REVIEW: Catch PigPen Theatre's Charming and Magical Production of The Old Man and The Old Moon at Writers Theatre

We caught opening night of The Old Man and The Old Moon and were completely charmed!   This is good, old fashioned, down home music and story telling at it's best.   The fantastical shadow puppet elements are particularly effective, as are the recycled art puppets.   I've never seen a plastic bottle and mop with so MUCH canine personality.   Utterly awesome!   I also adored the way the troupe rallied together to become THE BOAT.   Look out Redmoon.   You have some talented competition in town!



The original score is an integral and excellent part of the whole production, with the musicians playing an active role on stage instead of relegated to the wings. The writing is superb as well.   There were plenty of universal truths for the plot and characters to strike a chord... longing for adventure, comforts of a home base, fears and chaos of natural disasters.    It's easy to take someone you love for granted until they're gone.   And it's easy to let the minutia of work get in the way of having adventures, keeping promises and spending time with family.   We love the idea of the moon and letting its waxing and waning take its course instead of rushing to keep it full every day.   What a great analogy to following in life!

This show is aimed at adults but fine for all ages.  

Click here to check out our past coverage for full show details.   

Dates:              First performance: September 3, 2013

                                   

                       Closing performance: November 10, 2013

           

            Schedule:         Tuesdays: 7:30pm

                                   Wednesdays: 7:30pm (with select 2:00pm matinees)

                        Thursdays & Fridays: 8:00pm 

                                   Saturdays: 4:00pm and 8:00pm

                        Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

             

                        Location:          Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

                        Prices:              Prices for all performances range from $35 - $70

                                                Purchase early for best prices   

           

Box Office:       The Box Office is located at 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe;

                        847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

Also, if you're 21+ check out PigPen Theatre Co. in residency at Schubas.   Click here our prior coverage on all the residency/album release details.

We got an advance press copy of their upcoming album and will be reviewing it right before the release.

Coinkidink alert:  We do love odd coincidences.   In the microcosm of the Chicago theatre world what are the odds of two productions playing simultaneously that feature dirigibles?!   

Check out the OTHER dirigible play, Babes With Blades' awesome Bo Thomas and the Case of the Sky Pirates.   Click here for ChiIL Live Shows' Review.

The cast interviews posted in the lobby were an amusing read and we found more than a few coinkidinks there, too.  Gotta love theatre peeps and improvisers.   They give creative, off the cuff answers!     

• I've been to Chagrine Falls and know the falls of which they speak.  Much to my chagrine--they're tiny!   

• Back in the day, my sister and I both went out with guys from Chagrine Falls that we met in Portland & Cincinnati respectively (who turned out to know each other).   They used to go over the falls on dares for fun as teen agers.

• I'd just finished watching the "Princess Bride" movie with the kids right before I left for The Old Man and The Old Moon

• a long time friend of mine who is now a college theatre prof/set designer is also an alum of this troupe's college, 

Worlds Collide Alert: PigPen Theatre Co. In Residence at Schubas AND Opening The Season at Writers Theatre

These little piggies are all over Chi-town.   Go hog wild and check 'em out at Writers Theatre AND as artists in residence at one of our favorite little venues for live tunes, Schubas.   They'll be rockin' the joint every Monday in October & November.   We'll be there for the press opening of the Writers Theatre's season opener on 9/12 and we'll have a review up shortly.

PigPen Theatre Co. will be in residence at Schubas in Chicago, Monday nights in October & November:

Oct 7: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/10-07-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

Oct 21: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/10-21-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

Nov 4: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/11-04-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

Nov 18: http://www.schubas.com/Shows/11-18-2013+Pigpen+Theatre+Co

Just announced: in celebration of their upcoming EP release (The Way I'm Running, out October 8) 

The guys are in Chicago performing their full-length production, The Old Man and the Old Moon, at Writers' Theatre through November 10, after which they'll embark on a U.S. concert tour.

AWARD-WINNING INDIE-FOLK BAND PIGPEN THEATRE CO. TO RELEASE NEW EP, THE WAY I’M RUNNING, OCTOBER 8

NEW PRODUCTION OF THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON RUNS SEPTEMBER 3–NOVEMBER 10 AT WRITERS’ THEATRE IN CHICAGO

 “PigPen Theatre Co. is the best kept secret around but that’s not going to last for much longer…”—The Huffington Post

 “Like watching child geniuses at play.”—The New Yorker

On October 8 award-winning, seven-member indie-folk band/theater troupe PigPen Theatre Co. releases The Way I’m Running, a five-song EP of all new material. Recorded in New York City with producer Ron Robinson Jr., the songs were conceived and arranged on the road as the band toured in support of their critically acclaimed debut album, Bremen, named one of the top 10 albums of 2012 by The Huffington Post.

In addition to touring the U.S. this summer, PigPen spent two weeks in residence at the Williamstown Theatre Festival workshopping the new Chicago production of their Off-Broadway hit The Old Man and The Old Moon. The show, which played more than 100 performances in NYC last fall, will have its Chicago debut in a new production at Writers’ Theatre running September 3–November 10.

The guys of PigPen began creating their unique brand of music, film and theater as students at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008. They went on to become the first group to win top honors at the New York International Fringe Festival two years in a row (2010 and 2011), and their first commercial Off-Broadway production The Old Man and The Old Moon received critical raves, running from September 2012–January 2013 at The Gym at Judson (located in the iconic Judson Memorial Church).

PigPen Theatre Co. has performed at New York’s famous Barrow Street Theatre, Bowery Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, Mercury Lounge, The Irondale Center, The Gym at Judson, the Boston Center for the Arts, and has sold out theaters nationwide with its shows The Nightmare Story, The Mountain Song and The Old Man and the Old Moon. Their work has earned them critics’ picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, New York Magazine and The Huffington Post, among others, with reviewers ranking their productions among the top ten theatrical events of both 2011 and 2012. The group recently gave a TEDx Talk on storytelling.   

Click here to check it out.

THE WAY I’M RUNNING TRACKLIST

1. Sailor

2. Song from the Stone

3. The Way I’m Running

4. Giant

5. I Crash

PigPenTheatre.com

Facebook.com/PigPenTheatreCo

Twitter: @PigPenTheatreCo

Writers Theatre opens its 2013-14 season

with PigPen Theatre Co.’s

The Old Man and The Old Moon

A new play with music

September 3-November 10, 2013

Something old... something new...  The Old Man and The Old Moon is a NEW play that starts the NEW season of Writer's Theatre.   This one's high on our must see list.   Book your tickets in advance for the best seats.   Previews are currently running.   We'll be there to review for the press opening night 9/12.   

Click here for our prior coverage and the full scoop on The Old Man and The Old Moon. 

Title:                 The Old Man and The Old Moon

By:                   PigPen Theatre Co.

Directed by:      Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.

Cast:                PigPen Theatre Co.

Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler.

Designers:        Lydia Fine and Bart Cortright; Mikhail Fiksel (sound); Meredith Miller (props master)

                                    Dates:              First performance: September 3, 2013

                                  

                                   Closing performance: November 10, 2013

           

            Schedule:         Tuesdays: 7:30pm

                                    Wednesdays: 7:30pm (with select 2:00pm matinees)

                        Thursdays & Fridays: 8:00pm 

                                    Saturdays: 4:00pm and 8:00pm

                        Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

             

                        Location:          Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

                        Prices:              Prices for all performances range from $35 -                                                $70

                                               Purchase early for best prices   

           

Box Office:       The Box Office is located at 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe;

                        847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre or follow Writers Theatre on Twitter at Twitter.com/WritersTheatre. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.

INCOMING: WILDCAT! WILDCAT! Play Schubas September 19th

BAND FEATURED IN NEW SAM JONES DIRECTED FEED THE BEAT DOCUMENTARY, “HELLO EVERYWHERE” WITH PASSION PIT

WILDCAT! WILDCAT!’S DEBUT EP SET FOR SEPTEMBER 10 RELEASE VIA DOWNTOWN RECORDS

Last night after the MTV VMA's HELLO EVERYWHERE, the new Sam Jones-directed documentary about the journeys of Wildcat Wildcat and Passion Pit as SXSW, premiered on VEVO.   Check it out here. 

Wildcat Wildcat's debut EP will be released September 10-- they will continue to tour throughout the fall, including dates with MSMR. 

TOUR CONFIRMED PLUS MSMR DATES “MR. QUICHE” PREMIERES AT NYLON

“MGMT-esque spacey psych pop, and ethereal vocal pitter-patter with ease.” —Pitchfork

“A group on the up-and-up that may end up in your iTunes regular rotation before you know it.” —Huffington Post

The self-titled debut EP from acclaimed LA-based band Wildcat! Wildcat! is set for September 10 release on Downtown Records. The band garnered critical praise for their previously released sold-out limited addition 7” on the taste-making label Neon Gold Records, including early support from BBC Radio 1 in the U.K. TIME raves, “I love the staccato electronic rock, I love the frantic opening measures, I love the fleeting falsetto in the background,” while Metro furthers they’re “the best overall new band.” To celebrate the release, the band will embark on a nationwide tour starting in September including select dates with MSMR. See below for details. 

Taco Bell’s Feed the Beat music program have released a new documentary titled “Hello Everywhere.” Directed by Sam Jones, the film follows Wildcat! Wildcat! and Passion Pit throughout SXSW 2013, documenting their experiences at the festival—one as an emerging, developing band and the other as a more established band. 

The new EP was written and produced by the band in their home studios over the course of the last year and a half. 

**Click here to check out the first single “Mr. Quiche". **

Of the songs Jesse Carmichael (vocals, drums) notes, “Some came quicker than others but all of them provided us the time to try out different processes of collaboration and understand how and why we make the kind of music that we make together.” See below for full track listing.

Wildcat! Wildcat! is Jesse Taylor (vocals, bass), Michael Wilson (vocals, keys) and Carmichael. The trio played together in various incarnations before officially forming Wildcat! Wildcat! in 2012. The band has toured extensively including SXSW, a sold out west coast headlining run and major U.S. support slots with Alt-J and Portugal. The Man.

WILDCAT! WILDCAT! TRACK LISTING

1. The Chief

2. Garden Grays

3. Mr. Quiche

4. Please & Thank You

Wildcat! Wildcat! Tour Dates

*with MSMR 

September 18 /// Minneapolis, MN /// Triple Rock

September 19 /// Chicago, IL /// Schuba’s

September 20 /// Detroit, MI /// Magic Stick Lounge

September 21 /// Toronto, ON /// Wrong Bar

September 22 /// Rochester, NY /// Bug Jar

September 24 /// Washington, DC /// DC9

September 25 /// Philadelphia, PA /// Boot & Saddle

September 26 /// Brooklyn, NY /// Glasslands Gallery

September 28 /// New York, NY /// Mercury Lounge

September 29 /// Boston, MA /// Great Scott

October 3 /// Nashville, TN /// High Watt

October 4 /// Murfreesboro, TN /// Earmilk Festival

October 15 /// San Francisco, CA /// The Independent*

October 17-18 /// Los Angeles, CA /// The Troubadour*

October 19 /// San Diego, CA /// Soda Bar*

October 23 /// Vancouver, BC /// Venue Nightclub*

October 24 /// Seattle, WA /// The Crocodile*

http://wildcatwildcat.com

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar: Shams Band Summer Fest Dates, CBS Morning News, Old St. Pat's and More

ChiIL Live Shows has been shooting the Shams Band for years.  They're some of our favorite rockin' locals.    Check 'em out right here at home this summer.

Shams Band Says:

Live TV Performance - CBS Morning News 6:30am on Friday, June 28th, 2013

Please set your DVR today for a chance to see us on live TV. 

Street Festivals (Chicago):

+ FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH - WORLD'S LARGEST BLOCK PARTY - 5:30PM 

We are honored to be a part of Old St. Pat's World's Largest Block Party. We will kick off the festival on the main stage at 5:30pm. Following us will be PUNCH BROTHERS and EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES. We are giving away 2 FREE tickets via our Facebook & Twitter accounts. Please click through the links for a chance to win. 

Ticket Link

http://worldslargestblockparty.com/facts/

http://www.theshamsband.com/

http://vintagebluemusic.com/

+ SUNDAY, JUNE 30TH - ULTRA VIOLET PETTING ZOO - 6:30PM

The 'Ultra-Violet Petting Zoo' is back in its third year at The Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club Carnival on June 28 and 30 -- commemorating the carnival's 66th anniversary as Chicago's largest and longest running carnival. We play at 6:30PM | $5 Donation

+ SATURDAY, JULY 6TH - AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL - FITZGERALD'S NIGHTCLUB

We are so excited to be a part of our home town summer music Festival. We've been playing Fitzgerald's from day one and are honored to play American Music Festival. 

Here is the lineup for the day:

IN THE CLUB: Jimmy LaFave (11 pm), NRBQ (9 pm), Dolly Varden (7:30 pm), Warren Hood Band (5:45 pm), The Shams Band (4:15 pm), Expo '76 (2:30 pm)

IN THE TENT: Tributosaurus becomes Tom Petty (10:15 pm), Marcia Ball Band (8:15 pm), Max Baca & Los Texmaniacs (6:30 pm), Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet (4:45 pm), Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys (3 pm), Girl Group Chicago (1:30 pm)


WEEKEND OF SHAMS - SCHUBAS TAVERN - AUGUST 16TH & 17TH

Save the dates! We headline Schubas for two nights in August. Last Summer, our July residency was so successful (thanks to you), that we are back to headline Schubas for the first time ever on a weekend. We'll be bringing up our good friends Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes + The Howlin' Brothers from Nashville, TN. Plus two more bands TBA

We will be promoting this event for the entire summer and we ask that you save yourself some money right now and purchase the limited $20 Two-Day Pass to our weekend celebration. 

http://www.ticketfly.com/event/292769-shams-band-chicago/

That is it for now. We hope to see some folks out at our upcoming street festivals. Thank you for your support and continue to dance and enjoy yourselves at our shows. That is what music is all about.

TONIGHT: Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar-- Young Empires at Schubas

YOUNG EMPIRES Photo Credit: David Waldman The tale of self-proclaimed Haute rockers Young Empires  is quite unconventional. Their story began in the fall of 2009 with the help of Craigslist and the creative core now consists of lead vocalist Matthew Vlahovich, bassist Jake Palahnuk, and drummer Taylor Hill, who joined later. Within two weeks of forming, the band began rehearsing and booked their first gig shortly after, putting pressure on the musicians to write viable songs, practice relentlessly, and become savvy in sampling and analog drum machine programming. “Being without a drummer in our formative years was challenging, but retrospectively, it gave us an opportunity to take advantage of electronic kick drums that rattled club sound systems and sample percussion rhythms from West Africa to create a diverse music palette,” Matthew explains. Taking advantage of the proliferation of inexpensive recording devices, the band isolated themselves on a rainy weekend in January 2010 in a motel room and self-produced and recorded four demos that gained significant attention on the blogosphere and hit the charts on Hype Machine. The upcoming two years proved to be a globe trotting adventure for the band, being jet set to cities including Bogota, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Stockholm, New York and Miami to perform with the likes of Jamiroquai, Foster The People, Chromeo, Tanlines, Bag Raiders, Sleigh Bells, and Dragonette, and at festivals like SXSW, CMJ, and Brighton’s The Great Escape. “We are incredibly fortunate to live at a time when online music-sharing can foster rapid fan growth around the globe. We are also really lucky that our music has resonated so well globally and is not confined to any particular geographic location”, Matthew explains. Between tours, Young Empires wrote, recorded and mixed their debut EP, Wake All My Youth. Although none of the members had any background in engineering or producing, the group did everything on the disc except the final mastering. This lends a distinctive edge to the glittering, electro-tinged indie rock numbers. The songs, culled from a span of nearly two years, also reveal the group’s evolution, showcasing various aspects of the musicians as they’ve more closely discovered their sound. Wake All My Youth was released via Pirates Blend/Sony Canada in February 2012 and two singles from the EP, “White Doves”, and “We Don’t Sleep Tonight” have quickly climbed the alternative and pop radio charts, both landing in the top 10 at alternative radio. Additionally, the band has made waves in the sync world highlighted by multiple placements on primetime network TV, EA Sports FIFA 13, and the CTV where “White Doves” served as a theme song for their broadcast of the London Olympics. The success in Canada has spilled over into the U.S. as the band is currently charting on AAA radio and Votiv will release a new version of Wake All My Youth on April 23, 2013. Although Young Empires have been developing both their recordings and their evocative live performances for the past few years, the musicians feel that the EP is only a taste of what’s to come. The band is currently in the process of writing their debut album and recently quit their full time jobs. They are poised to continue to map out a unique sonic territory within indie and pop music, combining syncopation and melodrama to excellent effect, Young Empires are weavers of disparate indie threads that move crowds every show. “At the end of the day we just want to have a positive impact on as many people as we can,” Jake says. “We want our music to be the thing that people connect to and feel good about. Summer 2013 Tour Dates / 06.19.13 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL ! 06.20.13 - The Shelter - Detroit, MI # 06.22.13 - Firefly Music Festival - Dover, DE 06.25.13 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY * 06.26.13 - The Church - Boston, MA * 06.27.13 - The Monkeyhouse - Burlington, VT * 06.28.13 - The Waiting Room - Buffalo, NY *  ! with The Break # with The Generationals * with Black Light Dinner Party  Previous Press / “Young Empires’ glossy production and funked up rhythms, reminds us of the Rapture’s dance-ready grooves…They’re too good.” NYLON "The mathmania of Battles, the gloss 'n' grandeur of The Killers, and the calamitous quiver of Arcade Fire...Young Empires have consummately summated this generation's achievements in Rock. Not that they're total re-tread merchants; no, they're master weavers of our disparate indie threads, forging a fine tapestry of future disco." NME   "Mapping some new sonic territory somewhere between Vampire Weekend and The Killers, they combine syncopation and melodrama to excellent effect…they’re known for winning over cold audiences with their live act."  MTV Iggy "Defined by swirling synthesizer tones, soulful bass grooves, and funky guitar rhythms, Young Empires deliver dance tracks full of swagger, sexuality, and a little angst." RCRD LBL Links / Young Empires Official Site Young Empires Twitter Young Empires Facebook Young Empires Soundcloud

My Gold Mask Release Party This Weekend + Added Tour Dates

Download Shuteye Remix Of "Further It Gets" Tour Dates: March 9th -  Chicago, IL - Schubas March 15th - 3:00pm - Austin, TX - SXSW (Austin Ale House) March 16th - 6:00pm - Austin, TX - SXSW (Dogwood) March 16th @ Midnight - Austin, TX -  SXSW (Hickory Street) March 19th -  Hot Springs, AR - Low Key Arts  April 4th - Dekalb, IL - Otto's April 6th - Kansas City, MO - Middle Of The Map Fest April 13th -  Cincinnati, OH -  MOTR April 26th -  Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews June 25 - Philadelphia, PA  - Kung Fu Necktie June 26 - Boston, MA - The Middle East June 27 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory Praise For My Gold Mask "Like Karen O, Gretta Rochelle runs on a rheostat, transitioning smoothly between low-wattage sultriness and floodlit blare" -Pitchfork "My Gold Mask gets mega sounds and emotion out of two instruments, their tense guitar whorls and crackling warbles perfect for this rainy morning" - Fader "...the Chicago duo's ominous brand of rock 'n' roll...concentrates heavily on drummer Gretta Rochelle's smoky, tribal howl and Jack Armondo's guttery electric guitar." - Magnet "...two of the most talented individuals we've discovered in the past year" - Sheena Beaston "Gretta Rochelle's soaring vocals bring a refreshing grunge sound ala Courtney Love to a very current sound.  Jack Armondo, brings an element to each song with great guitars to match her roaring vocals." - Off the Radar "Like a perfect steak dinner, your favorite jeans, or an old flame's kiss, My Gold Mask infuses some heart into the mundane, and makes it beautiful." - Pretty Much Amazing  Links Artist Website Artist Facebook Artist Twitter   Check Out The Shuteye Remix For "Further It Gets" What began as a collaboration between longtime musical partners Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo (guitar), became less a means to an end, than the end itself. A deep wellspring of personal and musical experiences shaped their direction, and Chicago's My Gold Mask is a culmination, a fulfillment, of a long artistic road, that has lead them to their newest effort, Leave Me Midnight. Their new LP will be released February 19th, while the vinyl version is out March 12th on Highweel Records.  Informed by cinema (particularly Italian Giallo) and galvanized by the dimly-lit warehouse district where their rehearsal space lies, the two thrive in a radiant wash of reverb with a metallic-like symphony mainly comprised of just a nylon string guitar and drums. Tinged with thunderous melodies, theirs is a sound of vision – a recondite vision to be sure, but such is the essence of My Gold Mask. My Gold Mask began in 2009 with a well received self-titled nine-song debut. While still a band finding itself through experimentation, tracks like “Bitches” and “Your Coo Ka Choo” brought about comparisons to Siouxsie And The Banshees and inspired Big Stereo to say My Gold Mask “create songs that are a delicate balance between 90′s alternative rock gestures and futuristic gypsy tribe shit. But the real magic happens with the versatility of Gretta Rochelle’s vocals...” In 2010 the band saw the release of two intriguing EPs: A Thousand Voices and A Million Miles (From Where We Were Last) on their own Goldy Tapes label. Lush, aphotic songs like “Violet Eyes” and “Ghost In Your Bed” quickly made their way around the blogosphere leading Pitchfork to pronounce that "...the bottled lightning of ‘Violet Eyes’ makes My Gold Mask a band to watch." Pretty Much Amazing noted that the band "infuses some heart into the mundane, and makes it beautiful" and The Fader called their unique sound "goth-garage." Fashion designer Phillip Lim used music from both EPs in his 2010 Fashion Week fashion show and hosted an in-store performance by the band at his Phillip Lim 3.1 SoHo location for his Fashion’s Night Out event. Vogue dubbed it one of “The Ten Best Music Shows on Fashion’s Night Out.” In late 2011/early 2012 "Violet Eyes," "Ghost In Your Bed," and “All Up In The Air,” were all separately featured in episodes of the CW network’s uber-popular series, Gossip Girl.  2012 has been spent writing, recording and mixing Leave Me Midnight. Taking a "wall of sound" approach to recording, longtime collaborator and engineer Balthazar de Ley manned the board while My Gold Mask experimented with electronic drums and new sounds, creating a dense, exciting, and occasionally spooky place for their songs to live. They invited well-seasoned producer and engineer Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Pelican) to mix the record. This past season also brought to light a new live show lineup for the band. Gretta has stepped out from her full-time duties behind the drumkit to enjoy the role of front woman, making room for dynamic drummer, James Andrew, to take the stage with My Gold Mask. Andrew also played drums on four of the new album’s tracks. Meanwhile Jack continues to explore new ways of making guitars sound otherworldly: “Guitar is usually associated with rock music, but in writing this album I thought a lot about synth-based sounds, like on Black Celebration by Depeche Mode. I’m not really concerned with my guitar sounding like a guitar, per se. I’m constantly tweaking its sound,” says Armondo. This type of sonic experimentation gives My Gold Mask a unique approach to pop music that can be hard to pin down, but this adaptability came in handy when asked to collaborate with The Hood Internet on "Do You Give Up Now?" a track featured on their latest album FEAT released in 2012. With a sound that has crossed so many musical spectrums and their ability to deliver a powerful and engaging live show, My Gold Mask have shared the stage with such varied acts as Twin Shadow, Wavves, The New Pornographers, Japandroids, The Rapture, Blonde Redhead and Zambri, to name a few. Eager to continue the artistic evolution of the band; Jack and Gretta are back to writing before they head out on tour in support of Leave Me Midnight. Copyright © 2011 Tell All Your Friends.

Nylon Premieres My Gold Mask's 'Burn Like The Sun' Video

My Gold Mask Announces Tour And SXSW Dates Tour Dates: March 9th -  Chicago, IL - Schubas March 16th @ Midnight - Austin, TX -  SXSW (Hickory Street) March 19th -  Hot Springs, AR - Low Key Arts April 13th -  Cincinnati, OH -  MOTR April 26th -  Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews Apr 6th - Kansas City - Middle Of The Map Fest June 25 - Philadelphia, PA  - Kung Fu Necktie June 26 - Boston, MA - The Middle East June 27 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory Praise For My Gold Mask "Like Karen O, Gretta Rochelle runs on a rheostat, transitioning smoothly between low-wattage sultriness  and floodlit blare" -Pitchfork "My Gold Mask gets mega sounds and emotion out of two instruments, their tense guitar whorls and crackling warbles  perfect for this rainy morning" - Fader "...the Chicago duo's ominous brand of rock 'n' roll...concentrates heavily on drummer Gretta Rochelle's smoky,  tribal howl and Jack Armondo's guttery electric guitar." - Magnet "...two of the most talented individuals we've discovered in the past year" - Sheena Beaston "Gretta Rochelle's soaring vocals bring a refreshing grunge sound ala Courtney Love to a very current sound.   Jack Armondo, brings an element to each song with great guitars to match her roaring vocals." - Off the Radar "Like a perfect steak dinner, your favorite jeans, or an old flame's kiss, My Gold Mask infuses some heart into the mundane,  and makes it beautiful." - Pretty Much Amazing  Links Artist Website Artist Facebook Artist Twitter   Copyright © 2011 Tell All Your Friends.

INCOMING: My Gold Mask Playing Schubas 3/9

New LP 'Leave Me Midnight' Is Released February 19th!!  Tour Dates: March 2nd -  Milwaukee, WI - Mad Planet March 9th -  Chicago, IL - Schubas March 16th - Austin, TX -  SXSW (Hickory Street) March 19th -  Hot Springs, AR - Low Key Arts April 13th -  Cincinnati, OH -  MOTR April 26th -  Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews Praise For My Gold Mask "My Gold Mask gets mega sounds and emotion out of two instruments, their tense guitar whorls and crackling warbles perfect for this rainy morning" - Fader "...the Chicago duo's ominous brand of rock 'n' roll...concentrates heavily on drummer Gretta Rochelle's smoky, tribal howl and Jack Armondo's guttery electric guitar." - Magnet "...two of the most talented individuals we've discovered in the past year" - Sheena Beaston "Gretta Rochelle's soaring vocals bring a refreshing grunge sound ala Courtney Love to a very current sound.  Jack Armondo, brings an element to each song with great guitars to match her roaring vocals." - Off the Radar "Like a perfect steak dinner, your favorite jeans, or an old flame's kiss, My Gold Mask infuses some heart into the mundane, and makes it beautiful." - Pretty Much Amazing  Links Artist Website Artist Facebook Artist Twitter Check Out 'Burn Like The Sun' At Bullett!!! What began as a collaboration between longtime musical partners Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo (guitar), became less a means to an end, than the end itself. A deep wellspring of personal and musical experiences shaped their direction, and Chicago's My Gold Mask is a culmination, a fulfillment, of a long artistic road, that has lead them to their newest effort, Leave Me Midnight. Their new LP will be released February 19th, while the vinyl version is out March 12th on Highweel Records.  Informed by cinema (particularly Italian Giallo) and galvanized by the dimly-lit warehouse district where their rehearsal space lies, the two thrive in a radiant wash of reverb with a metallic-like symphony mainly comprised of just a nylon string guitar and drums. Tinged with thunderous melodies, theirs is a sound of vision – a recondite vision to be sure, but such is the essence of My Gold Mask. My Gold Mask began in 2009 with a well received self-titled nine-song debut. While still a band finding itself through experimentation, tracks like “Bitches” and “Your Coo Ka Choo” brought about comparisons to Siouxsie And The Banshees and inspired Big Stereo to say My Gold Mask “create songs that are a delicate balance between 90′s alternative rock gestures and futuristic gypsy tribe shit. But the real magic happens with the versatility of Gretta Rochelle’s vocals...” In 2010 the band saw the release of two intriguing EPs: A Thousand Voices and A Million Miles (From Where We Were Last) on their own Goldy Tapes label. Lush, aphotic songs like “Violet Eyes” and “Ghost In Your Bed” quickly made their way around the blogosphere leading Pitchfork to pronounce that "...the bottled lightning of ‘Violet Eyes’ makes My Gold Mask a band to watch." Pretty Much Amazing noted that the band "infuses some heart into the mundane, and makes it beautiful" and The Fader called their unique sound "goth-garage." Fashion designer Phillip Lim used music from both EPs in his 2010 Fashion Week fashion show and hosted an in-store performance by the band at his Phillip Lim 3.1 SoHo location for his Fashion’s Night Out event. Vogue dubbed it one of “The Ten Best Music Shows on Fashion’s Night Out.” In late 2011/early 2012 "Violet Eyes," "Ghost In Your Bed," and “All Up In The Air,” were all separately featured in episodes of the CW network’s uber-popular series, Gossip Girl.  2012 has been spent writing, recording and mixing Leave Me Midnight. Taking a "wall of sound" approach to recording, longtime collaborator and engineer Balthazar de Ley manned the board while My Gold Mask experimented with electronic drums and new sounds, creating a dense, exciting, and occasionally spooky place for their songs to live. They invited well-seasoned producer and engineer Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Pelican) to mix the record. This past season also brought to light a new live show lineup for the band. Gretta has stepped out from her full-time duties behind the drumkit to enjoy the role of front woman, making room for dynamic drummer, James Andrew, to take the stage with My Gold Mask. Andrew also played drums on four of the new album’s tracks. Meanwhile Jack continues to explore new ways of making guitars sound otherworldly: “Guitar is usually associated with rock music, but in writing this album I thought a lot about synth-based sounds, like on Black Celebration by Depeche Mode. I’m not really concerned with my guitar sounding like a guitar, per se. I’m constantly tweaking its sound,” says Armondo. This type of sonic experimentation gives My Gold Mask a unique approach to pop music that can be hard to pin down, but this adaptability came in handy when asked to collaborate with The Hood Internet on "Do You Give Up Now?" a track featured on their latest album FEAT released in 2012. With a sound that has crossed so many musical spectrums and their ability to deliver a powerful and engaging live show, My Gold Mask have shared the stage with such varied acts as Twin Shadow, Wavves, The New Pornographers, Japandroids, The Rapture, Blonde Redhead and Zambri, to name a few. Eager to continue the artistic evolution of the band; Jack and Gretta are back to writing before they head out on tour in support of Leave Me Midnight. Copyright © 2011 Tell All Your Friends.

INCOMING: Young Empires Play Schubas THIS TUES 2/5 21+

YOUNG EMPIRES Photo Credit: David Waldman The tale of self-proclaimed Haute rockers Young Empires is quite unconventional. The band formed in Toronto in 2009 with a little help from Craigslist, originally as a trio of Matthew Vlahovich (lead vocals/synth,) Jake Palahnuk on bass and Aaron Ellingson on guitar & synth - a trio who just wanted to play music. As Ellingson explains, "Everything with this band is about synchronicity. We didn’t have any preconceptions. We just wanted to get in a room and make noise.” Booking their first show within two weeks of forming, the band isolated themselves in a motel room in early 2010 to self-produce and record four demos that hit the charts on Hype Machine and led to two years of international touring. The band hit Bogota, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Stockholm, New York, Miami, SXSW, CMJ and Brighton's Great Escape, performing alongside Jamiroquai, Foster The People, Chromeo, Tanlines, Japandroids, Vampire Weekend, Bag Raiders, Dragonette and Sleigh Bells. Between tours, Young Empires gained Taylor Hill on drums and they wrote, recorded and mixed their debut EP, Wake All My Youth. Having no engineering or production background didn't stop them, as the group did everything but the final mastering, leading to its distinctive, glittering, electro-tinged indie rock sound. Released via Pirates Blend/Sony Canada in February 2012 with two singles from the EP, “White Doves”, and “We Don’t Sleep Tonight,” the band gained international recognition from NYLON, NME, Interview Magazine and more, with multiple syncs on MTV, CTV, ABC and USA networks. With significant success in Canada, the band is set to re-release a new version of Wake All My Youth this spring on Votiv/Atlantic Records, while currently writing an anticipated full-length debut album. As bassist Palahnuk says, “At the end of the day we just want to have a positive impact on as many people as we can. We want our music to be the thing that people connect to and feel good about.” It's clear from this band's early rising success that they have done just that, connecting more and more people as they go along. North American 2013 Tour Dates / 02.04.13 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN * 02.05.13 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL * (8pm/ $12 21+) 02.06.13 - The Frequency - Madison,  WI * 02.08.13 - The Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY * 02.09.13 - Niagara Center For The Arts - Niagara Falls, ON  * with Royal Teeth  Previous Press / “Young Empires’ glossy production and funked up rhythms, reminds us of the Rapture’s dance-ready grooves…They’re too good.” NYLON "The mathmania of Battles, the gloss 'n' grandeur of The Killers, and the calamitous quiver of Arcade Fire...Young Empires have consummately summated this generation's achievements in Rock. Not that they're total re-tread merchants; no, they're master weavers of our disparate indie threads, forging a fine tapestry of future disco." NME   "Mapping some new sonic territory somewhere between Vampire Weekend and The Killers, they combine syncopation and melodrama to excellent effect…they’re known for winning over cold audiences with their live act."  MTV Iggy "Defined by swirling synthesizer tones, soulful bass grooves, and funky guitar rhythms, Young Empires deliver dance tracks full of swagger, sexuality, and a little angst." RCRD LBL Links / Young Empires Official Site Young Empires Twitter Young Empires Facebook Young Empires Soundcloud