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This Week in Great Music: 2/6 – 2/12

Sarah — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:14:18 +0000

Monday, February 6
Jeff Mangum, Andrew Reiger, Laura Carter, Scott Spilane; Athenaeum Theatre. 6:30 pm, sold out
Robbie Fulks; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Deleted Scenes, The Hudson Branch; Subterranean. 8 pm, $10

Tuesday, February 7
Jeff Mangum, Andrew Reiger, Laura Carter, Scott Spilane; Athenaeum Theatre. 7:30 pm, sold out
Mar Caribe, Sally Timms; Hideout. 9 pm, $5 suggested donation
Craig Finn, Mount Moriah; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $12-14

Wednesday, February 8
Meh?

Thursday, February 9
Jenny Owen Youngs, New Empire; Schubas. 8 pm, $12-14
Miri Ben-Ari, Lying Delilah; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $45

Friday, February 10
Juno What?!, Dance Floor Plans; Martyrs. 9:30 pm, $10
Judson Claiborne, Eiren Caffal, the Counterpane; Hideout. 10 pm, $10

Saturday, February 11
The Shams Band, Elephant Gun, The Damn Choir, Architecture; Subterranean. 8:30 pm, $10
Rego, Elsinore, Algebro, MB; Lincoln Hall. 9:30 pm, $10
Derek Nelson & the Musicians, Daphne Willis, Jenny Dragon; Martyrs. 9:30 pm, $8

Sunday, February 12
Meh.

This Week in Great Music: 1/30 – 2/5

Sarah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:37:20 +0000

A bit of a late start today due to some hosting issues, but never mind. Concert landscape this week is a little thin, but I’m sure you all will find ways to enjoy yourselves. Let me know what I missed!

Monday, January 30
Robbie Fulks, The Pussycat Trio; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Clip Art, Baby Teeth, Jennifer Hall; Schubas. 8 pm, $5
Adam Arcuragi & the Lupine Chorale Society, The Pear Traps; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, free

Tuesday, January 31
Meh.

Wednesday, February 1
Meh?

Thursday, February 2
Rumer, Bryn Rich; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $13-15
AZITA, Thomas Comerford, Robbie Hamilton & Soft Ones; Schubas. 9 pm, $6

Friday, February 3
Andy Grammer, Ryan Star, Rachel Platten; Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $14

Saturday, February 4
Alfonso Ponticelli’s Gypsy Flamenco Project; Mayne Stage. 9 pm, $15-20

Sunday, February 5
Birdy; Schubas. 12 pm, free

This Week in Great Music: 1/9 – 1/15

Sarah — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:39:36 +0000

We are getting back in the swing of things here with the weekly calendar. It’s the beginning of the year, cut me some slack.

We’ve got some great local artists on bills this week, plus some very diverse acts coming in as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival, spread out at Schubas, Lincoln Hall, Metro, and the Hideout. And, the Old Town School of Folk Music is kicking off a 55-day celebration of not only its 55th anniversary, but also the grand opening of its new building this week, with various classes, concerts, and other events.

Monday, January 9
Robbie Fulks, Don Stiernberg; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 Suggested Donation

Tuesday, January 10
Gabe Dixon, Leila Broussard; SPACE. 8 pm, $10-14
The Black Willoughbys; Hideout. 9 pm, $5 Suggested Donation
Creepy Band, Jon Drake & the Shakes, Johnathan Young, Ryley Walker; Empty Bottle. 9 pm, $8

Wednesday, January 11
Koo Nimo & The Occidental Highlife Association; Old Town School of Folk Music (West; 4544 N Lincoln). 8:30 pm, free ($5 suggested donation)

Thursday, January 12
Drake Bell; SPACE. 7 pm, $25-30
Tycho, Active Child, Ant’lrd, Abstract Science DJs; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, sold out

Friday, January 13
Filligar, Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, Save the Clocktower; Subterranean. 9 pm, $10

Saturday, January 14
Alejandro Escovedo, JT Nero, Allison Russell; Old Town School of Folk Music (West; 4544 N Lincoln). 7 pm & 10 pm, $24-28
Too Hot To Handel: The Jazz Gospel Messiah; Auditorium Theatre. 7:30 pm, $30-72
The Walkmen; Metro. 10 pm, $26

Sunday, January 15
The Pickin’ Bubs; Schubas. 12 pm, free
Too Hot To Handel: The Jazz Gospel Messiah; Auditorium Theatre. 3 pm, $30-72
Vance Gilbert; Old Town School of Folk Music (East; 4545 N Lincoln). 7 pm, $16-20
Nina Ferraro, The Parlour Suite, Bad Bad Meow, Natalie Grace Alford; Beat Kitchen. 8 pm, $10
Freakers Ball: A Tribute to Shel Silverstein, ft. Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Nora O’Connor, and others; Hideout. 8 pm, $20

This Week in Great Music: 12/12 – 12/18

Sarah — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:51:59 +0000

Hey, everyone, it’s Wilco week! I’m not going to any of the shows, but I’m sure plenty of you are.

I’ll be at Schubas on Saturday night for Noam Pikelny and friends. Banjo!

If you’re not doing anything on Sunday night, my band, Jungle of Cities, is playing at the Abbey Pub. We go on at 9, and there’s no cover. You should definitely come out.

Monday, December 12
Wilco; Civic Opera House. 7:30 pm, sold out

Tuesday, December 13
Wilco; the Riviera. 8 pm, sold out
Harper Blynn; Schubas. 8 pm, $8-10

Wednesday, December 14
Tim Reynolds and TR3; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20
The Joy Formidable; Metro. 8:30 pm, $17-20
Josh Caterer, Rainbow Rhythms; Schubas. 9 pm, $12
Kathryn Calder, Himalayan Bear; Double Door. 9 pm, $10

Thursday, December 15
Graham Colton; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $14
Wilco; the Vic. 8 pm, sold out
Alabama Shakes, the Lawrence Peters Outfit; Hideout. 9 pm, $10

Friday, December 16
Wilco; Metro. 8 pm, sold out

Saturday, December 17
Noam Pikelny and friends; Schubas. 10 pm, $15-18
The Sea and Cake; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $18-20

Sunday, December 18
Apollo Chorus of Chicago: Handel’s ‘Messiah’; Harris Theater for Music and Dance. 3 pm, $15-75
Wilco; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, sold out

This Week in Great Music: 12/5 – 12/11

Sarah — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:54:52 +0000

It’s been quiet around here. Sorry for that. I’ve got a Best of 2011 guest post coming up from Mike at Land of Absurdity. It’ll be list-y.

Monday, December 5
Avey Tare, Eric Copeland; Schubas. 7 pm, $15

Tuesday, December 6
The National, Local Natives, Wye Oak; the Aragon. 7 pm, $35
Harper Blynn; SPACE. 8 pm, $10-12

Wednesday, December 7
The War on Drugs, Still Corners, Arc in Round; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $14

Thursday, December 8
Erin McKeown; Schubas. 8 pm, $12
Jeffrey David, Vintage Blue, DBP; Metro. 8:30 pm, $9-11
Save the Clocktower, Windbreaker, Vapor Eyes; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $8

Friday, December 9
Bon Iver; UIC Pavilion. 7:30 pm, $40
Peter Bradley Adams; Schubas. 7:30 pm, $8-10
Shemekia Copeland, Bill Brickey; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $21-25

Saturday, December 10
Over the Rhine; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $24-28
Tori Amos; Chicago Theatre. 8 pm, $39.50-59.50

Sunday, December 11
Winterbloom, ft. Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson and Natalia Zukerman; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm, $18-22
Ryan Adams, Jessica Lea Mayfield; Cadillac Palace Theatre. 7:30 pm, $45

This Week in Great Music: 11/21 – 11/27

Sarah — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:58:09 +0000

A bit of a lull this week, with the holiday and all. Have a great Thanksgiving, to those of you who celebrate it.

Monday, November 21
Architecture in Helsinki; Metro. 9 pm, $17-19

Tuesday, November 22
Fitz and the Tantrums, Walk the Moon; Metro. 9 pm, $23-26

Wednesday, November 23
Van Ghost, Blah Blah Blah, Kellen & Me; Schubas. 9 pm, $10-15

Thursday, November 24
Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 25
Tinariwen, Sophie Hunge; Metro. 9 pm, $26-29
My Gold Mask; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $8
Scattered Trees, A Lull, Urbanites; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $12

Saturday, November 26
Marketa Irglova, Sean Rowe; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $18-20

Sunday, November 27
Meh

This Week in Great Music: 10/31 – 11/6

Sarah — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:45:05 +0000

I’ll be at SPACE tonight for Communion Music’s big US tour. And I’m thinking about trying to figure out a way to make it out to Berwyn to see the Blind Boys of Alabama. It’ll be a heck of a road trip-via-public transportation, that’s for sure.

Monday, October 31
Matthew and the Atlas, The David Mayfield Parade, Lauren Shera; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-20
Real Estate, Big Troubles, Julian Lynch; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $15
A Schubas Halloween, ft. In Tall Buildings as Deerhoof and Cains & Abels as Modern Lovers; Schubas. 9 pm, $8-10

Tuesday, November 1
Meh

Wednesday, November 2
We Were Promised Jetpacks, Royal Bangs, Bear Hands; Metro. 9 pm, $16-19
Howie Day, Nick Zuber; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $20

Thursday, November 3
Keep a Song in Your Soul: The Black Roots of Vaudeville, with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Reggio McLaughlin and Reginald Robinson; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $41-45
Catie Curtis; SPACE. 8 pm, $18-30
Milagres; Beat Kitchen. 8:30 pm, $10
Blitzen Trapper, Dawes, The Belle Brigade; Metro. 9 pm, $23
Little Scream, BOBBY, Judson Claiborne; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $10-12

Friday, November 4
Keep a Song in Your Soul: The Black Roots of Vaudeville, with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Reggio McLaughlin and Reginald Robinson; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $41-45
Feist; the Riviera. 8 pm, $35

Saturday, November 5
Keep a Song in Your Soul: The Black Roots of Vaudeville, with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Reggio McLaughlin and Reginald Robinson; Old Town School of Folk Music. 3 pm and 8 pm, $41-45
Blind Boys of Alabama, Sara and Sean Watkins; FitzGerald’s (6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn). 8 pm, $35

Sunday, November 6
The Civil Wars, Milo Greene; the Vic. 7:30 pm, $20
A Winged Victory for the Sullen; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20

Concert Roundup: May 2011

Sarah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:09:38 +0000

[ It's been quiet around here lately, thanks to real lives and jobs and all of that, so I figured I'd dig up some half-finished posts of old news and compile them all together for a large post of old news and photos. You may see more posts like these as I continue to edit photos and write in a very untimely manner. ]

Chris Pureka, Holcombe Waller; SPACE, 5/4/11

This is the second time that I’ve seen Chris Pureka at SPACE, although this time she came with a full backing band, rather than doing just a solo show. Pureka’s performances always feel very honest and genuine; her songs about lost love and doomed or dysfunctional relationships can strike a chord with just about anyone. Her setlist largely drew from her latest album, 2010′s How I Learned To See In The Dark, but the real highlight of the show lies in two things: the strength of Pureka’s delivery, and her delightful storytelling. She’s an expert at conveying emotion in her songs, both through lyrics and her voice. You can very easily feel the pain and hurt that’s gone into writing these songs. And Pureka is true to her roots as a folk musician, easily weaving in stories and anecdotes throughout her set. She has an easy way of bantering with the crowd, making her one of the rare musicians I’ve encountered who can make you feel like she’s talking directly to you.

Holcombe Waller was a new discovery for me, and I was infinitely pleased with his set. He’s a Portland-based musician who reminds me of Rufus Wainwright, in a way, to give you a point of reference. Waller’s lyrics are deep and searching, and his voice soars sometimes. There was something truly beautiful about his songs, many of which offered a bit of a more hopeful, upbeat counterpoint prior to Peruka’s set of gritty honesty.

See my photos from the show here on Flickr.

Vandaveer; Empty Bottle, 5/11/11

“What song do you want to hear?” Mark Charles Heidinger asked midway through Vandaveer’s set at the Empty Bottle. It’s pretty standard for audiences to endlessly shout out song requests, but less common for artists to actually shuffle around their setlists to accommodate the crowd. The show was woefully under-attended, a fact that I’ll chalk up to it being a late show on a weeknight. It was worth the lack of sleep to be wowed by Heidinger and Rose Guerin, however. Their voices are both magical and the songwriting is so, so smart. Though they were touring in promotion of their newest album, Dig Down Deep, they didn’t shy away from performing old favorites, too. The duo closed the night out by unplugging and coming down onto the floor, crowd gathered around in a semi-circle, as they wowed us with just their voices, an acoustic guitar, and the tapping of toes to keep time.

See some photos from the show here on Flickr.

Vandaveer: Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Jessica Lea Mayfield, Nathaniel Rateliff; Schubas, 5/14/11

I’ve seen Jessica Lea Mayfield several times over the past couple of years, but I feel like she shined the brightest at this show, the first headlining gig of hers that I’ve caught. The smaller stage of Schubas suited her much better than the larger venues (Lincoln Hall, Metro) I’ve seen her in. Performing with a full band, Mayfield and company filled the room, even on quieter numbers. The crowd was a bit rowdy, but they loved her music, with many people singing along to every word. Mayfield’s music is dark and deeply personal: she writes what she knows, and what she knows could absolutely break your heart.

Nathaniel Rateliff reminded me of the guys I grew up with: a litle rough around the edges, tattoos and scruffy facial hair, worn shirt and work boots and tattoos. None of the guys I grew up with ever sang such rich songs, though. Rateliff’s voice is rough and weary, with just a hint of a twang buried in there. He strikes me as the type to be fronting a rock band, but he’s not. It’s just him and a guitar and some intricate little songs about loss and ache and life.

See more photos from the show on Flickr.

This Week in Great Music: 10/3 – 10/9

Sarah — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:40:13 +0000

Busy week of shows! Don’t forget, you can win tickets to see Those Darlins on Wednesday or Thursday! See this post for information on how to win.

Monday, October 3
Jens Lekman, Geoffrey O’Connor; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $20

Tuesday, October 4
Zee Avi; Schubas. 8 pm, $12
The Mekons; SPACE. 8 pm, $18-30
The Besnard Lakes, Malajube; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $14
Mar Caribe; Hideout. 9 pm, $5 suggested donation
The Head and the Heart, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, The Devil Whale; Metro. 9 pm, $19-21

Wednesday, October 5
Foster the People, Cults, Reptar; the Riviera. 7:30 pm, sold out
Bandallamas, Brice Woodall; Martyrs. 8 pm, $10
Jaron And The Long Road To Love, Joe Firstman; Joe’s Bar. 8:30 pm, $10
St. Vincent; Metro. 9 pm, $18
The Mekons, Brokeback; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $20
Those Darlins, Peelander-Z, Birthday Suits; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $12-14

Thursday, October 6
Those Darlins, Peelander-Z; Schubas. 7 pm, $12-14
Cameron McGill, Matt Hopper; SPACE. 8 pm, $10-18
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Holy Sons; Metro. 8 pm, $22.50
Keb’ Mo’; House of Blues. 9 pm, $32.50-35

Friday, October 7
Esperanza Spalding; Symphony Center. 8 pm, $20-70
Imelda May; Park West. 8 pm, $20
Pieta Brown, Nora O’Connor, Liam Davis; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-22
The Naked and Famous, The Chain Gang of 1974, White Arrows; Metro. 8 pm, $19-21

Saturday, October 8
Priscilla Ahn; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-15
The Shams Band, Go Long Mule; Fitzgeralds. 9 pm, $15
Wild Flag, YellowFever; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $15

Sunday, October 9
Wild Flag, YellowFever; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $15

Ticket Giveaway! Those Darlins, 10/5 and 10/6

Sarah — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 18:49:50 +0000

Those Darlins, the country-punk-slash-dirty-rock group of three girls and a guy, are en route to Chicago for a trio of shows: October 5th at the Empty Bottle, and two on October 6th — a free gig at 1pm at the Michigan Avenue Apple Store, followed by a show at Schubas that evening.

But that’s not all! (I’ve always wanted to say that.) Have you been dithering on buying tickets? Well, dither no more, because I’ve got some free tickets for you and a guest!

All you need to do for your chance to win is send an email to howsmyliving@gmail.com with “BOTTLE” in the subject line for the show at, appropriately, the Empty Bottle. or “SCHUBAS” in the subject line for, you guessed it, the show at Schubas.

~~Entries must be received by 10pm (Central) on Tuesday. Feel free to enter for both giveaways, but you can only win one.~~

The contest is now closed. Congrats to Sarah and Derek!

Those Darlins: Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Store