How's My Living? » derek nelson

This Week in Great Music: 1/31 – 2/6

Sarah — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:49:26 +0000

Friday and Saturday are full of great shows that have been awful to choose between. If only we could all split ourselves into multiples.

Monday, January 31
Todd Carey, Bascom Hill, The Heyday; Schubas. 8 pm, $6

Tuesday, February 1
Shelby Lynne, Derek Nelson; SPACE. 8 pm, $27-40
Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Kevin Tihista’s Red Terror; Schubas. 8 pm, $8

Wednesday, February 2
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, The Opposition Party; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $22

Thursday, February 3
Tina Dico; Schubas. 8 pm, $12-14
Greensky Bluegrass; Double Door. 8 pm, $10-12

Friday, February 4
The Decemberists, Wye Oak; the Riviera. 7:30 pm, sold out
Trina Hamlin, Keri Noble; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-20
Talib Kweli, Que Billah; The Shrine (2109 S Wabash). 9 pm, $25-35
My Brightest Diamond, Cloudbirds; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $14

Saturday, February 5
Sahara Smith, Liza Day; Schubas. 7 pm, $10
The Giving Tree Band, Hoots and Hellmouth; Mayne Stage. 8 pm, $15
Fitz and the Tantrums, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, The Right Now, Soul Summit DJs; Metro. 9 pm, $14
Retribution Gospel Choir, Peter Wolf Crier, Zeus; Schubas. 10:30 pm, $12

Sunday, February 6
Meh.

This Week in Great Music: 12/27 – 1/2

Sarah — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:48:05 +0000

I did not give it permission to be almost 2011. Seriously.

I’m planning on making it out to the Hideout tonight to end the year on a high note, with what’s sure to be a great show from Robbie Fulks and Nora O’Connor.

Monday, December 27
Robbie Fulks, Nora O’Connor; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Paper Arrows, Miles Nielsen; Schubas. 8 pm, $6

Tuesday, December 28
Tom Schraeder and his Ego, Mazes, Derek Nelson; Schubas. 9 pm, $10

Wednesday, December 29
Robbie Fulks; FitzGerald’s (6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn). 9 pm, $15

Thursday, December 30
The Black Keys, The Greenhornes; the Aragon. 7 pm, sold out
Ezra Furman, Cameron McGill; SPACE. 8 pm, $10-22
The Hold Steady, Tim Kasher; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $20
Yeasayer, Health; Metro. 9 pm, $21-24
Unicycle Loves You, Elephant Gun, Laarks; Beat Kitchen. 9:30 pm, $10

Friday, December 31
Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney; SPACE. 6 pm, $20-34
Yeasayer, Health; Metro. 9 pm, sold out
The Black Keys, The Greenhornes; the Aragon. 10 pm, sold out
Cursive, Yourself and the Air, Noah’s Ark Was A Spaceship; Subterranean. 10 pm, sold out
Japandroids, My Gold Mask; Schubas. 10 pm, $30
Mucca Pazza; Logan Square Auditorium. 10 pm, $25

Saturday, January 1
The Black Keys, The Greenhornes; the Aragon. 8 pm, sold out
Japandroids, Light Pollution; Schubas. 10 pm, $15

Sunday, January 2
Meh.

This Week in Great Music: 12/6 – 12/12

Sarah — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:25:28 +0000

A little bit of a slow week for music that catches my eye (and/or ear). There are plenty of shows going on, but these are the ones I’d recommend.

I’ll be at the Over the Rhine shows on Saturday, and am thinking about heading out to the Hideout on Friday night. Maybe.

Monday, December 6
Robbie Fulks; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation

Tuesday, December 7
Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Chely Wright; House of Blues. 8 pm, $33-38

Wednesday, December 8
Jeffrey Foucault, Hayward Williams; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-22

Thursday, December 9
Lucy Kaplansky, Seth Glier; SPACE. 8 pm, $17-28

Friday, December 10
The Flat Five, Featuring Kelly Hogan, Gerald Dowd, Scott Ligon, KC McDonough and Nora O’Connor; Hideout. 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm, $12
Las Guitarras de Espana, Avanti Guitar Trio; SPACE. 8 pm, $20-25
Badly Drawn Boy, Justin Jones; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, sold out
Jay Brannan, Derek Nelson; Subterranean. 9:30 pm, $15

Saturday, December 11
Over the Rhine, Sarah Siskind; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $24-28
Punch Brothers; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $22-25
Chris and Heather’s 2011 Country Calender Show, ft. Nora O’Connor, Robbie and Donna Fulks, Jon Langford, Kelly Hogan, Jane Baxter Miller, The Sanctified Grumblers, and others; FitzGerald’s (6615 Roosevelt Rd.., Berwyn). 9 pm, $20

Sunday, December 12
Punch Brothers; Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $22-25

This Week in Great Music: 6/21 – 6/27

Sarah — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:24:38 +0000

Taste of Chicago kicks off this week. I forsee myself completely undoing my attempts to eat healthy. Thanks a lot, Chicago.

Monday, June 21
Dosh; Millennium Park. 12 pm, free
Robbie Fulks, Eric Noden; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
The Books, Via Tania; Millennium Park. 7:30 pm, free
Sally Seltmann; Schubas. 8 pm, $10
Max Weinberg Big Band; SPACE. 8 pm, $30-62

Tuesday, June 22
Jace Everett, Tiffany Streitelmeier; Martyrs. 8 pm, $8

Wednesday, June 23
Mucca Pazza, Canasta; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12
Amy Cook, Susan Voelz, Benyaro; Schubas, 9 pm, $8-10

Thursday, June 24
Southeast Engine, The Daredevil Christopher Wright, New Ruins; Schubas. 9 pm, $8-10

Friday, June 25
Ditchweed Diesel, Derek Nelson, Will Phalen & the Stereo Addicts, The Shams Band, Jon Drake & the Shakes, the Lost Cartographers; Taste of Chicago (Illinois Lottery Taste Stage). Beginning at 12 pm, free.
Sonny Landreth, Paul Cebar; SPACE. 8 pm, sold out
Mason Jennings, Sahara Smith, Colin Gilmore; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20

Saturday, June 26
Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur, Bare Hand Jug Band; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $24-28
Mason Jennings, Sahara Smith, Musikanto; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20

Sunday, June 27
A Day in the Country, including Sarah and the Tall Boys, Jane Baxter Miller, The Lawrence Peters Outfit, Katie Belle and The Paramount Boys, Hayward, more; Hideout. Beginning at 2 pm, $10
Paula Cole; SPACE. 8 pm, $30-46
Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, Fang Island, Maps and Atlases, David Bazan, Cloud Cult; Green Music Fest (Chicago & Ashland). Beginning at 2:45 pm, $5 suggested donation

This Week in Great Music: 5/24 – 5/30

Sarah — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:33:26 +0000

This week might as well be known as the Week of Great Shows that I Can’t Go to Because I Have to Prepare for People to Come Install New Carpet. Home ownership is not always worth it, let me tell you.

That aside, I’ll be at the (long-sold-out) Mumford & Sons show tonight. After that, who knows. Hopefully those of you who don’t have impending Carpet Installations will be able to do more interesting things this week than me.

Monday, May 24
Besnard Lakes, The Ponys; Millennium Park. 6:30 pm, free
Robbie Fulks and Nora O’Connor; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
James Taylor and Carole King; Allstate Arena. 7:30 pm, sold out
Mumford and Sons, The Middle East; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, sold out
Eluvium, Julianna Barwick; Schubas. 9 pm, $10-12

Tuesday, May 25
Maxwell, Jill Scott; United Center. 7:30 pm, $22-127
Glee Live! In Concert!; Rosemont Theatre. 7:30 pm, sold out

Wednesday, May 26
Glee Live! In Concert!; Rosemont Theatre. 7:30 pm, sold out
LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!; Metro. 8 pm, sold out
Donnie Biggins, Derek Nelson; Uncommon Ground (3800 N Clark). 8 pm, $5 suggested donation
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Shapers; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $15
April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Ornery Little Darlings; Schubas. 9 pm, $8-10

Thursday, May 27
Josh Rouse, AM; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Sadhu Sadhu; Schubas. 9 pm, $15

Friday, May 28
The Tallest Man on Earth, Nathaniel Rateliff; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, sold out

Saturday, May 29
Smoking Popes, Shot Baker, Bully in the Hallway; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $15
Pieta Brown, Judson Claiborne; Hideout. 9 pm, $10
How Far to Austin, Cullen’s (3741 N Southport). 9 pm, free

Sunday, May 30
DePaul Men’s a Cappella, University of Chicago Men in Drag, Northwestern University Extreme Measures; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $5-7
Waco Brothers, Yellowhammers; Double Door. 9 pm, $12-15

Taste of Chicago Music Schedule

Sarah — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:28:05 +0000

Summer is coming up pretty quickly. And with summer comes the annual gorge-yourself-until-you-can’t-move street festival, the Taste of Chicago, which will be held June 25th through July 4th. Every year, I tell myself I’m not going to go, and every year, I’m lured in by the food and the rainbow cones and the food. Did I mention the food?

But Taste of Chicago isn’t just about eating until you don’t think you can move anymore. There’s also always a fantastically eclectic mix of live bands playing, and it’s all free. This year’s lineup is no exception. The main stage features early evening shows from such artists as Salt-n-Pepa, Gavin Rossdale, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Mat Kearney, Brett Dennen, Rob Thomas, and the Steve Miller Band, with the July 4th headliner still to be announced.

Big national acts aren’t all, though, as there’s a side stage which features a large number of local acts all day long (which means that I’ll be missing pretty much every group I actually want to see; thanks a lot, day job). Each day at the side stage has a theme: Americana (which should probably be renamed as Chicago Roots Collective Day), dance, world music, covers, etc. Bands appearing include Derek Nelson, Will Phalen & the Stereo Addicts, The Shams Band, The Yolks, White Mystery, Sons of the Never Wrong, Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Katie Quick, and Jason & the Haymakers.

This Week in Great Music: 2/22 – 2/28

Sarah — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:15:53 +0000

A very solid lineup this week, including a handful of free shows! You’ll be able to find me on Friday at Schubas for Rocky Votolato, and on Saturday at Lincoln Hall for Joe Pug/Justin Townes Earle. If you’re going to either of those shows, come say hi!

Monday, February 22
Jack’s Mannequin, Fun, Vedera; House of Blues. 6 pm, sold out
Robbie Fulks; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
El Perro Del Mar, Taken By Trees; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $15
Derek Nelson; Cubby Bear Wrigleyville. 8 pm, free
Puerto Muerto, Glorious Vapors, Daniel Knox; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, free

Tuesday, February 23
Jack’s Mannequin, Fun, Vedera; House of Blues. 6 pm, $25-28
Matthew Kerstein; Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago). 6 pm, free
Basia Bulat, Katie Stelmanis; Schubas. 9 pm, $10

Wednesday, February 24
Suns, fire Zuave, Mike Maimone & the Mutts; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $8-10

Thursday, February 25
Todd Kessler and the New Folk, Mike Mangione and his Band, Madison Violet; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $10
Alec Ounsworth, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons; Schubas. 9 pm, $15

Friday, February 26
Catie Curtis, SPACE. 8 pm, $18-30
Rocky Votolato, Josh Caterer; Schubas. 10 pm, $15
Portugal. The Man, Port O’Brien, The Dig; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, sold out

Saturday, February 27
Tinariwen; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $24-28
Alkaline Trio, Cursive, The Dear and Departed; Metro. 9 pm, sold out
Joe Pug, Justin Townes Earle; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $12-14
Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames, Old Believers, Cataldo; Schubas. 10 pm, $14
YACHT, MNDR, Bobby Birdman; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $12

Sunday, February 28
Chicken Fat Klezmer Band; Duke’s Bar (6920 N Glenwood). 4 pm, free
Alkaline Trio, Cursive, The Dear and Departed; Metro. 6:30 pm, sold out
The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Nico Vega; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $17

Wow, That’s a Good Song: Derek Nelson “Tightrope Walker”

Sarah — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:16:41 +0000

Add this guy to your list of Up and Coming Artists to Pay Attention To. He’s got my attention.

derek nelson “tightrope walker” from Nohnsense on Vimeo.

My lady sleeps with her legs tied in mine
once she’s tangled up, I know she’ll go
if I knew when that was coming, then I’d go
to that bed in my parents house
that I slept in so long ago
and that’s all I’m thinking now

Derek Nelson has been gathering a following of fans, and pretty quickly at that, as he just released his first EP in October. Performing with a full band, he’s headlining a show on Thursday at Lincoln Hall, and if you get there early enough, he’s apparently giving out free copies of his EP. I’ve got an evening meeting on Thursday (condo board meetings; the perils of home ownership), but I’m hoping to make it up to Lincoln Hall afterwards to check the show out. Listen to his music on his MySpace page, or stream/download a live EP for free, recorded earlier this month at the Empty Bottle.

Derek Nelson: Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter

This Week in Great Music: 2/1 – 2/7

Sarah — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:18:02 +0000

Imagine me, scrolling through endless lists of shows, looking for things that catch my interest, in order to find shows to list here. And imagine my surprise when I see that Utada is doing a show at the House of Blues. Guys, guys, guys, this is my adolescence right here, wrapped up in anime and Japanese culture and language and stacks of manga and dictionaries and language learning books. I kind of feel like I need to set aside my dislike of the HoB and my dislike of teenagers and go, just for nostalgia’s sake.

In other news, Friday’s a big day for shows here in the city. If you head out to Lincoln Hall, make sure you get there on time to hear Kid, You’ll Move Mountains. Their show that night is being filmed for an upcoming episode of “The Last Adventure” on the Travel Channel. Who knows, maybe they’ll do some shots of the crowd and you, too, can be on television!

Monday, February 1
Robbie Fulks, Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
La Roux, Yes Giantess, Moneypenny; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, sold out

Tuesday, February 2
Utada, House of Blues. 8 pm, $23-26

Wednesday, February 3
Greg Laswell, Rosi Golan; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-15
Asobi Seksu, Schubas. 9 pm, $14

Thursday, February 4
Matt Hires, Jason Castro, Caitlin Crosby; Schubas. 9 pm, sold out
Derek Nelson and the Musicians, Daysleeper, Overman; Lincoln Hall, $10

Friday, February 5
Dan Navarro, Michael McDermott; Schubas. 7 pm, $20
Sons of the Never Wrong; Davenport’s. 7:30 pm, $10 (two drink minimum)
Kronos Quartet, McAninch Arts Center (College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, IL). 8 pm, $34-44
Harlem Gospel Choir, Wentz Concert Hall (North Central College, 171 E Chicago, Naperville IL). 8 pm, $30-40
Gov’t Mule, House of Blues. 8 pm, $37
Breakers Broken, How Far to Austin, Greensugar, A Band Catch, Julia and The Sweet Etcetera; Double Door. 8:30 pm, $7-10
Bishop Allen, Unicycle Loves You, Kid You’ll Move Mountains; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $14

Saturday, February 6
Mavis Staples, Typhanie Monique; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $34-36
Sarah and the Tall Boys, Jack Callahan; Schubas. 10:30 pm, $8

Sunday, February 7
Nothing