In this video, Ivanka Trump presents the "incredibly beautiful, fabulously luxurious, 92-story Trump International Hotel and Indie Rock Club."
Get a sneak peek at this fantastic new project this weekend.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Location can be everything, indeed. The best live recordings come from such circumstances, occasions where an artist finds herself at home with a warm, and responsive crowd, and the result is a friendly and intimate interaction between performer and audience. Live albums like Etta James Rocks The House and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and Roland Kirk's Kirk In Copenhagen leap to mind, but there are plenty of others in the history of recorded music that serve as evidence to this effect.
Better yet, there's nothing like returning to a welcoming fold of friends after a long journey. Such was the case when Mavis Staples played a homecoming show at the Hideout this past June. Alighting from an extensive tour, Staples and her band played a 14-song, career-spanning set to a sold-out house. Given the Hideout's modest digs, the crowd topped out at about 200 attendees, making for a cozy and up-close show. Reviews and reports of the performance were radiant across the board, and the Anti- label was on hand to document the whole thing.
And now from the Hideout and the artist's website comes word that the resulting disc, Mavis Staples Live: Hope at the Hideout, is scheduled for an official release date of November 4th. Check the Hideout's website for the full tracklisting, links to reviews, and photos.
- Graham Sanford | Comments (0)
The sweet sounds of clubland can now be downloaded from the "Interweb." As of August 1, you can listen to a live performances from Smart Bar (as well as other clubs and venues around the world) via Awdio.com, the first system to broadcast 100% music live over the web. The system was founded in Paris in 2006 by a team of young entrepreneurs in music, entertainment and design. A free 45-day trial membership is available to Smart Bar patrons. For more details visit the Awdio website. Word on the street is that Sonotheque is joining up as well. Now you can go to clubland without stepping away from your computer.
- Marla Seidell | Comments (0)
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 | Comments (0)
Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase, the premier venue for seeing live Jazz in Chicago for over 60 years now, will reopen after a year-plus relocation hiatus this Thursday, June 12th. Pushed out of their previous location on Grand Ave after their rent bill nearly doubled, their new location is in the historic Dearborn Station in the Printers Row area.
The Showcase is one of the only places in the city you can hear national jazz acts every week. Joe Segal began presenting jazz as a student at Roosevelt University in the 1940s and turned it into a lifetime career. Over the history of his club, he has presented (nearly) every big name in jazz: from Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk to Cecil Taylor and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
On top of their usual national acts, the Showcase is going to expand into more local programming, and their format will now be set up so that after the jazz sets the club will transform into a local hang for musicians to jam and audiences to enjoy. Stop by and check out the new location of the Jazz Showcase at 806 S. Plymouth Court, on the eastern side of Dearborn Station.
- Daniel Melnick | Comments (0)
In the comments of WindyCitizen's review of the Death Cab for Cutie show, a reader offers a great tip for getting a better view of concerts at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion:
There's a really easy way to get the $10 tickets and then see the entire show: Stand on the ramp that leads down to the bathroom. For some reason Millennium security doesn't bother people that stand there, and it's a better view than a lot of people with the expensive seats have!
Now, don't everybody go out and try it all at once, or that loophole will be closed right quick!
Any tips on secret viewing spots in other venues?
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Agreed: this "spring" weather is officially, uh, bullshit. Here it is nearly June in Chicago and we're still having to keep some layers handy. Be that as it may, that hasn't stopped some of us from breaking out the summer tunes weeks ago and trying to absorb some warmth from vicarious sources.
So, as you close your eyes and picture July and tell yourself that it will (eventually) get warmer, Austin's DJ Chicken George has something that'll help pull you through the lingering chill. By way of the latest Blentwell podcast, he's served up a summery mix that was recently recorded at Chicago's own Darkroom. It's a deep set of hip-hop, nu-jazz, neo-soul, dope beats, and some remixed dusties; all of it building into an uptempo homestretch that caps off -- in a solid Southside summer barbeque tradition – with a tight reworking of a classic Roy Ayers cut. Recommended. Soak it up until the higher temperatures finally kick in.
DJ Chicken George - "Darkroom Mix" (courtesy of Mr. Blentwell)
Download version available here.
- Graham Sanford
Since I've been a Chicagoan, I've always looked forward to the release of the new season of Jazz at Symphony Center. A halllowed space and the chance to see and hear some of the greats and up-and-comers makes for a great night out and a way to patronize one of the city's most celebrated institutions, especially if classical isn't your thing.
So, the schedule's been released for the 2008-09 season, and once again Chicago will be blessed by some big names and some people who you've probably heard of if your jazz collection goes beyond the usual Miles, Trane, and Billie. What's so disappointing to this writer is that this lineup has nowhere near the power, artistic or name-wise, to stand up against the 2007-08 season, which will end with the arrival of legend Wayne Shorter in a couple of weeks.
Dudes named Marsalis, three of them (don't tell me you forgot about Jason!) show up at various times, which will unquestionably fill some people's need for what they know as "jazz." Highlights seem to be Dee Dee Bridgewater,Cassandra Wilson, and Keith Jarrett. We'll keep you abreast of any new schedule developments.
- Troy Hunter | Comments (0)
Since they first came together on the Osaka noise scene of the mid-1980s, The Boredoms have always been one of the music world's most unwieldy and inexplicable acts. Starting out as an outfit of frenetic, genre-mulching rawk'n'roll destructivists, they've since undergone a circuitous musical evolution over the past decade. Like a supernova constricting into a neutron star, the band refocused its musical energy to become purveyors of dense and droning space-rock in the late 1990s before finally arriving at their present trance-inducing, tribal incarnation as the most apeshit drum circle on earth.
Boredoms fans will have a chance to see the band play a special "in the round" performance at the Congress Theater next Wednesday evening. The show will be one of the few dates on their current U.S. tour where the group will be able to perform the way they want to -- interfacing in a circle in the center of the venue while the audience will be free to gather around on the periphery.
- Graham Sanford | Comments (0)
The Metro just announced a new Wednesday night concert series, "Rock Against Recession," featuring local acts across a wide range of genres.
The first show will be March 5 and features Airiel, Slings and Arrows, Yourself and the Air, and Empires. The doors open at 8pm, and there's free admission till 9pm; after that it's $5. The shows will all be 18 and over, but there will be drink specials for the of-age crowd: $3 Leinenkugels in Metro, and you're welcome to wander down to Smartbar, where Jessica from OFFICE will be deejaying and the SoCo and Jack Daniels cocktails are $3 and PBRs are $2.
- Andrew Huff | Comments (0)
Nestled amidst all of the recent development in Printers Row, the loft venue and recording studio The Shape Shoppe has been an intimate, off-the-path hub for fractured pop and DIY experimental merriment. Aside from being a local nexus in the Elephant 6 network, a number of fringe-dwelling luminaries have either played or recorded on its premises over the past few years—including Dan Deacon, Beirut, Man Man, Icy Demons, Pit er Pat, the Bird Names, and Akron/Family.
But this past spring, proprietor Griffin "Blue Hawaii" Rodriguez began renovating the recording studio in order to give it a much-needed upgrade. To help offset the costs of the undertaking, the Shape Shoppe will be throwing a big ree-raw benefit show at The Hideout this Friday. The Killer Whales, who recently reformed after a lapse in activity, are scheduled to play. Also on the bill are ramshackle pop-folksters The Bird Names, Michael Columbia, and swingin' 70's west-coast groove revivalists Bronze. Given the line-up, its' the sort of show that'll provide non-stop opportunities to shout, sing, and dance along. DJs Hologram Trav and White Lightning spin between sets. 1354 W. Wabansia, 9pm. Admission is $10.
[video]: Bronze – "On the Clock"
[video]: The Bird Names – Chic-a-Go-Go performance
- Graham Sanford
Fresh from their last trip to Home Depot, and still a little buzzy from the paint fumes, local experimental music arts venture Lampo announces the grand opening of its new home, a second floor space on Chicago Avenue, between Franklin and Wells (216 W. Chicago, to be precise). Residing over a former post office, the new Lampo looks forward to bigger and better performances in the years to come, and happily announces show #101 this Saturday!
Electro-digital puppet master Marcus Schmickler returns after a five-year absence (two if you count his duet with Thomas Lehn) to grace Lampo with one of his most recent compositions, an eight-channel beast called "Altars of Science," this Saturday (Dec. 15) at 9 p.m. ($12 admission) Expect the sounds of digital ghosts getting to work grinding, mulching, and spinning horrible around your head at a dizzying rate. The Lampo press release mentions a lot of things like "Granual synthesis" and "cellular automata treatments of a string quartet," and that all sounds like biology homework to me. The proof, however, is in the burbling, crazy pudding that Schmickler with bring to a boil before your very ears. Take the processes with as many grains of salt as you wish, but don't miss the sonic tempests that result!
Lampo will return to its full seasons in early winter 2008. Check the Lampo site for more information about subscribing to their announcement lists (I highly recommend the postcard treament, as their design job is superb, and the postcards are a nice heavy cardstock...a welcome relief from more magazine renewal notices that arrive every other day).
- Chris Sienko
For three consecutive evenings in the second weekend of November, Plastic Crimewave and the Empty Bottle will be hosting the fourth annual installment of the Million Tongues Festival. That means three nights of "acid folk," New Weird Americana, and a cross-spectrum array of experimental music. As of Tuesday evening, the final roster for the festival has been announced, and it looks like (once again) some additonal support is being contributed by the folks at Arthur magazine.
We're passing along the full schedule below. Note that, due to an especially packed billing and some resulting spill-over, all shows start at 9pm at the AV-Aerie except the Valerie Project. Check the Empty Bottle's website for more information regarding scheduling and tickets.
- Graham Sanford
Look out Chicago, there's a new rock club in town. In fact, there's a new rock club/rock restaurant/rock record store that's ramping up this month with an amazing looking calendar of shows, including West Coast noise wunderkinds Health, Skin Graft's Pre, and indie dark lords Murder by Death! With a swank, iconic punk rock interior and Animal House-esque black tank-bus in check, Reggie's looks to be one of this season's most exciting additions to Chicago!
Reggie's Music Joint / Record Breakers - 2105 South State Street. (312) 949-0120.
- John Lombardo | Comments (0)
If you've caught sets by Kid Sister or Hollywood Holt or any of the other recent up-and-coming South Side hip-hop club artists, then chances are you might’ve heard the above question posed to the audience from the stage at some point. Any local culture-cognizant North Side club-rat is probably going to say "yeah" by way of response. But while the acts in question have been responsible for bringing the sound of "juke" to new audiences—slipping in something akin to juked beats under a few tracks as their sets propel into the crowd-moving home stretch—the music is still very much an exclusively South and West Side thing, as are the moves that go with it
That may change as of next Friday night when Smart Bar hosts Juke-It-Palooza, The event, its organizers hope, will give club-goers a chance to experience the music from two of the biggest names on the local juke scene.
- Graham Sanford
The Metro held a private party this past Saturday to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary. Billed as a "family reunion," employees past and present were in attendance in abundance. Smartbar featured DJs throughout the evening, while the Metro stage was given over to speeches, a spoof "Historical Moments from History" video and DJ sets by Life During Wartime, Brad Owen and New Order's Peter Hook. But the highlight of the evening was definitely Nicholas Tremulis' ode to the club, busting owner Joe Shanahan's, uh, desk. I managed to catch most of it on video (I didn't get my camera out fast enough, but you only miss a couple words.)
- Andrew Huff
As reported last week, the Empty Bottle was hosting a weekend-long shindiggity series of afterparty shows to coincide with the Pitchfork Fest. The cornucopia spilled over, proved too much for yours truly to take in to its fullest. And while there's nothing like a "scene report" thing to rub your face in the business about the party that you missed, couldn't get into, etc., this one leaves plenty of room for reciprocal nyeh-nyeh payback…
- Graham Sanford
artwork courtesy of Struggle Inc.
This weekend, there'll be no shortage of clubs hosting afterparties for the Pitchfork Music Festival, but it looks like the Empty Bottle has pulled out all the stops by stepping up with the most ambitious of all. Entitled "We ♥ Chicago," the Bottle's series of afterparty events offers three straight nights of merrymaking and dancing with a top-shelf selection of bands and DJs.
Looking down the schedule for the series, you probably notice a lot of exclamation points. And hey, that sense of excitement is perfectly appropriate because the whole affair is poised to be one of the biggest party events of the year. In case you missed it, here's the whole swoll package:
Friday, July 13
Gravy Train!!!!
The Cool Kids
GutterButter DJs
Saturday, July 14
Chromeo
Flosstradamus
Vyle
Sunday, July 15
Yo! Majesty
Marjongg
My!Gay!Husband!
- Graham Sanford
According to TimeOutChi and a few other sources, the South Loop nightclub and music venue HotHouse issued a press release this week that confirms the uncertainty of its future. Due to an ongoing lease dispute, the club's schedule will be suspended as the owners look for a new location. For those who've paid attention, HotHouse has encountered its share of problems throughout its history, perhaps none so public as the recent shake-up on its board of directors. Over the years, the place has served as one of the city's most indispensable venues for world music, poetry slams and spoken-word events, local hip-hop, jazz, and plenty of top-shelf DJ appearances. No word yet as to where it plans settle next.
- Graham Sanford
A big evening at Darkroom is shaping up for this Friday. It's the big DJ LA* Jesus Benefit Birthday Bash, and plenty of participants have piled on to celebrate and make the thing happen for a worthy cause. DJ LA* Jesus been an amusing fixture on the local club scene these past few years, and not unlike his namesake, has landed his own devout following around town. He's slung a good many crafty bootleg remixes (Missy E's "Pass The Dutchie" atop New Order's "Blue Monday," anyone?), and has recently done some legit remix work for The Flaming Lips and Apostle of Hustle. And this Friday is His his birthday, and a big to-do is in order. Entertainment-wise, DJ LA* Jesus himself will be spinning, as will Bald Eagle of the Life During Wartime crew, and deejay Lipschitz. But wait, it ain't over! The evening will also feature an appearance by dance-popsters Walter Meego, who will reportedly contribute to the DJing and perform a live set, as well.
As for the Benefit portion of the evening is concerned, proceeds will go to Rock For Kids, the Chicago non-profit organization that helps provide music education and lessons to homeless and underprivileged children. A lot of folks have signed on to provide incentives, and there will reportedly be giveaways that might allow you to chance to get free stuff from Threadless, studio time at Rax Trax studios, a free haircut from Ben Mollin, and tickets to upcoming shows around town (word has it that the Metro will be holding a raffle for tix to see Clap Your Hand Say Yeah and Cold War Kids). 2210 W. Chicago. It all gets underway at 9pm. $6 at the door or you can buy advanced tickets from the club.
- Graham Sanford
This week sees a pair of events celebrating the release of the new album from two Chicago jazz titans, tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson and percussionist Hamid Drake. Entitled From The River To The Ocean, the album was recorded by John McEntire at Soma Studios and it's a full-ensemble affair that features outstanding accompaniment from multi-instrumentalist Harrison Bankhead of 8 Bold Souls affiliation, bassist Joshua Abrams, and AACM guitarist Jeff Parker (of Tortoise, Chicago Underground Quartet, et al.) who steps in for three of the album's five tracks. Tuesday night, the full ensemble will be playing at an RSVP event at the headquarters of Stop Smiling magazine. The performance will be hosted by local author, curator, and musician John Corbett, who'll be conducting a public q&a with the band throughout the set. And on Wednesday night, the band will playing a regular evening set at Anderson's Velvet Lounge.
- Graham Sanford
Into the rumor mill again we go, this time following the lead of Greg Kot, who's got it in his Trib blog that Live Nation is apparently exploring the idea of selling off some of its underperforming venues, including the Tinley Park venue currently known as the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Disparaged by The Dead for poor sound quality back in 1990 and losing ticket sales due to the unwillingness of patrons to fight traffic to get out there, it may be hard to unload this stone.
- Anne Holub
Chances are good that you know Carlos Santana's "Smooth," which means you've heard at least one classic shingaling groove. Which may beg the question: What's a shingaling? It's partner to the boogaloo, but…hmmm. Okay, tell you what. Let's skip the musicology breakdown and I'll simply tell you this: It was all part of a much-forgotten chapter in the evolution of Latino music, one very specific to these shores, and is hands-down some of the most deeply soulful and vibrantly joyous music ever recorded. It was a style of music that exploded out of the Spanish Harlem scene of the 1960s, combining Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms with r&b and rock, and which quickly became the sound of young Nuyorica. The recordings in question are, sadly, hard to come by, since the movement itself quickly faded into obscurity, having disappeared through the cracks somewhere between the more enduring popularity of mambo and salsa. But before fading it inspired later crossover Latino funkateers like Santana, WAR, and El Chicano to step up and go for theirs in the years that followed.
This Friday at Sonotheque, DJs Supreme Court and Joe Bryl (of African Hi-Fi association) present "We Got...Latin Soul!" The duo will be digging back to pull from their crates and serve up an evening's worth of the guacha guaro, spinning their selection of solid retro barrio groove from the likes of Pete Rodriguez, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Joe Cuba, Willie Colon, and Latin soul brother number one Joe Bataan. 9pm-2am. 1444 W. Chicago. Cover is only $5.
[mp3]: Pete Rodriguez - "Oh! That's Nice"
[mp3]: Joe Bataan - "What Good Is A Castle?"
- Graham Sanford
If you missed Prefuse 73 at Sonotheque the other night, then this one'll help you split the difference. The Empty Bottle's free Monday night event serves up a full spectrum of beats for urban music heads tonight—from block-rocking to head-nodding to shoe-gazing. First up is local emcee/DJ/producer Vyle, who's been getting a considerable amount of attention nationally for his "hoodtronic" style of leftfield track production. He's sharing the bill with Hefty and Eastern Development recording artist Eliot Lipp. Headlining is Lymbyc Systym, the sibling pair of Mike and Jared Bell, who—like Eliot Lipp—share an affinity for vintage keyboards and breakbeats. Their recent album Love Your Abuser offers a array of rich, downtempo beat compositions that provide the ideal soundtrack for dreamy, rainy-day meditations. Which, given the forecast for the week to come, just might be in order. 1035 N. Western. 9:30 pm. And it's free.
[mp3]: Vyle - "Strobemouth" (Drop The Lime remix)
[mp3]: Eliot Lipp - "Eyesore"
[mp3]: The Lymbyc Systym - "Carved By Glaciers"
- Graham Sanford
Rumors abound in Trib theater critic Chris Jones' latest blog entry about the possible future of the shuttered gem on the far north side, the Uptown Theatre. Jam Productions has apparently been sniffing around, with the potential to buy the venue, if only to protect its interests in the Broadway and Lawrence Ave. area where it already owns the Riv and the Aragon. Even if they do buy the place, however, don't hold your breath that they'll be able or willing to pony up the nearly $100 million it'll take to get the Uptown back into shape. Sigh...the wait continues.
- Anne Holub
- Dan Morgridge
First let's all make a promise that once the media hype dies down over saving the Earth, we'll still understand how important it is to change our habits and keep our world a clean place. That's the philosophy Funky Buddha Lounge has been preaching and demonstrating for 11 years and now their taking their actions to a new level. Tonight in coordination with Earth Day and the Green Festival, is the grand opening of highly anticipated Butterfly Social Club next to and ran by the Funky Buddha owners.(the club opened last night with a huge bash outdoors and in with Michael Kang of SCI, DJs and organic food) BSC is about as environmental as you can get for a spot in the city, let alone a night club. Serving up such goodies like Berry Happy Chocolate, from pure Ecuadorian chocolate, a Yerba Matte fused energy drink and green grass powder, designed with a truly earthy tone (local and natural material) and partially powered by solar and wind, Butterfly Social is truly a joint to love. Opening night features many green give aways, smoke-free atmosphere and ambient dancing sounds. Free before 11 p.m.
- Brent Kado
It's hard to keep an indie business running these days. Sadly another really good place has ran its short-lived course. Muse Cafe was a nice spot for culture and music in the surprisingly barren corner of Ogden, Chicago and Milwaukee. Progressive jazz, poetry and delicious eats made Muse a spot for the city to be proud of. According to their MySpace blog, many of the projects at Muse (The Electro-Acoustic Workshop, The Jazztronik Experiment) will continue at other locations. Remember to do your best to support local business because they need all our support in offering an alternative to the big guys. Thanks to Muse Cafe for giving us that option for the past year and a half.
- Brent Kado
If lively dancing is what you're looking for on a weekend, then this Saturday is a good time to hit Darkroom in Ukranian Village. The second Saturdays of each month are when the club hosts "Sunny Side Up," an event that always draws an enthusiastic crowd of party people. As the floor gets jumping, you might see couples getting busy with some advanced Latin steps, or maybe a gaggle of Brazilian youngsters flexing with Capoeira-type moves. But don't let any of that intimidate you, because it's a loose and mixed affair -- a come-one, come-all night where the dancefloor stays packed and bustling with folks who are there to move and have a good time. DJ 4BZ spins a solid selection of jazzy downtempo, trip-hop, afrobeat, and funky, breakbeat-heavy fare that puts the groove in solid rump-shaking mode. The other resident deejay on hand is Mwelwa, who specializes in a blend of Latin, Caribbean, and African dance-pop flavors that always keeps the crowd going until closing time. This Saturday night's "Sunny Side Up" will also feature a special performance by Ghanian guitarist Dan Boadi and his Ghanatta Internationale. 2210 West Chicago Ave. The party runs from 10pm-3am, and admission is only five bucks.
- Graham Sanford
The Reader's Miles Raymer reports that The Subterranean is now booking all-ages shows, helping to fill the void left by the ending of shows at the Fireside Bowl and the demise of the Bottom Lounge. Other venues mentioned included South Union Arts, Beat Kitchen and Schubas. Glad to see some serious efforts to give kids a place to see live music!
- Andrew Huff
Though false starts are par for the course for the Uptown, the Sun-Times brings news today that entertainment conglomerates AEG and Live Nation are sniffing around Chicago's diamond-in-the-rough Uptown Theater. According to 48th Ward Alderperson Mary Ann Smith's office, one or both of the companies will likely submit a proposal this month to preserve the theater as a live performance venue, and perhaps incorporate some rehearsal space for community theater. Both AEG, which owns Toyota Stadium in Bridgeview and the resident Chicago Fire Soccer team, and Live Nation, owners of the World/Tweeter/Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park and the recently acquired House of Blues chain, have the truck to pull off a deal, though look for city help with acquisition, tax relief, or flat out grants to rescue the theater. Acquisition will likely be the easiest and cheapest part of the deal, with restoration after 25 years of neglect presenting huge hurdles. Also unclear, how the 4,500 seat Baroque movie palace (second in size only to NYC's Radio City) will fare in direct competition with other Chicago venues of similar capacity, such as the Aragon, Chicago, and Auditorium. It would be nice to see top flight acts gracing its stage again.
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The landmark Uptown Theater, the hulking building on the corner of Lawrence and Broadway, may be inching closer to salvation. Built in 1925, this 4,500 seat movie palace was the crown jewel of the Balaban & Katz theater empire, and is the second largest single screen movie palace in the nation after Radio City Music Hall. After a long career as a theater, and a stint in the late '70's and early '80's as a venue for acts such as the Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, and the J. Geils Band. The venue has suffered from a lack of upkeep for nearly 40 years now, and is in need of a major renovation. News this week that the city's Community Development Commission has at least begun tossing around the idea of purchasing the theater, and apparently turning it over to a private operating group to manage it (think someone like Jam, or Broadway in Chicago). Agenda for planning meeting here. Still no news on where the city or a private entity would come up with the tens of millions needed to restore the incredibly ornate, and largely handcrafted building.
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The Hotel Intercontinental abruptly ended its 15-year-old jazz program last week, the Tribune reports, leaving featured performer Judy Roberts without a Chicago venue. Roberts had played piano in the hotel's streetside lounge since 1991, except for 2001-2003, when other musicians regularly filled in. Her last performance was Friday.
No replacement plans have been announced by the hotel. Fans can only hope that some other hotel or venue will pick up where the Intercontinental dropped off, and Roberts will be back to playing Thursday through Saturday every week. She still has a regular gig at Chambers in Niles; check her website for news of future shows in the city.
- Andrew Huff
On the verge of a huge weekend for Chicago jazz (see Slowdown), one Chicago jazz landmark, The Jazz Showcase, has announced it's lost its lease. The second-oldest jazz venue in the nation, the Showcase must vacate its Grand Ave. digs by January, and owner Joe Segal doesn't exactly know where they'll land. Maybe they'll get a boost from another newly-relocated jazz venue, the Velvet Lounge, and put up bebop stakes in the South Loop.
- Anne Holub
Where would this city be without a little Jazz in its diet? Now there's a newly re-opened space just to fill that need. Viewed as a training ground for many of Chicago's creative jazz musicians since 1982, The Velvet Lounge is celebrating their grand re-opening this weekend with music performances by Fred Anderson(sax), Kidd Jordan(sax), Harrison Bankhead(bass), and Alvin Fielder(drums).
More than $100,000 was raised in private contributions to build out two new storefronts for this joint, and in it you're sure to love the added little touches from a vintage Chicago art deco bar to a musician's locker rooom. Don't worry, the old Velvet is still around, they've hung their trademark chandeliers and the 'Velvet lady' painting.
This party is on Friday Aug 11 and Saturday Aug 12 9pm. This is a non-smoking bar.
New Velvet Lounge
67 E. Cermak Rd. btwn Michigan and Wabash
312-791-9050
- | Comments (0)
How many times have you found out that your favorite band is coming to town, only to realize that they totally played last weekend?
Building on the premise of the online social event calendar Upcoming.org, the recently launched site Tourb.us takes note of your favorite bands and reminds you when they’re coming to town, alerting you via e-mail or text message.
There’s a dopey social network feature where you can make concert-going friends (P.S. friend me!), and you can also import your playlists from your iTunes and Last.fm accounts to get recommendations for shows you should be seeing based on your listening habits.
- JP Pfafflin
Love them, loathe them, want to move in — you know a rock dive when you're in one. Catch up on our favorites, and maybe find a new home away from home this week.
Join the Transmission Flickr Pool.
Read the SXSW Tour Diaries.
Fri Nov 21 2008
Rise Against @ The Congress Theater
Fri Nov 21 2008
M83 @ Bottom Lounge
Fri Nov 21 2008
Calexico @ Metro
Fri Nov 21 2008
New Church of Ease @ Morseland
Sat Nov 22 2008
Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival
Sat Nov 22 2008
Fishbone @ Subterranean
Wed Nov 26 2008
Skybox @ Subterranean