How's My Living? » split lip rayfield

This Week in Great Music: 11/14 – 11/20

Sarah — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:51:24 +0000

It’s been quiet around here lately, as I poured all my energy into frantically packing to move into a new apartment. I’m all settled in, so hopefully things will be back to normal.

You can catch me spinning some tunes on CHIRP this Friday night from 8-10 pm Central. It’ll be great.

Monday, November 14
Deer Tick, Guards, Paleo; Reggie’s Rock Club. 7 pm, $15
Lykke Li, First Aid Kit; the Vic. 7:30 pm, $30
Split Lip Rayfield, The Legendary Shack Shakers, Mountain Sprout; Double Door. 9 pm, $15

Tuesday, November 15
Meh

Wednesday, November 16
Coyote Grace; Martyrs. 8 pm, $10

Thursday, November 17
Meh

Friday, November 18
Katie Herzig, Butterfly Boucher; Schubas. 9 pm, $12-14
The Kopecky Family Band, Matrimony; Martrys. 9:30 pm, $12

Saturday, November 19
Fitz and the Tantrums, Walk the Moon; Metro. 9 pm, $23-26
The Gourds, Eagle Eye Williamson, Colin Gilmore; Martyrs. 9 pm, $15
Hey Rosetta!, The Jezabels, Ivan and Alyosha; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $12
Jeremy Messersmith, Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles; Schubas. 10 pm, $10-12

Sunday, November 20
The Nields; Old Town School of Folk Music. 11 am, $12
Fitz and the Tantrums, Walk the Moon; Metro. 7:30 pm, $23-26

This Week in Great Music: 11/1 – 11/7

Sarah — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:10:48 +0000

Good morning, friends. While I’m still trying to process my Epic Mumford Roadtrip, have a list of great shows coming up this week. The list’s a little overwhelming to me right now, as I weigh my need for sleep against my need for More Live Music.

Monday, November 1
Ezra Furman, Ligon and McDonough, Pretty Good Dance Moves DJs; Schubas. 8 pm, $6
The Glorious Veins, Kristen Ford, Chicago Winter, Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, Stephanie Picarra; Elbo Room. 8 pm, $7

Tuesday, November 2
Eisley, Ives the Band, Christie DuPree; Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $15
Band of Heathens, Flame Shark; Schubas. 8 pm, $10

Wednesday, November 3
Sara Bareilles, Cary Brothers, Holly Conlan; House of Blues. 6:30 pm, sold out
Steven Page, Kate Miller-Heidke; Park West. 7:30 pm, $25
Greg Laswell, Harper Blynn, Kim Taylor; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $15

Thursday, November 4
Horse Feathers, Anais Mitchell; Schubas. 7 pm and 10 pm, $10
Jay Farrar, Bobby Bare Jr.; SPACE. 8 pm, sold out
Wakey!Wakey!, Jenny Owen Youngs, Young Buffalo; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12-14

Friday, November 5
Ben Folds, Lady Danville; the Riviera. 7:30 pm, $35
Richard Thompson Band; the Vic. 8 pm, $32.50
Chicago Roots Collective Festival; Elbo Room. 8 pm, $10
Yonder Mountain String Band; House of Blues. 9 pm, $23-28

Saturday, November 6
Jake Shimabukuro, Boulder Acoustic Society; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $24-28
Los Lobos, Backyard Tire Fire; the Vic. 8 pm, $35
Chicago Roots Collective Festival; Elbo Room. 8 pm, $10
Yonder Mountain String Band; House of Blues. 9 pm, $23-28
Reverend Horton Heat, Split Lip Rayfield, Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers; Metro. 9 pm, $18-20
Azure Ray, Tim Fite, James Husband; Schubas. 10 pm, $15
Junip, Sharon Van Etten; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $15

Sunday, November 7
Meh.

This Weekend’s Summer Street Festivals

Sarah — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:00:04 +0000

One of my favorite things about the city of Chicago is the large number of street festivals, block parties, etc., that take place all summer long. If you can’t find something to do on a weekend here, you’re probably just not looking hard enough. There’s a ton of stuff going on this weekend. My two favorites are Ribfest Chicago and Metronome Celebration.

Ribfest Chicago kicks off tonight at Lincoln and Irving Park. Tonight’s featured musical acts are Mucca Pazza (6:30) and The Ike Reilly Assassination (9:00) on the South stage, and Robbie Fulks (7:45) on the North stage. Saturday has performances from bands including Unicycle Loves You (2:45) and Califone (7:45) at the South stage, and Those Darlins (6:30) and Bottle Rockets (9:00) at North. And Sunday’s got The Shams Band (2:45) and Langhorne Slim (7:45) on the North stage, and The Whigs (9:00) at South. Ribfest runs from 5-10:00 pm today, and from noon-10:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is a $5 suggested donation.

Metronome Celebration takes place on Saturday and Sunday, at Michigan and Armitage, with programming from Empty Bottle, the Congress Theater, MP Productions, and the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival. Saturday has Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s at 7 pm, and Split Lip Rayfield at 8:30 pm, and Sunday has a fantastic lineup of bands, including How Far to Austin (2:00), Kevin Flynn and the Avondale Ramblers (4:00), The Right Now (5:15), and akron/family (8:30). Admission is $5.

There are, of course, tons of other fantastic events going on this weekend:

Chicago Blues Festival, Friday through Sunday, with five stages of blues and discussion, all for free. Takes place at Grant Park.
Party at St. Mike’s, Friday through Sunday, featuring local acts like the Chris Buehrle Band. Admission is $5 on Frida and Sunday, and $10 on Saturday. St. Mike’s is at 1633 N. Cleveland (Cleveland & North).
Market Day on Madison Street, now in its third year, runs from noon to 8:00 pm on Saturday. It features live music and spoken word performances. Admission is free, and the festival is located at Madison and California.
Andersonville Midsommarfest, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, is now in its 45th year and features a whole array of bands and activities. Admission is a $5 suggested donation, at Clark and Foster.
Old Town Art Fair runs on Saturday and Sunday as well. In addition to live music from bands including Pretty Good Dance Moves (Saturday, 5:00), and Rachele Eve (Sunday, 2:00) and Via Tania (Sunday, 5:o0). Admission is a $7 donation. The festival’s located at Lincoln and Wisconsin.
And if you’re at the Old Town festival, you might as well make it over to the Wells Street Art Festival, on Wells, between North and Division. The festival is on Saturday and Sunday with a $7 suggested donation before 5:00 pm, and a $10 donation afterwards.
And finally, the Printers Row Lit Fest, which I have missed for one reason or another every year since I moved here, is going on this weekend as well. Events are being held at the Harold Washington Library, and various other locations along Dearborn, between Harrison and Polk.

This Week in Great Music: 6/7 – 6/13

Sarah — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:08:44 +0000

Is this week making up for the relative slowness of last week? Yes, I think so.

Monday, June 7
She & Him, Hollows; Pritzker Pavillion, Millennium Park. 6:30 pm, free
Judson Claiborne, The Mynabirds, A Tundra; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, free

Tuesday, June 8
Matt Pond PA, Wintersleep, Hudson Branch; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $14

Wednesday, June 9
Damien Jurado, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Santah; Schubas. 7 pm, $14
Stars, Dead Child Star; Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, sold out

Thursday, June 10
Otis Taylor; Pritzker Pavillion, Millennium Park. 12 pm, free
How Far to Austin, Chris Petlak; Park Grill (11 N. Michigan). 4 pm, free
Rachid Taha; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $15-18

Friday, June 11
Gold Motel, Secret Colours, Mini Mansions; Lincoln Hall. 6 pm, $10
Melody Gardot, Phil Roy; Park West. 7:30 pm, $25
John Butler Trio, State Radio; Riviera Theatre. 8 pm, sold out
Landon Pigg, Madi Diaz; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-20
The Dutchess and the Duke, Mazes, Black Nag; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $12
Melissa Ferrick; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $25
Freelance Whales, Peter Wolf Crier; Schubas. 10:30 pm, $12

Saturday, June 12
Sarah and the Tall Boys; Pritzker Pavillion, Millennium Park. 12 pm, free
Shawn Colvin, Nicholas Barron; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm and 10 pm, $36-40
Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Punch Brothers; Ravinia. 7:30 pm, $22-50
Great Lake Swimmers; SPACE. 7:30 pm, $12-22
Blue Rodeo, Cuff the Duke; Martyrs. 9 pm, $18-20
Otis Taylor, Chuck Campbell; SPACE. 10 pm, $20-34
Split Lip Rayfield; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $12

Sunday, June 13
Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat; Ravinia. 7 pm, $27-90
The Handsome Family, the Thin Man; Old Town School of Folk Music. 7 pm, $16-20

May in Review

Sarah — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:57:15 +0000

May was a month for revisiting old favorites. Not too many new discoveries this month, but a lot of good songs got played around here nonetheless.