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: Django Django & Night Moves at Metro

Night Moves Supporting Django Django In Chicago  On March 15th! 'Colored Emotions' Out Now On Domino Domino signings Night Moves have been announced as the support for Django Django's upcoming US tour.  They're playing The Metro in Chicago on March 15th.  Bullett just did a great interview with them from the last time they toured, check it out here. Praise for Night Moves: “They’re wonderfully weird and experimental -- the slow-grooving songs on Colored Emotions have rich layers of twanging guitars and shuffling, pounding drums. The result is a blend of psychedelic Americana and 2010s indie pop, and the album gets richer with each listen thanks to the unexpected song structures and tight musicianship." -- KEXP (Night Moves) plays countrified rock with a freak-folk vocal style, and their organ and string arrangements spin their songs into mini-epics.” - New Yorker “a warm and intimate, wonderfully expansive gem” - SPIN (Album Premiere) “hook-laden psychedelic rock, lush instrumentation and richly textured production” - NPR Music “Colored Emotions demands to be listened to in its entirety: It’s full of moving parts and the type of effortless transitions between songs that makes the album much more than the sum of its parts." -- Consequence of Sound "single ‘Headlights’ (is) a psychedelic country gem awash in vocalist John Pelant's golden yowl.” - Pitchfork "I finally got around to listening to Night Moves' debut LP Colored Emotions, and it's just about the best thing I've heard from the Twin Cities since Prince hung up his assless purple pants and became a Jehovah's Witness." - Speakers In Code Links: Artist Facebook Artist Twitter Label Website TOUR DATES WITH DJANGO DJANGO: March 06 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg March 07 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg March 08 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer March 09 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club March 11 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club March 12 Toronto, ON - Opera House March 13 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall March 15 Chicago, IL - Metro March 16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue March 19 Seattle, WA - Neptune March 20 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge March 22 San Francisco, CA - Public Works March 23 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre Night Moves is John Pelant (guitars/vocals), Micky Alfano (bass) and Mark Ritsema (multi-instrumentalist) and will be joined by drummer Jared Isabella for the tour. The band has been named “Best New Band” by Minneapolis City Pages and received praise from the likes of NPR Music, SPIN, Bullett, Magnet, Minneapolis Star Tribune and more. They’ve also been getting steady airplay on public radio’s most esteemed stations including KCRW (Los Angeles), KEXP (Seattle), The Current (Minneapolis) and WXPN (Philadelphia). 'Colored Emotions' Tracklisting:   1. Headlights 2. Country Queen 3. In The Rounds 4. Only A Child 5. Family Tongues 6. Old Friends 7. Put Out Your Shoulder 8. Horses 9. Classical Hearts 10. Colored Emotions Copyright © 2011 Tell All Your Friends.

INCOMING: Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo C2E2 2013

Check out our original photos from C2E2 2012 Saturday above


 
R2D2?    No....C2E2!!!

Yeah, OK... maybe both.   R2D2 @ C2E2

 



Du-Jay & Sagezilla dug C2E2 and can't wait for 2013

 



It's bigger on the inside....



This year's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) will be their biggest by far. Tickets are selling earlier and faster than ever.  As of the final week of February, VIP tickets are sold out; 1-Day ticket sales are up 65%; and 3-Day ticket sales are up 78%. This is an overall increase of 64% compared to last year! 



**Meanwhile, their exhibit space is also growing...at this point, they are 25% larger than last year.** 



This is great news as it means that the Midwest - and Chicago, in particular - is becoming a center for pop culture enthusiasts similar in scale to New York and San Diego. 



Have you gotten your tickets yet?   Don't miss out.   Click here and order your tickets as soon as possible.   ChiIL Mama will be there...will YOU?!   We'll have photo filled recaps, individual features, hot new releases, reviews, and free downloads for you.   So check back with ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!!

C2E2 2013, April 26-28, 2013 at the West Building at McCormick Place.

Check out their main site here for special guests and more.
  
Our ultra favorite thing about C2E2 isn't one show or genre even...it's mash ups and context!   We swung by Micky D's on the way out and it was beyond amusing to see the comic book world superimposed on reality. It's all about context.  As realtors are fond of saying...location, location, location.



"Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?"
 


  

We also love to see the colorful mash ups that organically happen in the crowd as everyone's story lines intermingle.   

Steampunk was a growing presence at C2E2 12, and we bought a fabulous corset & a wooden mustache monocle.

 

We also bought a unique ocarina necklace & a "teacarina" musical, pottery tea cup/instrument among other finds.  






Sagezilla and Du-Jay enjoyed the show, and it's fairly family friendly.   There were a ton of kids of all ages there, and there was plenty for kids to see and do, particularly for tweens and teens.    


Kick Ass fam friendly fun at C2E2

Sure, there's a plethora of the usual comic book boobs n gore...so skip it with the littles if they're very young and easily freaked out, or if you're uber conservative.  Otherwise, dress up and come on down!



Of course we're suckers for any excuse to play dress up, and enjoy seeing adults who are reeeeeally into what they're into, and we dig comics, anime, Dr. Who and games.   That means C2E2 is right up our alley.








First time we ever quoted Mr. T around Sagezilla, she thought we said "I'm Winnie the Pooh", and used to repeat it in a booming Mr. T impression.  To this day I still can't hear "I pity the fool" without laughing.

 

We saw many fun freaks, and even derby zombies from The Outfit!

 

 There were loads of graphic artists, actors & writers about.

Promises...promises

We're a little bummed.   These Romanian artist guys took a steam punk photo of Sagezilla & Du-Jay and said they'd anime the kids and send us the sketch via e-mail after the show, and it never happened.    Was that supposed to read get your sketch a year from today?!

We're coming back to find you for C2E2 2013, so start sketching... long haired boy and tiny but mighty grrrrrl, or they'll kick you in the kneecaps!

You can even get inked up permanently, with some new scars, if you're brave & of age.   I do have 4 tattoos, but not from C2E2.   We just stuck with the kind of ink you turn the pages on!



We also saw another of our big favorites--Threadless--and stocked up on more, cool, artist designed t's!   They give back to the community and work with kids for free, at Girls Rock Chicago camps, 826Chi Writing Workshops and more.

Sage spent her "helpful works" cash on a bunch of seriously rockin' handmade fimo necklaces another kid had made.  They were one of a kind and one of the coolest thing we saw at the whole show because they were so creative.   She also bought a Shawnimal Ninja necklace.   



Du-Jay bought Activision Skylanders, one of his Wii favorites.

 

We also ran into one of our favorite author/artist duos... Kim & Dino, of Traegonia fame.  

We gave away a set of their excellent books to one of our lucky readers in December, as part of our huge Holidaze Giveaways.  





 The Traegonia books are a middle grade, eco-friendly fantasy series our family really digs!!  Highly recommended.   Check out their main site right here.



 

 

Come on out and play.   C2E2's a must see for geeks, gamers, pop culture enthusiasts, families and YOU!

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF FROM DOO WOP TO HIP HOP

Chi, IL live shows on our radar.   We haven't had a chance to catch this one yet, but it's high up on our must see list.   We've been impressed by Jackie Taylor's work for years.

Black Ensemble Theater presents the world premiere of From Doo Wop to Hip Hop, written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor and Associate Director Rueben Echoles and produced by Jackie Taylor. From Doo Wop to Hip Hop will be presented at the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, through April 14, 2013.

From Doo Wop to Hip Hop is the story of people who live in the highly affluent neighborhood of Unison Hills. This is an integrated neighborhood made up of people from the music industry. The older folks have all lived their dreams of stardom, and the younger folks are reaching for theirs. The Whites and Blacks who live in Unison Hills have a very special bond, until tragedy hits – a racial tragedy that tears their congenial neighborhood apart. Audiences will hear such great musical classics as “The Great Pretender,” “16 Candles,” “What’s Your Name,” “Our Day Will Come” and “Waterfalls,” just to name a few. Audiences will also enjoy several other musical genres including rhythm and blues, soul, Hip Hop and everything in between.  Musical variety is the name of the game and From Doo Wop to Hip Hop serves it up – big time. 

Dates:        Through April 14, 2013       

Schedule:              Wed & Thurs:        7:30 p.m.
                              Friday:            8:00 p.m.
                              Saturday:        3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
                              Sunday:        3:00 p.m.

Location:        Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street.
                       Valet parking is available.

Ticket prices:  
Regular Run: $55 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday matinees; and $65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings, and Sunday matinees. 

A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.  Preview tickets are $45.00

Box Office:        773-769-4451 or online at www.blackensemble.org.   Click here to order tickets.

From Doo Wop to Hip Hop is part of the Black Ensemble’s 36th Season of Excellence titled, ‘Treasures and Tributes.’  "This Black Ensemble treasure (originally Doo Wop Shoo Bop) is being rewritten and updated for the 2013 production,” says Jackie Taylor.   “With this production, we celebrate music that every generation will enjoy.  As always at Black Ensemble, we are bringing audiences of different generations and races together to experience a universal story with exceptional music like you won’t hear anywhere else in Chicago.” 
   
As with all Black Ensemble Theater productions, Robert Reddrick will serve as musical director.  The Black Ensemble Musicians include Robert Reddrick on drums, Tracy Baker on bass, Herbert Walker on guitar, and Mark Moultrup and Andrea Moore on piano.

The cast includes: David Simmons, Monty Montgomery, Christopher Straw, Dwight Neal, Matthew Payne, Kelvin Roston Jr., Brandon Holmes, Lawrence Williams, Corey Wright, Cynthia Carter, Erin O’Shea, John Keating, Megan Murphy, Lisa Beasley, Danielle Davis and Marquicia Jordan.

The creative team includes Rueben Echoles (Choreography), Daryl Brooks (Production Manager), Dave Ferguson (Set Design), Denise Karczewski (Lights), Mike Pierce and Les Spires (Sound), June Saito (Costumes), Helen Latyak (Props), CoCo Lemry (Scenic Painter).  Bekki Lambrecht is the

Technical Director, Emily Wall is the company stage manager and Victoria Spires is the Equity Stage Manager.
 
Black Ensemble Theater performance times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00.  

Ticket prices are as follows:
Previews are $45; Tickets during the regular run are $55 (Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturday matinees) and $65 (Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees).

The Five Play Card is a much more flexible way of becoming a subscriber to the theater’s 36th Season of Excellence: Treasures and Tributes.  The Five Play Card can be used for one person to see 5 plays or to bring 4 other friends to one show or in any other combination that adds up to five.  The Five Play Cards issued in 2013 will be good for one year.

Gold Five Play Card, $247.50, can be used on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturday matinees.  The Platinum Five Play Card, $292.50, can be used for any performance.  

Tickets and The Five Play Card are available at the box office, 4450 N. Clark Street and by phone, (773) 769-4451.  All performances are held at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street.

The Black Ensemble Theater
Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space; rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage.  The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), is expected in 2013.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.