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Showing posts with label The Vic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Vic. Show all posts

Friday, March 4, 2022

INCOMING: Circle Jerks Tour Dates and Zander Schloss of Circle Jerks Releases Debut Solo Album Song About Songs

  ChiIL Live Shows and New Release On Our Radar

Zander Schloss of Circle Jerks Shares “Dead Friend Letter” Music Video

On 40th Anniversary Tour with Circle Jerks

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've dug the Circle Jerks for decades and were happy to see them playing Riot Fest in Chicago last fall. They're back out on tour again and shows are selling out fast. Still, even punks have a mellow side and we're thoroughly enjoying Zander Schloss's melodic new release too. Check it out!

Zander Schloss has released his long-awaited debut solo album Song About Songs via Blind Owl Records. The album marks the beginning of a new chapter for the longtime Circle Jerks bassist and known Joe Strummer collaborator, who calls the album his “polar opposite version of punk rock.”

Schloss has also shared the music video for the recent single “Dead Friend Letter” with Under The Radar saying, “‘Dead Letter Friend’ initially appears as one of the record’s sunnier arrangements, tinged with warm melodicism, pastoral harmonies, and a stark, intimate vocal style from Schloss. Yet, beneath the welcoming fingerpicking and gentle melodic lull, Schloss explores dark lyrical territory, tracing the outline of a man’s suicide letter and his final goodbyes. The resulting track is stark and simple, but hits like a startling gut-punch, painting a sincere and heart-rending character portrait.”

Stream/purchase Song About Songs HERE

Watch “Dead Friend Letter” Music Video HERE

The singles leading up to Song About Songs have been praised by many including BrooklynVegan who called “Dead Friend Letter,” “a lovely dose of early '70s style folk rock,” and Atwood Magazine who did a deep dive into “I Have Loved The Story Of My Life,” (which singer-songwriter Bedouine makes an appearance on) saying, “The song touches on themes of gratitude, on sentimentality, on magic, and on memories and paints such a vivid tale in both its lyrics and its video presentation. It details the life of one who’s lived so widely and experienced such a great deal.”

There was also plenty of excitement around the release of the title track which Northern Transmissions dubbed Song of the Day, and was further praised by Punktuation!, antiMusic, Ghettoblaster, and Blabbermouth among others. Schloss also recently appeared on Damian Abraham’s (of Fucked Up) podcast Turned Out A Punk.

The “I Have Loved The Story Of My Life” music video features uncanny marionettes of Schloss from the many different phases of his life, including his acting roles in numerous Alex Cox films, his time working with Joe Strummer, playing bass with the Circle Jerks and Weirdos, all leading up to present-day Zander Schloss. WATCH HERE

Schloss has an impressive résumé that includes his featured acting performance alongside Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez in Alex Cox’s 1984 cult classic feature Repo Man; work on the soundtracks for Cox’s later films Sid & Nancy, Straight to Hell, Walker; and Highway Patrolman. He is well known as touring musical director and guitarist for Joe Strummer of the Clash, with performances on Strummer’s first solo single “Trash City” and album Earthquake Weather. He also has appearances on record with Low & Sweet Orchestra, Magnificent Bastards, Thelonious Monster and in concert with the Weirdos. In 2021-22, he will be seen on stage during the Circle Jerks’ pandemic-delayed 40th anniversary tour.

But Song About Songs, which features the Los Angeles-based performer as singer, guitarist, and writer of nine striking original compositions, displays a revelatory new aspect of his work. It will surprise listeners accustomed to hearing Schloss in an aggressive hardcore format, but the St. Louis-born musician notes that his early musical inspirations came from a distinctly different realm.

As Veteran Los Angeles music journalist and critic Chris Morris writes in the album’s liner notes, “Played tenderly, with a striking intimacy, the subtle and affecting material on Song About Songs may well come as a surprise to listeners who know Zander Schloss only from three decades of bash-it-out work with the Circle Jerks and other punk units….Here, we get a long overdue look at a hitherto unheard side of his musical personality. It bears the thrill of discovery.”

Schloss is currently on the road with the Circle Jerks for their pandemic-delayed 40th anniversary tour. See full list of dates here: https://www.circlejerks.net/tour

 

Song About Songs tracklist

1. My Dear Blue

2. Not So Long Ago

3. Sin Of Wasting Time

4. Old Cliches & Diamond Rings

5. Dead Friend Letter

6. I Have Loved The Story Of My Life (featuring Bedouine)

7. The Road

8. Married To Sadness

9. Song About Songs 


Follow Zander Schloss: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

credit: Geoff Moore

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM BRINGS 662: JUKE JOINT LIVE TOUR TO CHICAGO'S VIC THEATRE Sunday, March 27, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 


Grammy Award Nomination:

Best Contemporary Blues Album: 662


“Exceptional album...astonishing creativity.”

662 #1 Blues Album Of 2021

—MOJO


“Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exciting, blues guitarists in the world.”

—Guitar World


“Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that's just in the studio; he's even scarier live.”

—NPR Music

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram will celebrate the release of his Grammy-nominated Alligator Records album, 662, with a live performance at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Ingram’s headlining tour, entitled Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Presents 662: Juke Joint Live, has already taken the 23-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter across the U.S. and Europe, with many more dates to come. In addition to the Grammy nomination (his second in two years), 662 was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine, MOJO. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”

Check out the video for Long Distance Woman


Concert information is as follows:

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2022

Venue: The Vic Theatre

Address: 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

City: Chicago, IL 

Phone: 773-472-0449

Showtime: 7:30pm

Ticket price: $38.50

Get your tickets HERE 

Upon its July 2021 release, 662 debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and it's remained on the chart ever since. NPR's Morning Edition ran a 7-minute feature on release day. Buddy Guy called him “the next explosion of blues.” 662 was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs (and one previously released bonus track) displaying many sides of Ingram’s personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. 

According to Ingram, "662 is an ode to my roots, a nod to the area where I was born and raised. The title track, 662, encompasses how a small corner of the earth influenced my view of life and music. It also points to the growth I have had since my debut album. As much as I have been fortunate to get 'Outside Of This Town' (the title of his breakout single from his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut album, Kingfish), I do want people to know that the '662' will always be a major part of who I am."

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the world, the young musician has already headlined two national tours (Fish Grease I & II) and performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy (with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits). He was interviewed by Sir Elton John on his Apple Music podcast Rocket Hour, and recently released songs with Bootsy Collins and Bobby Rush. In January 2021, Ingram was simultaneously on the covers of both Guitar World and DownBeat magazines, and graced the cover of Living Blues in late 2020. NPR Music says Ingram’s playing is “astounding…it’s almost like he's singing through the guitar.”

On 662, Ingram creates contemporary blues that speaks to his generation and beyond, delivering the full healing power of the music. No Depression calls Ingram, “a young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here-and-now.” Living Blues says, “By any measure, Kingfish is one of the brightest new stars of his generation.”

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

TBS Just for Laughs Chicago Comedy Fest is Baaaaack June 11-16 #JFLChicago @TBSVeryFunny #comedy



ChiIL out with ChiIL Live Shows this weekend, with the best medicine.   Yes, that would be laughter, and the Dr. is in the house.   The annual TBS Just for Laughs Chicago is baaaaaack in Chi, IL and this fest is a laugh riot.   Check out our TBS Just for Laughs Chicago coverage from 2012 here.

We're particularly stoked for Russell Brand, Bill Maher, and Seth Meyers, but laughter abounds at loads of our favorite venues all over town. 

We've adored Bill Maher since waaaaay back in the day.   Anyone seen him in Cannibal Women in The Avocado Jungle of Death from back in 1989?!   If not, check it out after the fest is over.   It's the good kind of cheese & one of our favs.  

A young Bill Maher stars with Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau and Karen Waldron.


The government hires a feminist at the local university to track down the Piranha Women living in the uncharted Avocado Jungle (westernmost outpost is San Bernardino) to convince them to move to a reservation condo in Malibu. She hires a guide at the edge of the jungle, a male chauvinist pig, and they have many arguments about men and women as they work their way in, and eventually confront the Piranha Women. Written by Ed Sutton 


The U.S. government, eager to protect the nation's avacado supplies, recruits feminist professor Margo Hunt to make contact with the Piranha Women, an all-female tribe who believe men are only good as a source of food. Accompanying Dr. Hunt on her trip are Jim, a guide of questionable competence, and Bunny, a student of unquestionable incompetence. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher


For the next 6 days, no Cannibal Women for YOU.   Get outta the house and laugh it up.   We've highlighted some of our top choices, but you can't go wrong... just follow the funny.   Some of the best shows are in the smaller venues, off the beaten path.   And like performers at music fests, famous comedians pop up unannounced, sit in with each other, and create some one of a kind mash ups.   TBS Just for Laughs Chicago is renowned for that.  Be there.

Here's what's happening:

June 11, 2013

6:30 PM - The Heat - FREE Advance Screening - ShowPlace ICON

7:00 PM - Double Threat: Junior Stopka & Mike Lebovitz - STAGE 773 - The Pro

7:00 PM - iO Theater presents TJ & Dave - STAGE 773 - The Box

8:00 PM - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club

8:30 PM - Double Threat: Kellye Howard & Brianna Baker (BEDE) - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

8:30 PM - Double Threat: Mike Stanley & Sean Flannery - STAGE 773 - The Pro

8:30 PM - Naked Sports Live Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

9:30 PM -Secret Big-Time Local Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Box


10:00 PM - The Shit Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

10:00 PM - Wrestling with Depression Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

10:30 PM - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club

June 12, 2013
7pm - Moshe Kasher - STAGE 773 - The Pro

7pm - The Comedy Bar Kickass Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Box

7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

7:30pm - Anjelah Johnson - The Vic Theatre

7:30pm - Russell Brand - The Chicago Theatre 

7:30pm - The Whitest Kids U' Know - Park West

8pm - Second City Alumni - UP Comedy Club


8:30pm - The Todd Barry Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

9:30pm - The Annoyance Theatre presents Messing with a Friend - STAGE 773 - The Box (*Hilariously recommended!   We dig Susan Messing big time.)


10pm - @DadBoner and Friends, You Guys - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

10pm - Above Average presents: Tripp & Tyler and The Katydids - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

June 13, 2013

7pm - Moshe Kasher - STAGE 773 - The Pro

7pm - Team Coco Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

7pm - The Lincoln Lodge - STAGE 773 - The Box

7:30pm - David Cross & His Super Duper Pals - The Chicago Theatre

7:30pm - John Hodgman, Performing as Celebrated Humorist John Hodgman in: JOHN HODGMAN TONIGHT! - Park West

7:30pm - Nick Swardson - The Vic Theatre

8pm - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club

8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro

8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

8:30pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box


8:30pm - Stage Time - Jokes and Notes

10pm - @DadBoner and Friends, You Guys - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro

10pm - Jokes and Notes Presents The Urban Comedy Hour - STAGE 773 - The Box

10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

10pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club

11:30pm - Above Average presents: Tripp & Tyler and The Katydids - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

11:30pm - The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

11:59pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box

June 14, 2013

7pm - Doug Loves Movies Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

7pm - The Playground presents Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts - STAGE 773 - The Box


7:30pm - Dylan Moran - Yeah, Yeah - Park West

7:30pm - Nick Swardson - The Vic Theatre

7:30pm - Seth Meyers with Special Guests Al Madrigal & Hannibal Buress - The Chicago Theatre

8pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club

8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro

8:30pm - Comics to Watch - Jokes and Notes

8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

8:30 - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box


10pm - Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction - STAGE 773 - The Box

10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro

10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

10pm - The Sullivan & Son Comedy Tour - Park West

10pm - Todd Barry - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

10:30pm - Bad Boys of Comedy - Jokes and Notes

11pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club

11:30pm - The Blackout Diaries - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

11:59pm - The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

11:59pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box

June 15, 2013

7pm - Bob Newhart Live - The Chicago Theatre

7pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro

7pm - Maria Bamford - Park West

7pm - Pete Holmes - You Made It Weird Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

7pm - The Playground presents Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts - STAGE 773 - The Box


7:30pm - Stars of truTV's Impractical Jokers - The Vic Theatre

8pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club

8:30pm - 5-Star Leading Ladies - Jokes and Notes 


8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro

8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

8:30pm - Kill All Comedy - STAGE 773 - The Box\


9:30pm - Artie Lange - Park West

10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro

10pm - Stars of truTV's Impractical Jokers - The Vic Theatre

10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

10pm - Todd Barry - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

10:30pm - Best of Chicago - Jokes and Notes

10:30pm - The Playground presents The Tomkat Project - STAGE 773 - The Box

11pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club

11:30pm - The Blackout Diaries - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

11:30pm The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust

11:59pm - Artie Lange - Park West



June 16, 2013 - Sunday

7:30pm - Bill Maher - The Chicago Theatre


8pm - The Lil Rel Show - Jokes and Notes

Here are the biggest shows broken down by venue:

Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.:
David Cross & His Super Duper Pals - Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Seth Meyers, Al Madrigal and Hannibal Buress - Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Bob Newhart Live - Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Bill Maher - Sunday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The Vic, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.:
Anjelah Johnson - Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m
Nick Swardson - Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Impractical Jokers - Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 and 10 p.m.

Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave.:
The Whitest Kids U’ Know - Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m.
John Hodgman -Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Dylan Moran: “Yeah, Yeah” - Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Maria Bamford - Saturday, June 15 at 7 p.m.

Artie Lange - Saturday, June 15 at 9:30 and 11:59 p.m.


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

CHI, IL LIVE SHOWS ON OUR RADAR-HEY ROSETTA



HEY ROSETTA WITH GOMEZ
CHICAGO-THE VIC-THIS FRIDAY 3/9

Hey Rosetta! To Release Seeds Deluxe LP on ATO Records May 1, 2012
National Tour with Gomez / Confirmed Festival Performances at Sasquatch and The Hangout

Press

“The band has won multiple awards, including album of the year in Canada; but that's not what attracted me to Hey Rosetta. For me, it was the joy in the songs...I'm a bit of a sucker for a mandolin and a kick drum." - Bob Boilen (NPR)

“Top 5 bands to watch from Canada” - Billboard

“2011 Top 5 bands to see at SXSW” - Paste


Spring 2012 US Tour Dates
3/01 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre*
3/02 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen*
3/03 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece
3/05 - Madison - Frequency
3/06 - Minneapolis, MN- Fine Line Music Cafe*
3/07 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater*
3/08 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall*
3/09 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre*
3/11 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
3/12 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
3/14 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts*
3/15 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle*
3/16 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater*
3/17 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel*
3/20 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl*

* with Gomez

Tracklisting for 'Seeds' LP out May 1
01) Seeds
02) Yer Spring
03) Young Glass
04) Bricks
05) New Sum (Nous Sommes)
06) Downstairs
07) Welcome
08) Seventeen
09) Yer Fall
10) Parson Brown (Upirngaangutuq Iqalunni)
11) Bandages
12) Seventeen (Acoustic) - Bonus Track
13) Welcome (Acoustic) - Bonus Track
14) Young Glass (Acoustic) - Bonus Track

Links

Hey Rosetta! Website
Hey Rosetta! Myspace
Hey Rosetta! Facebook
Hey Rosetta! Twitter


Recently nominated alongside Arcade Fire for Polaris Music Prize (Best Canadian Album), as well as the Juno Award for Best New Group of the Year, Hey Rosetta! hails from the rocky and cold northeastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In 2005, Tim Baker arrived home from a road trip with a suitcase full of poems and melodies. Hey Rosetta! formed soon after with the addition of a string section (cellist Romesh Thavanathan and violinist Kinley Dowling) and rhythm section (bassist Josh Ward, drummer Phil Maloney and guitarist Adam Hogan). Since then, they’ve blossomed into a powerful group whose explosive live shows have earned them a devoted following.

The band’s new album, Seeds, was produced by Tony Doogan (Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Wintersleep) and reveals a maturing lyrical depth and an adventurous musical atmosphere rooted to the band’s passion for epic musical experiences. Seeds was initially released in Canada last year to widespread critical acclaim. Hey Rosetta! has recently signed to ATO Records, who will be releasing a deluxe edition of Seeds in the US on May 1, 2012.

The band recently recorded several selections from the album while on tour in Australia at the famed Sing Sing Studios for exclusive bonus content on the LP.  The four acoustic tracks capture intimate performances that feature lush arrangements, which showcase Baker's exception songwriting and vocal talents.

It was while recording 2008’s breakthrough album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) that Tim Baker began to fully realize his remarkable vocal and lyrical abilities, and the band made a huge creative leap forward. They spent nearly three years on the road, touring in support of Into Your Lungs and were named one of Billboard's Top 5 Canadian acts to watch. The album garnered a slew of awards and critical accolades, and was again short-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.

While touring in support of Into Your Lungs, the concept of Seeds was born. “The title track, 'Seeds,' came about while out on the highway a few years ago,” muses Baker. “In a way, it's about what our lives had become, and how we’re like seeds that float around into different fields and cities, bringing something and trying to build something for the people that come to see us.”

The group spent time developing the sonic landscapes found on Seeds, while maintaining a very full touring schedule that took them to Australia, China, Europe, the US and on numerous tours of Canada (including a tour of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). The band holed up in Newfoundland to work on the songs before traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia to record with Tony Doogan at The Sonic Temple (where they had tracked Into Your Lungs).

“Tony was really incredible at getting all the sounds and tones we'd dreamt up. He’s an amazing engineer and for all his Scottish bluster and pop-rock dogma, he is very sensitive, patient, and a gifted producer,” says Baker (who wrote all of the songs except “Downstairs”, “Young Glass”, and “Seeds” which he co-wrote with guitarist Adam Hogan).

Thematically, Seeds touches on themes ranging from depression to procreation. “Young Glass” was written after reading J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey. Baker explains: “It’s sort of directed at the novel’s main character, Franny. It describes a sleepwalking scene that didn't actually occur in the book, but one that I imagined. We spent a lot of time flying and sleeping on planes and in airports, and I was always finding myself in half-waking states, feeling, as one does, all alone somewhere between dream and reality. When I’d wake up, I was always surrounded by people going about their business. I like that; a sort of evidence that even when we think we are completely alone, we are not. So I wrote Franny, a character who is plagued by such thoughts, a song about it… but it's really about everyone.”

Not surprisingly, a few of the songs on Seeds were inspired by the band’s itinerant lifestyle. Baker offers further reflection on the album’s title track: “Appropriately, it’s about the power of the road trip; escape, rebirth through movement…and the rare moments of escape and empowerment you get while highwaying yourself from town to town.”

“Seventeen” takes its title from “the never-ending, wild, woody highway 17 that runs across northern Ontario,” but the lyrics reveal something much more personal: “It's a song about being between childhood and adulthood, between the east and west coasts of the country, and just being caught between things in general…but it's not really a song of despair. It's also about being at a crossroads, not missing the past or stressing about the future, just being present, in the in-between, and the freedom of that.”

Hope is another of the album’s recurring themes: the first single “Welcome” was written for some close friends of Baker’s who were about to become parents. “I wrote a song for the little soon-to-be, who is now an 18 month old girl named Madeleine; healthy and beautiful, just like her parents. I was just sitting with them, talking to the unborn baby in a sort of cynical, joking way. You know, like ‘stay in there as long as you can, kid. Sorry, but it's a mess out here...’ and so on. Later, alone, I was thinking about what it means to bring new life into the world: how it's sort of sad, but also so hopeful and kind of religious.

The album closes on a sweetly optimistic note, with “Bandages” reminding us that even when things seem hopeless, “the winter always ends.”

Copyright © 2011 Tell All Your Friends.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Metal: The Sword Opens for Kyuss at The Vic--LIVE Show Shots


Double click for full screen & other options
 

The Sword was an extra bonus, opening for Kyuss last Friday night at The Vic.   Check out their main site here at Swordofdoom.com.    I was sucked in before they even started, when I saw the set list included a song called Freya.   


We're big into Nordic Gods & Godesses, scifi, mythology, creative legends/story lines and runes.    My last name's the Norse symbol for fire, passion and creativity.   I actually even have a cousin Freya, who's blond haired, blue eyed and nearly 6' tall.   When I checked out the band's website and saw tabs for Lore, and Homeworld I was totally captivated.   Not to mention they rock...hard.



At least some of these boys look far more like Northern Europeans or Vikings than natives of Austin, Texas.   But thankfully they're Texas boys.   Instead of their own brand of caribou or salmon from the frozen Nordic tundra, The Sword has their own limited edition hot sauce!   I'm stoked to be able to continue our series on "Musical Taste" that we started with The Toasters microbrew.  We're featuring bands that have a signature beer, food or consumable.   If anyone knows of one you'd like to see here, hit us up in the comments tab to the top right. 

Hand-crafted to the band's specifications in their hometown of Austin, Texas by hot sauce artisan Brian Rush at Tears of Joy, The Sword's Tears of Fire Hot Sauce will unleash a supernova of searing heat and rich flavor upon the unsuspecting palate. This singular concoction was limited to only one batch and is not available in stores. But there is a chance, however slim, that you might possess a bottle of your very own! The Sword will choose ten lucky winners to have their taste buds blown to the planet Acheron.

Unfortunately, they only made 1 batch and their give away ended in April :(.   One can only hope they'll make more.   I adore hot sauce and would love to try a ghost pepper.   I practically drink Tabasco for breakfast, with eggs, and only once met a pepper that kicked my butt.   Last December in Mexico, I gulped down a pale green pepper I thought was a banana pepper and it just about killed me.   It was so hot I seriously couldn't breath and turned red like a cartoon.   I thought smoke was going to pour out my ears!   It was pretty intense. 

I'm also happy to say The merch tab has black ONSIES!   So your punk kin and banger babies can be stylin'!  

Back to the band, their live performance was a lotta fun.  
They've opened for Guns N' Roses, Kylesa and Rwake and were just touring with Monstro, whom we shot in Chi Town last month.   Check them out here, playing an intimate set at Ultra Lounge with Black Tusk!

The Lore (from swordofdoom.com)

“Before forging the blade, the swordsmiths underwent fasting and ritual purification. They then worked at their anvils in white clothes, like the robes of the priests. Their efforts were well rewarded.”

One of the foundations of the metal revival of the past ten years, Austin TX’s The Sword have released two flawless slabs of vintage heaviness on Kemado Records, toured the world with Metallica, and were one of the first bands to lock into a whole new legion of fans through Guitar Hero. Summer 2011, the band cast its gaze to the stars for Warp Riders, their third full-length and their most ambitious effort to date.

Warp Riders is The Sword’s first concept album, a science fiction maelstrom put to the storming, relentless riffage and pounding rhythms upon which the band has staked its reputation. It’s also their most flat-out, supercharged, adrenaline-pumping work yet, a chrome-plated war machine that lords over the blackened sky. From the street-prowling anthems “Night City” and “Lawless Lands” to the two-part showdown of “The Chronomancer,” to the furious mechanics of closing track “(The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire,” The Sword forces eminent domain ruling over heavy metal for the next decade, and welcome all challengers for an ill-fated shot at the title.


Warp Riders tells the tale of Ereth, an archer banished from his tribe on the planet Acheron. A hardscrabble planet that has undergone a tidal lock, which has caused one side to be scorched by three suns, and the other enshrouded in perpetual darkness, it is the background for a tale of strife and fantasy, the battle between pure good and pure evil. 


How it’s told – through the dueling lead guitars of J.D. Cronise and Kyle Shutt,

 

 


and the concussive rhythm section of bassist Bryan Ritchie and drummer Trivett Wingo – underscores the narrative with molten steel and unreal precision.


Guitarist and lead vocalist J.D. Cronise explains the lineage of Warp Riders: “I’m pretty sure the first concept album I ever heard was Operation: Mindcrime by Queensrÿche when I was a kid, which I was way into. Even though I never really understood the whole story, I was nonetheless enthralled by how the album created its own world. I wanted to create a setting for our songs that would be unique and different, but still a place where epic sagas unfold in proper Sword fashion.” Inspiration took hold from “lots of things … the legend of Atlantis, old Heavy Metal magazines, the films of René Laloux, a childhood dream, and The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda to name a few.”
 
The story of Warp Riders, entitled “The Night The Sky Cried Tears Of Fire” (written by Cronise), follows Ereth as he discovers a mysterious orb and meets the Chronomancer, a being beyond time and space who enlists him in a quest to restore the planet’s balance. Along the way he encounters strange warriors, mysterious witches, ancient androids, and a crew of space pirates with a vessel that will alter the course of history…  a vessel known as, The Sword. 



Kyuss Lives! at The Vic--Live Show Shots 12-2-11


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Overview From The Band's Site:   
There has been void in rock n’ roll that hasn’t been filled in almost 16 years.  Fear not music fans, for you will be deprived of that “Kyuss Sound" no longer.  John, Nick, and Brant are back, and along with Bruno Fevery on guitar, are hitting North and South America on tour AND plan to hit the studio to record the first new material in over a decade.  Hopefully you have prepared ladies and gentlemen, KYUSS LIVES!

Sure, in the intervening years, we've had Queens of the Stone Age, with Josh Homme on lead guitar and vocals.   He's the one hold out who would not return to resurrect Kyuss.    Nick Oliveri also played with Queens for a number of years, 1998-2004, but he's back touring with Kyuss Lives! and the energy and synergy is undeniable.



With 3/4 of the original line up back on board, a sizable tour, and rumors of new material, it looks like the boys are back.


Seen on the scene:   This righteous little head banger can forever count Kyuss Lives! at The Vic in Chicago as his first show.  At the ripe old age of 2nd grade, he knew many of the lyrics and was rockin' out!   






Glad to see Oliveri back with a bass in his hands instead of a rifle.    This past summer he had an unfortunate adventure with a S.W.A.T. team that resulted in a felony domestic violence arrest.  Hopefully his days of disrespecting girlfriends are in the past.





Kyuss always lived on in our ipods, on shuffle play.   But I'd almost forgotten just how good so much of their music is.   This show took me back.   For a few days after, it was all and only Slacker Radio's Kyuss station, till my kids finally staged a mini revolt.   They don't have any new material yet, but if you've got a fan on your holiday list, they do have some sweet desert themed Kyuss Lives! merch.   It will be interesting to see what this year brings, and if they can pull it off without Homme, and truly rise from the ashes with new material.

 

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