INCOMING: Monster Magnet’s “Celebration of Powertrip” US Tour Begins March 20th

**Postponed Due to Coronavirus Closures**
All tickets will be honored for a later date TBD

Chi,IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

MONSTER MAGNET 

Kicks Off North American Tour in Two Weeks!

Nebula and Silvertomb to Support

ChiIL Live Shows will be out to catch MONSTER MAGNET in Chicago at The Metro. Don't miss this. 

Psych rock legends MONSTER MAGNET will return to the road in North America this spring to celebrate their historic release, Powertrip.  Their live set will feature select cuts from this seminal album as well as MONSTER MAGNET fan favorites.  Support on the tour will come from Nebula and Silvertomb. The tour begins March 20th in Brooklyn, NY and runs through April 18th in Sayreville, NJ. A complete list of dates can be found below.

MONSTER MAGNET W/ Nebula and Silvertomb:
3/20: Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
3/21: Boston, MA @ Sinclair
3/22: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
3/24: Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
3/25: Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
3/27: Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
3/28: Chicago, IL @ The Metro
3/29: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
3/31: Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
4/1: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar
4/3: Vancouver, BC @ The Rickshaw
4/4: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
4/5: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
4/7: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
4/8: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
4/9: Las Vegas, NV @ The House of Blues
4/10: San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
4/13: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
4/15: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
4/16: Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
4/17: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage
4/18: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

The release of Powertrip marked MONSTER MAGNET’s commercial breakthrough, seeing them achieve mainstream success due largely to the hit single, "Space Lord". Other hit songs on the album include "Powertrip", "Temple of Your Dreams", and "See You in Hell". The album itself reached #1 on the Heatseekers Charts, #21 in the German Charts, #65 in the UK Charts, and #97 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 25, 1999.

Order MONSTER MAGNET’s latest Napalm Records release, 2018’s Mindfucker, HERE + watch the video for the title track below.

FREE With RSVP: House of Vans Chicago Presents: Lamb of God February 14th, 2020

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

House of Vans Chicago Presents:

Lamb of God 

on February 14th

Featuring Harm’s Way and Special Guests (18+) 

Photography Exhibit Featuring Works of D. Randall Blythe

On February 14th, 2020 House of Vans Chicago is excited to announce it will be hosting a special Lamb of God show celebrating the announcement of the Virginia metal band’s new self-titled album and the release of their song “Checkmate.” The evening will be curated by the band, with Harm's Way opening the show as special guests and the event will include a photography exhibit featuring photos from D. Randall Blythe that are included in the new Lamb of God album artwork. 

The event is free and fans can RSVP at http://houseofvans.com.

About Vans
Vans® , a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans authentic collections are sold globally in 84 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. Vans also owns and operates more than 600 retail locations around the world. The Vans brand promotes the action sports lifestyle, youth culture and creative self-expression through the support of athletes, musicians and artists and through progressive events and platforms such as the Vans Park Series, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, Vans Pool Party, Vans Custom Culture, Vans Warped Tour® , and Vans' cultural hub and international music venue, House of Vans.


Vans, "Off The Wall" Since '66
www.vans.com
  youtube.com/vans
instagram.com/vans
facebook.com/vans
twitter.com/vans_66
vans.tumblr.com

CLUTCH HOLIDAY RUN TOUR DATES DECEMBER 27th - DECEMBER 31st 2019

CLUTCH ANNOUNCE ANNUAL US 

HOLIDAY RUN TOUR DATES

DECEMBER 27th - DECEMBER 31st 2019

Tickets go on sale this Saturday, September 28th at noon ET via www.pro-rock.com. 

  

Clutch announce December 2019 tour dates for their annual US Holiday Run Tour. The tour kicks off December 27th at Bogarts in Cincinnati, OH and ends with a special New Years Eve show at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA. Main support on all dates will be The Steel Woods from Nashville, TN. Damon Johnson, guitarist/singer songwriter will open all shows except Asheville, NC.  Our good friends Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown will open the Asheville, NC show. 

Clutch Annual Holiday Tour Dates: Fri/Dec-27 Cincinnati, OH @ BogartsSat/Dec-28 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel (support from Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown)Sun/Dec-29 Washington, DC @ 9:30 ClubMon/Dec-30 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland BallroomTue/Dec-31 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer (New Years Eve Show) 

Over the past few months, the band has been releasing a series of new studio recordings that comprise the newly launched Weathermaker Vault Series.  This is the first new official music Clutch is making available since the release of their critically acclaimed album, Book Of Bad Decisions.  The first three singles (Evil, Precious And Grace, and Electric Worry) were mixed by 6X Grammy Award winner and Clutch collaborator, Vance Powell (Wolfmother, The Raconteurs, Arctic Monkeys) and are available now on all digital platforms. 

Over the last couple of months, Clutch has very successfully curated their own Spotify playlist “Clutch’s Heavy Rotation”. Thousands of fans are following the ever-changing playlist. 

Clutch is currently on a US Fall Tour with Dropkick Murphys along with metalcore veterans Hatebreed as direct support.  

Clutch Fall Tour with Dropkick Murphys: 
Tickets available here. (headline** and festival* dates) = no Dropkick Murphys.  Clutch headline ** show support below.  

Thu/Sep-26 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery  
**Fri/Sep-27 Clarksville, TN O'Connors Outdoor Stage (support: Hatebreed, Cane Hill) 
Sun/Sep-29 Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre  
Mon/Sep-30 Chicago, IL @ Aragon 
Tue/Oct-01 Minneapolis, MN @ The Myth 
Thu/Oct-03 Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center For The Arts 
Fri/Oct-04 Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheatre  
Sat/Oct-05 Broomfield, CO @ FirstBank Center 
Sun/Oct-06 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union  
Tue/Oct-08 Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium 
Wed/Oct-09 San Diego, CA @ Park at the Park 
*Fri/Oct-11 Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival 
**Sat/Oct-12 Bend, OR @ Midtown Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) **Sun/Oct-13 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) 
Mon/Oct-14 Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanic Gardens 
Tue/Oct-15 Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theatre  

** = HEADLINE SHOW* = FESTIVAL CLUTCH:Neil Fallon - Vocals/GuitarTim Sult - GuitarDan Maines - BassJean-Paul Gaster - Drums/Percussion   

For more information, check out the band’s website:www.pro-rock.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/clutchband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clutchofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/clutchofficial
Official: www.pro-rock.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/officialclutch  

INCOMING: MONSTER MAGNET Drops Lyric Video For "When the Hammer Comes Down" Kicks Off North American Tour Tonight

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar

MONSTER MAGNET To Play Chicago's Bottom Lounge 
October 2nd

March of 2018 saw the release of the latest MONSTER MAGNET masterpiece "Mindfucker"(Order and Stream The Album) on Napalm Records. Today the band has released a brand new lyric video for the track "When The Hammer Comes Down". Watch it HERE:

Tonight, MONSTER MAGNET kicks off their North American tour supporting "Mindfucker" in Toronto, ON.  The tour runs through October 28th in Boston, MA.  Electric Citizen and Dark Sky Choir will open the tour. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Dave Wyndorf's excitement for this upcoming run is summed up perfectly with the following statement:

"And the electrified circus leaves town! Time to ROCK, bitches!"

   

Monster Magnet:

9/28: Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
9/29: Pontiac, MI @ The Emerald Theatre
10/2: Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/3: Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
10/5: Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater
10/6: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/8: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
10/9: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
10/10: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
10/12: San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
10/13: Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival*
10/15: Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
10/16: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
10/17: Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
10/19: San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
10/20: Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
10/21: Houston, TX @ White Oak (Upstairs)
10/23: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
10/24: Nashville, TN @ Basement East
10/26: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
10/27: New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
10/28: Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

*Festival Appearance


MONSTER MAGNET line up:
Dave Wyndorf (vocals, guitar)
Garrett Sweeny (guitar)
Phil Caivano (guitar)
Chris Kosnik (bass)
Bob Pantella (drums)


For more info visit:
http://zodiaclung.com
https://www.facebook.com/monstermagnet/
https://www.instagram.com/monstermagnetofficial/

New CLUTCH Album "BOOK OF BAD DECISIONS" Coming September 7th

CLUTCH TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM

"BOOK OF BAD DECISIONS" 

SEPTEMBER 7th

I've loved CLUTCH's unique sound and killer lyrics since the early 90's, before the internet and ChiIL Live Shows existed. In the intervening decades I've shot them from the photo pits at numerous live shows, and amassed a collection of their music and merch. I'm elated that they're all still alive, still together with original members, and still releasing new studio albums. Their 12th is coming this fall and I can't wait to check it out! 

Maryland rockers CLUTCH have announced Book of Bad Decisions as the title of their new studio album. 

Book of Bad Decisions, CLUTCH’s 12th studio album is scheduled for a worldwide release on September 7th, 2018 via their own Weathermaker Music label.  

The album was recorded at Sputnik Sound in Nashville, TN by producer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather) and consists of 15 new tracks. 

“With Vance Powell as producer we were able to make a very different kind of an album.  The songs feel as if they could jump out of the speakers!” says drummer Jean-Paul Gaster.  Bassist Dan Maines seconds that when he says “Recording in Nashville with Vance Powell gave us a new and fresh approach towards making an album that truly captures the live energy of Clutch in a way I don’t think we’ve done before.”  Guitarist Tim Sult adds “Laying down guitar tracks with Vance was fun and inspiring.  Going through and trying out his and his engineer, Mike Fahey’s collection of vintage amps was one of my favorite recording studio experiences.  I think the outro solo of “Emily Dickinson” turned out particularly great.”  

The album cover was designed by renowned photographer Dan Winters.

Book Of Bad Decisions track listing:
1. Gimme the Keys
2. Spirit of ’76
3. Book of Bad Decisions
4. How to Shake Hands
5. In Walks Barbarella
6. Vision Quest
7. Weird Times
8. Emily Dickinson
9. Sonic Counselor
10. A Good Fire
11. Ghoul Wrangler
12. HB Is in Control
13. Hot Bottom Feeder 
14. Paper & Strife
15. Lorelei

The first single from Book of Bad Decisions, “Gimme the Keys” is out now. The accompanying lyric video below was created by David Brodsky:



The song is about the band's first tour back in 1991, a time where they began to cut their teeth in the live music business, dealt with show cancellations and incidents on the road. One particular show in a shed surrounded by cornfields in Lawrence, Kansas ultimately turned ugly over a missing microphone and accusations brought by drunk and gun-toting security people at the end of a long day. "Gimme the keys they can keep the guarantee | Gimme the keys and get the hell out of dodge" is a reflection of the mood of that night. 

Neil's Commentary on "Gimme the Keys":



All album formats (CD, 24-page book with CD, 2xLP Standard Black, Limited Colored 2xLP, and 2xLP Picture Disc) will have the same 15 tracks. In addition Weathermaker Music will release two very limited 7” Picture Discs.



Pre-order the new album Book of Bad Decisions at www.pro-rock.com.

This single is the first of four to be released over the next couple of months as an instant gratification track when pre-ordering the album at:

iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/book-of-bad-decisions/1376829212&app=itunes)  
Amazon(http://amazon.com/dp/B07CNYD1R7).

“I’ve never been one for nostalgia,” says Neil Fallon, “I’ve always shied away from it.  But after 27 years of this, I realize that there is a wealth of stories to look back upon as lyrical fodder.  As the saying goes, ‘You don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.’  Not all the songs reference our collective experience as a band, but ‘Book of Bad Decisions’ seemed like an apt name for these various chapters, whether factual, fictitious, or somewhere in-between.”

These are the songs the band had on cassette on their first tour. Nothing later than Summer '92.
Check it out here:



CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon - Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult - Guitar
Dan Maines - Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster - Drums/Percussion
                                                  
For more  information, check out the band’s website:
www.pro-rock.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clutchband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clutchofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/clutchofficial
Official: www.pro-rock.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/officialclutch

PHOTO RECAP: YAKUZA Chicago Sax Metal Favorites Play Empty Bottle 25th Anniversary Show 12/22/17

It was our great pleasure to catch YAKUZA in concert once again on December 22, 2017. Of course it's fitting they would be in on The Empty Bottle's year long 25th Anniversary Concert Series #EB25, as Yakuza's Vocalist and saxophonist Bruce Lamont is also a longtime fixture behind the bar at EB. 

It was especially sweet to hear Helen Money, “A classical-cellist-turned-avant-metal virtuoso", sit in with them!

Yakuza has been a favorite of mine for years, ever since another Bruce, former priest turned bartender/musician, Bruce (Neal) turned me on to the band when we worked at Facets Multimedia together. 





I was bemoaning the lack of a "Pandora-like" setting that could find bands by weird genre key words like (my actual quote) "heavy metal sax"... when Bruce N. laughed and said, do you know Yakuza? I'd already photographed another of Lamont's bands, Led Zeppelin cover band, LZ2, but hadn't heard of Yakuza at the time. They may never gain huge commercial success, but they have a fervent following and we catch them live every chance we can. They're dissonant, loud, haunting and unlike any other metal band I've experienced. It may be an acquired taste for more traditional headbangers, but theirs is a compelling sound I can't get enough of.


Check out my full set of YAKUZA live show shots in the slide show here and more favorites embedded below. 




I'm also including a sweet video of their whole show from that night via Wwatchthemwatchyou's YouTube Channel:

In another odd coincidence, I had a talk with the guy taping the show, and we discovered we were both frequent tapers at Dead Shows "back in the day". Just goes to show, a passion for live music transcends genres. Crank this one up! 




Via Empty Bottle:
Chicago’s YAKUZA is no stranger to the Empty Bottle stage. Well-known throughout the Chicago metal scene for incorporating jazz and world music elements, they’re basically a genre of their own. Vocalist and saxophonist BRUCE LAMONT notes influencers ranging from PINK FLOYD to GEORGE ORWELL and Ethiopian music. 



Formed in 1999, their debut album Amount to Nothing received critical acclaim from the likes of Terrorizer and Chicago Sun Times. They’ve released a boatload of boundary-crushing albums since and are still rocking as wildly as ever. The four-piece has long shown proclivities for music beyond metal and it's their willingness to incorporate these many and varied influences that sets them apart from their peers, continually pushing the envelope with an adventurousness and experimentation we've come to expect. YAKUZA has carved an unchallenged niche in the metal genre and we’re are excited to have them back for our unforgettable #EB25 anniversary series.

Other Musicians That Night:
Click the links for our photo features.

ALISON CHESLEY aka HELEN MONEY is a cellist who has become known for her adventurous sound, bold compositions, and compelling stage performance. Called “A classical-cellist-turned-avant-metal virtuoso" by the Boston Phoenix, CHESLEY channels her sensibilities and experience as a rock musician through a classical instrument, altering both genres without apology. She has played on over 150 albums with artists such as Disturbed, Bob Mould, Mono, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, Russian Circles, and Archer Prewitt among others.

Support tonight comes from the one and only SANFORD PARKER. These days, if it’s metal and recorded in Chicago, chances are SANFORD PARKER was at the mixing board. His own bands, MINSK and BURIED AT SEA are super killer as well. We’re honored to witness a master at this craft this evening. Pay close attention and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two!

PHOTO RECAP: HELEN MONEY Avant-Metal Cello Virtuoso at Chicago's Empty Bottle 12/22/17

ALISON CHESLEY aka HELEN MONEY is a cellist who has become known for her adventurous sound, bold compositions, and compelling stage performance. Called “A classical-cellist-turned-avant-metal virtuoso" by the Boston Phoenix, CHESLEY channels her sensibilities and experience as a rock musician through a classical instrument, altering both genres without apology. 






She has played on over 150 albums with artists such as Disturbed, Bob Mould, Mono, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, Russian Circles, and Archer Prewitt among others.

Full Set Of Shots In The Slideshow Here. 

More favorites embedded below.

It was truly a treat to see Helen Money in action. She was a thrill to shoot and even better to hear! Check out her YouTube videos and catch her in person if at all possible. 

More Favorite Shots: