Now that you've got your bike out and are riding it to and fro in the early spring warmth, it's time to fasten that milk carton to the back seat as well - Spring means Record Fair season is here as well. Returning to the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union (1340 W. Washington), the 2010 CHIRP Record Fair and Other Delights should be good cause to warm up your vinyl-scouring fingers. Local shops and labels, record distros, and personal collections will all be in attendance, as well as entertainment from bands and DJ sets throughout. And proceeds go to CHIRP, so you can support independent radio (even if you secretly just want to be a vinyl junkie). Mark your calendar for April 10-11 - the early bird gets the Funky Worm on 7" vinyl.*
(*We can't promise this will be there, but if you find a copy, let us know. That would blow our minds.)
In Sickness and Health is The Blacks' first album since their breakup a decade ago and their subsequent reunion after a performance at the Hideout's Block Party last fall. It is a six song EP, and is being released in digital format only on March 9, with an accompanying record-release show this Saturday, March 6 at Schubas.
Much tamer than their previous work, In Sickness and Health reflects the wisdom (and perhaps exhaustion) of mature musicians. Many of the punk rock riffs have been replaced by steady Americana strums, but the freshness is still there. This is music for people who don't want anything fancy--who love the blues and "real" country music but wish they weren't quite so darn sad. Make sure to check out the show this weekend and then let us know if they've still got the raw energy they used to.
About a year ago, I flew down to Florida to visit my mom, who was dating a man my boyfriend's age. We were looking for something to do, and her boyfriend suggested we go to a club in Ybor City to see his friend's band play. Well, he got his dates mixed up, and as it turned out, we were accidentally in store for a treat. That treat was Leslie and the Ly's-- a colorful, overstated, and wildly entertaining dance act employing such accessories as sassy attitudes, lame', and, of course, bedazzled sweaters. Leslie emphatically danced around the stage, singing about Dairy Queen and stretchy pants, glaring at the audience through her giant plastic glasses. Her sidekicks, playing keytars and wearing dark sunglasses, managed to never crack a smile, which totally worked for them.
Over the years, Leslie has become wildly popular in niche markets-- particularly with budding hipsters and gay guys-- and I haven't been able to get that performance out of my head. It's hard not to have a good time at a Leslie and the Ly's show. Even my mom came up with some new moves.
Check her out this Friday at The Subterranean with Christopher the Conquered and Locks. The show starts at 10pm and admission is $12.
In addition to the regular Saturday time slot on NPR for the radio broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, Thursday's taping will be broadcast live via satellite from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN to movie theaters across the country, including several in the Chicago area. Elvis Costello will appear as a featured guest, as well as the Minnesota performers Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele, New York-based singer/songwriter Heather Masse, and the folk duo Robin and Linda Williams. If you've always wanted to catch Garrison Keillor's long-running show, but the thought of traveling to St. Paul in the winter keeps you close to home, this could be the perfect opportunity.
Show starts at 7pm, tickets are $22. For more information and tickets, visit A Prairie Home Companion.
Chicago Girls Rock (not to be confused with Girls Rock! Chicago) is kicking off their first concert, a "mega-show" titled Dame-Nation at the Portage Theater, located at 4050 N. Milwaukee, just north of the intersection of Milwaukee, Cicero and Irving Park.
The concert will showcase female musical talent, with a lineup of seven female-led hard rock bands from the Chicago area, including: Whiskey Blonde fronted by Brooke Bartlett, their debut EP Scream Like You Mean It is available on iTunes if you want to give it a listen; The Hannah Ford Band, named for the woman who not only sings lead vocals, but plays drums too; Losing Scarlet, featuring vocalist Jodi Kell; SAGE4, named for front-woman Tracey Sage, and whose new CD Graves is out now; F.H.O.D., (word has it the acronym stands for Flying Hamsters of Doom) with lead vocalist KK; and Dead Man's Wake, with front-woman Kryssie Ridolfi. The band's EP Back to Blood is available on iTunes. High Gloss Black will be headlining, with vocalist Jessica Robinson. The evening will be hosted by VH1's Ambre Lake.
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For information and tickets go to Chicago Girls Rock.
Slayer vocalist/bassist Tom Araya's recently scheduled back surgery has forced the California metal legends to cancel their tour plans through April. This includes the cancellation of the American and Canadian Carnage Tour dates with Megadeth and Testament, which of course also includes the cancellation of the tour's February 5 stop at Chicago's UIC Pavillion.
According to a press release issued today:
"Tom gave various medical treatments more than a fair shot," said Slayer's manager Rick Sales, "but they just haven't handled the problem, so he's biting the bullet and is scheduled for back surgery at the end of this month."
The headbanging Araya, known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing, began experiencing back problems while on the band's Australian/New Zealand/Japanese tour last October. In spite of his rapidly increasing pain and discomfort, he carried on with the tour, but immediately upon returning home saw an orthopedic specialist who diagnosed a Cervical Radiculopathy. The rocker initially did not want to take the major surgery route, so the specialist recommended a series of minimally-invasive procedures. While those procedures have resulted in some improvement, Araya continues to deal with intermittent bouts of severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. The surgical procedure that Araya will undergo, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, is a relatively routine practice and the recovery rate is excellent.
Booking agents for both Slayer and Megadeth are already hard at work rescheduling the tour dates; tickets already purchased for these shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates.
Sunset was at 4:21pm on Saturday, but that didn't stop the lineup at at Martyrs' from playing into the wee hours of Sunday morning, winter doldrums be damned. The James Brown tribute band Get Up With The Get Downs kicked things off with their stellar brass section, front man Izzy's endless energy, and a guest drummer who filled in at the last minute with just a few hours to rehearse. The band roused the audience into singing along with Cold Sweat and Hey! Hey! I Feel Alright!, and secretly I hoped there would come a moment when Izzy collapsed onstage, only to be rescued by a cape-bearing well-wisher strategically waiting in the wings. Get Up With The Get Downs play every 3rd Thursday at the Cobra Lounge, and will be playing at the Hideout January 2nd. Catch them if you can, they put on quite a show.
Chicago Afrobeat Project took the stage next, with up to 14 people performing at once, including vocalist Antar Jackson, and dancers Tosha Alston and Imania Detry from The Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. This was CAbP's first time performing in Chicago in several months, and the audience was clearly glad to see them. Between the dancers and the hypnotic mix of funk, rock, jazz and Afro-Cuban music, the energy was unstoppable. Each song was its own production, and it was early Sunday morning before they finished their set.
While not quite a "Night at the Museum" dose of zaniness, an evening at Adler Planetarium for their monthly Adler After Dark event should prove to be an interesting night. If not for the chance to gaze through the Doane Observatory telescope - the largest public telescope in the Midwest - catch a space show narrated by Robert Redford, or learn more about the Big Bang theory, then surely for the great tunes promised by DJs Olin and Warp on behalf of the Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Coalition. Only going from 6-10pm this Thursday the 17th, consider this an early start to your weekend, and it's an excellent date idea if you're into hugely nerdy things like we are. Olin and Warp are planning to bring a bit of forward-thinking electronic music to one of Chicago's oldest landmarks, and there will be plenty of cocktails and appetizers, even a photo booth! Advance tickets may be purchased online here for $10 non-members and $7 members. On-site tickets are $15 for non-members and $10 for members. Check out the Facebook event and past event info at the Adler After Dark page.
(Full disclosure: I'm a member of CEMAC, the Chicago Electronic Music and Arts Coalition.)
Lissie is a pop/indie/country band with a pretty blond front-woman, Lissie Maurus, who hails from Rock Island but now lives in Ojai, CA. Why You Runnin' is her new EP, fresh off the presses from Fat Possum Records.
Why You Runnin' is good, probably best when it's knee-slappin' indie-country, like in the single, "Little Lovin'," which kicks off the EP with delicate picking on an acoustic guitar and crescendos into greatness with the help of a tambourine and an electric guitar, among other things. Then there is the melancholy country cover, "Wedding Bells," with heavily layered vocals, reminiscent of those of My Morning Jacket, and "Oh, Mississippi," the hymn-like tune that I could have sworn was Mississippi's state anthem, but it's not-- it's just a homesick tune Lissie wrote in London. The EP ends with "Everywhere I Go," which is a little too sappy, and "Here Before," the poppy ballad in which her voice really shines; all twisty and soulful.
Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) has just embarked on a 10-city promotional tour for his new film Before I Self Destruct, a companion to his latest album of the same title. Fiddy wrote, directed, and starred in the film, and will be hitting up Chicago on Monday night with a preview screening. Want in? Head on over to MovieTickets.com to print out free passes (you'll have to create an account, also free). The screening will be overbooked to guarantee a full house, so it would be wise to arrive a bit early. It'll all be going down at AMC River East 21 (322 East Illinois St), Monday night at 8:30 pm.
Nestled within the crowded heart of Brooklyn lives a delicate soul. Not unlike the gems of Sibylle Baier, Sharon Van Etten's songs are filled with both solitude and longing. Van Etten has played Chicago twice before, both at The Empty Bottle, most recently as part of the Wire UK festival. Her stage presence may seem subtle at first with usually just her singing with an acoustic guitar. Yet, the more you listen, the more disarming it becomes. It isn't just indie folk, it's genuine and makes you want to devote your attention to it. Even those who are not fans of lo-fi may find her stripped down style appealing because she's such a talented singer and songwriter. In a sense, the songs succeed in wrapping around you where you hurt and providing you with a warmth and reassurance that it's not just you who feels that way.
Some may also be pleased to know that Sharon Van Etten is part of a bill that also includes Rain Machine, which is the side project of TV on the Radio's guitarist Kyp Malone. Some may feel that Rain Machine shows off an interesting creative diversion from the TV on the Radio tracks and allows more of Malone's songwriting to develop. It's quite possible that TV on the Radio are much too famous to play a venue this small so fans of the band should see it as a rare treat.
Doubledoor lineup also features local band Reds and Blue with doors at 8pm and show starting at 9pm.
Of the dozen or so people in the audience on opening night, I am fairly certain that I was the only one not personally connected to the band through the bonds of blood, friendship or commerce. The band, starring Jeremy M. Eden as front man Talon St. Lee, Dan Eden as bassist Cyrus Long and Kevin Kirchman as Brodie the Roadie - who doubles as a guitarist, was originally conceived as a homework assignment for a high school film class in 2002. Onstage, it unfolded like a post-Thanksgiving dinner skit designed for an audience of family members, and although uneven, it had some genuinely inspired moments.
In Chicago's contemporary club culture, it is easy to forget that house and industrial could once be heard at the same club on the same night. Bands such as Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 took as much of their influence from punk and new wave as they did from
Chicago house. One year ago, promoters Mr. Automatic and Adam Black decided to create Front 312, a night dedicated to this time in Chicago's club history.
For its one year anniversary on October 9th, 2009 , Front 312 will take a turn toward techno and house, with DJ Gant Man headlining. KHA and Mikul Wing of Members Only AV will be play separate solo sets as well, throwing down anything from classic italo tracks to extended versions of 80's new wave dance classics.
From releasing his earliest 12″s on Dance Mania, to rocking clubs and raves worldwide alongside legends such as Paul Johnson, Gant has been pushing his signature Chicago sound for almost two decades. Mixing up rapid-fire juke beats while referencing all the house and disco classics that first paved the way. His recent work includes a remix for Fool's Gold of Kid Sister's "Damn Girl", production on "Switchboard", and his new solo single debut on Fool's Gold, "Juke Dat Girl." For Front 312, however, he will be bringing out the classics.
KHA and Mikul Wing have made a name for themselves as Members Only AV over the last year, playing with anyone from Le Castle Vania to The Rapture. For Front 312, however, they will be playing two rare solo sets of all new wave and italo disco.
Mr. Automatic will be playing classic Razormaid tracks, 80's new wave, classic industrial, acid house, and new electro tracks prior to the headliners. Expect anything from Meat Beat Manifesto to The Presets and Frankie Knuckles. DJ Adam Black will open the night with punk rock, new wave, and alternative rock.
Doors open at 9pm. Admission is Free before 11pm with RSVP to Front312@gmail.com and $5 without RSVP or after 11.
Drink specials include $2 PBR, $3 Goose Island IPA and $4 well drinks, and plenty of other reasonably priced options are available at the bar.
Liars Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton in Chicago. at the intersection of Fullerton and Ashland.
One of my favorite films growing up was Little Shop of Horrors, although, looking back on it now, maybe it wasn't the most appropriate movie for a kid to love. Nevertheless, there was singing and dancing and I thought Audrey was so pretty (the girl, not the plant) that I wanted to be just like her (again, not the best role model for a kid).
A week before Halloween, popular Chicago venue The Hideout plans to bring the musical to life. The cast and crew will be made up of Hideout employees, musicians, friends and regulars. As Hideout owner Tim Tuten says: "This is true 'Community Theater.'" Come and see if Hideout employee Tyler Myers lives up to the legend of Steve Martin as "The Dentist" (no pressure, Tyler) or if musician and regular Marvin Tate makes a believable man eating plant. No matter what, a fun time is sure to be had by all, and it's the perfect way to get geared up for playing dress-up yourself a week later.
Showtimes are: Thursday, October 22 and Friday October 23 at 8pm, Saturday October 24 at 3pm and 8pm, and Sunday October 25 at 3pm and 7:30pm. Tickets are $15.
Chicago-based casting agency ExtraOrdinary Casting is searching for 2,500 volunteers to dance on an unnamed television program with the Black Eyed Peas. Details about the event are being kept hush-hush, but we do know it will be filming somewhere in Chicago on Tuesday, September 8th, and extras will also be required to attend a rehearsal on Monday, September 7th. If you'd like to get involved, send a photo and contact number to darlene@extraordinarycasting.net, or check out the ExtraOrdinary Casting website for more information.
Let's just hope Fergie doesn't wet herself in excitement.
Our annual Gapers Block Party is finally here! And this year it's bigger and better than ever -- we're taking over the Metro!
Friday, Sept. 4, head to 3730 N. Clark St. for our killer lineup featuring Nikki Lynette, The Hood Internet, Blane Fonda (featuring ex-members of The Sapiens) and Panda Riot. We have some other fun stuff planned, including a photo booth by IDM Photography, a found imagery slideshows by Big Happy Funhouse and Square America, giveaways and more!
Doors open at 8pm, and best of all, the show is FREE if you get in before 9:30pm! Tickets are just $6 after 9:30pm or in advance through Metro website or ticket office. Look forward to seeing you there!
After the jump, videos of each of the musical acts...
You, like all of us here at Transmission, may still be nursing a music hangover from Lollapalooza, but you should be able to face the sunshine again by Saturday for Dusty Groove's first ever sidewalk sale. They're going to have tons of vinyl and CDs that just didn't fit in the store available at special prices including lots of "odd artists and genres." But don't expect to find these titles in the store next week--this material has never been offered to the public before and will be sent back to storage after the sale.
The event is going to be a party of sorts, with all their retail neighbors on the 1100 block of North Ashland taking part and offering sales as well. They'll also be offering refreshments and "other great surprises..."
So if you like funk and/or soul, or any of those eclectic dusty grooves, I'll see you at Dusty Groove this weekend. The sale runs from noon to 5pm. Dusty Groove is located at 1120 N. Ashland Ave.
We've been trying to play catchup since Pitchfork, so I apologize for the lateness of this little gem, but our intrepid Pitchfork Music Festival photographer, George Aye, caught tons of snaps of some of the best part of the summer fest experience: the people.
Chicago label Bloodshot Records have been cranking out quality music for 15 years now, and to celebrate they're taking over the Hideout and throwing a Beer-B-Q for their birthday!
Sponsored by WXRT and Rolling Rock, the party will highlight some of the artists from Bloodshot's catalog over the the year. The line-up includes: Alejandro Escovedo, The Waco Brothers with Rico Bell, Bobby Bare Jr., Deadstring Brothers, The Blacks, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Scott H. Biram, Moonshine Willy. Also, proceeds will benefit the wonderful organizations Rock for Kids and 826 Chicago.
Save the date (September 12th) and head out to enjoy a day of alt-country rock goodness and wish Bloodshot Records a happy birthday and many more.
The Bloodshot Beer-B-Q is September 12th at the Hideout. It's all ages (there is a provided kids area) and the price is a $10 donation. Doors open at noon.
Plenty of zombie-loving Thriller fiends got their stagger on Saturday at the Thriller-themed Zombie Walk in Wicker Park. Our own Kirstie Shanley snapped some great pics.
Jessica Hopper (Chicagoian, music journalist, This American Life music consultant, and now author) has had a busy year finishing up her book The Girls' Guide To Rocking. We talk a lot about girls rocking on Transmission, but don't think you have to be a girl to pick up this book, or a kid for that matter. If you're a musician looking to start a band, or you're already in a band trying to figure out how to book gigs, or you're just interested in buying your first guitar or drum set, this book has everything you need to know that won't find anywhere else (unless, of course, your best-ie is already a successful musician...)
Jessica is currently on a break from her book tour, but this Thursday she will be reading from The Girls' Guide To Rocking at Harold Washington Library (400 S. State St.). The book tour resumes on August 19th in Oak Park and she will be joined by Katie Stelmanis and her 5 girl band and twin sister duo Ghost Bees. Dates and deets after the jump.
Wicker Park Fest continues to bring the most top-notch entertainment of any street festival every year, and now they've completely outdone themselves with this weekend's line-up.
Headlining the North Stage Saturday night is Black Francis (Frank Black) and wife Violet Clark's new project Grand Duchy. I've been listening to their debut album Petits Fours all week and can't get enough. Violet in particular stands out on the album, with a dream poppy voice that reminds me of Kim Deal. (And if you're unable to make it to Wicker Park Fest, they'll also be playing tonight at Subterranean.) Hailing from Toronto, electronic act The New Deal will be headlining the South Stage. Other highlights include Scott Lucas (of Local H)'s new project Scott Lucas and the Married Men, California rock band The Night Marchers, and Chicago pop rockers Treaty of Paris, who are currently working on the follow-up to their debut album Waking Up the Dead and are about to embark on a tour with Ha Ha Tonka, who we recently profiled.
Sunday's line-up includes two fantastic headliners as well - folk rock act Elvis Perkins in Dearland and indietronic group Junior Boys. One of my favorite local bands, Company of Thieves (who I've gushed about before), will take on the South Stage at 6:25 pm. Margot and the Nuclear So & So's, who I always think of as a local band because they play here so often even though they're actually from Indianapolis, will be playing the North Stage at 7:55 pm. If you're looking to dance, the Center Stage will be where it's at. DJs Kid Color, The Hood Internet, and Zebo will be spinning, among others, before local rockers The Smoking Popes take the stage.
The fest is happening this Saturday and Sunday from 12 - 10 pm at Milwaukee and North Ave. The festival is all ages and a $5 donation is suggested at the gate. Be sure to stick around afterward to check out the Thriller Zombie Walk, or head over to the Congress Theater for the after-party with Jamie Lidell on Saturday night. Check below for the full festival schedule.
Saturday will be the one month anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing, and what better way to celebrate his life than a Zombie Walk?! Come dressed as the "best damn Thriller zombie you can be" (For help perfecting your Thriller moves, go to thrilltheworld.com) or at least come out to witness the spectacle that is sure to ensue. And don't forget your camera!
For more details, check out the Facebook Event Page. The walk starts at 10pm on the east side of Wicker Park.
Photo by Kirstie Shanley from last year's Thriller re-enactment at the Hideout Block Party.
The sound of sound checks are in the air at Union Park, Ice Cream Man is in Chicago, and a flock of hipsters are descending upon the green line. It can only mean that it's that special time of the year known as Pitchfork Festival.
Gapers Block will be out in full force this weekend, reporting on our favorite sets, shooting some wonderful pictures to share, and holding down the fort at the Gapers Block table at the CHIRP Record Fair (stop by and say hello).
I'll be showcasing some special content this year, as I sit down with various bands at the festival to chat about the matter at hand; music festivals. We'll get the bands take on Pitchfork, their favorite festival memories, and much more. So keep checking back all weekend for freshly ripped and exclusive conversations each day with some of your favorite Pitchfork Festival bands.
We kick things off today with a short conversation with David Yow, the singer for seminal rock band The Jesus Lizard.
Pitchfork Festival has been completely sold out since Wednesday, but we just got word that the festival is releasing some more single day tickets right now.
Due to popular demand (and wanting to offer fans a chance to get a ticket if they missed out without paying the insane offers in Craigslist), they are releasing 300 single day tickets.
So if you waited until the last minute, go get them, because I'm sure they'll be gone in no time, leaving everyone else to pay an inflated price from a third party.
You can purchase the tickets over at the festival's site.
UPDATE: The newly released tickets sold out in about 2 minutes.
Now that the weather has (finally) warmed up, it officially feels like summer and we're even more eager for the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival creeping up in just a few weeks. But if you're having a hard time waiting for the real thing, make your way to Fizz this Friday from 8-10pm for a listening party featuring only artists playing the fest on the jukebox. Think of it as a really early pre-party, presented by AMI Entertainment and Flavorpill who will also be giving away festival tickets, CDs, vinyl, DVDs, downloads and other swag by acts performing at the festival--including The Flaming Lips, Built to Spill, The Walkmen, The Thermals, Matador Records, 4AD and more.
Fizz Bar & Grill is located at 3220 N. Lincoln Ave.
Hangovers are the annoying, productivity-inhibiting result of a night spent drinking quite a bit, and yet we still put up with them because it's fun to loosen up, be social, and dance. Sure, it's easy to pop some aspirin, rehydrate and muddle through the morning, but wouldn't it be cool if music could relieve your hangover?
That's the concept behind Exception AM, a free digital compilation from subVariant that aims to present a collection of electronic music to help you feel better in the morning after a night of drinking. To celebrate the release on June 20, the release party will be held at Ai lounge in River North as the first in a series of concept parties called "Artificial Intelligence." Liz Revision will mix the mostly-ambient and downtempo tracks from the compilation together at the beginning of the night and will then hand over the decks to local DJs Silentcorp, Andrew Kevins, Dirtybird, and Droopy to finish out the night with techno and house. The party will be free all night from 10pm-3am.
Attention all you suburban Gapers Block readers: The suburban musical landscape has got to be a whole other scene when it comes to getting exposure and finding a niche.
Here's a tip on a local suburban band that's definitely going places: When researching an article on a music production program offered at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, I interviewed student Kamille Contreras, who told me about her band Dressed in Decay. The six-piece "industrial goth" band just finished recording its demo at a local studio, and will be performing Friday, 7 p.m., at The Zone Comics in Homewood.
Contreras, who plays guitar and sings back-up, says the singer's operatic voice creates a very different sound compared to most bands, adding "the hardest part of describing the band is our sound. There are a lot of different influences from film score to death metal to progressive rock along with video game music. We are unique because of these aspects and the clothing themes we incorporate into our live set. We're not the average sound that Chicago has going, and we stick out like a sore thumb." They sound pretty unique, so if you're around the south suburbs, stop by and say hi to show your support.
Fashion :: Sex :: Music is a multi-disciplinary event series hosted by Godsgirls.com [NSFW] -- a Suicide Girls-type site that takes things a bit further -- that aims to showcase and cross promote fashion, sex, music, and art in a single night. With attractive girls in lingerie, a photo-installation from the site, a mixed media and fashion installation by My Broken Heart Mafia, and a diverse, dance-oriented sound from an all-girl DJ lineup, FSM delivers more than just another hipster dance music night.
The night also encourages community building and intra-industry networking by concurrently billing itself as a meetup for The Chicago Fashion Industry on Meetup.com, a group that has amassed more than 1,000 members. Judging by the comments and introductions on the site, the group is filled with ambitious and dedicated amateurs and professionals alike who work within or on the periphery of the fashion industry in Chicago. Combined with the increasing focus on Chicago as a fashion hub (with the relatively recent Chicago Fashion Week, for instance), grass-roots efforts like FSM that reach out to build a thriving network may help bolster Chicago's image as a fashion resource as well as a thriving and innovative music community.
The event starts at 9pm on Thursday, June 18 at Sonotheque, 1444 W Chicago Ave, and features an-all girl DJ lineup that includes Liz Revision, Fathom, Avi Sic, and Hilary Rawk.
Most festivals in Chicago are put on by large-scale production companies such as C3 or Jam productions. These are huge corporations that have the manpower and money to put on massive, successful, wonderful events, yet sometimes balk at the DIY ethics that are a staple in the modern music industry. This weekend the tables will start to turn though, as the Chicago Noise Machine host the massive I AM Fest at the Congress Theater.
I love barbecue as much as the next guy, but luckily there's more than just ribs at this weekend's Ribfest.... This year the fest has a pretty kick-ass music lineup that would satisfy any indie-darling including Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Margot and the Nuclear So & So's, Dusty Rhodes & the River Band along with hometown groups Walter Meego, OFFICE and Tom Schraeder & His Ego.
Ribfest takes place this weekend at the intersections of Lincoln, Irving Park and Damen. The full lineup and set-times after the jump.
A while back I had the lovely opportunity to attend the VBS (Vice Magazine's television station) taping of Soft Focus, the interview series where Ian Svenonius sits down with artist and other luminaries of their respective industries and has a conversation in front of a live audience. We just got word that the conversation with Steve Albini that was taped that night is now up at VBS.
You can check out the video of the interview here, and watch as Albini has a delightfully sarcastic (and sometimes awkward) conversation with Svenonius. And make sure to check out the most recent work that Albini had a hand in, Jarvis Cocker's latest release, Further Complications. It's some of Cocker's most innovative work in a long time, already one of my favorite albums of the year, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I think a large part of this album is due to him (thankfully) working with Albini.
The U.S. Air Guitar Championship competition is every kid's dream - rock stardom without that pesky little hassle of actually learning to play an instrument. In the past few years, the U.S. Air Guitar Championships have grown from a small event in NYC to a huge national tour with a cult following, largely due to the popular documentary Air Guitar Nation and the voyeuristic joy of watching strangers display their inner geek onstage. This weekend the air guitar geekery makes its way to Chicago for the Air Guitar Regionals. Saturday night's winner moves on to the U.S. Air Guitar Nationals, competing for a spot in the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland. The United States have taken the World Championships for 3 of the last 6 years, showing that if there's one thing we do well, it's rocking out.
The U.S. Air Guitar Regionals take place this Saturday night at the Metro, 3730 N Clark St. The show starts at 9 pm and is 18 & over. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here. Think you have what it takes to compete with the best of them? There are limited spots left for entry into the competition. You'll have to create a stage name and prepare a 60-second song. It costs $20 to enter and you can register here. Musical instruments are strictly prohibited.
Really Quick Contest! Just be the first to email us at contests@gapersblock.com with the subject line "Big Air" and you'll win a pair of tickets for tomorrow night's competition at the Metro. Update! We have a winner! Congrats to Mary! Rock on.
Summer in Chicago officially arrives this weekend with the Do Division Street Festival. The kick off of street-fest season, Do Division features food, fashion, and sidewalk sales from Division Street businesses and most importantly--music, programmed by the Empty Bottle. The Handsome Furs, Menomena, White Rabbits and Flosstradamus ,among others, will all hit the main stage this weekend. There will also be a Family Fun stage plus the Second Annual Bass, Bubbles and Beats DJ party in the Wicker Wash Car Wash.
Another bonus--if you were concerned about missing Around the Coyote Arts Festival this year since it moved from its original location at Wicker Park's Six Corners, fear no more because this year the event has moved to West Town and coincides with Do-Division. Click here for ticket information.
Do Division takes place on Division Street from Ashland to Leavitt from 2pm to 10pm. Full band listing and set times after the jump.
Back in the '90s, perhaps no one figure played more of a single-handed role in reshaping the German electronic music scene than Cologne-based producer and musician Wolfgang Voigt. Issuing recordings via a plethora of pseudonyms and short-run labels, Voigt was at the center of a network that stepped up to challenge the supremacy of rave-centric Berlin techno; all of which would eventually lead to his co-founding the broadly influential Kompakt label. But in the years since, Voigt's legacy has mostly rested on the work he did throughout the late 1990s under the alias Gas.
Over the course of numerous albums and EPs, Voigt developed an enigmatic and impressionistic take on dance music. The average Gas track struck the ear like a soft-focus pastorale -- all awash in layered, sweeping timbres that sounded like an orchestral string section sawing away at Mahler's Sixth in slo-mo, with the muted throb of a persistent beat thumping through the atmospheric haze. Musically, it was more the stuff of dreamscapes than dancefloors; but a decade after the fact it seems that Voigt's now in a position to trade on his work's lasting appeal. This past year's seen the Nah und Fern 4-disc boxset reissue of the Gas discography, as well as a book of Voigt's artwork with an accompanying CD via the Raster-Noton label.
DJ Z-Trip, who brought us his Obama Mix: Party for Change (which we had on repeat through the election) and Victory Lap: The Obama Mix Pt. 2, is coming to Chicago with Q-Tip as part of Bacardi's B-LIVE Tour. The Chicago stop on the tour takes place at House of Blues on June 12, 2009, but The FADER magazine is presenting a "warmup" next Wednesday, May 27th at Evil Olive. The event, dubbed SOUNDCHECK, will have complimentary beverages from 9-midnight with music by DJ Ghetto Division. Evil Olive is located at 1551 W. Division. 21 & up. RSVP for SOUNDCHECK here.
The Biggest Mouth: Campus Clash talent contest takes place tonight at Metro and puts finalists from Columbia College, DePaul University and Roosevelt University up against each other to find out "who has the biggest mouth in Chicago."
Now that you've already had a look at the finalists from Columbia College and Roosevelt University, let's meet some of the contestants from DePaul:
The Biggest Mouth: Campus Clash talent contest takes place tomorrow night at Metro and will put finalists from Columbia College, DePaul University and Roosevelt University up against each other to find out "who has the biggest mouth in Chicago."
The Biggest Mouth: Campus Clash talent contest takes place tomorrow night at Metro and will put finalists from Columbia College, DePaul University and Roosevelt University up against each other to find out "who has the biggest mouth in Chicago."
As promised, we at Gapers Block: Transmission are giving you a preview of what to expect from tomorrow nights performers. First up: the contestants from Columbia College:
As it happens, the Lumpen-organized Version>09 is winding down for the closing night of its eighth annual arts and media activities this Saturday with the Chicago Art Parade and this year's episode of the Journey To The End Of The Night street-game event. As it happens, all of this coincides the latest cross-country tour from the Olympia-based K Records stable rolling into town, so it looks as if the two parties decided to merge paths for an evening of music at the Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Headlining for the occasion is Chain And The Gang, which effectively makes for the latest musical incarnation of Ian Svenonius -- previously the frontman for Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Weird War, and author of the 2006 subcultural polemicist screed The Psychic Soviet. Also on the bill in a supporting role are the Hive Dwellers. Both bands, reputedly, are more or less the same groups of musicians; an ensemble of various members of bands from the K Records network -- except that as C&G they back Mr. Svenonius and as the Hive Dwellers they accompany K Records founder and former Beat Happening/Dub Narcotic Sound System impresario Calvin Johnson. And if that billing wasn't confusing and incestuous enough, Calvin Johnson is slated to get the evening's show rolling with a set of solo material.
Chicago sure does love a neighborhood summer street festival. Sure, Pitchfork and Lollapalooza are great, but nothing beats paying around 10 bucks to bask in the sun while eating a BBQ turkey leg and checking out some great music.
The Taste of Randolph Street just threw down the gauntlet with their first announcement of acts playing the festival this year. The three headliners this year are Dr. Dog, Tinted Windows, and The Hold Steady. And in my opinion, these three acts alone already blow last years bill out of the water.
Dr. Dog recently played a sold out show at The Double Door, and has opened for the likes of Wilco, The Black Keys, and The Strokes. If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about Tinted Windows (a much buzzed about act here at GapersBlock), it's the supergroup that was born out of the equation of 1 part old school Smashing Pumpkins, 1 part Fountains of Wayne, a dash of former pop sensation Hanson, and the bizarre addition of the drummer from Cheap Trick. And to finish off the Taste of Randolph will be the Springsteen loving indie rockers The Hold Steady, who brought down the house/field last year at Pitchfork Music Festival.
And all this for a suggested donation of $10. Nice.
The Taste of Randolph is June 19, 20, and 21st. The Festival is held on Randolph Street between Peoria and Racine. Keep checking the website for more band announcements.
This weekend is the ultimate music nerd dream. Record Store Day is tomorrow, and all weekend long is the CHIRP Record Fair. CHIRP (Chicago Independent Radio Project) is a non-profit organization working to secure a broadcast license for a new community radio station in Chicago. CHIRP have been busy lately, working on building their new station space and getting ready to head to Washington later this month to meet with members of Congress, FCC officials, and other leaders to discuss the issues surrounding Low Power FM. We'll have more on CHIRP and their approaching trek to Washington next week, but this weekend it's all about the music!
And not only records will be sold. They'll be literary goods, posters, and other various handmade goods. And live music throughout the day including Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and DJ sets by members of Tortoise and Mucca Pazza. To top it off, you can meet many of the amazing and talented individuals behind some of the top Chicago independent labels. Shake their hand, ask them what their favorite album is, and thank them for working their butts off to bring good music into the world.
Oh, and on Sunday Gapers Block will be there ALL DAY! Come buy an awesome poster to hang in your barren apartment, get some free buttons and stickers, and if you come early while I'm there, I'll even give you a free hug. Or a high five. Us music writers may not be the richest people, but we sure are loving individuals.
The 7th annual CHIRP Record Fair is April 18th and 19th from 10 am to 5 pm. The cost is $7 or $5 with the CHIRP Record Fair ad from their website, or a receipt from any record store that is dated 4/18/09 (another excuse to go celebrate Record Store Day). The CHIRP Record Fair is located at the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union at 1340 W. Washington. It's close to Union Park for all you Pitchfork Festival fans who need a reference point.
There is also a Saturday pre-admission from 8-10 am for the serious audiophiles that want the first picks of the day.The pre-admission is $25, but once again, you get first pick two hours before the fair opens.
Think of it as our very own version of 'Chicago Idol.' On May 5th students from Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University and Roosevelt University will compete in the Biggest Mouth: Campus Clash talent contest to determine "who has the biggest mouth in Chicago." The event will take place at Metro and feature spoken word, hip-hop, R&B and rock bands. Each school will have five finalists facing off for the grand prize.
Judging the competition will be professionals from Bandit Management, Biz 3, and a talent buyer from the Metro. This is an exciting opportunity for students not only showcase their craft, but to perform on the Metro stage and be seen by influential leaders in Chicago's music industry. The winner of the competition will receive $3,000, a Shure Microphones prize package, a $100 Epic Burger gift certificate and an opening slot at a future Metro show.
Here at Transmission, we will be your source for all things "Campus Clash." Finalists will be announced soon, and in the weeks leading up to the event, we will be spotlighting the contestants from each of the three schools--so you can size up the competition for yourself.
The Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark St. The show will start at 6:30pm and tickets are free. 18 & up.
One of Chicago's favorite music venues is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The beautiful building Schubas Tavern resides in was originally built in 1903 by the Schlitz Brewery. Chris and Michael Schuba bought the building in 1988 and began the laborious process of refurbishing it--ornate exterior and all. 20 years later, things are going pretty well. The venue regularly hosts popular musical acts and there are plans in motion for the opening of a new Schubas-owned venue.
The month of April is going to be a busy one for the folks at the soul-slinging Chicago-based Numero Group.
Firstly: this Saturday evening at the Park West Theater, the label presents its first-ever live event, The Eccentric Soul Revue. The evening's billing features sets by top-flight R'n'B veterans Syl Johnson, The Notations, and Nate Evans; as well as reunion performances by Renaldo Domino, The Kaldirons, and the Final Solution. Chicago's own deep groove merchants The Uptown Sound will also be on hand to provide backup throughout. It's an all-ages show, tickets are $22, and it gets underway at 7:30 PM Saturday.
The label's also putting the finishing on the next edition in their Eccentric Soul series of archival anthologies for a scheduled release date in late May. Entitled Smart's Palace, the volume will chronicle the story of the Smart family, who were prime movers and organizers on the R'n'B scene in Witchita, Kansas in the 1960s and early '70s. This atop their deluxe audio & DVD package Local Customs: Downriver Revival, which officially releases this week.
We had the privilege to attend the taping of the VBS series Soft Focus this week, when they rolled into town to tape conversations with Mick Collins and Steve Albini. Originally posted at The Deli Chicago, here is a look into what you missed during the live taping Tuesday night. Make sure to keep an eye on VBS's website for video of both conversations coming soon.
Do you have nimble fingers, no sense of shame, and a repertoire of jaw-dropping dance moves? Perhaps you should consider entering the 2009 US Air Guitar Championships. Steadily growing in size since 1998, US Air Guitar now hosts competitions in 25 cities. Yes, you read that right. There's no denying that plenty of people still love watching burned-out hair bands perform, but the USAG Championships are guaranteed to provide more thrills than a Spinal Tap reunion tour. You'll have to check for a pulse if you can't get excited about watching half-drunk headbangers laden with layers of spandex rocking out (without a guitar) to Accept's Balls to the Wall and other rock n' roll "classics". The 2009 US champion will travel to Oulu, Finland to represent the United States in the Air Guitar World Championships. Last year's champion, Hot Lixx Hulahan, will be looking to repeat. Chicago's competition will be held at Metro on June 6th and you can purchase tickets this Friday, March 27th on USAG's website. No need to wait if you're planning on competing, you can sign up on the website today.
I have spent many a night at that music club under the tracks at Wicker Parks' six corners. I have waited outside in the rain and/or cold to get into a show, stood inside the (formerly) smoky confines along with many many other music-lovers, punks, rockers, and most recently hipsters. The venue has even had it's own "15 minutes" of fame, appearing in major motion pictures such as High Fidelity and Wicker Park.
This summer our dear ol' Double Door is turning 15. The birthday celebration kicks off this Saturday, March 21st with a performance from Brutal Truth in what will be a cd-release show for the recently reunited grindcore group. Festivities will continue throughout the year, with Double Door paying homage to and hosting many of the bands that have made the club what it is today, including: Local H, OK Go, Smoking Popes, Electric Six and Kill Hannah.
So come out and reminisce about all the good times you've had there, the first time you saw *that* band there, or that night you got waaaay too drunk and puked on the bar--or were just yelling inappropriate things at people in the Dirtroom (it was a friend, I swear). Whatever your memories, come celebrate and make some new ones.
For dates, and additional information on upcoming 15th anniversary events check out Double Door's website.
*And, just in case you were curious (or wanted a bit of trivia to impress your friends), Double Door's first show was June 12th, 1994 featuring Lloyd Cole.
A couple of years ago, Zach Condon -- multi-instrumentalist and maestro for the indie band Beirut -- took a detour from his usual Balkan-ized musical fare and ventured into different terrain. Approached to do the soundtrack for a film to be set in Mexico, Condon traveled to a remote village in the province of Oaxaca in order to conduct some musical field research. There he worked with a local ensemble -- a 13-piece Jiminez funeral marching band, to be more precise -- and began crafting a new series of songs influenced by the Oaxacan style of banda music.
In the end, the film's backers reputedly opted for a soundtrack of the more generically cinematic variety. But the result of the journey was the new Beirut recording March Of The Zapotec, which is now seeing release in its U.S. vinyl edition via the Chicago-based Obey Your Brain label. The album features six tracks of the new Beirut material born from the Mexican sojourn, as well as five additional tracks (grouped under the title Holland) of Condon's bedroom electronics work under his pre-Beirut alias Realpeople.
On one of the most commercial holidays of the year, you can't beat spending the evening with some good old rock music at a show with the word massacre in it. I can't think of a more romantic sentiments to a sweetheart or a more awesome first date. Add in the factor of being part of music history, and you've got yourself a pretty prolific evening courtesy of the Metro and legendary English rockers The Godfathers.
The Godfathers were a alternative garage rock outfit from London, forming in the mid 1980's as a beacon of hope in a UK market dominated by New Wave and Electro. The band was bursting with gritty rock that possessed swagger and soul, were known for their explosive live shows, and basically helped lay the foundation for much of the Brit Rock music and movement of the 90's.
And the band is choosing our fair city for their first US show in 20 years! Also the first St. Valentine's Day Massacre show (a staple of their career, always done in London) ever on US soil. This guarantees that huge music nerds in the Midwest are rejoicing, while those around the world just let out a collective sigh.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of. The show is 18+ and doors open at 8:00 with the band scheduled to go on at 9:00. Grab a pair of tickets and get on your music nerd sweetheart's good side this Valentines Day.
Transmission had a couple friends head to D.C. for the Inauguration festivities and of course they were excited to visit The Black Cat to check out the Hideout's curated Big Shoulders Ball. Tonight's entertainmentincludes the following exciting lineup (lineup times EST):
Judson Claiborne (7:30)
Freakwater (8:00)
David "Honeyboy" Edwards (8:30)
Icy Demons (9:10)
Ken Vandermark (9:35)
Tortoise (10:00)
Andrew Bird (10:30)
Thomas Frank (11:00)
Waco Brothers (11:05)
Ted Leo (11:30)
Eleventh Dream Day (12:00)
Jon Langford w/ Sally Timms (12:30)
The release of New Pornographer A.C.Newman's long-awaited follow-up to 2004's The Slow Wonder is fast approaching (that is, if you're not counting the two Pornographers albums released in the interim). His sophomore solo effort, Get Guilty, is due out January 20th, but the Empty Bottle is giving you the chance to hear the album a few days before your friends. Not only is there no cover charge for this listening party, but they are also offering free canned beers! Now that's a reason to jolt yourself out of hibernation during this all-too-freezing week if I ever heard one.
The listening party is taking place this Saturday, January 17th, at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave. Copies of Get Guilty as well as tickets to Mr. Newman's show at the Logan Square Auditorium on March 25th will be available for purchase. The listening party lasts from 7 p.m. til 9 p.m and is 21+. Just be sure to bundle up and remember the Golden Rule of Open Bars: always double-fist.
Hey trusty reader! Are you headed to D.C. for the inauguration? Are you also lucky enough to have a ticket to the Hideout's sold out Big Shoulders Ball (featuring scads of Chicagotalent) at Black Cat on Monday night? If so, and you'd like to do some live blogging (or text messaging, or photography) for Transmission, give me a shout! Email me at transmission {at} gapersblock {dot} com with the subject line "Big Shoulders".
It's a fact that 'tomorrow never knows'. You can never predict what the future will bring, although you can try. Schubas will attempt to do just that, or at least offer you some candidates for the future of indie music. Tomorrow Never Knows is a festival presented each winter at Schubas and showcases some of the up-and-coming musical acts from all over the country, including Chicago. The Soft Pack, Department of Eagles (see our preview here), Cursive, Hey Champ, and Bishop Allen are just some of the bands appearing. The festival begins this Wednesday, January 14th and continues through Sunday, January 18th. Tickets for each night are $15 and can be purchased at Schubas' website, where you can also purchase a 5-day pass good for entry to every show for $55 (UPDATE: 5-day passes have sold out). Thursday and Friday individual tickets are already sold out, so act fast (or pick up a 5-day pass) if you want to see any these acts in the home-y confines of Schubas before you're stuck seeing them in a larger venue...
Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport. All shows begin at 9pm and are 18 & up.
And for a glimpse a little further into the future, don't forget to see the Paul Green's School of Rock students present British Invasion on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased separately for $10 ($15 at the door), but admission is included if you opt for the 5-day pass.
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.
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). (UPDATE: The ball has sold out.) 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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+
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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"
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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:
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!
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
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.
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.
In the world of sports, we might be rivals. In the world of industry, we're colleagues. On the world's stage, we're close relatives, but in dance music Chicago and Detroit are the kind of sister cities that finish each others' sentences. But in light of the ever-increasing ability to connect with people of the other side of the planet, Chicago's been neglecting regular contact with our own next door neighbor. There was once a time when music, artists and energy traveled freely between the two cities, and this Friday, March 12th at Smartbar, D3: Deconstruct, Discover Detroit Art and Music Series hopes to revive this exchange of ideas.
Our annual Gapers Block Party is finally here! And this year it's bigger and better than ever -- we're taking over the 
Fashion :: Sex :: Music is a multi-disciplinary event series hosted by 
