tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41454713062243956982024-03-20T04:51:52.843-07:00Chicago Music SeenThis blog was created to provide my opinion and reviews about the Chicago music scene. The commentary here is based upon what shows that I (as a lover of all things music) have SEEN. I also comment on the venues so that you can know what to expect during your night out, whether reserve tables are in order, what acoustical nightmares or pleasures you might experience, where you might go to eat before the show, and other random, noteworthy, or fun observations. I hope you enjoy the reviews!Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-31143271639942681502019-05-30T08:54:00.001-07:002019-05-30T09:20:32.843-07:00Andrew Bird at Green Mill on April 3, 2019<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To say that this Green Mill show was
mesmerizing doesn't do it justice. If it were a religion, it would convert an atheist. I genuflect to Mr. Bird. I have had the good fortune of following
Andrew Bird for more than 18 years. I first saw him randomly in a club in
the village in NYC when I was visiting family. He and his band were then known as
Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire and they were captivating then. Bird is a native
"Chicagoan", a graduate of Lake Forest High School and Northwestern
University, with a degree in violin performance. His music and talents are
difficult to categorize since his genres span from jazz and swing to indie rock
and folk. Bird is a singer and multi-instrumentalist, with violin and
guitar at the helm, and is known for his astounding whistling skills, for which he is a
virtuoso. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This intimate and special
performance, showcasing his latest album, <i>My Finest Work Yet</i>, was
an immediate sell-out and I was lucky to be offered a ticket by a dear friend.
The venue, The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, first opened in 1907 as Pop Morse's
Gardens and later Pop Morse's Roadhouse. The change in name to The Green
Mill was inspired by the Moulin Rouge in Paris. The historic Green Mill
was known as a gangster hangout and speakeasy during Prohibition and is said by
some to be haunted. The memory of seeing Andrew Bird, up close at this
venue, will be impossible to erase. His passionate and bewitching
performance was the best of the six or so I have seen in my lifetime and he
played like it was his last. Thankfully it is not as he is scheduled to
be at the Chicago Theatre this summer on July 16th. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Enjoy the videos below: A cover of the jazz standard "I Can't Give
You Anything But Love"(Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, 1928) and
"Damn You For Being So Easy Going" from Bird's <i>The Swimming
Hour</i>.</span></div>
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-75329458345045422372015-10-26T19:36:00.001-07:002015-12-23T12:22:03.461-08:00Abstract Giants and Planet Booty at The Hideout on October 17, 2015If you have only been to the garbage truck parking lot on Wabansia to attend the Hideout’s annual Block Party, you are missing out by not visiting the bar itself, on a regular weekend night. Having only attended a block party or two in my day, it was time to experience the real reason the Hideout is an off the beaten path Chicago hidden gem. My excuse to venture here was an invite to see Chicago born and bred hip hop/funk/world beat band, Abstract Giants opening for a soul/retro 90’s booty/hip hop band, Planet Booty. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t be interested in seeing a band whose name had “Booty” in it? I rallied a few friends to tag along with the promise of a fun night. The night did not disappoint.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hideoutchicago.com/">The Hideout</a>, est. 1934, is an iconic bar similar to Marie’s Rip Tide in Bucktown, but with a music room and younger bartenders. Both of these bars are landmark Chicago institutions and will hopefully be preserved as such for years to come. The atmosphere at Hideout is throwback circa 1930’s complete with low ceilings, Christmas lighting, and the cheapest beer in town ($4 bottled beer). The Hideout features talented musicians from various genres who are often under the radar and just launching their careers. The best part about seeing a band in a place like this is that you often get to see musicians, who may one day be well known, in an intimate setting. You get an up close and personal experience. Sometimes the intimacy might be more than expected or desired (being asked to “share sweat” with the performer might be a bit over the top for some) but more on Planet Booty’s antics later!<br />
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We started out night with dinner at Irazu (1865 Milwaukee), a BYOB Costa Rican restaurant on Milwaukee less than 2 miles from The Hideout. This family owned restaurant, serving traditional home-cooked Costa Rican food, has been around since 1990. This spot is also off the beaten path and has great food at low end pricing. This BYOB establishment is another neighborhood gem worth checking out if going to the Hideout for a show or going out anywhere on Milwaukee. It is not a glamorous spot since the majority of the restaurant is in a tented area with metal patio tables and chairs. You might not want to wear white pants or you might have grill like chair tattoos decorating your backside when you leave. I certainly hope they have outdoor heat lamps in the winter to help keep us warm while being well fed. I had a chicken taco and spinach and cheese empanadas and my friends had the vegetarian burrito. All were delicious. My meal set me back a whopping $10 but my friends treated to the wine. We left the restaurant, and including the time it took to squeeze four adults into a Mini-Cooper, arrived at The Hideout within 15 minutes. With ample parking right outside, the night was off to a perfect start.<br />
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<b>Abstract Giants</b><br />
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First up at the Hideout was the energetic Chicago bred urban hip hop band, Abstract Giants. This band has been collaborating since high school. To be honest, I cut my “rap artist” teeth on the trifecta of The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”, RUN-DMC’s “It’s Tricky/Walk This Way” (I am a long time fan of Aerosmith) and Grand Master Flash’s “The Breaks”. I am not sure that being a white girl growing up in the suburbs of NYC (Hartsdale), dancing to “Rapper’s Delight”, makes me an expert or highly qualified to critique urban hip hop. That said, I do like what I like and recognize talent when I see it. At the very least, I know when I am having a good time and when the music is bringing it.<br />
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When performing at full capacity, Abstract Giants is a 9-piece group fusing organic hip-hop, jazz, rock, funk and world music. Tonight’s show featured Cary Kanno (guitar), Jake Samson (bass), Willow Wells (vocals), Cameron McIntosh AKA Abitight (vocals) and Andres Roldan AKA RonP (vocals). The ten-song set demonstrated the bands versatility and talent particularly showcasing RonP as lead MC for the night. In the interest of full disclosure, RonP is my personal trainer from my neighborhood health club, <a href="http://www.southportfitness.com/">Southport Fitness</a>. Although I have some concern that writing anything other than a stellar review can result in extra sit-ups, lunges and squats, I will do my best to remain impartial.<br />
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AG proves that rap is not all about money, drugs and sex. The music varies from dance, salsa, reggae and rock beats and the themes that they focus on are social commentary, love songs and battle rhymes. They don’t rap about crime, drugs or violence. From time to time there is an expletive thrown in for good measure and the occasional sexual reference, mostly in good humor. We are all adults here right? RonP’s talent lies in his rhythmic, crisp and syncopated approach to the lyrics, at times rapidly firing lyrics and “scratching” sounds usually created by a DJ turntabling. It was impressive to say the least. My trainer has some mad rapping skills! In contrast, Abitight had a more melodic flow in his style and is capable of singing lyrics along with his rap. Together they complimented each other well. RonP led the group expertly engaging the audience, encouraging crowd participation and introducing the members of the group when they had solos or opportunity to be showcased. Willow Wells was featured most during the last song providing haunting back-up vocals for “Rise and Shine”. This gig’s set did not provide opportunity for her true talent to be appreciated. Wells has a wide vocal range that is soulful and unique but tonight, until the last song, was not highlighted. Wells , RonP and another MC, Homegrown, have another project, <a href="http://www.soundcloud.com/greenlights-2/sets/gl3">GREENLIGHTS</a>, in which Wells is more front and center, as she should be. Listen to “Truly Bold” from the GL3 album (link below).<br />
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Since I am prone to make comparisons, I would say that AG has a sound that is falls somewhere between Eminem’s rap style (with less made up words) and The Beastie Boys “Thee MC’s and One DJ”. The lyrics are more abstract requiring listener interpretation. The apt rapping skills of RonP and Abitight is underscored in the "Rapcapella" – "Mind All Mine". Check in out here:<br />
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AG has their own sound that makes you want to listen, put your hands up and dance. The music is more of an upper. If you need a boost, pop on one of their albums and you’ll find your happy place. For more on Abstract Giants check out <a href="http://www.abstractgiants.com/">www.abstractgiants.com</a> and iTunes and for the latest release, GL3 and past releases of RonP, Willow Wells and Homegrown's project, GREENLIGHTS check out <a href="http://www.soundcloud.com/greenlights-2">www.soundcloud.com/greenlights-2</a>.<br />
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Self-described: “GREENLIGHTS is a family at heart, and everything we do has that in mind. From production, to lyrics, and visual art, our appeal is that it’s the music that shines, no “other things that have come to define hip hop music.”<br />
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Posted here are two more videos from The Hideout show:<br />
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Samson's Revenge<br />
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and Booty Cracker:<br />
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This blog entry motivated me to try my hand at writing a rap song, I mean how hard could it be to throw a few rhymes together? Any similarity to "Rapper's Delight" is purely coincidental.<br />
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<b>Lift Those Weights</b><br />
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Southport Fitness is a neighborhood gym<br />
It’s much better than Equinox<br />
Don’t come here planning to relax<br />
It’s boot camp with detox<br />
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You can (hip) hop but don’t you stop<br />
Lunging down the floor<br />
Twist your body lift your leg<br />
‘Til you can’t do no more<br />
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Lift those weights, shoulder press<br />
Then I’ll count to ten<br />
If your back starts acting up<br />
You’ll just take Motrin<br />
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I could go on and on ‘til the break of dawn<br />
But I’d better stop right here<br />
<i>Abstract Giants</i> is the bomb<br />
I think I’ve made that clear<br />
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<b>Planet Booty</b><br />
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Electro-funk pop soul dance trio, <a href="http://www.planetbooty.org/">Planet Booty</a> met the expectations suggested by their chosen name and proved to be nothing short of entertaining. I was warned that they were a somewhat “raunchy” but in the era of music videos like “Booty” performed by JLo and Iggy Azalea rubbing barely clad booties together and Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” shaking hers with a harem of other booty baring women, this dance band is tame by comparison. I even muffled a few yawns during the show (just tired not bored). The Oakland, CA trio consists of Dylan Charles Germick (vocals, trumpet), Josh Cantero (vocals, trombone) and Ron Win (bass, percussion, electronics). They currently have one EP and two full-length releases, the latest being “Futuresweat” released in 2014.<br />
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PB appears to have gathered some steam in Chicago gathering an appreciative audience willing to shake their booties upon request. Several male fans wore white headbands (sweatband), a PB trademark, providing evidence of having a Chicago fan base. Germick began the set innocently enough. He wore a light brown three-piece tailored suit (possibly thrifted) with white button down shirt. By the end of the third song, his hair and shirt were completely sweat drenched. It was at this point that Germick asked for someone to come up to the stage and “share sweat” with him. Someone (male) complied. Can you say “ew”? By the end of the set, his shirt was so wet he apparently had no choice but to wring it out or take it off and perform shirtless. The strip act eventually continued revealing his sequin booty boy shorts by the last song. Let’s just say, if I were Germick and stripping down to my boy shorts before a live audience, I would make a real effort to do more ab and glute work. He is no Chippendale (yes, a 90’s reference!). He might want to consider getting a personal training package from RonP!<br />
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While the music might not be for everyone with lyrically, sexually charged songs like “Take Off Your Pants”, “Ride That Booty” and “Spank Out”, the trio has energy, vocal talent, and plays brass instruments! If you expect a parody of all things 90’s booty dance, you won’t be disappointed. Think of combining Justin Timberlake’s SNL classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABrSYqiqvzc&list=PLPTnyksCoXfhF44VsTpEjM3_eJ--96O62">“Dick in a Box”</a> with Flight of the Conchords “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YIxpNPhAQE">The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room“</a>. It is worth checking these videos out on YouTube if you have not seen them. You should then have the complete booty shaking picture. For more on Planet Booty check out <a href="http://www.planetbooty.org./">www.planetbooty.org.</a><br />
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Check out my videos from The Hideout here:<br />
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Extra tip for readers making it to the end of this lengthy entry!<br />
If you would like to have a night-cap and dessert after visiting The Hideout, I highly recommend walking down the parking lot to <a href="http://www.adastreetchicago.com/">Ada Street</a> (1664 N. Ada St.) for a late night craft cocktail and bread pudding. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-10857916983771274212015-03-30T08:22:00.002-07:002015-03-30T08:47:36.085-07:00Dylan Gardner at Beat Kitchen on March 26, 2015<br />
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I was invited to review native Chicagoan, Dylan Gardner, an 18-year old singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist (guitar, piano, drums) at the <b>Beat Kitchen</b>. Having the opportunity to experience his type of talent is why "blogging as a hobby" is worthwhile. Gardner just released his debut album, <b><i>Adventures in Real Time </i></b>and was picked up by Warner Brothers after his first single "Let's Get Started" reached 3 million plays on Spotify. Apparently the song came up under "new releases" and found itself on multiple playlists and shared over and over again.<br />
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Gardner comes from a musical family. His father, Mark, is a bassist and played with the Chicago 80's power pop band, <i>The Kind</i>. His brother also plays drums with Gardner's band. As a result of his father, Gardner grew up listening to 60's classic rock and was particularly drawn to The Beatles who greatly shaped his sound and songwriting and the musical direction he intends to take. Heck, he even looks like a mini-Paul McCartney with his small frame, sport coat and brown "Beatle's styled" hair cut. He is also a fan of The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors. During tonight's set, he also did a fantastic version of The Arctic Monkeys "Why'd You Only Call Me When Your High" and an Elvis Costello cover so I assume he has some other favorites. Based on his flawless rendition of the Arctic Monkeys song, he could be a stunt double in the event that Alex Turner (lead singer) has laryngitis, a flight delay or other issue rendering him unavailable for a performance. It was impressive (see video below).<br />
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Gardner and his bandmates, his brother and his bassist, played with high energy and a comforting familiarity. His bassist was all the way in, looking like he was born to play with Gardner and loving every minute of it. The crowd was likely filled with Gardner's friends and family members given his Chicago roots. Beat Kitchen is a small venue so we were rewarded with an intimate performance and greatly entertaining show. Gardner's songs while being diverse and interesting are also cohesive. He has a distinctive sound that will flourish in the commercial world once he gets his television spotlight performances booked. He is extremely confident on stage, maneuvering his guitars like a rock veteran. He had three guitars with him for the set, and they looked like highly coveted instruments. He also has charm and charisma demonstrated by moments such as mentioning his humble beginnings when he had "gigs" at home improvement or electronics stores. Not that there is anything wrong with that. You can only go up from there right? For more on Gardner, check out his website for shows and more at <a href="http://dylangardnermusic.com/">dylangardnermusic.com</a>.<br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-32263395842318501572015-02-13T07:07:00.000-08:002015-02-27T17:26:47.128-08:00AJR and Melanie Martinez at Lincoln Hall on February 10, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H5qBMycS0v7R_5WhNYaqORf_i9k7_AkOskfxQv3mKsO9lIGDnPOfNFnRdPTZ9WeFUVOTrKjPgnMleCMv_J_Y4tjKfhfGgwGMQMrRum7_tznZOsnLkhQrMeiVOOUsjbeafq5nTzk4PTo/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H5qBMycS0v7R_5WhNYaqORf_i9k7_AkOskfxQv3mKsO9lIGDnPOfNFnRdPTZ9WeFUVOTrKjPgnMleCMv_J_Y4tjKfhfGgwGMQMrRum7_tznZOsnLkhQrMeiVOOUsjbeafq5nTzk4PTo/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" height="480" width="640" />(photo: Melody Perpich)</a></div>
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(photo: Melody Perpich)</div>
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(photo: Denise Allen)</div>
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Adam (bass, vocals), Jack (vocals, guitar), and Ryan
(guitar, piano, vocals) Mets are three brothers hailing from my hometown, good ol’
NYC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam is a Columbia graduate
and Ryan is currently a student there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Will Jack, the youngest at 17, follow in their footsteps?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jack was quoted in another interview as
feeling a bit like “Hannah Montana” since he is still in high school and is
experiencing fame now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
brothers promoted their music busking in Central Park and Washington Square
Park and most recently via internet and social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their first electro-pop single, “I’m Ready” was tweeted out to celebs by the Mets boys and got notice from
Sia Furler (one of my personal favorites originating from Zero 7 notoriety) who
helped to promote the trio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> These guys are talented and smart also, taking advantage of the social media craze to self-promote. </span>I
first heard the single on Sirius XM “Hits 1” station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The song has pop hit written all over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have since toured with The Wanted,
Demi Lovato, Lindsey Stirling and Hoodie Allen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJR’s new album is slated for release on March 3 and is
named “Living Room” likely due to the fact that they have written, produced and
mixed their songs in their home living room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How cute is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes the best names are in the obvious:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>AJR</i> and <i>Living Room</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An acronym and a noun I can remember.</div>
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AJR opened for Melanie Martinez (famous from season 3 of The
Voice) promptly at 7pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
an all-ages show and all ages were there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Melanie does drop a few F bombs in her lyrics and is not shy about it so mom's, if you have a problem with that, I suggest that you drop your daughter's off and pick them up later (ha ha). </span>I ran into a couple of teenage (or tween) girls in the bathroom who
informed me that they were there to see Martinez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I heard about the show I had assumed that AJR were
headlining since I had heard their music on the radio many times but had not
heard Martinez on the radio. Then again, I mostly listen to satellite and she
may be heard on FM radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJR was energetic and clearly had a great time entertaining the group of young and older fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told the story of their new found insta-fame and their
origins in Washington Square, busking for recognition and coin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think they are still humble about their unpretentious beginnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is great to see a bit of wholesome
fun and brothers who can play nice together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good job boys!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Jonas Brothers went their separate ways but maybe these three can
last longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be fun to
watch them rise having seen them perform at one of my favorite small venues,
Lincoln Hall, when they were just “starting out”. See video below from Lincoln Hall and the official video for the next hit "Infinity".</div>
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As for the headliner, I am now an official Melanie Martinez fan. She has an amazing voice with a lot of emotion and soul. Her outfit was so adorbs - milk and cookies! How appealing to a young audience! She still has her black and white cookie hair going too (half blonde, half dark). She had great rapport with the audience. One particular fan asked if "she would adopt her". Martinez responded with "I can barely take care of myself, why would you want me to be your mother?". She is after all only a late-teenager herself. Her alt rock pop style is really top notch. You can dance to her music one minute and then listen intently when she takes it down to just her and a guitar. Her hot multi-instrumentalist back-up keyboardist and guitarist rocked bunny ears too. The girls got schtick. Looking forward to seeing her next time she is in town. See the video of "Bittersweet Tragedy" from Lincoln Hall, you'll fall in love too.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nfeLMRugps" width="560"></iframe>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-87528995032167468662015-02-09T10:18:00.001-08:002015-02-09T18:40:49.763-08:00Jourdan Myers at Uncommon Ground on February 5, 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
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Uncommon Ground is a great restaurant and venue that has
been celebrating and supporting local talent for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also happens to be walking distance
from our Lakeview home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I did
not know is that Uncommon Ground expanded their space further to the north and
changed the location of the “music room”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The new space is the home to an old school analog sound board too
(previously there was none).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
wood panels and spot lighting creates more of a “club” feel previously lacking
in the old space.</div>
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Tonight’s event opened with locals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bittersweet Drive</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jack
Byron</i>. I managed to catch the last song for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bittersweet Drive</i> and all of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Byron’s</i>
set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Bittersweet Drive</i>, friends
from Columbia College, were a harmonizing folk duo that I would like to hear
more of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Byron</i>, dressed in a
hairline-striped button down and paperboy cap, played his acoustic guitar and
sang falsetto with no fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
believe he would have good stories to go along with his songs but he indicated
that he was trying to play as many songs as time would allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I love the stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say tell more stories and perform one
or two less songs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed his
Johnny Cash impersonation too during his song “Rhythm and Blues” and his lyrics
in the humorous “Cream of the Crop” including “All I want to do is wreck your
bed”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Headliner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jourdan
Myers</i> was up next. She was adorable, perky and fashion conscientious, exemplified by her glam “bling” headband and white
blouse with matching “bling” collar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is from Minnesota and is managing her own Midwest tour, driving from city to
city, accompanied by her vocal chops, keyboard, and merch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While on the topic, her merch consisted of hand knit
scarves, headbands, CDs and Christmas ornaments “that did not do as well as
expected” during the holiday season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Frowny face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Myers opened with "Firelight" aptly demonstrating her nuanced, haunting, passionate and
powerful vocals which immediately commanded your attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her songs are strong, sultry and soft with jazzy
undertones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Myers told me that she had to learn how to sing and play piano/keyboards at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not intuitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With keyboard in tow, Myers comfortably
demonstrated her vocal range and building crescendos with each song hardly requiring a mic! She is a pure
chanteuse capable of any note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of her songs build to an emotional crescendo, with lyrics that read
like poetry, describing human longing and the inability for most of us to get
everything we desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
collaboration with producer Matt Patrick has been effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her sophomore release, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ruin Me With Love</i>, captures the growth
of Myers and her desire to push herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My favorites on this 12 song emotional rollercoaster include “Wonderlust”,
“Push Me on the Playground”, and “The Fight”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her vocal prowess and style has been compared to Sarah
McLachlan by other reviews and her song “The Fight”, to Feist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think, if comparisons must be made,
Tori Amos and Sia Furler should be added to the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that, my friends, is a good list. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would say that it was a
good decision, to give up her prior mainstream career (in bonds, investment banking, and the world of
finance) to pursue her musical dreams. Apparently Myers has both the left and
right brain thing working for her. Think of all the options when you are talented, pretty, and
smart. The world is her oyster. Go to <a href="http://www.jourdanmyers.com/">www.jourdanmyers.com</a> to listen to her entire CD on sound cloud.</span><!--EndFragment--></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Check out Myers music video for "Wonderlust" here followed by the video of "Push Me On The Playground" I took at the Uncommon Ground show :</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxxpIJiXdV8" width="560"></iframe></span>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-11230506088427542872015-01-30T17:21:00.001-08:002015-01-30T19:03:14.924-08:00 Bahamas at Lincoln Hall on January 29, 2015<i>Bahamas</i> sold out in a flash last time they were in town and were likely to do so again. I grabbed two tickets on my cell phone when I was alerted to this show three months ago. Once again, a sold out venue, so this time I thought it might be nice to secure a table upstairs and have a bite to eat before the show and a place to be during. Advance reservations were not really needed since I was able to get a table reserved for two the night before the show. You have to guarantee $25 per person, which if you drink one or two, should be easy. I had the chicken tacos, 3 for $7. A good deal but rendering it necessary to have at least two cocktails to meet my financial obligations. This was easily arranged.<br />
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<i>Bahamas</i>, a Canadian singer/band, featuring lead singer Afie Jurvanen and outstanding background vocalist, Felicity William were, as expected, flawless. Afie is also a virtuoso on guitar and he took several much appreciated opportunities to demonstrate his skills. Bahamas is self-described by Afie as "soft rock genre" and proud of it. Hard and punk rockers, beware. <i>Barchords</i>, their 2012 release, was relatively unknown to me but landed the <i>Adult Alternative Album of the Year</i> at the 2013 Juno awards. The band has gathered considerable momentum and has secured a sizable fan base performing at music festivals such as Bonnaroo. Songs from the recent release, <i>Bahamas is Afie, </i>were highlighted in tonight's show. I find that Afie is a bit of a narcissist in that none of his other band members, including his songbird/muse, Felicity Williams, uttered a word during the show. He is clearly the driving force and wears the bands pants. The show IS Afie with significant enhancements courtesy of the vocal prowess of his side-kick songbird. Ironic (or not really) that the new release is named what it is named. Just food for thought. He did introduce the band so we have to give credit where credit is due, at least he was not rude. The last time I saw <i>Bahamas</i> they were a bit more dressed up. He had two female vocalists, including Williams, that wore, if my recollection serves me, cute red dresses. He might have even had on a jacket. For this show they were clearly fresh off the bus and likely un-showered and un-brushed. They sounded fabulous nonetheless, don't get me wrong. Just close your eyes and you would be swept away by the soothing rhythms and harmonies. It did dawn on me that Afie is very much a Jack Johnson sound-alike, and in doing further research, it turns out he has toured with him (glad that association did not escape my ears). I do tire of Jack J but find the vocal harmonies of <i>Bahamas </i>mesmerizing. Just listen and close your eyes. No need to dress up.<br />
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Take a listen to one of my favorite cuts from <i>Barchords (</i>love the retro look of the back-up singers too). Dresses and Jacket noted also:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPJNt1eTVNY" width="560"></iframe>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-45282890880258488372014-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:002014-09-14T19:36:46.322-07:00John Legend at Ravinia on June 16, 2014John Legend proved to live up to the hype AND his last name. A true legend he was. We were lucky to secure pavilion seats through my friend Kristin. Being inside was incredibly fabulous because you wanted to be as close to this intimate experience as possible. He performed with a string quartet and about ten lucky (deep pocketed?) fans had seats on stage right behind the quartet. His charisma was unparalleled as he entertained the audience with stories of his humble beginnings in NY and his help from Kanye West who got him his first big break. He even demonstrated how he writes songs by singing gibberish to the melody that he had written and then coming up with lyrics. All I know is that I could barely speak (gibberish or otherwise) and was spellbound during his performance. I wanted him to have "All of Me" sometime during the second or third song. I went with my girlfriends which really is the way to go unless you are wanting to be romantic with your husband or sig other. In my opinion, you will forget all about your husband or sig other within 5 minutes of the show anyway so you really can't lose. One friend, who typically likes larger more muscular men, completely deleted this requirement from her laundry list by the second chorus of the 1st song: "I think I like more slight and shorter men now…" Legend not being particularly burly. Another friend started crying during his cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" due to its shear perfect execution of the emotion and meaning of the song. We were (and remain) in love with JL.<br />
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If you are a Springsteen fan or not, you will love this version of "Dancing in the Dark" maybe for some of you, more than the original. It is such an amazing arrangement, so beautiful with the string instruments and piano accompaniment. I dare you not to cry.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gC8iAYKnhKQ?list=UU-o06KiCXXTsRmIZn-HFY5A" width="560"></iframe>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-49205430408234298182014-09-14T16:00:00.001-07:002014-09-14T18:57:03.982-07:00Girls! Rock Chicago at The Bottom Lounge on June 28, 2014<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;">From the organization website <a href="http://www.girlsrockchicago.org/">www.girlsrockchicago.org</a>: "<i>Girls Rock! Chicago</i> is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering girls’ creative expression, positive self-esteem and community awareness through rock music. Through our music education programs for girls ages 8 to 16, we are committed to educating girls about the musical, technical, and creative aspects involved in musicianship because we believe that young girls are rarely encouraged to explore self-expressive creative outlets and are less likely to be given access to musical and technical instruction or equipment. We believe that rock music can be a crucial tool in allowing young women to respond to preconceived notions of what they can do and what they can become."</span></span><br />
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<i><b>Girls! Rock Chicago</b></i> is a week long summer camp in Chicago for aspiring rocker girls! Check out the group <i>Meta3</i> below. This 11-12 year old trio wrote the lyrics and music to "We are We" from beginning to end during this fantastic one week camp. The end of camp culminates with a live performance at <b>The Bottom Lounge </b>club in Chicago.<br />
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Another, band named <i>Cherie</i>, comprised a dynamic duo of two very talented and more experienced older high school girls. They were showstoppers and saved for last during The Bottom Lounge performance. Can you say "I want the album" anyone?<br />
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The camp is run primarily by volunteers who donate their time and talents to the campers. Each day goes from 9am until 4pm and the time is jam packed with music lessons, band practice, art activities (ie. <i>Threadless</i> t-shirt creatio), and girl empowerment discussions. To get a spot in the camp the girls have to send in an "audition tape" which is loosely defined since it can even include artwork or reciting poetry.<br />
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I hesitated to post about this amazing camp because it is a very well kept secret (in the land of summer day camp experiences in Chicago) and I want my daughter to have a spot until she becomes too old to participate. They also have a <i>Ladies Rock </i>program for us older wannabe rockers, just FYI. So keep it on the down low peeps. You are privileged to find it through my blog. Now <i>SHUSH!</i><br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-5741502085807906082014-07-08T16:02:00.001-07:002014-07-08T16:06:37.775-07:00Dave Matthews at Northerly Island on July 5, 2014<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Dave Matthew Band is always a pleaser especially when you are hearing him outdoors and Tim Reynolds has joined the band onstage. We won't get into the point how the changes at Northerly Island weren't to improve the acoustics (another time). So I think it took a bit for the band to work out some kinks but by Sister, we were already in for a treat. Haven't heard that since Toyota Park. Followed by Grace is Gone and I forgot about the rain. Tim and Dave pretty much played in perfect sync having played together for years. Boyd was also on top of his game and showed us some repect for the fiddlle. Digging a Ditch and Stay were grooving. Looking forward to seeing how the shows at the Greek compare. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Post by guest blogger, K-Girl</span>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-35217180612726554922014-06-26T05:32:00.001-07:002014-06-26T05:35:39.005-07:00Courtney Barnett at Schubas on June 23, 2014<br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Courtney Barnett and her band put on a great show at Schubas on June 23rd – a freebie as she called it -- as tickets were free to those who could make it out on a <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1504787181" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span> night. Having heard Courtney’s Avant Gardener on XRT a few times and again, I was expecting a younger Lucinda Williams with an Aussie twist, but that assumption proved what we all know about assumptions, which is that they are often dead wrong. Instead her singer songwriter style balladry was put in the back seat for some post-punk, straight on rock ‘n roll, guitar rifts right on with her band. Even Avant Gardener came with a kick to it, kind of like swimming in Lake Michigan with a bit of an undertow keeping things on the edge. We were not in any old swimming pool. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The whole set, while reflecting the shorter list of songs available to a new artist, was ever so satisfying with enough meat on the bones to satisfy the packed room of freebiests. The most common comment overheard as we all trailed out was “That was cool!” and sure it was. Great strong music, complimented by fun banter by Courtney with the crowd, asking the bar to offer free beer to us all (but then you can’t get it all she said, making light of the free entry) and suggesting that one by one we should introduce ourselves to the band, yet acknowledging we may not have time for that. She also didn’t disappoint with an encore of just Courtney, with a singer songwriter style ballad. If nothing else, it convinced the friend who came with me that, yes, I wasn’t crazy suggesting that he should come out and see this new act that sounded like Lucinda. Scooping up one of her CDs with a smile, he didn’t seem to mind.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Looking forward to seeing her again on Day 1 of Lolla. She already introduced a new song to us at Schuba’s that sounded just right and I look forward to hearing more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Post by guest blogger, K-Girl</span><br />
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Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-23845202801472689562014-06-22T18:58:00.002-07:002014-06-23T11:52:11.620-07:00Joey Verskotzi at Tonic Room on June 17, 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Joey Verskotzi </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWvqP2Iv7MDfPUVW5PoTjkYE_zSVZDj9yzOAo1d8-44JT5kTD1zuZDpuRuMSGrJKVJn7jZ4JVgHRI1_sKD6FMg_dy_6uVMxzpY6LU_pR4ZGv9cmSyU8KX_ZmmmLtcVa_L_hTWSsrgmIM/s1600/IMG_5539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWvqP2Iv7MDfPUVW5PoTjkYE_zSVZDj9yzOAo1d8-44JT5kTD1zuZDpuRuMSGrJKVJn7jZ4JVgHRI1_sKD6FMg_dy_6uVMxzpY6LU_pR4ZGv9cmSyU8KX_ZmmmLtcVa_L_hTWSsrgmIM/s1600/IMG_5539.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I ventured to The Tonic Room to hear Verskotzi perform an
acoustic set. Tonic Room is a small bar near the Kingston Mines. I was not aware of it as being a music
venue until this invitation came along.
The acoustics are good in the bar and there is a make-shift stage with
booth seating across from it. The
show started at 8 pm with an opening act by a band called Chambers from Denton,
TX. They played for the bartender,
the other performers, and yours truly.
This looked like it was going to be a private show. During their set I met Verskotzi’s
wife, Francine. They recently got
married in December after having met at a friend’s reception. I thought she had the “look” of a jazz
singer and it turned out ironically that she actually is a jazz singer. By day she teaches 8<sup>th</sup> grade
in St. Paul, MN. They are an adorable couple, she is the Diana Krall to his
Elvis Costello. She, the classy
club singer and he, the curly-locked hipster indie folk pop rock singer. I would love to hear some type of duet
from them down the road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Having time for conversation after his set, Verskotzi filled me
in on his background. He began
playing guitar at age 13 and is now only 23 years old. Prior to discovering his love for
guitar and writing, he felt that he really did not fit in with the kids he was
hanging out with. It was guitar
and music that directed him to others who shared the same passion and he felt
that he finally found his niche
and the crowd he best fit in with. His
new release, Lemon Heart, is very professionally produced and written. A testament to his hard work, perfecting his craft, and finding his niche.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">From the </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">band camp site as reviewed by L'etoile Magazine: </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">"Joey Verskotzi (who performs as Verskotzi) is an old-school singer-songwriter, that beautifully dying breed of chrysalis that used to dominate the rock universe.. Lemon Heart is a magnificent example of the form.. power-pop.. chamber-pop (the love of nifty arrangements and perfect harmonies), indie-pop.. perfect melodies & terrific singing all the way through."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uc5VFuev9jJcdo7oUZoBWun4PLG48G81htRmHx0RITS-fSZnt_nMs97eu_HeAmMC5gKAh09lf6OZet5AwzLA4OgnJjn_gppE_MGif8HWt68AsdpfZlE0fRfh1dlcaqlrhE5FI8LV6rk/s1600/IMG_5540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uc5VFuev9jJcdo7oUZoBWun4PLG48G81htRmHx0RITS-fSZnt_nMs97eu_HeAmMC5gKAh09lf6OZet5AwzLA4OgnJjn_gppE_MGif8HWt68AsdpfZlE0fRfh1dlcaqlrhE5FI8LV6rk/s1600/IMG_5540.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">I would add that for a debut release it is very mature in scope. The tempo is varied on each track and while not repetitious has a distinct Verskotzi sound. </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">Performed with a full band, the sound
is rich and the lyrics are memorable with some catchy hooks.</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">His music is influenced by Jeff Tweedy
and Death Cab For Cutie so if you are fans of Tweedy and DCFC front man
Gibbard, you can’t help but like Verskotzi.</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">Two of my personal favorites are "Heartless Songs" and "Honey".</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> The album grows on you with each listen. </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">Having the opportunity to
hear both songs acoustically and at what was to be practically a private show,
was lucky for me (likely less so for him).</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">Seems like a far way to drive to have a great practice
space.</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">Not sure why there was not
enough advertisement but next time he could do a private show at my
house and I will guarantee at least 50 people.</span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"> For a listen to Lemon Heart and a list of tour dates check out the <a href="http://verskotzi.bandcamp.com/">bandcamp</a> site here.</span><br />
<span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial;">The only issue I have with Joey V is his last name. It is extremely easy to misspell over and over again. So if you are looking for his band, take special note of the spelling. Not Vers-KOZI or KOZY - but KOTZI. I digress and yes, I do have my issues. This is a video I took at the show of a new song likely to be on his next release. Enjoy.</span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-33771575764144446232014-06-10T18:03:00.002-07:002014-06-12T06:18:28.633-07:00The Lucent Dossier Experience at The Concord Music Hall on June 7, 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I invited Liv, my friend’s 21-year-old niece and my summer
sitter to join me to see LDE. To
manage expectations I told her that the show appeared to be an amalgamation of
Cirque de Soleil meets the circus meets vaudeville meets “Eyes Wide Shut” and
might be a bit on the weird side.
My friend, Liv’s aunt, cautioned me that “Liv is a 50 year younger
version of my mother (Liv’s grandmother) and is conservative” just in case I
wanted to rethink and revoke my invitation. I took the chance, afterall I was not expecting it to be
some type of underground sex club since it was advertised and at a regular time
at a regular club. Not that I know
anything about sex clubs so I am likely not the best source.</div>
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The show had two opening DJ’s (Radiohiro and Searchlite) starting
at 9pm. I am not much for opening
DJ’s generally unless they are the main event. These two seemed somewhat uninspired, playing singular beats
without much thought to layering.
I also need lyrics to enjoy the beats but there were none. As Liv aptly put it, “it should be more
of a medley” of sound. No one was
paying them much attention and no dancing/body movement was observed.</div>
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The LDE started around 10:15 with live drum and electric
guitar enhanced original electronica techno/dubstep music, belly baring female
dancers, two male dancers, aerialist and a singer. LDE is known for enlisting the talents of a variety of
performers, almost without limit.
Some shows have flame throwers and tarot card readers in the
audience. Based on the ceiling height
of the Concord Music Hall and the lack of evidence of any advance set up, we
could not figure out prior to the show where an aerialist would perform. They managed to attach a hitch to one of the stage lights and
it fortunately was secure enough to hold the weight of the performer.</div>
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The costumes, hair and makeup were on the macabre and
halloweenish side. The costumes
created in LDE are known for use of recycled objects such as feathers and bones
and the use of airbrushed tribal body art. Hair was teased and in disarray, tulle wedding type dresses
were scrunched and cut short and designed with some sort of duct-like tape in
the bodice. Sort of Bridezilla
meets “insert B movie horror film”.
Elsewhere the style has been described as an “other worldly, haute couture” vibe. Obviously many LDE fans were in the audience and this
was not their first rodeo. Some
were dressed with fantastical hair, feather/hair vests, tribal make-up and
belly baring harem pants. Clearly
the troupe merits followers and repeat show goers.</div>
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The music was loud (especially the base) but I was shamed by
my young friend when I mentioned considering the possible use of my ear plugs. If you don’t like electronic music
you need not venture here either.
If you appreciate modern dance and hip-hop, you are safe to join in the
experience. Each dance is open to
interpretation but for the most part had a sexual theme (still not a sex club
or live sex act folks) although the individual pieces are not woven together
into any coherent story line. Dancers were ushered on stage on a gurney for
several of the dances. One of the
first pieces featured a more endowed female dancer dressed in
white. She was wheeled out by her male counterpart via gurney. The prop was a white, light weight, billowy sheet. The dance appeared to
portray a wedding night fantasy/nightmare depicting the female trying to escape
her male lover with the sheet frantically being whipped up and down as if a
gale force wind were coming through a window. At this point
Liv turned to me and said “this is weird”. To which I replied, “Oh Liv, you ARE so conservative”. Tongue-in-cheek. We laughed.</div>
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Another dance appeared to tell the story of rebuking
unwanted sexual advances, both male/female and female/female. This one was more on the humorous
side. Throughout, the dancers were
very expressive, each acting out their parts and using facial contortions to
highlight thoughts and emotion.
Another memorable dance involved one of the more lean and limber female
dancers being brought on stage on the gurney wrapped inside a white lacy weblike “cocoon”. The male dancer poured water on her
from a bowl until she was soaking wet. She then slowly broke
her way through her cocoon freeing herself and entering the world. My interpretation of this piece was
that this represented birth, the water being the amniotic fluid (OK, not rocket
science but I still want credit for my figuring out the riddle). The dancer was “clothed” in panties and
a sheer bra as she entered the world and discovered and became aware of her body. Needless to say, this was the mostly
nude part of the show. </div>
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Interspersed throughout the dances was a reprieve by the
aerialist who I suspected was transgender. This was not confirmed but just a hunch. She demonstrated her aerial prowess as she hung from
the stage light and twirled from various devices including a pole, aerial rope
and aerial silk. The company’s
artistic director and creator is Dream Rockwell. She sang, alongside the aerialist performance, during the
show. I had a hard time hearing
the lyrics because there was so much base and reverb on stage. It was next to impossible to listen to be able
to fairly critique her vocals. I did not
think that her vocals were loud enough to fully appreciate what talent might
exist but I suspect that, this being her “joie de vive”, the vocal performance might be somewhat gratuitous. </div>
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All in all, the show was entertaining and the dancers are
indeed talented. I suspect in a
more appropriate space, this could be quite an elaborate show. Each show appears to be different and
includes varying types and numbers of performers depending on the venue.
Tonight was a more spare show only procuring the most essential pieces. The troupe, hailing from Los Angeles,
has performed consistently at Coachella, Lollapalooza, clubs and many corporate
events. I have learned that some
of the performers are featured in commercials and videos including “I Write
Sins, Not Tragedies” performed by the band <i>Panic!
At The Disco</i>, a fantastic video.
So, possibly this is not a show that would be loved by the most meek,
prudish, or conservative, it is however creative and provocative. You might however want to think twice
before bringing your grandmother but I think it is safe to bring someone younger even if she comes with a slightly conservative reputation. On the other hand, if I brought my grandmother, she would have called me the conservative one.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-14388438207356950462014-05-30T20:00:00.004-07:002014-05-30T20:14:49.673-07:00Lucent Dossier Experience at Concord Hall on June 5, 2014The Lucent Dossier Experience is described as an interactive experience that involves a live band, aerialists, dancers, contortionists, and sword swallowers amongst other performers. Possibly a bit like Cirque de Soleil with a darker twist. On their website it states that the audience is transported to a "fantastical realm where both brilliance and insanity fuse together to create an exotic kind of ecstatic bliss." I am envisioning "Eyes Wide Shut" meets Cirque de Soleil meets Barnum and Bailey Circus. I have been invited to review this show for the blog and anticipate a thoroughly unusual and engaging experience. I am concerned that I won't be quite sexy enough to get my ecstatic bliss on. I'll do my best. My full review will be available post-show. Consider attending and reviewing it yourself. The Concord Hall is a very cool clubby space complete with VIP/bottle service area if you are so inclined.<br />
For more information about The Lucent Dossier Experience check out <a href="http://www.lucentdossier.com/">http://www.lucentdossier.com</a><br />
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Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-47319322707834721552014-05-05T09:12:00.002-07:002014-05-07T06:08:28.145-07:00CIMMFEST: My 4 Day Diary<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b>4 Days at CIMMFEST
AKA “A Taste of Logan Square and Bucktown”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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CIMMFEST for me turned out to be a great way to discover a lot of interesting films and music while exploring the
more edgy areas of Logan Square and Bucktown and their diverse restaurants.</div>
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<b>My CIMMFEST Diary<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Thursday, May 1<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Checked in at CIMMFEST HQ and picked up passes. Headed to Subterranean to see the band <i>Tall Walker. </i> Great show with some
minor amp malfunctions. The band
was in great form with Nick’s powerful “emo” vocals in full swing. I loved his hair. Shaved on one side, full mane on
top. Had to be at work at
6:30am on Friday so this would have to be my early night for the fest. Please see my interview of <i>Tall Walker</i> posted on an earlier blog entry.</div>
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<b>Friday, May 2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We started out at Logan Theater to see “Led Zeppelin Played
Here”. The movie had its moments
but was a bit redundant and did not keep us highly motivated to stay to the end. The documentary was,
in a nutshell, about whether or not Led Zeppelin played at a gym at a Maryland
youth center in January of 1969. Although an enjoyable and novel movie, the investigator could not get a clear answer from his cast of characters which were very excited by rock 'n roll memories and memorabilia. After the movie, we grabbed dinner in Logan Square at <i>Telegraph</i>. Shared a bibb lettuce salad, bruschetta
with ricotta cheese and beets, and mussels. I liked the food and found it very fresh tasting. I did find a few small shell pieces in
my mussels so had to be careful before swallowing. My friend was a harsher critic, having eaten there before and previously having a more memorable meal. Service was great and the atmosphere
was charming. I would check it out again.
We wanted to see another movie but decided that we should head to the
Concord Theater to see <i>Escort</i>, a
Brooklyn based disco orchestra. The Concord is a very "dope" establishment. Ripe for dancing and bottle service in the VIP section. Unfortunately the band decided not to go on until midnight, although the
schedule said 9 pm. By midnight we
were just about ready to call it a night. We stayed
for a few songs and although enjoyable, could not bring ourselves to party into
the early morning hours.</div>
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<b>Saturday, May 3<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Tonight my husband came along for the Logan Square
ride. We started out at <i>First Ward</i> in Bucktown for a drink (Also
known as <i>Chop Shop</i>). Chop Shop is a restaurant and
butcher. The back room can be
rented out for events. An interesting space for sure. We headed
to Logan Square Auditorium to see Nora O’Connor, Andre Williams, and Murder by
Death all from the Bloodshot records label. O’Connor disappointed because it turned out to be her “other
band” known as <i>Precious Blood</i> which
is fronted by Danny Black. I was
not overly impressed by his vocals and thought he was flat a couple of
times. I have an ear for that sort
of thing. O’Connor sang back up
vocals for him so this was “a fail” for me. Next up was Andre Williams, a 77 year old R & B legend
by report. We left before his set
though for dinner at <i>Billy Sunday</i>
known as a cocktail bar with unusual food offerings. I was told, upon our return, that Williams sang/spoke three
songs and changed his outfit for each of them. Now that would have been good fun but we missed it. The restaurant was very eclectic
serving up their own spin on classic drinks and food. We had steak tartar, fried green tomatoes, and a very
healthy tasting mushroom risotto.
They also had egg salad, pig ear, sweet breads and chicken and dumpling
soup on the menu amongst other odd pairings. The headliner band was Murder by Death led by Adam Turla on
guitar and vocals, Sarah Balliet on cello, Vincent Edwards on keyboard and Matt
Armstrong on bass. They band was
talented and Turla has a deep and penetrating vocal sound. Unfortunately because the band “rocks
out”, the lyrics were lost in the bad acoustics of the auditorium. Not a great venue for a rock band. My husband said that the band should be
renamed “Murdered by bad acoustics”.
Oh well. I would see them
again at Lincoln Hall if they came back.</div>
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<b>Sunday, May 4<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is the final day of music and movie events. I am now officially exhausted from the past two 1 am nights, but carry
on I must. I met my friend to see Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song at Logan
Theater. The movie was a
fantastic hip-hopera set to the lyrics of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The film took the feuding families to a
very trashy trailer park in New Zealand.
The characters playing the roles were fantastic. A women, with what I believe was
“Progeria syndome” (a genetic condition that causes extreme premature aging)
played a major part. I am a
genetic counselor by profession so this was testing my genetic syndrome
acumen. The music was great and
each actor lip synced each of the songs performed by other vocalists. The cinematography and film style was detailed
and interesting. The first half of
the movie, before the tragedy truly began, had several very funny moments
also. We were happy to learn that
the sound track can be bought on iTunes.
After this movie we checked out the film “ Take Me to the River” which
was about several artists such as Mavis Staples, Stax records, and the music
industry in Memphis. We left the
movie and headed over to <i>Trencherman</i>
for dinner before seeing <i>Fulcrum Point,
International Beethoven Project</i> at First Ward. Trencherman is a hard to get into restaurant but easy at 6pm
on a Sunday night. I
shared a kale salad, chicken “tots” and a double (buttery) burger. Yum. I vowed not to eat the next day. The atmosphere was fantastic and eating at the bar was a fun
and good choice.
Fulcrum Point is a collection of experimental films and new music
inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven.
The music was wonderful.
The first piece performed was Concerto 4, movement 1 with a film by
James Kruml. The film was footage of the Chicago lakefront and downtown but was somewhat amateurish and uninspired unfortunately.
The second piece, called “Light is Calling” featured violinist, Rika
Seko and an interesting restored 1920’s silent film as background. The piece
was dark, brooding and compelling alongside the film. Next stop was City Winery to see <i>Booker T</i>. The show was outstanding and thoroughly
enjoyable. He was a great but
humble showman as he demonstrated by his introduction of each song. His speaking and singing voice was
smooth and soothing. Her performed
his big hits “Green Onions” and “Hang ‘Em High” as well as tunes like “Hey Joe”
and songs from Bob Dylan and Leon Russell alternating from playing organ and
his Les Paul guitar. The night was
capped off with a visit to Subterranean to see “Psalm One” perform rap and
hip-hop. She had a small but
supportive audience and she noted this as well as being still able to “feel the
love”. She put a lot of energy
into her show and met with her fan base afterwards for photos and hugs. I have also posted an interview with Psalm One (AKA Hologram Kizzie) on a previous post.</div>
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<b>Final Words</b></div>
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The CIMMFEST organizers accomplished the impossible. The organization is not for profit and is supported by hard working volunteers, many of which have day jobs too. This long weekend requires a lot of
energy and stamina to both put together and to attend. There is a lot
to do and see crammed into this four-day extravaganza. I am glad I have no plans until a wedding next weekend. I am fried from all of the fun of this wonderful Chicago cultural and inspirational music festival. I will need a full year to catch up on my rest for CIMMFEST,
2015.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-84362412364059903752014-04-30T20:09:00.002-07:002014-05-01T16:52:05.674-07:00Interview with Psalm One AKA Hologram Kizzie, Performing at CIMMFEST on May 4, 2014 at Subterranean<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Interview with <i>Psalm
One</i> AKA <i>Hologram Kizzie</i> for
CIMMFEST, 2014</div>
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Performing on Sunday, May 4 at Subterranean (9 pm show)</div>
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For more on <i>Psalm One</i>
visit www.regularanddope.com</div>
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Interviewer:
Melody Perpich, blogger and writer for CIMMFEST</div>
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Q: Tell me
about your new Moniker <i>Hologram Kizzie</i>.
How did you choose it? </div>
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A: My name
represents the futuristic daughter of a slave. The trappings of the things we can be enslaved by. My name was actually <i>Kizzie Tangents</i> before I was <i>Psalm
One</i>. The name <i>Kizzie</i>, for me, was looking back to the past and <i>Hologram </i>represents the futuristic
approach to looking at images. The
ideal of the future, like “flying cars”.
We don’t have those yet but we think we are getting there. Being the person that I want to be but
centering me to be the person that I am now but also parts of the past, present
and future.</div>
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Q: You have also said that you are a rapper, mentor and lady
and that you feel empowered as a woman to write about issues affecting
women. Does this affect the ratio
of men and women in your fan base?</div>
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A: I have not
assessed the dynamics of my fan base.
Considering my skill set, men are interested. Coming from the perspective of my stories, this attracts
women intrinsically. I would say
that maybe 60%-70% of my fan base are women.</div>
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Q: You went to highly regarded Whitney Young for high school
and attended The University of Illinois, Champaign majoring in Chemistry. How did you become interested in
science and chemistry?</div>
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A: My interest
in chemistry was academic. I got
excited by “Science Guy” and I took biology at Whitney Young during my freshman
year and hated it! I got
discouraged from science until one of my teachers encouraged me to take honors
chemistry. I did well in that
class and went on to take AP Chemistry.
It took me 4 and ½ years to get my chemistry degree at U of I but I
really loved chemistry! After I graduated, I moonlighted as a rapper until I
found a job as a food chemist and worked in food quality at a lab in Chicago
Heights. Eventually my
moonlighting took off and I started getting recognized by some local labels. It was tiring leading a double life –
getting up at 4am, working until 1pm, taking a nap and then spending time in
the studio, writing sessions and rapping at shows. I finally quit my chemist
job in 2005.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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Q: You grew up in Englewood, in the hood and now you are
mentoring at-risk youth. How was
your childhood in comparison to these kids and did you have specific mentors or
role models that helped you to become the person you are now?</div>
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A: I am
mentoring kids that range in age from 10-14 years. My mom was a huge positive force in my life. I learned how to persevere through
education. My mom lost her job
when I was young so she decided to get a scholarship and went back to school to
become a journalist. We actually
got to do homework together. She
started freelancing and made a career for herself. I had no real mentors otherwise. My father died when I was 2 years old. I came to realize that my ability to
write comes from both my mother and father.
I found some of my father’s journals and it was uncanny how similar our
writing styles are.</div>
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Q: When did you decide that your dream was to write and
perform? How old were you when you knew this was your passion?</div>
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A: I wrote my
first rap age 9. There was
unspoken pressure from my family to succeed in high school – it was super
competitive. Once I was in my
bedroom playing <i>Outkast </i>vinyl and was
rapping and my grandmother yelled at me from the other room “what are you
doing!?” and so rapping was a secret hobby at first.</div>
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Q: You have said that you are a “college educated female
rapper from the hood that is a productive member of society that does this edgy
art”. This sends the message that
kids can become what they want and be productive despite growing up in a bad
part of the city. Is this the
message that you try to promote?</div>
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A: You can let
economic circumstances drive you to do things but I was always taught that
education was a viable option. I
was able to get a scholarship to U of I based on grades and my socioeconomic
status. My mentoring program stems
from tutoring in science and math to make extra money. It was a turning point for me when one
of my students recognized me as a rapper and performer.</div>
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Q: How did you meet Fluffy?</div>
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A: Fluffy is
art director. We went to high
school together and are best friends.
She has taught me how to manage myself and helps me with management
details that are needed. She is a
great artist in her own right. She
does back-up vocals and helps with the business end of things.</div>
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Q: You talk
about street music having it’s place but that you strive to write about more
positive things. Do you feel that
your writing is different from other rappers and hip-hop artists our there in
this regard?</div>
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A: I am not
going to glorify being disruptive to people’s lives. People are getting paid for rapping certain gangs but there
is a lot of bloodshed from the music.
People are getting killed due to activity based on music and rapping. There is a mentality like “hey I can do illegal things and
rap!”. A lot of successful rappers
coming from dire straights is rare.
Maybe you should stay in school. You won’t benefit from gang
banging. I am not saying that what
I am doing is better. I came from
Englewood. There is a street
savvyness but I rap more about being female, growing up in hip-hop, being a
vegan. Things that are important
to my being. My unique views
through rapping.</div>
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Q: I read the lyrics for “Open Relationship” and it seemed
very real and personal (not to mention rated X!). I still felt that the relationship seemed one-sided although
declared as “open”. Almost like it
was not a mutual decision to have the relationship be open. Am I off base?</div>
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A: My intention with these lyrics was not to “slut shame”
me. This is more likely a fantasy
rap but if I was sleeping with all these guys it would put me in that
category. R.A. the Rugged Man is a
raunchy dude that never does it with girls unless it is like a B movie. Freddy Fox, who played my boyfriend in
the video, is a legend in the hip-hop industry. In the reality of this song, I was just seeing
Freddy on the side, not multiple guys.
There is a thin line between sexual liberation and being a slutty slut
slut. Being approached by Rugged
Man to do this was an honor. Women
who have interesting voices in hip-hop are hard to find. It is so rare to do this kind of
project with him.</div>
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Q: Tell me
about your latest release “Hug Life”.
Do each of your albums have a theme? What is the theme for “Hug Life”?</div>
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A: The artwork
of “Hug Life” mimics a famous Tupac photo where his head is down and you can
see his tattoo of “Thug Life” on his abdomen. The artwork and the lettering on
my record uses the same style. The
theme is conjuring up that being a thug isn’t normal and Chicago has a violent
reputation. In contrast, how can you
get anything bad out of a “hug”.
This record for me represents coming out of a haze and not knowing what
my next step or musical move will be.
It is embracing my next step as a musical artist coming into my own.</div>
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Q: I loved the
concept of your “Child Support” album, charmlab.org and the Rhymeschool. Tell me about these connected projects
and do you plan to keep the school going indefinitely and remain personally
involved?</div>
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A: I have a
tour coming in June but I am committed to the Beethoven School in Bronzeville
for a full year program. One of
the classes is thirty 4<sup>th</sup> graders as young as 9 years old. It is rewarding to show them someone
who is not “famous on TV” but can teach them life lessons. In my absence, Fluffy will be involved
and I will look for new instructors who have the balance between having
interesting back-stories and a willingness to work with kids. We are involved with 3 different
schools and are getting more funding to continue. Cool rappers have now visited the school and continuing is
now a “sure thing”. We want to
expand and continue to keep the high caliber of instructors. At Beethoven we were able to take over
the music class based on the willingness of the music instructor and being a
good fit for the school.</div>
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Q: How did you
decide to do your “Memoirs for Haiti” Project? Tell me more about how this is going and how it will be
released.</div>
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A: The idea,
working with the Carrefour Collaborative <span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 28.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 28.0pt;">a 501(c)3 charitable
organization in the State of Illinois) by</span> going there was to help
artists there to get industry quality music out to the marketplace. It is very challenging to get one song
done. Here, every 3<sup>rd</sup>
apartment has a recording studio.
In Haiti they are creating great music but needed help to get
resources. We visited a facility
funded by Francis Ford Coppola.
The students there were able to do production by filling in beats and I
wrote vocals on the spot. We gave
them stuff to produce and arrange.
We discussed the global marketplace for hip-hop. “Memoirs from Haiti” is being released
in blogs, we are on the 5<sup>th</sup> now. There are three trailers and we are working on a music
video. We are trying to touch on
all different aspects of what happened there. Part of our mission is to reintroduce people to Haiti – by
coming back years after the earthquake and seeing the devastation. There are so many stories to tell. There is no rush on rolling these
stories out.</div>
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Q: You have
remained on your indie record label “Rhymesayers Entertainment”. Have you ever struggled with deciding
to go commercial?</div>
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A: I am the 1<sup>st</sup> lady of that label. They put out my debut album. There have been challenges but I have
also been able to work with the Bonafyed Records label. “Hug Life” is my emancipation from a certain sound. “Hug Life” is not indicative of the
Rhymesayers sound.</div>
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Q: What do you think of female rappers like Iggy
Izalia? Do you agree with others
who say that she is a young white Australian girl struggling to be taken
seriously? Do you have to
“sexualize yourself” like she does to be paid attention to?</div>
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A: She is
playing up the sexiness and she does not look like she grew up poor. She sounds pretty street, black
even. That whole “sounding black”
does not seem genuine. When I grew
up, I was given a hard time for “sounding white” because I spoke correctly. I took
issue with that. Iggy has a couple
of jams but she talks extra street urban black girl and you wonder if it’s an
act. She is not hard on the
eyes. She is hot! Do you have to
sound like a black girl? Take Nicki
Minaj on the other hand. She is a
great commercial success but she talks like a Valley girl and is not even
embracing her “black side”.
Personally, I found her last two rap tracks (“Lookin’ Ass Nigga” and “Chi-Rac” to be
disappointing. Once you perform
with Rihanna, you can’t go back!</div>
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Q: I read that Ryan Seacrest and VH1 is doing a show that
follows five up and coming white female rappers trying to establish
credibility. Do you think
participating in this show discredits them or could they become recognized for
their craft by being on a reality show?</div>
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A: For get the white thing. Going on a reality show would
work if you write a character and play it out. I was approached to be a female rapper on a type of reality
show and I was advised not to do it because I would never be able to sell a
record. Even if you are talented,
the talent is marred by drama. Picking five female white rappers is good for
ratings for the show but hard to sell records. Seacrest is a media mogul. If he wanted to help promote me I would let him, but not on
a reality show.</div>
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Q: Who are your
favorite artists, rap or otherwise?</div>
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A: Stevie <i>Wonder</i> is my all time favorite
artist. I have also had huge life
moments with <i>Michael Jackson, Prince,
Janice Joplin, Bowie, Jay Z,</i> and <i>Snoop
Dog</i>. I am lyrically influenced
by hip-hop artist <i>Black Thought </i>from<i> “The Roots”</i>. <i>Jean Grae</i> is my
biggest influence as a female rapper.
She does a lot of speaking engagements now where she does mostly comedy
and a little rapping. She is smart
enough to know that you gotta diversify!</div>
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Q: Do you have
any other amazing projects planned?</div>
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A: Coming up
there is the “Memoirs from Haiti” roll-out and then I am working on an album
with producer, <i>Oh No</i>, who scored the
last “Grand Theft Audio” video game and is a huge hip-hop producer. Traditional hip-hop fans will be
excited! I am also working with
rapper <i>Prob Cause,</i> my label mate, on
“Running from the trap” which is a commentary on steering away from the drill
scene and trap scene – bass heavy music that talks about selling or doing
drugs.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o6-HbnR383w" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-85084650138832292462014-04-24T07:18:00.000-07:002014-04-24T09:50:41.209-07:00Interview with the band Tall Walker performing at CIMMFEST on May 1, 2014 at Subterranean <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<b>Interview with Tall
Walker for CIMMFEST, 2014 conducted by blogger and writer, Melody Perpich<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>For more information
about the festival go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CIMMfest">https://www.facebook.com/CIMMfest</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>For more information
about Tall Walker go to <a href="http://tallwalkermusic.com/">http://tallwalkermusic.com</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>Who is Tall Walker? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The musicians are Ben Johnson (drums), Chris Hershman (bass)
and Nick Bays (vocals, guitar).</div>
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<b>MP</b>: Hey guys so
nice to get a chance to talk with you before your gig at Subterranean on May 1<sup>st</sup>. I’ll just start off with a couple of
easy questions first before I start getting personal. Where did you all meet? I know that Nick is from South
Carolina but you did not all grow up there right?</div>
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Chris: I am
from Munster, IN originally and have now been in Chicago for 7 years and Ben
has been in Chicago for 9 years.
The two of us first met at the City Church of Chicago. We eventually met Nick at the church in
2012. I just looked at him and
thought that he was a musician. We
got him on board to start playing with us.</div>
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<b>MP</b>: What were you all doing before <i>Tall Walker</i>?</div>
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Ben: I played
with a couple of bands before but nothing as committed as <i>Tall Walker.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Chris: I played
in smaller Chicago bands and toured with some other more well- known bands but
I really was looking to create something original instead of just being a
“hired gun”. I did learn a lot
from playing with bands like <i>Empires</i>
and <i>Seabird</i>. That experience helped me to be ready
for something like <i>Tall Walker</i>.</div>
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<b>MP</b>: I have to
admit <i>Tall Walker</i> had me sold when I
listened to your gorgeous cover of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” from
your Fearless Radio gig on YouTube.
The raw emotion and soul was undeniable. You really made the song yours Nick! I am not sure I want to
hear Drake’s version now. How does
this song’s R & B flavor translate for you to the music that you are
writing and your self-titled <i>Tall Walker</i>
EP, which is classified as more Indie rock?</div>
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Nick: I heard
that song, the instrumentation and the arrangement and it just makes you want
to bop your head. I loved that it
was a simple arrangement and a straight- forward love song. I really connected with it. My voice lends itself to the soul side
based on my own experience growing up in the church. I sang from a very young age and sang mostly gospel and hymn
style music. More soulful vocals
and songs have a sense of home for me.
Some of the aspects of growing up in the church can’t help but filter
into my writing.</div>
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<b>MP</b>: Do you all hold day jobs or does the
music sustain your lifestyles?</div>
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Nick: I work as
the Music Director at the City Church of Chicago which allows me to write,
arrange and organize music from 9 to 5!</div>
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Ben: I am a
music producer and song-writer and I work with various artists.</div>
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Chris: I am a filmmaker. I work with the Chicago Music Exchange specializing in music
videos. We have been collaborating
and have a close relationship with Nikon
camera company which has allowed us to create and film a video about
Tall Walker. This is a unique
project in that it features Tall Walker behind the scenes and is about the
actual shooting of a music video.
This has allowed me to bring my passion for our music and information
about the band into my “real job”.</div>
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<b>MP:</b> What advice do you have for other music
artists who are thinking about making music as a profession?</div>
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Chris: The key
to success as individuals and as a band is staying loyal to what you want to
accomplish and our instruments.
Building a life based on music being part of your identity and
lifestyle. Nothing is overnight
but it becomes easier over time.
The main thing is being committed to your instrument and to playing with
other musicians.</div>
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Nick: I agree
with what Chris said and would add that you have to devote the time to writing
music. You have to choose to spend
time writing music above anything else.
I personally choose not to have cable or Internet in my house. Any free moment I have is spent picking
up the guitar or sitting at a computer to work on songs.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b> </b></div>
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<b>MP</b>: Well that answer lets me segue nicely
to my next question! Since music
comes first and can really be all consuming, do you have time to have
relationships? Is it easier to
date other musicians or performers?
The girls want to know!</div>
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Nick: Well I am
single and I would not say that my music and being in the band gets in the way
of meeting girls but it depends on how much you can juggle. For me it is refreshing right now to
focus on my craft. I am not shut
off to dating but I would say that there are different seasons. Some seasons there is time for
work and other seasons, time for play!</div>
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Chris: Right
now I am the only one in the band in a relationship. She is a theatre actress and is constantly at rehearsals and
shows so she knows and understands the life and touring demands.</div>
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Ben: Since Nick
and I are still available we will set up a kissing booth at the end of the
show!</div>
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<b>MP:</b> What are you working on now? Do you have plans for a full-length
album?</div>
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Nick: We are
recording our second EP this summer and plan to release it by the end of
summer, 2014. We are discovering
new creative sonic elements with the new project. The rock element has already been brought out. We are now looking to embellish the
elements from the first EP with new production elements.</div>
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<b>MP:</b> I have noticed by listening to your EP
that your lyrics are somewhat contemplative and melancholy, tugging on the
heart-strings. Will your new EP
have the same tone or do you plan to change it in any way?</div>
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Nick: The new
music continues to blend the lyrical and musical writing together. The new EP will still have
contemplative lyrics. This is who
we are, still heartfelt and anthem-like, music that is “heart on our
sleeve”. The main difference will
be sonically. A first pass through
on these songs will add new elements that will make them more fun to listen to.</div>
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<b>MP: </b>When I listened to the song “Clouds”
the lyrics made me think that it was about death or loss. Am I on track or off base?</div>
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Nick: Lyrically
this song is somewhat ambiguous. I
wrote it during a time in my life where I was wrestling with faith and the
definition of truth. Trying to
find self-discovery in other people but people change and waver. The lyric “punching clouds” represents
taking it up with yourself or a higher power, more of an internal truth found
in yourself. Ultimately you have
to ask yourself about our truth.
This song is very personal.</div>
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<b>MP:</b> In contrast to “Clouds”, the song
“Stay” seems to reveal that a partner is straying or cheating and you have a
willingness to forgive that person.
Do you find this to be a new twist since most songs about cheating are
not about forgiveness but about revenge or anger? For example, Miley Cyrus wrote the song “FU” about her
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Nick: This is a
heart on your sleeve song. It
tells the story of being in a relationship and not necessarily dealing with
someone “stepping out” or cheating.
It is more about releasing doubt and “what if” this is happening. I started writing this song in January
and one night after drinking way to much bourbon, the lyrics “Lover stay where
you are” just bled out of me.
These are very honest lyrics.
It was just processing and openly saying what I was feeling about what
was going on in the relationship.
There is a redemptive quality to the song. The “let’s just get this out on the table” idea. If the person works through it and you
put it behind you and go the distance.
Many songs don’t have this aspect.
This reveals the despiration in the song and gives it tension. I think it’s a very real situation.</div>
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Nick: We really enjoy the musical arrangements and sonic
textures from bands like <i>M83, Washed Out,
</i>and<i> Snowmine</i>. I like more of these types of
production elements and want to marry this aspect with the rock n roll element
that we already have. I want
to watch the sound evolve and think we will enjoy playing this new music
live. It will be more fun.<br />
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Chris: <i>Switchfoot</i> also really encourages us as individuals. They have been
very kind to us, have taken to our music and have been nice to give us props
for our music. I see them as kind
and real people that have a great attitude and have not become jaded by the
music industry. They inspire me to
want to make money in the music industry while still loving it. They are balanced between their music
and family lives too.</div>
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Chris: One of
the songs we played in a previous band that I was with was called “Tall
Walker”. “Tall Walker” was performed
by a friend in this other band. She
has remained involved with <i>Tall Walker</i>,
on the creative side designing the graphics for the band.</div>
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Chris: We love
Schubas, Lincoln Hall, Subterranean and most recently The Whistler. Love that place! I have to say that there is something
magical about Lincoln Hall but at the same time, when we released our EP at
Subterranean it was the most electrifying performance between the crowd and the
band. We are so very excited to do
the show for CIMMFEST at SubT and we plan to be bringing out tricks!</div>
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yourselves performing at in 5 years and where do you see yourselves in general
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Chris: I want
us to be funded by our music in 5 years.
We have the potential to be a band like <i>Wilco</i>. We have albums
of music that we want to be enabled to make. We want to play and network our way up. We’d like to tour constantly with acts
that we are in love with. We plan to be around for at least a decade.<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-33709172300911939872014-04-06T07:40:00.001-07:002014-04-06T11:52:27.560-07:00CIMMFest Chicago May 1-4, 2014<br />
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From the CIMMfest website:</div>
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"CIMMfest, the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival—is a four-day showcase of outstanding films, energetic concerts, visually stunning VJ/DJ sets, lively Q&A’s, daring live score performances, industry panels and presentations…anything to show just what movies and music mean to each other.</div>
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Each Spring filmmakers, musicians, and their passionate fans alike, descend upon Wicker Park and Logan Square, two of Chicago’s most eclectic, vibrant neighborhoods. That’s where CIMMfest takes place—the films by day, the live music by night—at theaters, galleries, bars, concert spaces, and some of the city’s most storied venues.</div>
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The films come from all countries and cultures, and range from documentaries to fiction to concert films to shorts to music videos. They just have to be about music and/or use music in a creative, integral way. The live performances are inspired by film or feature visual accompaniment.</div>
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In 2013, CIMMfest expanded its music section to include more than fifty bands, twenty venues and a footprint along Milwaukee Avenue that stretches nearly two miles. CIMMCon also made it’s debut in 2013, bringing together nearly sixty innovators, tastemakers, industry leaders and more in a series of fifteen free panels exploring everything from State of the Recording Industry to how to Kickstart your Film."</div>
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This year, headliners include Yo Lo Tengo and Escort. Tickets are $75 for a 4 day pass which get's you three top choice venues and the ability to get into all the rest, first come first serve. Individual venue tickets can be purchased also. Truly an amazing music culture event that we are lucky to have in our own backyard. A full schedule of music, movies and events are listed at the CIMMfest website: <a href="http://cimmfest.org/">CIMMfest</a><br />
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My recommendations so far include the band Tall Walker at Subterranean on 5/1 and Hip Hop artist Hologram Kizzie AKA Psalm One at Subterranean on 5/4 for starters. I need to peruse the schedule and find others that will get my 5 guitar rating! Check out their YouTube videos posted below. See you there!<br />
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Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-30364146273466057762014-03-27T20:45:00.001-07:002014-04-06T07:20:48.573-07:00Meklit Hadero at SPACE in Evanston on March 25, 2014<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
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Review courtesy of friend and guest blogger, photographer and architect: Becca Waterloo</div>
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Three years ago I was introduced to Meklit Hadero at the Old Town School of Folk Music while she was opening for a Ugandan Band. We were prepping ourselves for the East African culture with their sound before our big trip. I was taken aback by her beautiful voice, her flowy colorful dress, a flower in her hair and prancing around on bare feet.</div>
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Tuesday night I headed to SPACE in Evanston to see her again, solo, with my concert buddy Melody.</div>
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SPACE is a very unique venue, with a restaurant and bar in the front with large floor to ceiling windows. The modernity and feel was welcoming, however their unforgiving policies of no food in the back and segregation of table seating versus general admission made our experience a little bit difficult to inhale our pizzas and forced us to put our 13$ martinis on the ground. If you can afford it, I’d recommend purchasing table tickets to make your life a little bit easier. I was recommended to eat in the front restaurant if time allows, but with no opening act, we were left with no choice but to scarf down our prosciutto and arugula pizza (absolutely amazing…) over our laps. Makes for a fun experience though?</div>
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I don’t know why I expected to go into this concert 3 years later hoping to hear the majority of her songs from ‘On A Day Like This’ an album that reminds me of my free thinking college days. It turned out to be the 1 week birthday of her new album release ‘We Are All Alive’. I was impressed to see her transform from her Ethiopian style to having a completely urban pizazz. She had a black and white geometrical tank top and black pants, and no flower in her hair. The shoes were still off though! She even changed her original name Meklit Hadero to just the shortened version, Meklit.</div>
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Meklit’s band consisted of a trumpeter, electric bassist, and drummer whom she often gave many solos to throughout the night. Her sound also transformed with her look and name, but still managed to touch upon many of her memories and native sounds of Ethiopia. Her lyrics are extremely poetic and earthly, I found myself swaying in my seat and unpeeled from her animated facial expressions. She was certainly made for the stage, by the end moving her microphone stand away to dance around. Many of her songs had a story, almost half of them reaching back to her roots in Africa.</div>
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I appreciate an active performer, interested in the audience and keeping them involved, someone who introduces her band, and is just there to have a great time. I thought it was a superb performance, I give 2 for 2 of the times I’ve seen her, both such dynamic experiences. At the end of the show she immediately hopped to the back of the space to say hello to her fans and sign CDs. Please check her out. I can’t wait to see her career grow, but for now am selfish enough to say I’m glad I get to experience her in these small, intimate venues. It’s the best way to see her!</div>
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Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-44785360688892019812014-02-22T11:14:00.003-08:002014-02-22T12:46:10.497-08:00The Wild Feathers at The Double Door on February 16, 2014<b>The Wild Feathers </b><br />
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Nashville's The Wild Feathers are made up of the four unique vocal and guitar stylings of Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns and Preston Wimberly and Ben Dumas on drums. Combined they offer a fresh take on southern rock and are starting to take the helm as headliner instead of opening act. I previously saw them when they opened for ZZ Ward at the House of Blues and was impressed. Their music draws from a variety of influences including country, blues, folk and hard rock but with a old school southern vintage spin.<br />
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This band stands out from others in its genre because there are actually four strong vocal leads. Ricky, Joel, Taylor and Preston all stand front and center, in a line, on the stage and take turns taking the vocal leads on various songs, sometimes each contributing solo bars on one song. Ricky Young occasionally will step out in front of his mic and lean over into the audience at a touchable distance further engaging fans. The end result is seamless and this is unusual. Having four lead vocals and having this be successful is not an easy task. It is hard to avoid having different vocal leads competing with one another. Usually the end result is a lack of cohesiveness to the band's sound and often seems disjointed. Not the case with The Wild Feathers. They sound like one animal. Joel has called the fierce foursome a "four headed monster" and this is an accurate description. <br />
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Combining the folk, rock and softer sounds of these bandmates along with perfect harmonies, the end result is truly flawless. They each have mad guitar skills too. It is necessary to mention the skills that Preston Wemberly brings to the table with his pedal steel guitar. Although he appeared to be the least sweat drenched member of the Wild Feathers, he arguably played the most difficult instrument. The pedal steel guitar requires coordination with foot pedals and a bar to move the chords and add vibrato and shading to the sound. Kudos to Preston and the added richness this instrument brings to the bands sound. The Wild Feathers played with full throttle excitement and verve throughout the set. I was exhausted (yet energized) just watching them.<br />
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Taylor Burns, featured in the video I took from The Double Door, plays electric guitar and has a deep and bluesy sound to his vocals. This song represents the "hard rock" personality of this band.<br />
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For their 2013 debut, The Wild Feathers, producer Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, the Wallflowers, Emmylou Harris) encouraged the band to focus on true rock & roll and harmony. The album has something for everyone because it combines hard rock tunes like "Backwoods Company" and folksy love songs like "Tall Boots".<br />
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Double Door is a great venue and one of the true "rock & roll clubs" left. What I forgot though is how extremely LOUD the music is. If you stand by the stage you will lose your hearing. Bring ear plugs or you will be sorry. I also recommend wearing layers. They have a coat check and the place get's warm if there is a crowd like there was this night. There was a guy in front of me wearing the warmest wool coat (likely purchased in the North Pole) buttoned up and wore a scarf throughout the show. He barely seemed phased by the heat. Meanwhile I was pealing off layers, coat and sweater around waist and leaving t-shirt on (yes, that is as far as I got). <br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-66404762876802671562014-02-01T09:00:00.001-08:002014-02-01T13:57:32.499-08:00Frank Guinness Band Summer 2013In celebration of Frank Libbe's birthday, friends and family gathered last summer in the backyard for a private concert, brats and of course, a bit of alcohol. We did not know that many of us would be featured in a music video for all the YouTube world to view. <b><i>Frank Guinness Band</i></b> is a fun country, rock and blues influenced band. As you can tell from this fun-tastic song, this band has no fear of lyrics. The song "Suckaphobia" tells the story of how we can all have a fear of "sucking" at whatever we do. Fear be gone!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">The 14-track self-titled collection arose out of a 3-day studio session in late April, 2013. Kevin James (YellowHammers, Modern Day Saints) is the mastermind behind Frank Guinness. James invited his musician friends to show up with an original song to be learned on the spot and recorded by whomever was present at the time. Ron Steele (<a href="http://idigmusic.com/">idigmusic.com</a>) provided masterful engineering (and some solid drumming) during the sessions, and post-production in the weeks afterward. By mid-June, the Frank Guinness tracks were fully baked and available on CD Baby and iTunes.</span></span><br />
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Their CD can be purchased <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/frankguinness">here!</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EXQ9JCJrras" width="560"></iframe>Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-58687162323615778422014-01-31T15:33:00.002-08:002014-02-01T08:13:46.709-08:00Brother George at The Double Door on 1/25/14It was a cold and wintery night (sub-zero and snowing), one of many we have been subjected to during this fabulously arctic Chicago winter. There has to be a compelling reason to leave your warm home and venturing out required having something worthwhile in mind to do. I was able to convince my Bucktown buddy, Amy, to take a risk with me to see the band <b><i>Brother George</i></b> at Double Door. It was a great opportunity to get together and grab a delicious meal at <b><i>Taxim</i></b>, almost next door to the venue. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are out in Bucktown/Wicker Park and you would like some gourmet Greek sustenance before venturing to the grungy rock'n roll confines of the Double Door. By all means have the pork belly and if feeling really decadent (I did 15 extra push-ups to justify this earlier in the day), have the fried duck rolls (they call them duck gyros) with duck fat drenched (I can only assume) french fries, and for good measure and healthy balance, the grilled calamari and roasted beets. For the record, that fat enriched duck and fries entree was worth every high caloric bite. The Greek house wine was good also.<br />
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We found our way to the venue with three songs left in the set by <i style="font-weight: bold;">Johnny Drake</i>, a band in the contemporary blue grass genre, complete with banjo. I love me a good banjo. They also had two female back-up vocalists which tends to sway me in a favorable direction. They managed to also do a fabulous Talking Heads cover to boot. I would like to see a full set down the road sometime. We arrived at the Double Door around 9:30pm. The duck fat laced "crack" fries impeded our judgement and delayed our departure from <b style="font-style: italic;">Taxim </b>since we could not leave before cleaning the plate. <br />
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Now onto the main event: <br />
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For your listening pleasure, <b><i>Brother George</i></b> performing <i>"How Long is This Gonna Take" </i>at Double Door (I am honestly just taking a stab at the song's title since I did not have a set list):<br />
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Brother George is a Wicker Park based Chicago Indie Rock Band. Band members Zane Ranney (drums), Neal Neumann (bass, vocals), Ryan Culbertson (guitar, vocals), Sagan Jacobson (guitar, vocals) and Joe Lieske (keyboard, percussion), live together in an apartment in Wicker Park. The original band formed in 2007 but the current members have been together for about a year. One of my favorite new bands, LA Electro-Sould group <b><i>Electric Guest</i></b>, snatched the founding member Tory Dahlhoff.<br />
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Coinincidentally, my kids sitter told me that his buddy was walking by their practice space in Wicker Park while they were jamming. He yelled up to them "hey you guys sound great!" and they threw a <b><i>Big Piney</i> </b>CD out of the window to him. Apparently he has been listening to it and has a few favorite songs now.<br />
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Brother George has retro folk rock influences and harmonic tones with a garage band edge. One of the songs played had a decidedly Hendricks/Plant feel to it. The lead vocals, mostly performed by Sagan Jacobson, are clear and the song hooks and verse allow for sing-along possibilities. Sagan is a good choice for the band's frontman with his boyish good looks and talent. My personal favorite is the song "Place" which can be streamed along with the rest of the their <b><i>Big Piney </i></b>CD online on the <a href="http://brothergeorge.bandcamp.com/">bandcamp website.</a> The music they have written is not formulaic. Each song has it's own distinct flavor and tone varying from melodic ballad to good old fashioned rock. There is a sensitivity to the lyrics and each song tells a different story. The lyrics are also posted on the website and are left for your interpretation. I can look forward to walking through Wicker Park one day with the hope of having a Big Piney CD thrown at me or maybe I will just download it from the website. They have it digitally available for under 5 bucks.<br />
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<b>Insider Tips:</b><br />
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The Double Door is a great neighborhood spot, great acoustics if you are listening from downstairs. Upstairs has tables and chairs if you need to sit but the acoustics are mediocre at best. The venue is small but the type of place that you can watch the band up close and personal. The crowd is a drinking crowd and generally ready to party. We were surprised to have such an accommodating waitress offer us bottled water at no charge (we tipped her of course). She found us later on and made sure we were hydrated. At one point we were upstairs at a table and she came up to clear the few empty bottles that were residing there. Now that is great service, I would go back just for the water. Parking in Wicker Park is zoned or metered. You will be ticketed if you do not have a zone sticker or pass.<br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-55106907598631718042014-01-16T17:22:00.003-08:002014-02-01T20:39:29.936-08:00Glowing House music video "Nobody Follow Me" and EP review<div>
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<b><i>Glowing House</i></b> is a Denver based folk band featuring husband and wife duo Steve Varney and Jess Parsons. They met at the University of Colorado in Denver in 2008 and bonded over their similar music tastes and ability to create meaningful lyrics. The band also features Michael John McKee (drums) and Phil Parker (cello, producer).<br />
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Jess, originally from Liberal, Kansas, began performing vocals at age 6. She also developed her skills on piano, guitar, and accordion. Steve has dabbled with many instruments ranging from saxophone to piano and his mainstay, guitar. He was not initially a "singer". His vocal talent became obvious once he realized that, as a stutterer, he was able to cease and control his impediment while singing. Although he has struggled with stuttering from time to time, even during recordings and performances, singing has for the most part kept it in check. This fact is quite impressive considering his powerfully passionate and crisp and clear sound as a singer. You would never know he had any problem communicating.<br />
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Take a look and listen to <b style="font-style: italic;">Glowing House </b>singing "Nobody Follow Me": </div>
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Their latest EP release, <b><i>The Down & Out</i></b>, features five great songs each with varied depth and style. The harmonies and vocals are spot on. This band's well crafted folk rock sound falls right in the sweet spot of most of the music I like. The combination of harmonies, building of intensity, and lyric complexity has me in want of more. As a result, I plan to purchase their second release, <b><i>Days Run Out,</i></b> also. According to Michael John McKee, the band has many musical influences including Glenn Kotche, Glen Hansard, Iron and Wine, Black Keys, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Patty Griffin, Feist, and James Taylor to name a few. Interestingly <i><b>The Civil Wars</b></i> was not included on this list although a comparison can't help but be made, particularly when they sing harmonies. Of course a major difference is that this vocal pair is an actual married couple (they even had a baby recently!). I give anyone credit if they can work AND live with their spouse. A true measure of compatibility. Look for <i><b>Glowing House</b></i> in Chicago this spring (dates TBD). For more information check out <a href="http://glowinghousemusic.com/">glowinghousemusic.com</a><br />
<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-66932893864803094992013-10-21T21:42:00.001-07:002013-11-15T17:21:31.451-08:00Josh Groban and Judith HIll at United Center on October 20, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Photo of Judith Hill visiting with her fans after her set and a photo of one of the JG refrigerator magnets for sale at the merchandise table. Big hair and handsome!</div>
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Photo of the stage with cool bulb lights and screens hanging above it.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">A Josh Groban concert? You are far more likely to find other Josh's on my </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">iPod and concert going list (Josh Ritter, Josh Rouse, Josh Radin to name a few). I was invited to review Groban during his "In The Round" tour however, at the <a href="http://www.unitedcenter.com/">United Center</a>! A REAL review gig! It could not be passed up and best of all, the opening act was soul singer <a href="http://www.judithhill.com/">Judith Hill</a>, a back up vocalist for Michael Jackson and a 2012 finalist of <i><a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-voice">The Voice</a></i>, my favorite vocal talent show. I thought this was an interesting pairing but it wound up working beautifully. I speculate that Hill had to tone down her "look" for the show wearing only a simple white top and black pants to complement Groban's attire (not including her 8 foot, sky high, life of its own, hair). On <i>The Voice</i>, Hill was one of the more outrageously dressed and did her best to stand apart from her competitors. After her set, Hill graciously came out and posed for pictures with each of her fans. She seemed a bit tired of doing the Paparazzi thing but I think she should pretend to be more engaged and interested while posing with fans. I could not help but wonder if she is disappointed about where she has landed post-Voice. Likely so. I have a hard time believing that she thought she would tour with Groban as her stepping stone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So as a first-time Groban concert goer, I learned a few things. Groban, I already knew, has a great tenor voice but what I did not know was that he was a bad-ass drummer, can sing in spanish and is a pretty talented comedian. Turns out he is also a songwriter, musician, producer and actor. Groban became</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> a multi-platinum artist in 2007 and he was the #1 best selling U.S artist for his Christmas album that year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> At the merch table before the show, I found it amusing that they were selling drumsticks with his name on them. To me this did not make sense since, being an authority on all things Groban (not), I turned to my friend Pippa and said "Isn't it weird that they are selling drumsticks when he does not even play drums?!". Wrong I was! He rocks the drums! Check out the video I took at the show:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His singing style is definitely smooth, buttery, pitch perfect and decidedly Disney/Broadway in character. The bright white (don't step on me) oxford/capezio dance shoes that he wore did not help to dispel this comparison. Most of his songs are not upbeat but more inspirational (perhaps Christian would be fair to say?). His biggest hit, a rendition of "You Raise Me Up" pretty much sums that up. An older more conservative crowd showed for this event and the show was suitable for all ages (you won't see any twerking here). However there was one PG13 funny moment where Groban referred to himself as a "douche" for buying a copy of his own first CD when they became available at Virgin Records. He indicated that the clerk had no idea who he was. That clerk likely knows who he is now because Grobin has a lot of fans judging from the venue size and after talking to some folks who had seen him three or more times. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The crowd however was not a partying one. The women's bathroom line was 4 times longer than the line at the bar. Sunday's are dry in some states though. Did we time travel to Utah? I digress.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is Groban at the piano:</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Word on the street is that Groban's comfort level has greatly improved and he did not always crack slightly off-color jokes or talk to the crowd as if it is an essential part of the show. He spent a significant amount of time providing self-deprecating humor. He asked a male fan "Did you get dragged here by your girlfriend, wife or grandmother?". He then went on to joke about his stint on the Ally McBeal show and how when the producer asked if he could act he replied "Sure, I can act! I played the role of Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof in high school". This you could easily picture. He was likely 17 when he sang on <i>Ally McBeal </i>and it was quite impressive. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I was able to find his debut on <i>Ally McBeal</i> on YouTube so check it out.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Groban also hosted a Q & A with the audience who had tweeted questions to him. The question that got the most laughs was from an older woman who wanted to know "What playground equipment are you most afraid of?". He told a story about when he had his arm broken when he was in 6th grade. Without skipping a beat he added "by a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">kindergartner". This took place on a jungle gym so now he is most afraid of jungle gyms in the design of a space ship.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Groban sang "In the Round" meaning that the stage was set up on the middle of the arena floor. This required everyone on stage to move around throughout the show to give equal time to all sides of the venue. I was often wondering if I was getting more "back time" than others seated across the arena. You do get the sense that it would not be impolite to check your emails or send an important text when the performer is singing to the other side of the venue (if their back is to you they would never know right?). On the flip side of the coin, t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">his type of set-up creates a more intimate feeling even in a large space. I don't believe that the sound was compromised at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the main highlights of the night for me was a solo performed by Groban's violinist. It was WOW and I mean WOW CAPITALIZED AND YELLING! I won't give it away by telling you the song it morphs into but it is a long-standing favorite for a lot of us. Check it out here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The show lasted about two hours and features Groban, Groban and Hill singing duets, the back up musicians (particularly the violinist and trumpeter), and the Apollo Chorus. Between singing crooner vocals at the piano, performing covers of favorite songs (Stevie Wonder's "I believe next time when I fall in love it will be forever", playing rapid fire drums, funny man antics, and his fabulous musicians (can you say violinist?), Groban was a true entertainer and showman. I did wonder how it would have been without the comedy, Judith Hill, the mini-marathon of stage movement, and those instrumentalists. Certainly not as fun but maybe more soothing if that is what you crave. Groban is an approachable star, one that you can easily relate to and feel comfortable kicking back with. He should take me to dinner or for coffee! Call me when you are next in town dude and we can reminisce over the great laughs we all had years ago watching Ally McBeal (remember "the baby" and the long scary tongues?). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For me, this performance was perfect on a Sunday night. Sit back, relax, be entertained and home by 11pm. I would definitely see Groban again. It would be similar to seeing a Broadway musical, even the same good one, twice. You can also make it a family outing since it is suitable for all ages. Even Groban would encourage you to bring grandma.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Dinner and Parking Tip!</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since you read all the way to the bottom you get to benefit from the blog tip of the day! I recommend having dinner at <i><a href="http://www.carmichaelsteakhouse.com/">Carmichael's</a>. </i>You can leave your car there in the lot and they offer free valet and shuttle bus service to the show. The food was very prompt and good since they are well schooled on helping people eat and leave in time for a game or show at the United Center. The bus driver was an army veteran and a kind, responsible man. Tip him nicely but save $25 in parking at a United lot.</span></div>
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Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-28826626698061973442013-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:002013-10-21T21:16:41.662-07:00ZZ Ward at House of Blues on October 15, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The third time's the charm! My third time seeing ZZ was not disappointing. If you are not worried about spending on parking, you can valet park for $26. Otherwise I suggest taking the train down for sure. I took my friend Joanne to see her for her 30y plus 20 birthday. A nice bite at the <i>Crossroads Restaurant</i> downstairs started our evening off on the right foot. Don't forget to have the bread pudding, well worth calories and carbs (if you are counting). House of Blues is a great venue because you can get to a sold out show and still carve your way to the front of the stage. This was a big show for ZZ and her bandmates. They have been playing at increasingly bigger venues in the past 2 years. I prefer Schubas and Lincoln Hall, but then again I am a sucker for an intimate venue. House of Blues is big yet small though, so really the 3rd best option. ZZ is a bit more polished than prior shows and has become progressively more confident with her performances. I took one video and it happens to be the same song that I previously posted from her Schubas show. We can compare and contrast her polish! <br />
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<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145471306224395698.post-38987156448749069142013-10-05T16:20:00.002-07:002013-10-19T08:56:15.349-07:00London Grammar at Lincoln Hall on October 3, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of videos from the show...<br />
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Whatever you do, don't read this blog. I have no street cred. I cannot get a concert ticket to save my life. I was turned on to London Grammar by my music loving friend Becca who was turned on to them by her boyfriend. We like him even more just for this! I got on to the Schubas website to snag two tickets but while entering my credit card info, the show sold out. I emailed the owner of Schubas asking if I could get on the press list. He suggested I contact the band's promotor, Inge. I did that and promised to review the show for being put on the press/guest list. She said "maybe but I only have 3 tickets" or something a bit strange like that. Ok, maybe she was some coffee getter for the promotor or promotion company (Thrillcall) and not the actual "promoter". She said she would get back to me. I kept checking the website for the possibility of additional ticket release and annoyed my family while at a restaurant one night scrambling on my iphone to secure a ticket through Thrillcall when they released tickets. I got one! But could not get two! I then begged Inge via email for just one measly itty bitty ticket so that I could take my friend Debbie to the show for her belated birthday. I even used the "my friend unfortunately has advanced cancer" card (yes, true and also true that I was committed to doing whatever I could to take her to this show even if it meant resorting to using the cancer card - usually only reserved for her own personal use but indirectly it still was). To no avail. Heartless even some might say that the "promotor" was so unsympathetic. Long (very) story short, the show was so popular that it was moved to Lincoln Hall and I could now buy another ticket. So my blood pressure returned to it's borderline high state instead of the "call an ambulance" state it found itself in. So feel free to stop reading this blog. I have no cred, no connections, no pull. Really.<br />
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At the end of the day, I have to admit, it was well worth the pain and suffering to get the tickets. I would do it all over again but would rather not have to use or even have a cancer card at all.<br />
London Grammar can be described as ambient, atmospheric electronica. The haunting and lush vocals appear to be influenced by several shades of <i>Florence and the Machine. </i> The band's sound<i> </i>is more mellow, soothing and brooding than FATM. This Nottingham trio combines the talents of Dan Rothman (guitarist), Dot Major (keyboard, djembe, drums) and Hanna Reid (vocals) and is nothing short of fantastic. Reid's deeply textured vocals are much more mature than her chronologic years. She is clearly not wasting hers. <br />
<br />Melody Perpichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725462172884154304noreply@blogger.com2