Last month's torrential rain storms hit a lot of Chicagoans hard, and the music scene was not exempt: The local indie label Graveface Records, home of Black Moth Super Rainbow, Jason Molina, Octopus Project, and other worthy acts, took three feet of water in its Logan Square headquarters, and the owners say insurance didn't cover the loss of more than half of their inventory.
One of the few exciting summer music festivals that A.) doesn't detract from the city's existing music scene by drawing acts away from the clubs, and B.) offers a unique experience and distinctive aesthetic that can't be had elsewhere, the Chicago World Music Festival starts on Sept. 21 and runs through Sept. 30.
The city's Department of Cultural Affairs, which lovingly curates the event, has announced that it will kick off with a three-day tribute to the arts and culture of India, and a handful of other acts have been leaked pending release of the full schedule.
In my book, if in no one else's, Chris Holmes ranks as the greatest squandered talent of Chicago's alternative-rock era, a time that was lousy with them, and he places far ahead even of Christian Lane of Loud Lucy and Dave Trumfio of the Pulsars (who never really wanted to be a rock star anyway, and who remains an active and talented record producer out west).
Except for a fascination with Tetris that started back in the early ’90s—I dig geometric challenges, and there used to be one of those big arcade versions in the main room at 7th Street Entry/First Avenue that was ideal for killing time between sets when I lived in Minneapolis and frequented that legendary club—I’ve never been big on videogames. I like to have something to show for my efforts, even when I’m wasting time goofing around, and the high score doesn’t really count.
And don’t even get me started on “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero.” (The real thing is infinitely better, kids!)
Yet for all of the attention that reviewers and fans have paid to the vintage gamer references running throughout the film and the mix of digital arcade and graphic novel aesthetics that give it such a unique look, “Scott Pilgrim vs.
Here is part two of my recent chat with Chicago musician David Singer, who shares his experiences working with Steppenwolf, as well as some thoughts on indie labels vs. D.I.Y.
Singer celebrates the release of his new album “Arrows” with a show at Lincoln Hall at 8 p.m. on Thursday. (Tickets are $12, and the Interiors and Nelken open.)
Q. Let’s talk about Steppenwolf and August: Osage County. How did the scoring thing started?
A. Anna Shapiro, who is a local director of some renown, knows my music pretty well. She used songs of mine in shows of hers previously at Steppenwolf, Northwestern, and other places. She and I always talked about working together, and a show was coming up—August: Osage County –and I know [playwright] Tracy [Letts] a bit, too.
Chicago musician David Singer never has neatly fit into anyone's box.
Singer has led two fine, hard-hitting psychedelic pop combos, Fix Your Wagon and Kid Million, dating back to the alternative era of the '90s, but he's never been quite freaky enough to follow in the footsteps of fellow travelers such as the Flaming Lips or Grandaddy. As a solo artist, he's released four strong albums and was signed for a time to Deep Elm Records, but his smart, literate, and heartfelt tunes were never quite "emo" enough to be embraced by that scene.
Now, he's given up trying to fit in anywhere, and he's experiencing some of the biggest success of his career, scoring the Steppenwolf play August: Osage County, which won five Tony awards, and releasing the new album "Arrows," one of the best he's ever given us. This is the first of a two-part interview with Singer, who performs a record release show at Lincoln Hall with his band the Sweet Science at 8 p.m. on Thursday. (Tickets are $12, and the Interiors and Nelken open.)
Chalk it up to the lingering Lollapalooza hangover or the dog days of summer slowing everybody down, including the folks in club land; whatever the reason, the pickings for great live rock 'n' roll are slim this weekend -- though, as always, there are a few reasons to venture out if you dig a bit.
