How's My Living? » nathaniel rateliff

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.

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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: 5/9 – 5/15

Sarah — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:10:27 +0000

I’m going to see Vandaveer on Wednesday. So should you. You may still even have time to RSVP to the Empty Bottle to get in for free.

Monday, May 9
Robbie Fulks, Pussycat Trio; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation

Tuesday, May 10
Rammstein; Allstate Arena. 8 pm, $49.50-89.50
The Fiery Furnaces; Schubas. 8 pm, $15
tUnE-yArDs, Buke and Gass, Prussia; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, sold out

Wednesday, May 11
The Fiery Furnaces; Schubas. 8 pm, $15
Girlyman, Coyote Grace; SPACE. 8 pm, $20-34
Vandaveer, Ferraby Lionheart, Rachele Eve; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $8

Thursday, May 12
Girlyman, Coyote Grace; SPACE. 8 pm, $20-34

Friday, May 13
Holly Golightly and the Broke-Offs, Jon Drake and the Shakes, The Singleman Affair; Beat Kitchen. 9 pm, $12
Chris Buehrle Band, Kevin Mileski, Kickbush, Fall Down; Lincoln Hall. 9:30 pm, $7-10
Canasta, Dastardly, Soft Speaker, Secret Colours; Empty Bottle. 10:30 pm, $10

Saturday, May 14
Scott Free’s Alt-Q Festival, ft. Ellis, Nicole Reynolds, Jeffrey Altergott, Sister Speak, Levan D Hawkins and Ian Wilson; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm, $16-20
Kid Koala, Cave, The Loyal Divide, Save The Clocktower, DJ Intel, DJ Demchuck; Abbey Pub. 8:30 pm, $15-20
The Streets on Fire, Chaperone, The Kickback, The Goondas; Metro. 9 pm, $9
Jessica Lea Mayfield, Nathaniel Rateliff; Schubas. 10 pm, $12-14

Sunday, May 15
Meh.

This Week in Great Music: 7/19 – 7/25

Sarah — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:03:10 +0000

As usual for the summer, there are a ton of great shows going on which also happen to be free. Trek on down to Millennium Park or Navy Pier to check out some cost-free tunes.

As for me, I’m hoping to make it to the Hideout tonight, and then on Friday I’ll be at the Langhorne Slim/Ha Ha Tonka show, and Saturday is Heartless Bastards/Peter Wolf Crier.

Monday, July 19
Kid Sister, Konono No. 1; Millennium Park. 6:30 pm, free
Robbie Fulks, Nora O’Connor; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation

Tuesday, July 20
Patrick Park, Heather Styka; Schubas. 8 pm, $10

Wednesday, July 21
Nathaniel Rateliff, JBM; Schubas. 9 pm, $10

Thursday, July 22
Josh and the Empty Pockets, Juniper Mays; Park Grill. 4 pm, free
Natalie Merchant, Chicago Theatre. 8 pm, $38.50-48.50
Nick Tremulis, Deanna Devore; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-15
Derek Nelson and the Musicians, Ceiling Stars, Zach Pietrini and the Broken Bones; Martyrs. 9 pm, $7
Scott H. Biram, Lasers and Fast and Shit, Roses Pawn Shop; Double Door. 9 pm, $10

Friday, July 23
Juana Molina, Jim Elkington; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $18-22
Langhorne Slim, Ha Ha Tonka, Young Man; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $14

Saturday, July 24
The Right Now; Navy Pier. 5 pm, free
Heartless Bastards, The Builders and the Butchers, Peter Wolf Crier; Bottom Lounge. 8 pm, $16
Jane and The Steadfast Acrobats, The Future Laureates, Mike Mangione and The Union, Sarah Holtschlag and The Crosscuts, The Sunken Ship; Lincoln Hall. 8:30 pm, $7
Danny Chaimson, Facing Winter; Schubas. 10 pm, $10

Sunday, July 25
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Millennium Park. 12 pm, free

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

This Week in Great Music: 4/5 – 4/11

Sarah — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:42:29 +0000

Let’s hope that this week is better than last, where I had a moment of complete brilliance and proceeded to forget all about the show I was supposed to go to on Saturday night. Sigh.

I’ll be at Lincoln Hall on Wednesday (Fanfarlo) and Thursday (The xx), provided that I don’t forget about those shows, too.

Monday, April 5
Robbie Fulks, The Hoyle Brothers; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Prohibition Orchestra of Chicago; SPACE. 7:30 pm, $5
Camera Obscura, Princeton; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20
Miike Snow, Light Pollution; Metro. 9 pm, sold out

Tuesday, April 6
Dashboard Confessional, Corey Chisel & the Wandering Sons; House of Blues. 6 pm, $24-27
Julian Casablancas, Funeral Party; the Vic. 7:30 pm, $26
As Tall as Lions, Bad Veins, A Lull; Bottom Lounge. 8 pm, $13
The Low Anthem, Nathaniel Rateliff; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $14

Wednesday, April 7
Motion City Soundtrack, Fun, A Rocket To The Moon, Sing It Loud; House of Blues. 5:30 pm, $20.50-22
Titus Andronicus, The Saps, Bully in the Hallway; Bottom Lounge. 8 pm, $10-12
Fanfarlo, Lawrence Arabia, Robert Francis; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12-14
Har Mar Superstar, My Gold Mask, Violetness; Double Door. 9 pm, $10

Thursday, April 8
The xx, Nosaj Thing; Lincoln Hall. 6 pm, sold out
The Horse’s Ha, Ronnie Malley, Wanees Zazour; Chicago Cultural center. 6:30 pm, free
Deer Tick, Those Darlins, Elephant Gun; Bottom Lounge. 8 pm, $13
The xx, jj; Lincoln Hall. 9:30 pm, sold out

Friday, April 9
Drive By Truckers, Langhorne Slim; the Vic. 8 pm, $26
Shawn Mullins, Daphne Willis; SPACE. 8 pm, sold out
The Giving Tree, Todd Kessler and the New Folk, The Shams Band, The Future Laureates; Double Door. 9 pm, $10-15
Edwin McCain Band; Cubby Bear Wrigleyville. 9 pm, $20-25
Japandroids, Avi Buffalo, Lasers and Fast and Shit; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $14
The Soft Pack, Male Bonding, Beaters; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $10-12
Dan Black, Moneypenny, Midnight Conspiracy, DJ SR-71; Schubas. 10:30 pm, $10

Saturday, April 10
Madeleine Peyroux, Nora O’Connor; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $34-38
Bill Callahan, Hideout. 7 pm and 10 pm, $20
John Mayer, Michael Franti and Spearhead; United Center. 8 pm, $35-78
Mason Jennings, SPACE. 8 pm, sold out
Owen Pallett, Snowblink; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $15
The Smith Westerns, Acrylics, Nurses; Schubas. 10 pm, $8-10

Sunday, April 11
Lang Lang, Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra; Harris Theater. 3 pm, $45-95
Straight No Chaser, Chicago Theatre. 7:30 pm, $25-45
K’Naan, Wale; Metro. 7:30 pm, $20-22