SAVE THE DATE: GHOST THE MOVIE NOW A MUSICAL will play Chicago’s Oriental Theatre Jan. 7 – 19, 2014.

THE TIMELESS FANTASY ABOUT THE POWER OF LOVE 

      

Playing Chicago’s Oriental Theatre
 January 7 – 19, 2014

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that the new Broadway and West End musical GHOST THE MUSICAL will play Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph) from Jan. 7 – 19, 2014. Relive the iconic and magical moments from the Oscar-winning movie Ghost in a brand-new Broadway musical.  Ghost The Musical breathes glorious new life into a timeless love story.  

Ghost The Musical is directed by Tony Award-winner Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, The Norman Conquests, Boeing-Boeing) and created by a team of Grammy and Academy Award-winners, including an original score by Dave Stewart (half of the multi-Grammy Award-winning Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson's Man In The Mirror, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill).  GHOST THE MUSICAL features a book by Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost, Jacob’s Ladder, The Time Traveler’s Wife) who has adapted his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for the stage.  This brand new score also includes the iconic song “Unchained Melody,” famously performed in the film by The Righteous Brothers.  

Set in modern day New York City, GHOST THE MUSICAL is a timeless fantasy about the power of love.  Walking back to their apartment one night after a romantic dinner, Sam and Molly are mugged, leaving Sam dead on a dark street.  Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next and unable to leave Molly, who he learns is in grave danger. With the help of a phony storefront psychic, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hopes of saving and protecting her. 

GHOST The Musical has been enjoyed by over 500,000 people worldwide and has been nominated for numerous awards including five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards.  The Associated Press calls GHOST The Musical “Eye-poppingly brilliant” while Variety assures the audience will experience “A limitless array of dazzling effects.”  Newsday promises that GHOST The Musical is “Unlike anything seen on stage before” and the Daily Telegraph says that GHOST The Musical “Will keep you gasping!”

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film in 1990, Ghost became a blockbuster hit and an instant classic, winning numerous awards worldwide.  The film starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker.  Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown.

TICKET INFORMATION
GHOST THE MUSICAL is part of the Broadway In Chicago 2014 Spring Season.  Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Individual tickets for GHOST THE MUSICAL will go on sale at a later date.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.ghostthemusical.com.

Kut U Up "Worse Than Wolves" July 2nd #indierock

To Be Released Digitally and on Limited Edition Swirl Vinyl, July 2 Record Release show on 7/2 - The Saloon - Encinitas, CA syndicated at StageIt.com Kut U Up has returned to form with the band's first newly recorded material in more than a decade. They entered Double Time studios on El Cajon California, under the masterful ears of Jeff Forrest, recording six tracks-some unheard, some live show mainstays. The Worse Than Wolves EP will be available July 2 digitally and on limited edition vinyl (black and clear swirl, limited to 500, image below) through MVD Entertainment Group. It can be pre-ordered at Aggronautix.com or at See of Sound. The band's record release show at The Saloon in Encinitas, CA on July 2 will also be syndicated online at StageIt.com for fans across the globe.  Kut U Up's first release, 2002's Pulled Over: Your Eyes Are Telling Me Different Son... , and the band's star-turn in the cult-classic, rock-doc, Riding In Vans' With Boys have helped the band garner a loyal, rabid, and very patient fan base around the world. Fortunately for the fans, the wait for new Kut U Up material is over... "It's crazy that it took us so long to go back in to the studio," says Kut U Up founding member, Chris Cote. "We never 'broke up', and we've been playing live here and there for the last ten or so years, but it became evident through fan interaction and the response we've been getting at shows that we really needed to record some new material. The fans deserve it, and we feel like our legacy does too-we don't want to just be remembered as, 'the band that was all f-ked up in that one movie with Blink and Green Day'-we feel the new songs will speak for themselves. The fans that have stuck with us will love the new jams, and hopefully we'll open the eyes and ears of a whole new generation of Kut U Up fans as well! We're very excited to start this new chapter of the Kut U Up saga." The band's lineup remains strongly bonded, with Chris Cote on Bass and vocals, Brandon Parkhurst on guitar and vocals, Brendan Raasch on drums, and the most recent addition, Matt Amador on guitar. Listen to "Make It Out Alive". For more information go to: http://kutuupmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KutUup Track Listing:  1.Trust 2. Shut It Down 3. Worse Than Wolves 4. Last Time 5. Give A Shit 6. Trap's Set  About KUT U UP Kut U Up is an indie-rock band from San Diego, California. The four piece has been together since sometime in the middle of 1996. If memory serves, the band was formed on the basis of making loud music for partygoers. In the last decade, the band has taken it's signature sound and refined it, adding melody, intricate guitar work, rotating vocals, pounding drums, all while keeping the loose attitude and high volume rawness Kut U Up has become known for. Kut U Up's live shows are better than ever with classic Kut U Up tracks shining alongside new material. Rock and Roll will never die, and neither will Kut U Up.

Poeina Suddarth Plays The Bar 10 Doors in Chicago 7/22 #SubduedThrasherBluegrass

Poeina Suddarth

Poeina Planes, Trains, & automobile Tour

Indie Rock | Americana/Roots

Poeina Suddarth’s genre was coined as subdued thrasher bluegrass by producer and long time friend Smoke of Oldominion. Though Poeina has been inspired and closely knit into the NW hip hop community, her music has been more often compared with Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley and Billie Holiday.  poeinasuddarth.com

Up and coming performing artist and songwriter, Poeina Suddarth, is relentless in her pursuit of bringing her music to her nationwide fanbase. Although her van broke down almost a year ago she has been hitch hiking, ridesharing, and using fan funding to tour on foot while toting her guitar and suitcase of handmade merchandise behind her.  

Poeina used to be a music teacher and volunteer community organizer.   Three years ago she dropped everything in pursuit of her dream to play and perform her original music.  Although she is currently independent and has no financial backing, Poeina takes whatever studio work and odd jobs she can find between tours to attempt to make ends meet.  "Touring is a grueling and intense way to make a living but I can't give up." ~Poeina

Poeina will be spending the next eight months touring nationally and internationally to promote her iTunes EP Poeina which was released on February 18th, 2013.  The versatile vocalist, Poeina Suddarth, meets with musicians and dancers all over the country to put on performances.  Every show is - unique and ever evolving - intense and emotive - and encompassing a range of human expression.

Touring the states is tough but since there is no way to hitch hike to Europe for her upcoming winter tour, Poeina will be launching a kickstarter campaign to fundraise to bring her music across the ocean.  To find more information about the fundraiser & tour schedule you can follow Poeina on facebook and twitter.

CONCERT START TIME:	8:30pm
VENUE:	The Bar 10 Doors
VENUE ST. ADDRESS:	1259 W Taylor St
VENUE CITY, STATE:	Chicago, IL
VENUE ZIP:	60607
VENUE LINK:	Click here
TICKET PHONE:	312-226-1611

SPIRALARMS Sign with Steamhammer/SPV #musicvideo #heavyrockers

Steamhammer / SPV is proud to announce that East Bay Heavy Rockers SpiralArms just inked a worldwide deal with Steamhammer / SPV. Their second album "Freedom" is scheduled for an October 2013 release. SpiralArms rose from the ashes of millennial bands Systematic, Forbidden and Man Made God. This sextet has one mission. That mission is to save today's music scene by bringing true heavy melodic rock to the forefront. Tim Narducci (SpiralArms) comments: "We're very proud to be a part of the SPV/Steamhammer records! SPV is the perfect home for us to grow into the band that we had envisioned when we started. Their belief in SpiralArms has only inspired us to rock harder then ever! We always felt like we just needed a crack in the door so we can kick it all the way open with our brand of heaviness." Georg Schröder (A+R Steamhammer/SPV) ads: "This band rocks hard! Their debut album 'Highest Society' which was released in 2010 already showed that these guys are really able to deliver some true, honest and super heavy melodic Rock. The upcoming album 'Freedom' goes one step further and just blew us away. The songs recall on the times of the really big rock songs of the past but the band managed it to sound amazingly fresh and modern. We can't wait to release this Rock Monster in October!" Check out "Dropping Like Flies" The first Video from the upcoming album "Freedom" here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT8MmiJC43U SpiralArms are: Tim Narducci - Vocals/Guitar Craig Locicero - Guitar Anthony Traslavina - Guitar Cornbread - Bass/Vocal Brad Barth - Keyboards Ron Redeen - Drums www.spiralarms.com

Hear the first single from Dent May's forthcoming album Warm Blanket out Aug. 27 on Paw Tracks

Photo by Aaron Beasley 

STREAM: Dent May - "Born Too Late"  Dent May previously shared a teaser video for this upcoming new album, Warm Blanket. Now, you can hear the first single from the album, "Born Too Late," over at The FADER.  About Dent May: Warm Blanket is the third album from Mississippi songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Dent May. Recorded in solitude in a reportedly haunted Victorian house by the bay in St. Augustine, Florida, the album arrives just barely a year after the release of his previous LP, Do Things. Dent's most ambitious undertaking yet, Warm Blanket is another kaleidoscopic odyssey through the restless musical mind of a DIY pop auteur. He played almost all of the instruments on the album, making use of the house's antique grand piano and recruiting Florida locals to fill in on horns, strings, and pedal steel guitar. The result is an album of existential pop, psychedelic funk, and melancholy soul with soaring arrangements ripped from the pages of classic American songwriting. Lyrically, Dent investigates life's timeless mysteries, touching on youth, mortality, alienation, and unrequited love with startling honesty and humor. A delightful mix of organic textures, analog synth squiggles, inventive vocal melodies, and sincere wordplay, Warm Blanket is a bold step forward for an artist who shows no signs of slowing down.    DENT MAY    06/24 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium  06/25 - Iowa City, IA - The Mill +  06/26 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups +    + = w/ Dead Gaze Dent May  Warm Blanket (Paw Tracks) Street Date: August 27, 2013 Formats: CD / LP / Digital     1. Turn Up The Speakers 2. Let Them Talk 3. Born Too Late 4. Yazoo 5. Corner Piece 6. Do I Cross Your Mind? 7. It Takes A Long Time 8. I'm Ready To Be Old 9. Endlessly 10. Found A Friend 11. Summer Is Over  DENT MAY LINKS: Official Site - www.dentmay.com     Facebook - www.facebook.com/dentmay  Twitter - https://twitter.com/dentmay Label - http://www.paw-tracks.com

Spin Premieres Alela Diane's 'About Farewell' Video About Farewell Out June 25th (Digitally) And July 30th (Physical) On Rusted Blue Records

'About Farewell' Track Listing: 1. Colorado Blue 2. About Farewell 3. The Way We Fall 4. Nothing I Can Do 5. Lost Land 6. I Thought I Knew 7. Before The Leaving 8. Hazel Street 9. Black Sheep 10. Rose & Thorn Praise For Alela Diane: "Diane’s work here is hauntingly honest, strongly suggesting that the emotional wallop of About Farewell won’t be easy to shake off" --Pitchfork "Diane unspools such gorgeous melody that you can't help but experience what she's feeling" --Spin "Diane's warm alto provides an ideal vehicle for her minor-key meditations on matters existential and elemental. With a lyrical style that tends more toward dreamlike imagery than straightforward narrative, she creates music with timeless character."-- NPR "Alela Diane's songs are campfire pipe dreams filled with picket fences, desert sands and paths leading back to you." -- The Guardian [UK] "Her sincere, timeless voice and songwriting earning her country-flecked brand of folk comparisons to 70′s folk godmothers Karen Dalton and Vashti Bunyan." -- Consequence Of Sound Links: Alela Diane Website Alela Diane Facebook Watch 'About Farewell' Video At Spin! Pre-Order About Farewell on iTunes  "I heard somebody say that 'the brightest lights cast the biggest shadows,' so honey, I've got to let you go, I've got to let you go". ...So croons the elegant folkstress Alela Diane on the title number from her forthcoming record, About Farewell. Over the last year, Alela has finished recording and mixing this new album, to be self-released in the summer via her own label, Rusted Blue Records. It serves as an eloquent goodbye to lovers from years past, coupled with some poignant last walks down memory lane. While the lyrics deal most directly with her recent divorce, the album explores her entire last decade of relationships with tremendous honesty and nuanced insight. To call the experience "cathartic" would almost be an understatement - for Alela, this was a record which direly needed to be made. In the writing process, she was able to lucidly articulate her emotions about her marriage, a process which led her to realize the necessity of ending one chapter of her life in order to begin a new one. Her art helped to guide her, as ever, along the proper path. The process of writing and recording About Farewell cemented her intention to say a firm goodbye. Yet in releasing it - surrendering it to the world - this songbird can find new levity with that weight off her wings. She's flying towards what the French call l'avenir - the "yet to come." These songs are somber and achingly truthful, yet always glimmering with her exquisite poetry. In these new songs, Alela's staggering voice is able to take center stage, as she's turned away from the full band that she last employed with Alela Diane & Wild Divine. The entirety of About Farewell was built around her voice and simple guitar arrangements. With an unprecedented level of creative control, Alela could explore her own ideas for harmonies and melodies and create a wholly unique piece of self-expression. While the record is a step forward for her in this way, it also represents a return to her roots as a songwriter. Hailing from Nevada City, CA, the homespun charms of her origin place have never left her. Alela's first record, The Pirate's Gospel, featured hand-drawn and hand-sewn sleeves. It is this handcrafted DIY aesthetic which is revisited anew, both in her decision to self-release the album, and in her self-possessed approach to recording Alela laid much of About Farewell to tape with John Askew at Flora Recording Studios in her current home of Portland, Or, in late 2011 and early 2012. Over the course of 2012 she enlisted the help of some very talented friends to flesh out the sound: Heather Broderick (Horse Feathers, Efterklang, Loch Lomond) arranging and playing piano and flute, Holcombe Waller arranging strings, and Neal Morgan (Joanna Newsom, Bill Callahan touring bands) playing drums. In early 2013, she finished mixing the album with John Askew at Scenic Burrows and Mix Foundry. We find these stripped-down folk songs to be a perfect vehicle for Alela's impressive emotional range. She's able to convey heartrending vulnerability at one moment, then bold wisdom and unflinching directness at the next. Nowhere is this palette so rich as in the live shows, an intimate treat for audiences lucky enough to catch her this year.  In the season of spring, the heart has thawed and we turn to the promise of budding possibilities. A once-heartsick Alela has said her farewells, and now is the time to meet the new, more fully actualized woman.

BLUE MAN GROUP SEEKS NEW BLUE MEN AT OPEN CASTING CALL AT CHICAGO’S BRIAR STREET THEATRE 7/9

Blue Man Group is one of our long time favorites.   Click here to check out loads of our photo filled past coverage.    ChiIL Mama was even quoted in their ads :). You too could be blue! What does it take to be a Blue Man?   Blue Man is an egoless, genderless being.  Male and female performers are encouraged to audition.  All necessary audition equipment will be provided.  The basic criteria for Blue Man performers are: Height between 5’10” and 6’1” tall (athletic build) Solid drumming skills Excellent acting skills Willingness to relocate Open Casting Call to be Held Tuesday, July 9 – 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.   Blue Man Group, the international entertainment phenomenon, announces the 2013 Blue Man Group open casting call on Tuesday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted Street). The Blue Man Group casting department is searching for talented performers with a unique combination of qualities to be a Blue Man for the existing and upcoming productions and multimedia projects.   The Blue Man cast features performing artists with a diverse mix of disciplines: classically-trained actors, rock musicians and dancers.  Once cast, the new Blue Men will have the opportunity to perform in one of the nine ongoing theatrical productions in Chicago, New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin, Australia, Brazil and on tour throughout the U.S. In addition, the Blue Men can be seen onboard the new Norwegian Epic by Norwegian Cruise Line – the Official Cruise Line of Blue Man Group.   The Blue Man Group open casting calls have been instrumental in finding the next generation of wide-eyed explorers of contemporary civilization. In the most recent Chicago open casting call, a local, Nick Rush, auditioned and now performs as one of the ever-curious and creative Blue Men at the Briar Street Theatre.   What does it take to be a Blue Man?   Blue Man is an egoless, genderless being.  Male and female performers are encouraged to audition.  All necessary audition equipment will be provided.  The basic criteria for Blue Man performers are: Height between 5’10” and 6’1” tall (athletic build) Solid drumming skills Excellent acting skills Willingness to relocate This open call audition is for Blue Man performers.  Musicians who do not meet the above criteria can be considered for Blue Man Group band positions by submitting application information on bluemancasting.com.  For more information about ongoing Blue Man Group casting efforts, performers may visit bluemancasting.com. ABOUT THE SHOW In the show, the Blue Men encounter a variety of environments to discover, engage with and explore of-the-moment situations with cutting-edge technology.  Many of the signature scenes that have made Blue Man Group one of today’s best-loved theatrical productions have been in the show since its opening and new material has been integrated regularly. Newer passages include Blue Men interacting with “GiPads;” a funny and perceptive look at contemporary communication vehicles; and a pulsating finale featuring an original Blue Man Group music score.  The company’s music, featuring custom made instruments and signature, percussive sound, can be heard on five albums, including the Grammy-nominated “Audio,” as well as various film and television projects. As the company grows, it remains true to its vision of providing exciting experiences in a variety of media, appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds.  Blue Man Group’s appeal is multi-generational, with several projects specifically designed for young people, including “Making Waves,” a popular touring exhibit for children, and the national “Invent an Instrument” competition. Through August 1, 2013 Blue Man Group will be hosting the Blue Man Group Art Competition. Up to six winners will be chosen by a panel of local Chicago judges to have 10’ x 10’ reproductions of their Blue Man-inspired works hung in an outdoor art gallery on the exterior wall of the Briar Street Theater. Winners will also receive a $5,000 cash prize. Interested artists can visit entrythingy.com/www.blueman.com for more details, full rules and regulations and entry requirements. BLUE MAN GROUP TICKET INFORMATION   Tickets are available from $49-$99. Tickets may be purchased at the Briar Street Theatre by calling the box office at (773) 348-4000; by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787; at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or via the Internet at www.ticketmaster.com.  For more information, visit www.blueman.com/tickets/chicago. Blue Man Group Chicago Open Casting Call at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted St.) Tuesday, July 9 – 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

ACT OUT OPENING: 5th Annual Salon des Naked July: Art Stripped Down 2013

The National Pastime Theater Presents

Salon des Naked July: Art Stripped Down 2013

Fifth Annual Summer Festival

At The National Pastime Theater the entire month of July is filled with lovely, provoking and aggressive bodies. As the temperature rises, the clothing falls. The National Pastimes’ festival reveals the human body as beautiful in every shape, size and color. By exposing these physical differences, audiences discover the innate similarities in all human bodies. We are all made of the same material both natural and beautiful.

In our fifth annual Salon, Naked July: Art Stripped Down, NPT offers a series of shows and exhibitions. We offer multi-disciplinary pieces that explore the many aspects of beauty in art featuring the nude human body. There are Life Drawing Sessions, Aggressive Movement Theater and Dance, Audience Participatory workshops and classic Burlesque Big City Butterflies. The National Pastime Theater transforms our world into a human form art gallery for one month. Only at The National Pastime Theater.

June 28^th through July 27^th

Only at The National Pastime Theater

The 2013 line up includes:

Le Chat Noir, Gary Schirmer and Friends. Fridays at 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 90 minutes

Urban Jungle, Vaudezilla. Fridays at 10 p.m. -11 p.m. 60 minutes

Kill Your Boyfriends, Pride Films and Plays. Begins Saturday July 5^th.Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. and special performance Friday July 26 at Midnight. 70 minutes.

Naked People 2013 Gary Shirmer Figure Study Visual Art Opening Friday July 12 only, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Free

The Living Canvas, Performance Saturdays 10 p.m. including post show discussion. 90 minutes. Workshop 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., lunch break 1 p.m. Workshop 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Tickets are $20.00 for each live performance and $10.00 each film screening per adventurous patron. Individual tickets are available for purchase at nakedjuly.com.  Discounted festival passes are available by calling the box office at 773-327-7077, group rates are also available.

The National Pastime Theater is located within the rediscovered historic Preston Bradley Center at 941 W Lawrence Ave. 4th Floor in Chicago. The curious and bold can discover us via the Red Line Lawrence train stop and bus routes 36, 81, 145 and 151 are all within 3 blocks. $5 parking in Weiss hospital parking at 4650 N. Clarendon. Voucher at box office.

For tickets go to nakedjuly.com (tickets on sale 6-11-13 p.m.)

Details:

 Le Chat Noir, Gary Schirmer and Friends. Fridays at 8 p.m. Hosted byNaked July Art Stripped Down’s long time Art Curator. (Live Nude Studies, Music, Salon, Naked July)

This is an interactive Toulouse-Lautrec inspired Salon with a figure drawing seminary, live music, audience participation if desired and an enjoyable safe atmosphere in our hidden away antique speakeasy theater. The atmosphere like no other place in the world. Figure study virtuoso Gary Schirmer will lead all who wish to improve or begin their figure study skills or still modeling skills. Anyone can play. You may also BYOB and walk about the room. Observe the studies and enjoy the atmosphere and music. All supplies will be included for those that wish to draw. “Like nothing you have ever seen.”  Guaranteed!

Urban Jungle, Vaudezilla. Fridays at 10 p.m. Vaudezilla is the Official Burlesque Troupe of Naked July: Art Stripped Down 2013. (Burlesque, Vaudeville, Performance Art, Naked July)

Join Vaudezilla as we take a walk on the wild side in our “Urban Jungle” cabaret, a fast-paced 60 minute show that lets us examine the hot, hot heat of the Windy City at night.  In this stunning combination of burlesque and performance art, we follow a variety of cabaret performers on a journey through missed connections, public transportation foibles, and what it’s like to be a starving artist in the big city.

Kill Your Boyfriends, Pride Films and Plays. Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. starting July 6^th, with a special midnight performance on July 26th. (July 06, through July 27 and Midnight July 26.) This is Pride Films and Plays second appearance at Naked July: Art Stripped Down. (Dance, Theater, Naked July)

Two couples in a single bed. Finding each relationship at a moment of strain, we watch as the characters try to make it through one more night, each unable to sleep, refusing to rest.  A fever dream of movement and text, the performance combines the words of several writers to voice the panic and obsession that threaten to consume.  Fear of sex.  Fear of death.  Fear of sleep and the fight against its tranquil oblivion.  You always hurt the one you love.  Or, at the very least, the one who sleeps next to you.  “You must kill your boyfriends”, poet Alex Dimitrov tells us. “You must kill what wants, like death, to keep you”.

Choreographed and Arranged by Derek Van Barham. Authors: Richard Siken, Alex Dimitrov, Sylvia Plath, Sharon Olds, Thom Gunn, Shakespeare, and Walt Whitman (among others).

The Living Canvas, Saturdays 10 p.m. The Living Canvas returns to Naked July: Art Stripped Down in 2013 with its freshest and most collaborative approach yet. (Movement, Dance, Theater, Workshop, Naked July)

A delightful mix of professional directing, performing, and writing joins up with startling new ideas developed in workshops with Living Canvas fans.  Patrons will have the opportunity to attend and participate in the workshops on the performance day and have input into that night's performance. Sign up for the workshops after purchasing tickets.

The Living Canvas celebrates the beauty and expressive power of the human form through performance art, nurturing a sense of body acceptance for performer and audience. It is spectacle and storytelling, utilizing creative lighting, sound, and multi-media imagery that interact with the human canvas.

WIN a Jack the Giant Slayer Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet) US & Canada $44.95 value #giveaway #ad

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and win a Jack the Giant Slayer Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet).  Giveaway open to residents of the USA and Canada).    

Click here to check out our photo filled past Jack the Giant Slayer coverage & our full movie review.   

We were thrilled to give away 100 family four packs of tickets to a special advanced screening  of Jack the Giant Slayer and loads of cool swag to our readers.   Now YOU can own it to watch again and again.  Thanks to Warner Bros. for providing us with a Jack the Giant Slayer Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet) for our giveaway.


Enter here for your chance to win 

Open through midnight July 9th to any residents of the US or Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Warner Bros. is proud to announce the arrival of Jack the Giant Slayer now released on DVD & Blu-ray as of June 18!

Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of this life to stop them and rescue the princess! 

The question is... are you courageous enough to rescue the princess? Are you brave like Jack?  Take the quiz to find out!

Celebrate this classic story with NEW content exclusive to the Jack The Giant Slayer Blog App! 

• Control the Action! - Move your mouse across the GIFS and take control of action-packed scenes from Jack the Giant Slayer. YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THE ACTION!

• How Brave Are You? QUIZ - Are you brave like Jack? Do beanstalks and "giant" challenges make you afraid or courageous? Take the quiz to find out!

• Giant Soundboard - Jack the Giant Slayer is filled with epic giant stomps, sword slashes and thunderous sounds! Play with official sound effects from the movie and compose your own "giant hit song"! 

Get Social With It!

• Tweet with the #JackTheGiantSlayer hashtag 

About Jack the Giant Slayer:

Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of this life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend... and gets the chance to become a legend himself! Directed by Brian Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns)

Starring: Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge!), and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones).

Thanks to Warner Bros. for providing us with a Jack the Giant Slayer Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet) for our giveaway.

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

BLACK TUSK Premiere Video on Invisible Oranges and Brooklyn Vegan New Tour Dates Announced #metal

Black Tusk... Hard rockin' metal heads, self proclaimed "Swamp Metal Band" and all around funny guys are some of our favorites here at ChiIL Live Shows.   

**Check out ChiIL Live Shows' original Black Tusk video interview from the basement recesses of Reggie's Rock Club-Chi, IL and a bunch of our live show shots right here.**

Savannah, GA's BLACK TUSK will release their new EP Tend No Wounds on July 23rd via Relapse Records.  The EP was recorded with producer Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Baroness) at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC.   The artwork was created by Brian Mercer (Eyehategod, Lamb of God, Zoroaster). Tend No Wounds will be available in CD, Vinyl and digital formats and can be pre-ordered from the Relapse Records Store.  Today the band has teamed up with Invisible Oranges and Brooklyn Vegan for an exclusive premiere of their video for the song "In Days of Woe".  Check it out on Invisible Oranges HERE and on Brooklyn Vegan HERE. BLACK TUSK has also announced a handful of regional tour dates for this summer.  They start July 24th in Augusta, GA and runs through July 27th in Memphis, TN.  Tend No Wounds is a 6 song/20 minute blast of high octane raging Southern rock/metal that merges the classic original backwoods metallic hardcore Black Tusk sound with the newer more polished rock based tunes the band has honed after years on the road on the road with bands like Baroness, Skeletonwitch, Mastodon, Kvelertak and more.  Updated BLACK TUSK news and tour information will be made available at the Relapse Records website and BLACK TUSK Facebook page. Tend No Wounds Tracklisting: 1.     A Cold Embrace 2.     Enemy of Reason 3.     The Weak and the Wise 4.     Internal/Eternal 5.     Truth Untold 6.     In Days of Woe Black Tusk Live: July 24                        Augusta, GA                           Sky City July 25                        Chattanooga, TN                    JJ's Bohemia July 26                        Louisville, KY                         Diamond Pub July 27                        Memphis, TN                                     New Daisy Theater

ACT OUT OPENING: BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at Cadillac Palace

OH BOY!

BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

COMES TO CHICAGO JUNE 18 – 30

STAGE MUSICAL INCLUDES OVER TWENTY OF 

BUDDY HOLLY AND ROCK & ROLL’S GREATEST HITS

Tonight I'll be continuing my son's rock education with opening night of Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story.   We can't wait!   Buddy is only in town June 18th-30th so book your tickets today.   Check out Goldstar for ticket deals.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that individual tickets for the musical BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY go on-sale to the public Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10 a.m.  Based on the life of rock legend Buddy Holly, BUDDY will play Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph) for a limited engagement June 18 – 30, 2013.

In just three short years, Buddy Holly set the music world on fire and forever changed the face and sound of rock and roll. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story charts his meteoric climb, legendary adventures and tragic fall on the fateful day the music died. Armed with a Fender Stratocaster guitar, his signature specs and a charismatic blend of rockabilly swagger, Buddy explodes onto the stage in this jukebox musical fully loaded with classics “Peggy Sue,” “Oh Boy,” “That’ll Be the Day,” “Well All Right,” “Not Fade Away” and many more with an encore that will have you on your feet and dancing in the aisles.

BUDDY will be directed and choreographed by Norb Joerder with music direction by John “Jockey” Banister and creative consultation by Matt Salisbury.  Casting will be announced at a later date.

About Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story

One of the first jukebox musicals, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has been seen by millions of fans in fifteen countries around the world, including the United States.  The musical premiered in London’s West End in October, 1989, where it ran for twelve years and over 5,000 performances, A Broadway production followed in 1990.  The score includes over twenty of rock and roll’s greatest hits by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper and more.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The performance schedule for BUDDY is as follows:

Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesdays at 2 & 7:30 p.m. (no matinee performance on June 19)

Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.

Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m.

Sundays at 2 p.m. (additional performance on June 23 at 7:30 p.m.)

Please note: Ticket prices and performance schedule are subject to change.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for BUDDY at the Cadillac Palace Theatre range from $22-$85.  A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.  Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Kiosk at Water Tower Place (845 N. Michigan Ave.), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Lights To Dim Tonight at 8:45 On Broadway In Chicago Marquees to Honor Bernie Sahlins

IN HONOR OF BERNIE SAHLINS

 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013 AT 8:45 PM

Bernie Sahlins’s Legacy in Theatre & Comedy and contribution to Chicago will be recognized by the dimming of the Broadway In Chicago theatre marquees.   He passed away two days ago at the age of 90 and will be greatly missed.

WHO:        Chicago native Bernie Sahlins (1922-2013), a true champion and icon for the Chicago theatre community, was a prolific Chicago producer.  Mr. Sahlins was Co-Founder of The Playwrights Theatre Club, The Second City, The University of Chicago's Off-Off Campus, the International Theatre Festival of Chicago and the Lithuanian International Theatre.

WHAT:      Broadway In Chicago will dim the marquee lights at its four theatres in downtown Chicago

WHY:       “In keeping with a long-standing Broadway tradition, Broadway In Chicago wanted to dim the marquee lights to provide Chicago with an appropriate moment to reflect on Bernie Sahlins’ lifetime in the theatre,” said Lou Raizin, President of Broadway In Chicago.  “Bernie Sahlins was a Chicago Treasure who contributed volumes to Chicago Theatre Artists for decades and he will be greatly missed.”

WHEN:       TONIGHT - Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 8:45PM

WHERE:     Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe), Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph), Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) and Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Biography for Bernard Sahlins:

Director, author and producer Bernard Sahlins is the founder of the world-renowned The Second City, where he also served as a longtime director and producer.  Sahlins also co-founded The International Theatre Festival of Chicago and The Lithuanian International Theater Festival, and has directed and/or produced various shows in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London and Toronto. He is also the co-creator and producer of "SCTV." Sahlins' directing credits include his own adaptation of "The Mysteries" for the Court Theatre, "The Wasteland" for the Chicago Humanities Festival & The Arts Club, "The Cure at Troy" for Steppenwolf Theater, "The Shoemakers Holiday," "The Knight of the Burning Pestle" and "The Burial at Thebes" for the Chicago Shakespeare and multiple readings for the Poetry Foundation, among myriad other productions. He has written and directed several works, including "See the Light" for the Museum of Science & Industry, "The History of Comedy, Part 2" for the University of Chicago and "A Woman for All Seasons,” “Jane Addams,” and “Dylan Thomas” for the Chicago Humanities Festival. He has been a consultant for the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and the Lithuanian National Theatre, The Disney Company, The Market Theatre: Johannesburg, The Museum Campus, USIS: Rumania, Lithuania, The University of Chicago arts programs and The British Council. He is the author of "Days and Nights at The Second City: A Memoir." Sahlins is the recipient of The Sergel prize for playwriting, The University of Chicago Professional Achievement Award, The Chicago Drama League's Professional Achievement Award, Joseph Jefferson Awards for directing and professional achievement, The Illinois Arts Alliance "Legend" award, and the Improv Festival Achievement Award.  He served on the Advisory Board of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Board of Directors for The Arts Club of Chicago, and the Board of Directors for the DePaul School of Drama.