Nightclubbing: Film School, Rebirth Brass Band, Royal Pines, Chicago Guitar Festival, and more

Nightclubbing: Film School, Rebirth Brass Band, Royal Pines, Chicago Guitar Festival, and more

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
Film School

The punk-rock chaos of Riot Fest continues to dominate the club calendar this weekend, but there’s plenty of other energetic happenings as well, starting with long-running indie-rock favorites Film School tonight. Touring in support of the recent album “Fission,” the pseudo-shoegaze, formerly San Francisco-, now L.A.-based quintet headlines a strong bill at Schubas starting at 10 p.m. with the Depreciation Guild and Twin Shadow. The cover is $12.


Rebirth Brass Band

I wasn’t a huge fan of the HBO series “Treme” — I rarely disagree with “Sound Opinions” producer Jason Saldanha, but David Simon is not infallible, and the show just moved too damn slowly. True, any opportunity to hear that New Orleans treasure the Rebirth Brass Band can’t be all bad, but better live than on TV, and the ensemble headlines over the Revivalists starting at 10 p.m. Saturday at Martyrs. The cover is $25.


Royal Pines

Another (albeit self-serving) option on Saturday: Chicago’s gothic garage-rockers Royal Pines headline at the Viaduct Theatre after an opening set at 10 p.m. by Vortis, which is planning something special for the occasion: an art-punk go-go dance spectacle with the always imaginative, ever-enticing Viva la Muerte and the ladies of Hot & Heavy Burlesque. The cover is $7.

High on Fire
High On Fire

I’ve plugged Riot Fest plenty on this blog, but it’s worth noting that the festival saved one of its hardest-hitting shows for last. The indomitable High on Fire headlines the Metro showcase starting at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, with Droids Attack, Kylesa, and Torche preceding those monsters of stoner rock. No, it’s not Sleep. But it is the next best thing.

faun fables
Faun Fables

In a different vein on Sunday night, Faun Fables, the atmospheric folk-rock vehicle of Drag City multi-media artiste and storyteller supreme Dawn McCarthy, performs at Schubas after an opening set by Daniel Knox in his solo guise (he also plays drums for the Handsome Family) at 8 p.m. The cover is $12.

Guitar Fest

Finally, kicking into high gear shortly after Riot Fest wraps up and promising a very different level of volume if not virtuosity, the Chicago Guitar Festival presents a number of performances this weekend through Oct. 14. The Web site has a full run-down of all the festivities, but highlights include festival founders Andreas Kapsalis and Goran Ivanovic, Pat Martino, the Renato Anesi and Thomas Howard Duo, and Denis Azabagic, at venues including the Chicago Cultural Center, the Wicker Park Arts Center, and Logan Square Auditorium. Check the Web site if a mellower brand of six-string sounds is your thing.