Tuesday, September 18, 2012

TONIGHT: CHI, IL Live Shows On Our Radar--Ambassadors at Bottom Lounge

Ambassadors Announce Fall Tour
Debut LP Litost Out Now

Bio

Brotherhood--that's what defines Brooklyn's Ambassadors, whose album Litost was just released digitally this January. Though the band officially started in 2006, three of the members, Sam Harris, his brother Casey Harris and middle school friend Noah Feldshuh had been playing together for years.

Ambassadors started as a college band. Sam, Adam and Noah were all attending the New School while Casey worked as a piano tuner. It wasn’t until 2010 that they were able to completely commit full time to the band, with Noah on lead guitar, Sam on vocals and back up guitar, Casey on keyboard and Adam on drums. “When we first started up, we were looking for a bass player, and nothing clicked. We rely on each other and weren’t going to give up the four- piece if it threatened the chemistry within the band.” They immediately started work on their debut album, but a couple of months before they were slated to record, disaster struck.

Due to a medical condition that had plagued Casey since childhood, he needed to have a kidney transplant. His mother volunteered and gave him her kidney. Two of Sam’s family members were in the hospital recovering. All members of the band had been hibernating in the winter, meditating over the experience. Casey was recuperating in a cabin upstate. While this was taking place, in an effort to deal with his surroundings, Sam started writing the songs for Ambassadors’ eventual debut record, Litost. Adam and Noah would often join him in the process and they would work with their sound. What resulted is a record filled with both darkness and hope, songs that are groove based ("Unconsolable") and some that are truly anthemic ("Bodybag").

Once Casey had fully recovered it was time for the band to record. What came out was a phenomenal genre bending rock album, influenced by everyone from the Stooges and Phil Spector, to George Harrison and Ginuwine.

"I wanted to go all out with this record. We had written all of these songs in this sort of lax environment, but I didn't want the record to mirror that,” according to Sam. "I wanted it to be big and bombastic, and right away you could connect to these songs, and I think that's what we achieved.”

Links

Ambassadors Facebook
Ambassadors Bandcamp

Tour Dates

09.18 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL*
09.19 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE*
09.20 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO*
09.22 - Sail Inn - Tempe, AZ*
09.23 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA*
09.24 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA*
09.25 - Fulton 55 - Fresno, CA*
09.26 - Brick & Mortar Music Hall- San Francisco, CA*
09.28 - Dante's - Portland, OR*
09.29 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA*
09.30 - Carr's Corner - Spokane, WA*
10.02 - The Aquarium - Fargo, ND*
10.03 - Triple Rock - Minneapolis, MN*
10.04 - Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI*
10.05 - Otto's - Dekalb, IL*
10.06 - High Dive - Champaign, IL*

* w/ Local H

Press Quotes

"Their music is full and energetic, but Ambassadors aren’t scared to slow things down and get sensitive." - The Deli

"Ambassadors have an impressive sound, somewhere between The Police classics and MGMT dance tracks." -NY Press

"Drawing from many different genres–blues, dark electronica, gospel, rock n’ roll–this is the type of music you really feel." - Brooklyn Based

Media

Click Here To Watch Ambassadors cover Maxwell's "Lifetime"

Click Here To Watch Ambassadors perform "Unconsolable"

Click Here To Download "Unconsolable " From Filter

Click Here To Watch Them Perform "Unconsolable" On Big Ugly Yellow Couch

Chicago Teachers' Strike--Day 7 #photofeature #Riotfest #CNN

Even at Riot Fest all weekend, teachers were never far from our minds. I saw this bag on a teacher who was shooting the fest with me in the photo pits.

Teachers were there as audience members. photographers, and even musicians in the bands!

Above, keyboardist for the aptly named band, Deals Gone Bad, sports a red Chicago Teachers' Union Tee.

The strike is still on, although there is lots of good buzz about an equitable resolution soon. If you missed it before, I was quoted by CNN about the strike HERE on September 14th.

Today they're running my op-ed piece in favor of the teachers! Check it out here:

My View: We’ve got your backs, Chicago teachers

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, Special to CNN.

My 9- and 11-year-old Chicago public school kids are getting schooled in politics, union organizing and grassroots protest in a very visual way this week. The streets of Chicago are running red as teachers wearing crimson shirts take to the streets for the first strike in a quarter of a century. They're joined by red-wearing parents, kids and supportive community members.

This isn't an “us vs. them” fight. Our teachers ARE our friends, neighbors and parents with their own kids in public schools right next to our own. Where is Mr. Mayor? Maybe he missed out on every one of those 50 prior meetings that Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union had because he was so busy chauffeuring his kids to a well-funded, private Lab School.

Read the rest of my CNN piece here.

Union whistle seen at Riot Fest

Monday, September 17, 2012

ChiIL Live Shows Photos--Best of The Fest--Riot Fest Sunday

Riot Fest 2012 Sunday Best

We have literally thousands of sweet shots from Riot Fest Friday through Sunday that we're editing through and will bring you soon with full recaps. For now, here's a little taste of some of our favs from each day--working backwards. Recognize some famous faces? We'll be breaking it down by the band later this week. We shot all the bands in bold. See if you can match the faces and feet to the following:

Sunday, Sep 16

Humboldt Park

Iggy And The Stooges

Fishbone (singer crowd surfing)

The fest was a huge, raging success in the new Humboldt Park digs. We love it's incarnation as a family friendly, carnival feast for the eyes and ears and hope it becomes an annual tradition. The park was spacious, shady and ideal for the Riot Fest day shift. Then the night shows and after parties at all the usual venues kept the fun going well into the morning hours.

We shot loads of pit photos but we also made a point to catch the colorful crowd and especially the punk kin and yute. If we can walk together why can't we rock together, indeed. This year with both The Descendants and The Offspring playing....how could we not shoot the actual descendants-offspring- progeny-spawn of the punk parents out there. We know parents and kids rock and the littles are sometimes the purest punks--anarchy incarnate, live in the moment, endless energy....You get the picture.

We also made a point of shooting the fire spinners, burlesque performers, and circus punks like Environmental Encroachment, and UPPERkase stilt crew. We even had another fest sighting of Shreddy Shirt Boy (AKA: Mat with one T) and his twin brother, too! They were rocking out on drums with an ape, on one of the fenced in mini stages skattered throughout the grounds. We'll have video footage up soon.

It was like a big family reunion, 30,000 punks strong. We ran into soooo many good friends. These are truly our people. It was great to relax and hear stellar music with some of our favorite friends.

Speaking of familiar faces....we saw Coco Loco for I think the 4th or 5th fest this season, and still couldn't resist their rockin' earrings. We left with 2 more pairs!! I've worn two of their pairs of spirals daily for years. They're very comfortable, fun, and distinctive. I still get a ton of comments and compliments on them. Now Sagezilla has a few pairs of her own. She has black wings, black S shaped earrings made of water buffalo horn, and black spirals inlaid with white triangles.

Check back in with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often for more Riot Fest recaps in the coming weeks, including video and many more photos. Follow ChiIL Live Shows by e-mail in the right side bar for free downloads, original band video interviews, LIVE show footage, pit photos, tour news, give aways, reviews, and the heads up on great music and theatre coming to town. Follow ChiIL Mama by e-mail in the right side bar for all ages fun, alt punk parenting tips, loads of kindie music/book/toy reviews and more.

We'll see you out there.

Chicago's Las Guitarras De Espana at Reggie's 9/25 FREE-ALL AGES-MULTICULTURAL

On Tuesday, September 25, Las Guitarras De Espana will be supporting Chinese folk group Hanggai at Reggie's Rock Club, 2105 S. State Street, as part of the World Music Festival. This show will be an Indo-Flamenco rock collaborative with special guests Satya (vocalist) and Sara Ranganathan (veena). The event is free and open to all ages.

LAS GUITARRAS DE ESPANA

Las Guitarras de España (The Guitars of Spain) is a “world music” ensemble, with a “Spanish guitar twist,” that performs a fusion of Cuban son, rumba, R&B, Latin-jazz, blues, and African percussion with an underlying flamenco music and dance focus. From the start, the ensemble has presented traditional Spanish guitar music along with traditional flamenco forms in collaboration with music and musicians from other genres and cultures. The ensemble has sought to unite music, dance, travel, poetry, and culture in recordings and performances. Click here for Las Guitarras main site Click here for the Reggie's Show Details

El Circo Cheapo at Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements 9/22

Check out our past, photo filled coverage of Brilliant Corners 2011 right here. Click here our full original review/feature.

We've been active in the circus arts community for the past few years as our kids are on CircEsteem's pre-team and are learning aerial arts, Chinese Pole, clowning, juggling, unicycle, and more. We've reviewed numerous circus shows for ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows are avid supporters of as much local Chi-town circus as possible. El Circo Cheapo are some of our favs. Quite a few of our kids' teachers are involved.

Click here for our photo filled coverage of El Circo Cheapo's monthly shows.

Then get out this weekend and see them live, in the big tent. Riverfront Theater--one of our favorite theater spaces in the city--is the now to be permanent tent of Peter Pan and La Soiree Cabaret fame.

El Circo Cheapo at Brilliant Corners!

This Saturday only!

Come check us out in the big tent!
Saturday, Sept 22, 5-6

We love performing in tents, and you love when you get to sit in a chair for only $10! That's right...chair seats for $10! Wooo hooo!

Come check out some of the best acts of El Circo Cheapo Cabaret (and Crockett's very last show with us anywhere...sob!), all hosted by the very hilarious Adam Burke! Yes, THAT Adam Burke!

There's really not a lot more to say about it. It's going to be totally awesome, totally fun, and totally early in the day, so set your alarm clocks for 1PM, get some brunch, and head to the Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement to see some "intents" circus. HA HA HA...get it?

Riverfront Theater is at Chicago Ave and the River. Big white tent. Can't miss it.

Tickets here. Now.

"The ability to let go and be enthralled by a Brilliant moment of entertainment or spectacle is at the heart of human experience. At every Corner of the globe, people come together to enjoy the most Popular and more obscure forms of human Amusements."

Don't miss the Putterbaugh Sisters, doing alate night comedy set at the Festival, Friday night!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

FINAL Riot Fest-Day--BE THERE--ChiIL Live Shows Sunday Recommendations #Riotfest

Gogol Bordello HIGHLY recommended--Playing today (Sunday) at 7:25 on the Roots Stage. ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows has shot them from the pit at North Coast Music Fest 2011 and Summer Camp Music Fest 2012. They are one of our favorites and a must see live. Come check out these gypsy punks. You'll be glad you did! They're the real deal.

We had a rockin' good time at Riot Fest in Humboldt Park yesterday. It was the 8th year for the fest but the first day as a party in the park. It was a genius move to take the bulk of the fest outdoors and we hope it's a permanent move. We shot over 600 photos and video footage Saturday alone, which we'll be editing and posting here soon. For now, we've got a fest to cover, so you'll just have to wait.

We've got loads of great Gwar blood shots....of the band and the slimed freaks in the audience, too. And we have some sweet pit photos of A Wilhelm Scream and Chi-Town's own Deals Gone Bad.

Plenty of families were out with the punk kin. UPPERkase Stilt Crew, the Environmental Encroachment marching band and fire spinners were fun for all ages and lent a welcome circus punk atmosphere to the fest. The carnival strip was a colorful diversion, too.

Recommendations

There are so many truly great bands playing Sunday, so tough choices will have to be made. Here's where we're leaning for sure. We'll have to see how mid day plays out. We may get around and do a mini sampler

Reverend Horton Heat--

first half set playing 1-1:40

Fishbone--1:15-2pm

The Jesus and Mary Chain 4:40-5:25

Elvis Costello 5:25-6:25

Alkaline Trio 6:25-7:25

Gogol Bordello 7:25-8:25

Iggy and The Stooges 8:25-9:25

Can't wait to see Iggy again. Caught him last at Lollapalooza with the kids a few years back and he's still got it. Our husky rescue dog is even named Iggy Pup. Check out our past Iggy coverage here.

**Also noteworthy:

Bands we dig are in bold. Click on their names to hear tracks, see videos and learn more.