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Thursday, June 19, 2014

OPENING TOMORROW: ChiIL Mama's Video Interview With The Flying Steps From Red Bull's Flying Bach #VideoInterview

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It sounds like a wacky mash up straight out of a sitcom or children's book. 3 B-Boys (hip-hop break dancers from Germany) hook up with a Swedish ballerina and hit the road, on tour with modern street dance to a score by Bach! Believe it or else... it's true. This show is opening right HERE in Chicago THIS Friday, and they've been playing all over the world to rave reviews. 


Check out their insights on how this show is uniting old and young audiences and fans of quite divergent genres, and bringing packed houses back in cities where theatre and dance had been dying off. We also asked them "What's in your ipod?" and more. Catch our interview and clips from a hip-hop class they taught below:



ChiIL Mama was invited to Joffrey Tower earlier this spring, to do a video interview with 4 of the dancers. 

WHO:  Four dancers from the Berlin-based dance crew The Flying Stepsfour-time break dance world champions, including Swedish contemporary dancer Anna Holmström and break dancers Mikel, KC-1 and Lil’ Ceng





These fierce 4 were a treat to meet. They were personable and incredibly talented. 







We chatted off camera a bit,too, after the formal interview, and asked the B-boys if they lived for touring and if it kind of sucked to have to teach classes or vice versa, since teaching and taking the stage sometimes require different talents and personalities. Of course, the guys admitted they dig performing and touring the world, but they also said one of their favorite things to do is teach hip-hop to KIDS in Berlin! Love it. They've even run their own school since 2007! I bet they're fantastic at it, too.







WHAT:  Talk to press and host break dance workshops with local troupes and students at downtown Chicago dance studios including beginner and advanced sessions with high school and college students. 





We can NOT wait to see their show opening THIS Friday 6/20, and we'll be there to review opening night. Check out our exclusive video interview and photos from their workshop right here. Then get your tickets to see them LIVE. They're here for SIX performances ONLY. We've been promoting this show since way back in March, but if you're still hesitating, don't. This is one multicultural, genre defying mash up you must see to believe. 





Here's the Scoop:


DISCOVER THE HIGH ART OF GETTING DOWN.

High culture meets urban art: In the clash of cultures Red Bull Flying Bach turns a international classical world upside down. Their creative performance visualizes and revives Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier crossing the borders of serious music and youth culture. Note by note. Step by step. With piano, harpsichord and electronic beats.
  • When: June 21-22 & June 27-29 (Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday afternoons at 2pm)
  • Where: Civic Opera House
  • Cost: $24 to $88 via Ticketmaster or at the Civic Opera House box office

This June, Chicago scores a major coup in the arts & performance sphere: The Flying Steps, four-time break dance world champions, perform Red Bull Flying Bach, a show making its exclusive U.S. stop in Chicago only for six performances at the prestigious Civic Opera House, June 20-29.  This follows a sweeping tour with sold-out shows in over 24 European cities plus Japan, Australia, Canada and Chile.

Red Bull Flying Bach blends eye-popping urban dance – power moves, head spins, flairs, freezes, popping & locking – with live classical music performed by Christoph Hagel, opera director and pianist extraordinaire.  Swedish ballerina Anna Holmström joins the seven international members of The Flying Steps.  German-Lebanese b’boy Vartan Bassil is the show’s lead choreographer.  The music?  J. S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, of course, plus electronic beats.  Two disparate genres like classical music and break dance come together in amazing and surprising ways.


EXCLUSIVE U.S. ENGAGEMENT
of Red Bull Flying Bach Brings World-Renowned Dance Crew The Flying Steps
to Chicago for six performances only, June 20-29

For the first time in the United States after three seasons of sold out performances around the world, the celebrated and distinguished dance crew The Flying Steps will bring Red Bull Flying Bach to Chicago, making its debut in an exclusive U.S. engagement for six performances only downtown at the historic Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, June 20 – 29, 2014.

Bach and breakdance don’t go well together? The four-time breakdance world champions The Flying Steps and opera director Christoph Hagel prove the contrary with their breathtaking performance, Red Bull Flying Bach. With their interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, they shift and overcome the borders between classical and urban culture. By combining Bach’s classical masterpiece with modern electronic beats and clever choreography, the audience of each performance truly experiences a powerhouse production invoking visual amusement with delightful sound.

Red Bull Flying Bach has sold out theaters around the world, such as Sweden, Australia, Germany, Iceland, Chile, Russia, Japan and Austria. The show itself is a beautiful blend of the minds of Artistic Directors Vartan Bassil (choreography) and Christoph Hagel (piano, musical director). The Civic Opera house, playing host to this one-of-a-kind performance, is eager to have the show debut on its famed stage later this year.

“We're really excited to host Flying Bach for their U.S. premiere this June,” said Rich Regan, Director of Facilities at the Civic Opera House.  “It's a groundbreaking blend of traditional and contemporary entertainment that will be completely new to Chicago audiences.”

Swedish ballerina Anna Holmström joins the seven male break-dancers of The Flying Steps, fusing key elements of urban dance culture with precision ballet.

Tickets, ranging from $24 – $88, are now on sale by visiting at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Red-Bull-Flying-Bach-tickets/artist/1595623 or by visiting the Civic Opera House box office. Red Bull Flying Bach will be performed over two weekends only:  Friday and Saturday evenings, June 20, 21, 27 & 28, at 7:30pm, and Sunday afternoons, June 22 & 29, at 2pm.






ChiIL Mama's Photo Favs:



ABOUT RED BULL FLYING BACH
High culture meets urban art: In this clash of cultures, Red Bull Flying Bach turns the international classical world upside down. The creative performance visualizes and revives Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier crossing the borders of serious music and youth culture. Note by note. Step by step. With piano, harpsichord and electronic beats. With head spins, power moves and freezes. With visuals and a storyline, 70 minutes long.

ABOUT THE FLYING STEPS
The Flying Steps are consecutively one of the most successful urban dance crews worldwide with breathtaking shows and one-of-a-kind choreographies, appealing to a diverse audience. The group was founded by Vartan Bassil and Kadir “Amigo” Memis in 1993 in Berlin. The Flying Steps specialize in urban dance styles like b-boying and popping-and-locking, and have won several world championships, like the Battle of the Year and Red Bull Beat Battle.


In 2007, they opened their own dance school in Berlin – The Flying Steps Academy. With a mission to guide the next generation of urban dance and offer young prospects an opportunity with social projects, the Academy is how the Flying Steps set the stage for the next generation of dance.









Monday, June 16, 2014

PHOTO RECAP: March Fourth LIVE at Lincoln Hall Chicago 6/10/14 #OriginalPhotos

Hey March Fourth--You've played my little sister's March 4th birthday party in Portland for years. Thanks for hitting Chicago on my 14th wedding anniversary. You rock! Can't think of a better way to celebrate.





















Once you catch these guys LIVE, you'll be addicted! We've been seeing them & shooting stills/videos at their shows for years, and we're super stoked they were not only playing our anniversary, but double headlining with another of our favs, Liquid Soul! Also, they moved to bigger digs at Lincoln Hall, so the stilt walkers weren't hunched over on the ceiling like they've been at Martyrs.




For now, here's ChiIL Live Shows' full set of photos in the slide show below. We've embedded our favorites under that. Check them out! We'll have our original video clips from the 6/10 show up shortly too.


I first heard about March Fourth from my sister who lives in Portland, OR, where they hail from. They play a lot out there, but their big trademark bash is always a March 4th show, where they let anyone in for free who was born that day, (like my sister). She played me some of their YouTube clips and I was hooked. Since then we've caught them every time their tour bus rolls in to Chicago.



**CLICK HERE for loads of our past March Fourth coverage including original HD video show footage & stills & current 2014 tour dates.**



Check back with ChiIL Mama, ChiIL Travel Kids & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.

We have photo & video filled features, loads of great reviews and interviews, and lots of weekly giveaways--nationwide toys/games/products and Chicago based music and theatre tickets. We know what rocks in Chi, IL and beyond... so come travel vicariously with us all summer long. ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama, then get out and go places.

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More M4 Photo Favorites 6/10/14:


















INCOMING: June Shows & Fests on Our Radar

Chi, IL LIVE Shows 
Recommended This Week

This Thursday:


Ryan Anderson (Go Long Mule, Julie Meckler, Rambos) live. SPACE in Evanston on Thursday, June 19 &b Schubas July 7th. Click HERE for current tour dates, song samples and more.

Fest Alerts:
It's fest season again and this is a tiny but mighty one and one of the BIG ones.


Lawrence Peters is presenting the 7th Annual “A Day in the Country” at The Hideout on Sunday, June 22.  Click here for all the details. 

The full line-up is below and the food and drink vendors this year will be County BBQ, Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits and Lagunitas.

Front porch stage:
2:00- 2:30- Dogtown Ramblers
2:45- 3:15pm- Sanctified Grumblers 
3:30- 4:00pm- Chandelier Swingers 

Backroom stage:
4:15- 4:45pm-  Honky Tonk Parade
5:00- 5:45pm- Nora O’Connor 
6:00- 6:30pm- The Lawrence Peters Outfit 
6:45- 7:15pm- Gin Palace Jesters 
7:30- 8:00pm- Golden Horse Ranch Band 
8:15- 8:45pm- Kory Quinn 
9:00- 9:30pm- The Harrow 
9:45- 10:15pm- Dan Whitaker & The Shinebenders 
10:30- 11:00pm- The Lantern Kickers 


For the seventh consecutive year, country singer, songwriter, drummer and America’s preeminent electric washboard player Lawrence Peters will be presenting A Day in the Country at Chicago’s most beloved venue, The Hideout.

This year, Peters has assembled a line-up of musicians from the entire spectrum of country music, from bluegrass and honky tonk to western swing and singer-songwriters. Performing from early in the afternoon until late in the evening on two stages (the “front porch” and the “backroom”), artists include Nora O’Connor, known for her collaborations with Iron & Wine, Andrew Bird and Neko Case, Sanctified Grumblers, Kory Quinn and Peters’ own group, The Lawrence Peters Outfit.

In addition to a dozen musical acts, concertgoers will be able to purchase BBQ (provided by County Barbeque) and homemade pie from Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits. The Lagunitas Brewing Company will provide this year’s featured beers.

A Day in the Country #7 will take place on Sunday, June 22nd. Doors will open at 1PM CST and the scheduled performances will run from 2-4PM on the front porch stage and from 4-11PM on the backroom stage. Tickets are $10 and The Hideout is located at 1354 W. Wabansia.






Old St. Pat's World's Largest Block Party. 
Heading there? Check out Vintage Blue playing the South Stage on Saturday, June 28.


PHOTO RECAP: Liquid Soul 6/10/14 Lincoln Hall With March Fourth #OriginalPhotos

We had the great pleasure of catching a mind blowing lineup last week at Lincoln Hall, Liquid Soul AND March Fourth. Video clips are coming soon, (including a wicked human beat box) so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. 



For now, here's ChiIL Live Shows' full set of photos in the slide show below. We've embedded our favorites under that.



The show was fantastic, with the the stellar horns we've come to expect, and an entirely unique melding of musical styles. They were captivating, whether the guys were throwing down amazing jams in the zone or throwing Roshambo (Rock-Paper-Scissors) to see who would lead on the vocals...



Here's the deal about Liquid Soul from their site: 
But there's really no substitute for catching them LIVE!







Liquid Soul is the Chicago-based band nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Founded in 1994, Liquid Soul has performed in 42 states and throughout Canada and Japan, plus shows in Germany, Turkey and Mexico. 




At the heart of Liquid Soul's sound, as always, is the fierce musicianship of the band itself. There's the renowned Liquid Soul horn section consisting of:



Mars Williams - Sax
Tommy Klein - Guitar
Josh Ramos - Bass (Phil Ajjarapu was bass on CD)
Tony "Kickdrum" Taylor - Drums
Doug Corcoran - Trumpet & Keyboards
Mr.Greenweedz - MC (Vocals)
David "Boy Elroy" Arredondo - Beatbox & Turntables









LIQUID SOUL HISTORY

Having exploded from a small underground street-jazz sound in Chicago, The Liquid Soul universe has been expanding at a dizzying pace. The Chicagoensemble's trademark mixture of jazz and urban dance music has virtually outgrown the term "acid jazz," incorporating everything from hard-bop to hip-hop in their celebrated sound. Down Beat magazine says Liquid Soul "sweeps the mold and mildew out of jazz-funk and breathes it back to glorious life." With a marathon touring schedule that has included everything from performing at the Presidential Inaugural Parade to headlining the first acid-jazz performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, Liquid Soul has evolved into an intuitively tight outfit that knows no stylistic limitations. The amalgamation of genres created by the 8-piece collective is a blend of pure musicianship, a fiercely passionate fire and the inherent fun of a pure dance groove. The result is a unique live music experience that draws a diverse legion of fans, spanning across multiple age and ethnic groups.


At long last, Liquid Soul is back with the follow-up to its 2000 Grammy-nominated CD,Here's the Deal (Shanachie). Evolution, the band's fourth recording, gives evidence that the dynamic unit has continued to develop its infectious trademark sound and take it to new heights. Liquid Soul called on the help of Grammy-nominated producer Maurice Joshua (N'Sync and Destiny's Child) and Frayne P. Lewis, the son of Ramsey Lews, this time around. The result is a fresh mix of butt-kicking jams, driving jazz-inspired tracks and hot dance numbers. Fans of Liquid Soul will be thrilled by the album's extra live tracks which capture the sheer magnetic energy of the band. Highlights include "Action Jackson," the rambunctious opener with the killer horn intro and thumping bass; "Sun Ra," the smooth and ethereal tribute to the celestial king; "Nina's in Jail," the funky spoken-word track reminiscent of Deborah Harry's "Rapture"; and the overpowering and live dance track "Rage Experiment."



The story of Liquid Soul goes back to 1994, when the band was at the forefront of a surging acid-jazz movement in the greater Midwest. Evolving from free-form hip-hop jams, the band coalesced spontaneously and soon found a home every Sunday night atChicago's Elbo Room. Word spread fast, attracting like-minded individuals to the small stage from far and wide. Thanks to these auspicious midnight marathons, Liquid Soul soon solidified into a steady working unit.



The group quickly morphed well beyond their improv-oriented acid jazz beginnings, and their do-it-yourself debut ("Liquid Soul") 
was quickly picked up and distributed by Ark 21 Records. 
The band was thrust further into the limelight after a much publicized gig at Dennis Rodman's birthday party. They relocated their perennial Sunday night show to the Double Door in Wicker Park and held it for almost four years (Feb. 1996 to Dec. 1999), rarely missing a Sunday even while playing nearly 200 gigs a year throughout the United States and Canada, plus performances in Germany, Turkey and Japan. Along the way, the band has gone on to both critical and national acclaim. They have opened for Sting, played at the Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, and twice rocked the South By Southwest Music Festival, heralded by the Austin American-Statesman as "the single hottest showcase of the festival." And they recorded two more critically acclaimed CDs, "Make Some Noise" (Ark 21, 1998) and the Grammy-nominated "Here's the Deal" (Shanachie, 2000).

Live or in the studio, playing it hard or smooth, Liquid Soul is a fiery concoction of classy soloists, heavy rhythm merchants and hip-hop cognoscenti. They are in a group that thrives on contact with their audience. One cannot help being moved by Liquid Soul's ongoing party philosophy. The band's in-the-tradition repertoire extends from classic compositions by Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis to excursions on the latest breakbeats and mad samples. They continue to bridge the musical gap between standard jazz improvisation and urban rhythm. And as always, the band stays true to its roots with a continued philosophy of bringing jazz back to the dance floor.



Mars Williams - Saxophones
Mars Williams has studied with Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell, and has worked as an arranger and orchestrator. An open-minded musician who commutes easily between free jazz and rock, Mars has played and recorded with The Psychedelic Furs, Massacre (the Fred Frith/Bill Laswell group), Ministry, Billy Idol, Power Station, Die Warzau, The Waitresses, Pete Cosey, Billy Squier and virtually every leading figure of New York City's "downtown" scene. John Zorn credits Mars as "one of the true saxophone players--someone who takes pleasure in the sheer act of blowing the horn. This tremendous enthusiasm is an essential part of his sound, and it comes through each note every time he plays. Whatever the situation, Mars plays exciting music. In many ways he has succeeded in redefining what versatility means to the modern saxophone player." Despite his busy touring schedule with Liquid Soul, Mars manages to stay active on the Chicago underground improvising scene. In recent years he has toured and recorded with the Peter Brotzman Tentet, the Vandermark 5 and Cinghiale, teaming him with such musicians as Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake and William Parker. And as a bandleader, he has continued to perform and record CDs with his own free-jazz groups such as the NRG Ensemble, Witches & Devils, Slam and, currently, X Mars X.









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