| « Review: Asobi Seksu and BRAHMS @ Empty Bottle | Introducing Skysaw » |
Concert Wed Mar 02 2011
Preview: Street Home Chicago: Chicago Street Musicians @ House of Blues 3/3
Chicago Street Musicians, an organization founded in 2009 that celebrates Chicago-area street and subway performers, is bringing a number of CSM musicians to House of Blues for a concert on Thursday.
CSM Founder and Director Gabriel Chapman, who is a musician himself, listened to street and subway musicians regularly on his commute on the Blue Line, and thought it would be great to get people to actually listen to them, rather than breeze right past them on their way to work or home.
"One of the things we realized early on as we started to work on the website and video was the misperceptions that people have about street musicians," Chapman says. "Changing those perceptions has become a goal of ours. So often I hear people remark that street musicians are homeless. It seems to me that that is the prevailing understanding -- even among my close friends -- which could not be farther from the truth. Thinking briefly about the musicians that I know -- and I may only know a half to two thirds of those who play in Chicago -- there are people who work full-time jobs outside of performing, people in grad school, people making a living as full-time musicians, people who have recorded multiple albums, people who have music books that you can buy on Amazon.com, etc."
Musicians performing at the House of Blues include: Keithen Terrell and his band, The Keithen Terrell Banks Story "Bringing the funk and blues"; The Real Connection "And their soulful Motown harmonies"; Meisha Herron "And her angelic voice"; Chris James and his band, the Wall of Rhythm "Featuring the magical, Hendrix-esque guitar stylings of Chris James"; and will be emceed by former street performer and 2007 New York Times Emerging Artist Award winner Nicholas Barron, who is also the founder and director of the Coalition for the Advancement of Street Art (CASA).
"The show's headliner is a dashing (he really is!) young man named Keithen Terrell," says Chapmen, "he is a great performer who has a band -- the Keithen Terrell Banks Story - that is extremely tight and entertaining. Keithen was in the military. When he got out he could have gotten any number of jobs. He just loved playing music, so he decided to busk. He's gotten to be very good, writes all of his own songs and has a great band. He was recently re-acquainted with a woman that used to sing with him in a previous group. They got engaged a few months ago and he will be moving out to Palo Alto, CA with her later this year to get married...and finish his current album!"
Thursday's concert at House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn) starts at 9pm, doors open at 8pm, tickets are $10. For more information on CSM and their mission, visit their website. For tickets visit House of Blues or call 312-923-2000
Sterling Belefant / March 8, 2011 2:42 AM
Should be a great show. And a great chance for these young talents to perform in a classy space.