Thursday night at Reggies, 2105 S. State St. It lasts from 6:30 - 9:00 pm and is all ages. While the event is free, you must register beforehand by signing up here.
— Stephanie Griffin /
Event Wed Dec 03 2008
Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis have a ton of knowledge between them in rock music and the going-ons in the industry. You've heard them on "the worlds only rock 'n' roll talk show," Sound Opinions, and now you can join them live to discuss the future of the music industry in this uncertain time.
It's no secret that the Internet and the digital age have changed the way we listen to music, buy music, are exposed to music, and generally enjoy artists we like. Record companies are left scrambling to try to figure out how to still make a profit in this new time, but what does it mean for you the consumer/ listener, and for the musicians themselves? Kot and De Rogatis promise to break it down for you tonight at Columbia College's Conway Center (1104 S. Wabash). It's free, but space is limited so get there early. Doors open at 5:30, and the talk begins at 6pm.
Chicago Public Radio Event Details
— Michelle Meywes /
Concert Tue Nov 25 2008
Puma (yes, the shoe company) is turning 60 years old and will be celebrating right here in Chicago with a party at the Metro. The party will have free food and (of course!) birthday cake, along with DJs and drinks.
Retro rockers The Bravery will be headlining the event. They may not be the most original band (think Franz Ferdinand + New Order), but the show will certainly be high energy and entertaining. I've never seen them live before, but I hear they have a pretty intense stage presence. If you're into heavy synths and catchy guitar hooks, you'll most likely enjoy this. Plus, it's free! What have you got to lose?
The party is happening on Wednesday, December 10th at 9 pm at the Metro, 3730 N. Clark Street. The concert is free, but you must pick up a ticket beforehand at the Puma Store, 1051 N. Rush Street. Throw on your best kicks and head over there ASAP as there are a limited number of tickets available. The show is 18+. Email info@puma.com/bday48 for more details.
— Stephanie Griffin /
Event Fri Nov 21 2008
As the weather in Chicago starts to dip into frigid temperatures, a wonderful way to keep warm on a winter weekend night is a strong drink, a nice mix of people, and a good show. You can have just that tonight at the Underground Lounge in Wrigleyville with the return of music, comedy, and art showcase Collaborate.
Collaborate helps to provide an open forum for local acts in a relaxed setting, providing a showcase for not only their art but also a meeting place for likewise talent (hence the name Collaborate). The night kicks off at 8pm with an open mic and visual arts showcase. Other highlights include Comedy Central comedian Prescott Tolk, WXRT praised band The Innocent, and Stealth Like a Canoe, a duo that bills their instrumentation as guitar, accordion, and sometimes rap. I don't know about you, but a good freestyle over a sweet accordion beat always makes my night a little better.
Collaborate is tonight at The Underground Lounge at 952 W. Newport Ave. Doors open at 7:30pm and cover is $10 for the whole evening of entertainment. The show is 21+
— Lisa White /
Event Wed Nov 12 2008
This Friday Chicago gets a chance to see some songs. Yes, see them.
Jon Langford, of the Mekons for one, as well as a good number of other bands (don't tell the punk kids he's also part of the kiddie rock band the Beasties) is opening his show "Song Paintings" at Thomas Masters Gallery this Friday.
Back in the day Langford gave up painting in favor of being in bands. It was easier for him to write songs than get paint onto a canvas. But then he started investigating why one creative process might be so much easier than the other. It was through that investigation that Langford's songs got into his paintings, and occasionally a painting or two got into his songs.
Continue reading this entry »
— Alexis Finch /
Anyone who enjoys an evening spent crushed in a sea of sweaty dancing hipsters will tell you that the place to be this New Year's Eve is the
Congress Theater, where Parisian duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay (otherwise known as
Justice) will be
bringing the house down. For the past two years, the name Justice has become synonymous with party, and for good reason - when I had the pleasure of catching them live at the Metro last October, I left the venue drenched, bruised, and with someone's weave stuck to the bottom of my shoe.
Luckily for those of us who can't wait until December 31st to get our electro-fix, this Friday night the Metro will be screening A Cross the Universe, a documentary following Justice during the final three weeks of their MySpace-sponsored tour this past spring. Best of all? The screening is free! Be prepared to D.A.N.C.E. afterwards as DJ sets by Eamon Harkin, Bald Eagle, and Yello Fever follow the screening. The film starts at 11:30 PM, but be sure to arrive early as seating is limited.
The Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark Street. The screening is 18 & over and free before 2 AM ($5 afterwards for DJ sets only).
NSFW trailer after the jump!
Continue reading this entry »
— Stephanie Griffin /
Event Wed Nov 05 2008
The third annual Umbrella Music Festival begins tonight and continues through the weekend with events at different venues around the city. If you're into jazz, you should definitely check it out. Umbrella Music is a group of jazz musicians who wanted to give the creative music scene more exposure, and give improvisers more opportunities to play together. They have been successful in doing just that with weekly concert series held at Elastic, The Hideout, and The Hungry Brain.
The festival kicks off tonight with their second annual European Jazz Meets Chicago event at the Chicago Cultural Center. They've brought in groups from Austria, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland who get the opportunity to improvise with local jazz musicians. The best part? This first night is FREE to the public. Come out and listen to some music you might not otherwise ever be exposed to and see some acclaimed artists of the Chicago area practicing their craft.
Schedule to follow:
Continue reading this entry »
— Michelle Meywes /
Event Tue Sep 09 2008
The Future of Music Coalition, a national non-profit "education, research and advocacy organization that identifies, examines, interprets and translates the challenging issues at the intersection of music, law, technology and policy," is holding a workshop titled "What's the Future for Musicians?" at the Old Town School of Folk Music on September 22, from noon to 7pm. Quoth the news release:
The "What's the Future for Musicians?" seminar will provide musicians, songwriters, independent label owners and music fans with practical advice about a range of internet-based promotion and distribution options, how to navigate the health insurance landscape, the importance of open internet structures and how copyright law and business models affect musician compensation. Breakout sessions will give attendees a chance to interact with the experts on the latest developments in music, technology and policy. The forum is a great opportunity to network with other musicians while getting informed on topical issues.
Panelists will include several FMC folks as well as Nan Warshaw, co-owner of Bloodshot Records; Frank Mauceri from Smog Veil Records; Shawn Campbell from the Chicago Independent Radio Project; Todd Bachman, producer of "Sound Opinions" and more. The organizers also promise a "special conversation" with Rob Sevier of Numero Group about how they find the artists they highlight and how they get permission to re-release recordings.
Admission is $25; register here.
— Andrew Huff /
Event Thu Sep 04 2008
Gastr del Sol, Mirror Repair EP, 1994, Drag City Records
As it goes with music, the best art can often be a little unruly, a bit difficult -- doesn't behave, in other words. It can prompt discussion, steer conversation in unforeseen directions, or -- at its most poignant -- sometimes render speech useless altogether.
Throughout the course of its long and diverse history, the Drag City label has dealt with its share of musical artists who defy pat categorization -- releasing records by the likes of Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Royal Trux, Silver Jews, Gastr del Sol, U.S. Maple, Joanna Newsome, and many others. Not only do many of these musicians also produce visual work on the side, but a few of them have collaborated with artists in other disciplines. Case in point: The stalwart experimental-rock outfit Red Krayola, whose ranks have included a number of internationally-established artists from the visual art realm -- benefitting from contributions by Albert Oehlen (see above) and Christopher Williams, as well as sometimes collaborated with members of the British conceptual art collective Art & Language.
To showcase this facet of the label's history, Drag City and the UIC's Gallery 400 recently mounted the exhibition Chances Are The Comets In Our Future - A Visual Introduction To Drag City. As expected, the show features cover art and various designs from the DC back catalog, but it also includes miscellaneous art-works from label artist such as Ian Svenonius, Neil Michael Haggerty, and Will Oldham. Also included as related pieces by Oelhen, Williams, Stephen Prina, and legendary punk designer/illustrator Savage Pencil.
The exhibition is currently on view at Gallery 400 at the UIC School of Architecture and the Arts, is free to the public, and runs until October 8. For directions, gallery hours and additional info, see the Gallery's website.
— Graham Sanford /
Concert Thu Aug 28 2008
Your plans are probably made for tonight; either watching the speech or avoiding it, but we at Transmission would be remiss if we did not mention the Chicago Jazz Festival. Four days of the celebration of a true American art form in a city that's done so much as a showcase and as stomping grounds for its luminaries and its everyday practitioners.
The Chicago Jazz Festival is being bookended by two legends of jazz; Sonny Rollins tonight, and Ornette Coleman on Sunday night. Both men are nearing 80 and are still creating and playing gigs worldwide.
Other publications have done excellent recaps of both men's careers; Rollins as possibly the greatest saxophonist alive, Coleman as one of the fathers of free jazz. But we'd like to stress that, while the titans bookend the event, the musicians in the middle aren't slouches. Very few will play "straight ahead" jazz, as that has seemed to fall out of favor in favor of standards and histrionics, but there's something for everyone. Schedule is over here. Here's to hoping that a (mostly) dry weekend will get you out into the sun and into some good music.
— Troy Hunter /
Concert Sun Aug 24 2008
Labor Day weekend is upon us and that can only mean one thing -- the close of the city's music festival season with the 2008 Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park. And this year's CJF schedule showcases an especially solid line-up.
The Festival kicks off Thursday evening at the Pritzker Pavilion with a keynote performance by the venerable Sonny Rollins. Other headlining acts for this year include Latin jazz master Eddie Palmieri, Gerald ("Viva Tirado") Wilson and his Orchestra, and free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman.
Some other noteworthy attractions on this year's billing are appearances by the AACM-/Tortoise-affiliated ensemble Isotope 217, a tribute to the legacy of the AACM as led by Roscoe Mitchell and Wadada Leo Smith, vocalist Dee Alexander joining up with Eight Bold Souls, plus a performance and composer's talk by pianist Vijay Iyer (who's debuting a specially-commissioned piece for the Festival).
Those, however, are only some of the highlights. If you've yet to see the full schedule, you might want to avoid any of the City org's clunky and byzantine sites and instead dial up the Jazz Institute of Chicago page for the most compact and comprehensive listing. Or just click here.
— Graham Sanford /
Event Mon Aug 11 2008
By chance, I found myself in San Francisco last Friday, and able to score a ticket to the US Air Guitar National Championship Finals. More than two dozen air rockers from across the country competed to become the US Champion, representing us in Finland later this year.
Though Chicago's champion, Nordic Thunder, called upon the gods of rock to grant him victory over his foes, he fell just short of the compulsory round. That doesn't mean he didn't rock, though -- competition was so close that fifth place was a tie, and the next best contestant missed by just a tenth of a point.
And seriously, how do you beat a guy who breaks his thumb while playing an invisible guitar? That's right, US Champion Hot Lixx Hulahan managed somehow to land thumb down during his onstage acrobatics, badly mangling it, yet continued to perform and rode that bad-assness all the way to the win.
— Andrew Huff /
Venue Tue Jul 15 2008
Drums and wires: Mahjongg
The guys in the L.A.-based noise-rock outfit HEALTH haven’t exactly made things easy for anybody, least of all themselves. First there’s their choice of a Google-that-again name, and the fact that their debut album of last year threw the trend jockeys for a loop with all of its abrasive jolts, asymmetrical arrangements, and spectral vocals. Throwing another curveball into the mix, the band managed to somewhat placate pop-minded listeners when they recently released the follow-up HEALTH//DISCO -- a bubble-wrap remix affair in which artists like Crystal Castles, Acid Girls, and Drop The Lime gave the band’s debut a club-oriented workover.
HEALTH will be playing this Friday night at the Hideout. Better yet -- in an act of astute matchmaking for the evening’s billing, they’ll be appearing alongside Chicago’s own electro Afro-funk experimentalists Mahjongg. Both groups will be performing early on the Sunday schedule for Pfork Fest; but if you’d rather experience both groups in the more cozy and conducive confines of a club, Friday’s show makes for an ideal opportunity. Alex & the Drummer are also slated to play. Doors open at 10 PM and tickets are $10.
For Saturday night’s post-Pfork soiree, the Hideout will be hosting a special edition of their Saturday night dance party event. To celebrate being named “Best Dance Party” by the Chicago Reader, the Hideout’s throwing a big eight deejay pile-up of a throwdown. Scheduled to spin for the evening (in order of appearance) are: DJ Treetop Lover, the East of Edens Soul Express DJs, Gutterbutter DJ Logan Bay, Bald Eagle and Mother Hubbard of the Life During Wartime DJs, and Smashing Time DJs Mary Nisi and Carrie Weston. It all gets underway starting at 9 PM and admission is free.
For further details, see the Hideout’s website, and our own feature run-down of this year’s Pitchfork lineup.
[video]: HEALTH - live (via Pitchfork TV)
[video]: Mahjongg - "Teardrops"
— Graham Sanford /
Event Tue Jul 01 2008
For the third straight year, KEXP will visit Chicago and feature some homegrown talent live in the studio on their airwaves. On July 16, 17 and 18, KEXP hosts 4 bands each day at Engine Studios. Many local acts like Bottomless Pit, The M's, Mahjongg, Occidental Brothers and David Vandervelde will perform. And because they're such nice folks, KEXP is letting almost anyone join them to see and hear them play live. But you have to sign up. And you should do it sooner rather than later because these events fill up. Performers and times are listed at KEXP's Live from Chicago 2008 website. In addition to the studio sessions, Au and Sleep Out will perform for free at Darkroom on the 16th as part of KEXP's Midwest invasion.
— James Ziegenfus /
Event Tue Jun 03 2008
When he first arrived in the U.S. with his immigrant parents in 1967 at the age of twelve, Jamaican-born Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, carried with him the seeds of a cultural movement. Bearing memories of classic DJ soundclashes and block parties in his hometown of Kingston, he would later aim to recreate similar events on the streets of the Bronx -- rigging up his own sound system with two turntables, PA columns, and a guitar amp, and setting up block parties in the park, spinning (against the disco trend of the time) a selection of funk, soul, and breakbeat-heavy selections that provided a dance-friendly vibe that folks weren't getting anywhere else. And with that, Campbell established the first of hip-hop's four elements, paving the way for all that would follow.
That, of course, is Hip-Hip History 101 -- so Old School that it's positively Pre-School. But, according to Herc, the role of playing selector and party-starter was always of a matter of knowing how to please a crowd. "When I started DJing back in the early '70s, it was just something that we were doing for fun," he wrote in his introduction for Jeff Chang's Can't Stop, Won't Stop. "I came from the 'people's choice,' from the street. If the people like you, they will support you, and your work will speak for itself."
Continue reading this entry »
— Graham Sanford /
Event Thu May 15 2008
It's been said that those artists who possess the highest degree of creative genius are often those who carry within them the greatest unresolved paradoxes. Kris Kristofferson might've had something similar in mind when he said of his friend and fellow artist Johnny Cash, "He's a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction."
Truth, of course, is the end concern of philosophical inquiry – getting at the brass tacks of life, human knowledge and experience, the nature of the world. As the latest in a series of titles from their Popular Culture and Philosophy line, Chicago-based scholarly imprint Open Court Publishing has just published Johnny Cash and Philosophy: The Burning Ring of Truth. In a collection of academically-inclined essays, eighteen deep thinkers and die-hard Cash fans offer a variety of perspectives on the metaphysical, social, and spiritual aspects of the Cash's music – the whys and what-fors of how Cash's lyrics connect with the singer's own life and speak to a large and varied audience on so many levels. The contributing authors examine the man's music from a range of perspectives. You get Cash on crime and the American penal system, Cash on sin and redemption and the many pitfalls of human nature, Cash on the value of honest labor and making what you can of what you've been given, Cash on the matter of love as examined in light of his relationship with June Carter, and a number of other topics.
The volume of essays was co-edited (along with David Werther) by former Chicago musician and current philosophy professor John Huss, who contributed the chapter "Johnny Cash and Justice." Before he vacated town to pursue his career in academia, Huss used to play around the Windy City as the frontman for the John Huss Moderate Combo back in the 1990s. Next weekend, the Moderate Combo will be reuniting to play a couple of shows in town to celebrate the book's publication and to pay tribute to the Man in Black.
Continue reading this entry »
— Graham Sanford
Concert Wed Apr 30 2008
The announcement earlier this month that Sly & the Family Stone would play at the Vic this Saturday evening was greeted by potential concertgoers with emotions ranging from absolute glee to serious hesitation. Not surprisingly, considering Sly's erratic behavior over the last, oh, nearly 40 years, Saturday's gig has been cancelled "due to health reasons." Whether that is actually the case or not may remain a mystery in the same way that the Minneapolis cancellation the night prior is due to "scheduling conflicts." Reviews from last weekend's shows in Los Angeles (here and here) indicate inconsistent performances highlighted only by moments of greatness among many of mediocrity.
In other news about events that aren't happening, this weekend's rescheduled grand opening of the new Bottom Lounge has been postponed. Last weekend's Earth show had been moved and this weekend's shows by Urge Overkill and MU330 (They're still around?) have simply been postponed. Hopefully, the proper Ts and Is are crossed and dotted before next weekend's shows.
— James Ziegenfus /
Event Sat Apr 19 2008
In this digital age, the iTunes Music Store and Amazon's mp3 service reign supreme. The indie record store, some say, is getting absolutely shellacked by the movement to mp3s, Ogg, and FLAC, and are forced to close their doors. We're lucky that, here in Chicago, there are quite a few indie stores holding on and kicking, and today is their day.
On Record Store Day, the goal is to patronize actual brick-and-mortars who serve as an alternative to the bog-box entertainment outlets. The advantages are many, the locations smaller, but the attention and selection are, in many cases, FAR better than the nationwide chains.
We've reviewed some of these spaces here before, and some places are having star-studded events for the occasion. So, whether JazzMart, Deadwax, Lauries, or anywhere else, get out there today! At least you won't freeze.
— Troy Hunter /
Event Fri Apr 11 2008
The Music-Buying Event Formally Known As the WLUW Record Fair kicks off Saturday, April 12 and continues through Sunday, April 13. Now held as a fund raiser for CHIRP (Chicago Independent Radio Project), the sixth annual fair will be held at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse (1419 W. Blackhawk St.). Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7, or $5 if you can get your hands on one of their ads. There's also a special pre-admission price for Saturday that will allow you to sneak in at 8 a.m.
Entrance details aside, there'll be much more at the record fair than two rooms full of music vendors and a plethora of record geeks: CHIRP has also set up two days' worth of DJs and local live acts, including Mahjonng, Black Bear Combo, and the Revelettes. Check out the schedule:
CHIRP DJs (second gym)
Saturday:
10am – 11am – Carrie Weston
11am – 12pm - Elizabeth Ramborger
12pm – 1pm – Christopher Shively
1pm – 2pm – Jenny Lizak
2pm – 3pm – Deirdre Titel
3pm – 4pm – Emily Agustin
4pm – 5pm - Mica Alaniz
5pm – 6pm – Michael Ardaiolo
Sunday:
10am – 11am – Dan Morgridge
11am – 12pm – Erik Roldan
12pm – 1pm – Jen Van Matre
1pm – 2pm – Nick White
2pm – 3pm – Megan Timmons (Dj Megatron)
3pm – 4pm – Tony Breed
4pm – 5pm – Rachel Hinsdale
Main Stage
Saturday:
10am - 11am Dr. Drase
11am - 12pm Raise High the Roofbeam
12pm - 1pm Dylan Posa
1pm - 2pm Speck Mountain
2pm - 3pm Blue Ribbon Glee Club
3pm - The Revelettes
3pm - 4pm The Soul Rebel's Chic-A-Go-Go Dance Party
4pm The Revelettes
4pm - 5pm Black Bear Combo
5pm - 6pm Colorlist
Sunday:
10am - 11am William Luck
11am - 12pm Johnny from J+J+J (DJ Set)
12pm - 1pm Ferdinand Fox
1pm - 1:30pm DJ Nick Tracy, DJ Limbs / Chicago Breakerz
1:30 - 2:30pm Yea Big & Kid Static
2:30pm - 3:30pm Mahjongg (DJ Set)
3:30pm - 4:30pm Willy Joy & Capcom (DJ Set)
4:30pm - 5:00pm DJ Mary Nisi spins finds from the fair
For more information, visit CHIRP's record fair page. While you're there, stop by the Gapers Block booth!
— Kara Luger /
Concert Fri Mar 28 2008
Pitchfork Music Festival announced today that KEXP, the "where the music matters" public radio station in Seattle known for its innovative music and web programming, will broadcast live from the actual festival and from Chicago in the days running up to the festival.
The announcement helps bolster KEXP's efforts to become the nation's top new music/rock station via its internet stream. KEXP replaces KCRWMUSIC.COM (Santa Monica, CA) as the chief radio sponsor, and why KCRW did not grab this opportunity is unknown. The fact that, for two years in a row, public radio stations from other states have sponsored the festival seems to demonstrate how sorely lacking Chicago is of a great rock station, public or commercial.
In addition to the radio broadcast announcement, the festival announced the following newly added acts to the lineup, and expects to announce more in April.
Those newly announced acts are:
* Dinosaur Jr
* The Pitchfork Music Festival and All Tomorrow's Parties present "Don't Look Back" featuring Mission of Burma performing "Vs."
* Jarvis Cocker
* Ghostface & Raekwon
* The Apples in Stereo
* Jay Reatard
* Ruby Suns
* Dirty Projectors
* Cut Copy
* A Hawk and A Hacksaw
* Fuck Buttons
* King Khan & His Shrines
* Occidental Brothers Dance Band International
They will join the following previously announced performers:
* The Pitchfork Music Festival and All Tomorrow's Parties present "Don't Look Back" featuring Public Enemy performing "It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"
* Animal Collective
* Spiritualized
* !!!
* M. Ward
* Boris
* Vampire Weekend
* Dizzee Rascal
* No Age
* Atlas Sound
* Fleet Foxes
* Extra Golden
* El Guincho
* and more than a dozen others TBA
— David Polk /
News Wed Mar 26 2008
When I was a kid, I was certain that the apocalypse was right around the corner. The constant sabre-rattling of the nuclear arms race with the Soviets, a steady diet of evangelical dogma about the imminent approach of Armageddon; it all pointed to total annihilation occurring within my lifetime, or (more likely) before I even saw adulthood. What's more, in the spring of 1982, an ominous celestial event was to occur -- that being the rare phenomenon of syzygy, when all of the planets of the solar system were to briefly align in their orbits around the sun. Some theorized that the effects of this freak occurrence would create all sorts of seismic and tidal catastrophes on Earth. I recall a summer camp playmate telling me that, as he understood it, the event would result in the destruction of Earth; our planet would be ripped apart when it was caught between the dueling gravities of Jupiter and the sun. Yep, we were all gonna die. And soon.
Needless to say, the spring of '82 passed with nary a tremor; so obviously my campmate was wrong. This summer, however, might be another thing altogether. Thanks to the organizers of Lollapalooza, another ominous alignment might be in the offing. In recent weeks, some hearsay's had it that big-namers like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Bloc Party have agreed to play. But the big rumor that's been pinging around the internet the past few days is that the festival has scheduled the polar entities of Miley Cyrus and Nine Inch Nails to headline on the same evening -- with Cyrus appearing on one stage while the NIN crew play on other end of the festival grounds.
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— Graham Sanford /
Event Tue Feb 05 2008
So, uh, Valentine's Day is next week. And if you know what's in your own best interests, you won't eff it up or fumble the occasion, right? There's plenty of things you could do for your special someone, but if going out dancing factors into your plans, the folks at CHIRP (the Chicago Independent Radio Project) are there to help in the best way possible. For the third year running, they're throwing their FlosstraPROMus V-Day benefit blowout.
The whole thing's going off at the Abbey Pub next Thursday night. As you might've guessed, the event is also a prom-themed celebration. Meaning that you can do Valentine's Day in style AND relive your high school prom night under more auspicious circumstances--starting with better music to dance to. Of course, Flosstradamus will be there to steer the party into high gear. Topping it all off, the organizers have procured the services of nightlife shutterbug Clayton Huack from Everyoneisfamous to provide prom portraits for attendees.
Joining Flosstradamus will be DJ C & Murderbot. Maybe you've caught them around town, recently. The pair are recent transplants to Chicago. DJ C runs the Mashit! label, and for a decade operated as a pioneering figure in Boston's experimental electronic/dance scene. He and his Mashit associates are mainly known for rolling in a rough'n'tumble ragga-jungle and breakcore style; but C's a pretty eclectic and versatile DJ on the decks, and he and Murderbot will be spinning tunes that'll get the evening on the proper track.
Given the theme of the evening, attendees are welcome (and encouraged) to dress "formally"--but of course it's not required. Abbey Pub, Thursday Feb 14, 10:30pm. Admission is $7.
[video]: FlosstraPROMUS 2007 clip
[mp3]: DJ C - "Bouncement" mix set
[links]: Event info on Going and Myspace
— Graham Sanford /
