The Offspring LIVE at Congress Theater #Riotfest #originalshowshots

ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows original pit photos--The Offspring headline opening night of  Riot Fest #8  9/14/12

Oberhofer Coming To Congress Theater 11/10

OBERHOFER        Photo Credit: Sebastian Mlynarski ChiIL Live Shows has an exclusive video interview with the band & live show shots coming soon.   So check in like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. Oberhofer will be hitting the road with fellow Brooklynites, Matt & Kim, in what is guaranteed to be one of the most energetic tours of the Fall. The band will be heading out on their second national tour of 2012 in support of their acclaimed Glassnote debut LP, Time Capsules II.  Matt from the indie-pop duo says, "We are so stoked to have Oberhofer come on this Fall tour with us! We want every night to be really fun, bad-ass and awesome, for our audience and for us. Oberhofer seems just right to fit the bill." Earlier this summer at Lollapalooza, Relix deemed their performance "the breakout star-making set of the festival" with "possibly the best drummer at the entire event." Time Out praised the set, asking, "is it any surprise these pros-in-training share a label with Phoenix?" The Chicago Tribune thoroughly enjoyed the performance as well, calling it "tight and rowdy, precise but spontaneous," noting the band "brought showmanship, quality songs and reason to believe in the group's breakout potential." 2012 has indeed been a breakout year for the band, with national and international headlining tours, playing packed performances at SXSW, Coachella and Bonnaroo, and an unforgettable TV debut on Late Show With David Letterman. The band just released a video for "Cruisin' FDR," a bizarrely wacky hodgepodge of inspiration ranging from zombies and space travel to neon colors and classic cars.  You can check it out here. Emotion is what drives the psychedelic catchy pop rock tunes crafted by the oft-effervescent Brad Oberhofer. Drawing on influences ranging from Brian Wilson to Descartes, the 21 year old is fixated on the idea of making philosophically minded, energetic melodies that just make people smile. “Music is this thing I just inherently do and psychologically, I have a desire to make as many people happy as possible. Music helps you think about stuff, it helps you feel, you know?” With an unforgettable way of speaking directly from the heart, Brad Oberhofer’s songs have a pulse that form the very core of what makes Oberhofer, Oberhofer. To put it quite simply, a great rock & roll band. Armed with a belief that you spend your entire life searching for the socially aware version of the 5 year old “you”, he tries to inject each song with the innocence felt by that same kid, sitting on the couch of his parents house playing the broken guitar he spent months teaching himself how to play. Referring to his songwriting as “a time capsule of exactly how I’m feeling at a particular moment”, each song on his forthcoming debut, Time Capsules II, is a clear, unrestrained look inside the head of Brad Oberhofer. “Gold” is a reflection on two magical weeks spent with a first love that inadvertently initiated his musical endeavors. “Away Frm U” is an upbeat song about saying goodbye to that love. Like most of the impressive debut, the stand-out “I Could Go” shows that above all, his heart is on his sleeve in both his words and everything he creates, a trademark that suits his search for sincerity well. After moving to Brooklyn from his hometown of Tacoma, Washington, to attend New York University, Brad quickly immersed himself in the indie rock community forming the 4 piece which is now quite simply, Oberhofer. Catching the attention of Glassnote Records, the band officially joined the labels’ roster over the summer of 2011. Brad recorded the debut album Time Capsules II with legendary producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, The Rolling Stones & Morrissey among others) in Brooklyn last fall and are on the road for the next, playing shows and festivals around the world. One thing is certain – expect to see big things from this promising young band. It’s going to be quite a year for Oberhofer, the sky is truly the limit. Quotes / "Expansive instrumentation and charming, unpredictable song structures" Billboard "The rising phenom Brad Oberhofer, the songwriter and front man for this band, sings with such a youthful urgency that sometimes he can’t contain it, and lets it out in yelps. He has a natural pop sensibility and the wisdom to toy with unconventional instruments." The New Yorker "A newly sophisticated musical playground." SPIN  Links / Oberhofer Official Facebook Follow Oberhofer On Twitter Glassnote Tour Dates / 09/16 - KBZT / SD's Annual Independence Jam - Oceanside, CA # 09/22 - Pearlpalooza - Albany, NY *!  10/03 - Higher Ground Ballroom - South Burlington, VT * 10/04 - The Westcott Theater - Syracuse,    NY * 10/05 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON * 10/06 - Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY * 10/07 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA * 10/09 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC * 10/10 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC * 10/11 - The Fillmore Charlotte - Charlotte,  NC * 10/12 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA * 10/13 - Austin City Limits Festival - Austin, TX 10/14 - The Fillmore Miami Beach - Miami Beach, FL * 10/16 - The Moon - Tallahassee, FL * 10/17 - The Ritz Ybor - Tampa, FL * 10/18 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA * 10/19 - House of Blues - Houston, TX * 10/20 - Stubb's BBQ - Austin, TX * 10/21 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX * 10/23 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ * 10/25 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA * 10/26 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA * 10/27 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR * 10/28 - The Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC * 10/30 - Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA * 11/01 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT * 11/02 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO * 11/03 - Liberty Hall - Lawrence, KS * 11/04 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO * 11/06 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE * 11/07 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN * 11/08 - Rave Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI * 11/09 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN * 11/10 - Congress Theater - Chicago, IL * 11/11 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI * 11/13 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH * 11/14 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus,    OH * 11/15 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY * 11/16 - House of Blues - Boston, MA * 11/17 - Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ *  # with Fiona Apple, Best Coast, Gardens & Villa * with Matt & Kim ! with Phantogram Time Capsules II  | Tracklisting / 01. HEART 02. Landline 03. Away Frm U 04. I Could Go 05. Yr Face 06. oOoO 07. Cruisin' FDR 08. Gold 09. Haus 10. Homebro

KAMELOT New Single Available Today! Playing Congress 9/24

The American symphonic metal band KAMELOT will be releasing their new album Silverthorn October 30th in North America, October 26th in Germany and October 29th in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. It will receive its Japanese release October 24th via King Records. Today the first single from KAMELOT's new opus has been made available.  This breathtaking track entitled "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" is available for purchase on iTunes.  Purchase your copy of the single HERE and get a sneak peek into the new masterpiece that is Silverthorn. Recently KAMELOT unveiled the breathtaking album artwork for Silverthorn.  The LP and limited edition will have one version of the art, while the standard version of Silverthorn will have a different but equally exquisite version of the artwork.  The standard version is presented as an Ecolbook.  The limited edition contains the Ecolbook, a bonus CD with nearly 60 minutes of music, a 44 page book and an exclusive poster.  The double LP version is a gatefold on colored vinyl. It was announced that Swede Tommy Karevik has been selected as the new singer for KAMELOT. In conjunction with the album's release, KAMELOT will be embarking on a massive World Tour that will bring the band to nearly every continent on the planet. Silverthorn is available for pre-order on Amazon.  Co-Headlining Dates With Symphony X: 9/6: San Jose, Costa Rica @ Club Peppers 9/8: Mexico City, Mexico @ Circo Volador KAMELOT North American Tour Supporting Nightwish: 9/10: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre (Headliner Show) 9/12: Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage 9/13: Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage 9/14: West Springfield, VA @ Empire (Headliner Show) 9/15: New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre 9/16: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory 9/17: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 9/19: Montreal, QC @ Cepsum University Of Montreal 9/20: Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy 9/21: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall 9/22: Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar (Headliner Show) 9/23: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 9/24: Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater 9/25: Sauget, IL @ Pop`s 9/27: Kansas City, Mo @ The Beaumont Club 9/28: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 9/29: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex 10/1: Seattle, WA  @ Showbox SoDo 10/2: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 10/3: San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield 10/4: Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater (Headliner Show) 10/5: Anaheim, CA @ The Grove 10/6: San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues 10/7: Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre 10/9: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom 10/10: Austin, TX @ Emo`s 10/11: New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues 10/13: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution 10/14: Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues KAMELOT European Headline Tour: 11/2: Eindhoven (NL) @ Effenaar 11/3: Pratteln (CH) @ Z7 11/4: Paris (F) @ Le Bataclan 11/5: Stuttgart (D) @ LKA/Longhorn 11/6: Antwerp (B) @ Trix 11/7: London (GB) @ HMV Forum 11/9: Barakaldo (E) @ Rockstar Live 11/10: Madrid (E) @ Sala Arena 11/11: Barcelona (E) @ Razzmatazz 2  11/13: Bologna (I) @ Estragon 11/14: Vienna (A) @ Szene 11/15: Prague (CZ) @ KC Vltavská 11/16: Berlin (D) @ C-Club 11/17: Geiselwind (D) @ Musichall 11/18: Cologne (D) @  Essigfabrik 11/20: Hamburg (D) @ Markthalle 11/21: Copenhagen (DK) @ Vega 11/22: Stockholm (SE) @ Göta Källare 11/23: Gothenburg (SE) @ Trädgarn 11/24: Oslo (NO) @ Sentrum Scene For More Information Please Visit: http://www.kamelot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/kamelotofficial https://twitter.com/KamelotOfficial

Social Distortion at The Congress Theater-Riot Fest 2011

Despite some poor audio and lighting choices that made for a subpar show, Social Distortion got the crowd going.   We were hoping for some harder hitting set choices, rather than the "frat boy" punk we were served up, but thanks to Groupon and half price tickets, there was a capacity crowd at The Congress, and the energy was palpable.   

We're hoping tonight that the lighting is fixed and no longer blasts the center of the floor audience with a blinding white spotlight for long periods of time.    That kind of harsh light is annoying in short pans and completely inhumane for the bulk of a show.    The guy next to me had his sunglasses on the whole night, and I'm seriously considering doing the same.   

You'd think they'd get a clue when a wide swath down the whole center of the audience has their hands over their eyes and can't even see the show for being blinded.  Miserable!  The audio was poorly mixed and left a lot to be desired as well.  We'll be back for more the next 3 nights, so hopefully Riot Fest can pull it together with the technical difficulties and do the remaining bands justice.   

Otherwise, we may just head straight over to the alternate venues like Bottom Lounge, Cobra Lounge, Double Door & AAA.   They get it right with the sound, and the light shows, if not spectacular, are at least aimed at the bands and not the crowd, so you can see and hear who you came for.

The Dead Milkmen Live at The Congress Theater Chicago

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The Dead Milkmen rocked The Congress Theatre in Chicago Saturday night.   Despite a far from capacity crowd and a contingent of curmudgeons in the back complaining about the sound quality, the show was a blast from the past.    The front half of the auditorium was happily screaming along with the lyrics, crowd surfing, and thoroughly enjoying themselves.     The Dead Milkmen have their first new album out in 16 years.    Check out our prior coverage HERE and give them another listen.    The Dead Milkmen are not dead yet.

The Lawrence Arms at The Congress 4/30/11

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We had a music filled weekend.   Local Chicago boys, The Lawrence Arms with the Fat Wreck Chords label, opened for The Dead Milkmen.   They got the fans well warmed up and good to go.   I've gotta admit, the bodies were dropping into the photo pit at a good pace and I've never seen so many punk rock girls crowd surfing.   Fun times!

Naked Raygun at The Congress Theatre with Dropkick Murphys 2-26-11

Black Label Society LIVE at The Congress Theatre-Photos