Congrats to this week's theatre ticket winners. Lost & Found at The Actor's Gym is now completely sold out through the end of their run....but we still have 4 tickets today for one of our lucky readers!
Meg M.--4 tickets to (sold out) Lost & Found at Actor's Gym at 7:30pm THIS Friday night. Click here for full show details and links to ChiIL Live Shows' review.
Aviv H.--2 tickets to teen night at The North Plan at Theater Wit THIS Saturday night. Pre-party 7pm. Show at 8pm. Pizza and talk back with the actors after the show. Click here for ChiIL Live Shows' review and show details.
The North Plan is Jeff recommended, which complete a trifecta of
Jeff-y goodness, with all three shows currently at Theater Wit considered excellent by the hard-attending members of the committee!! Big congrats from ChiIL Live Shows. We saw The North Plan and Punk Rock and highly recommend both. Great stuff happening over at Theater Wit these days.
As always, check back with ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We have loads of great nationwide give aways and free Chicago concert and theatre tickets.
Friday, Mar 09, 2012 8:00 PM CST (8:00 PM Doors)
- Saturday, Mar 10, 2012 1:00 AM CST Ultra Lounge, Chicago, IL 21 years and over
BLACK TUSK Confirmed For Metallica's Orion Music + More Festival
North American Tour Kicks Off Today Savannah, Georgia's BLACK TUSK have confirmed that they will be appearing at the inaugural "Orion Music + More Festival" curated by Metallica. The festival will be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey at Bader Field on June 23rd and June 24th. BLACK TUSK will be playing on Saturday January 23rd. More information on the festival can be found on the official "Orion Music + More Festival" Website, Facebook Page and Twitter. "We are honored to play the first Orion Fest. Metallica has always been an influence for our band. This is yet another contribution they are making for music, not just metal," says BLACK TUSK drummer James May. BLACK TUSK are preparing to kick off an extensive North American tour starting today in Memphis, TN. This run will feature headlining tour dates with support coming from East of the Wall, label-mates Royal Thunder and Hull, plus a string of dates supporting Prong and select shows with Intronaut and Skeletonwitch in March. The band will also be appearing at this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, TX on March 14th. BLACK TUSK will perform at the Pitchfork Showcase, Metal Sucks Showcase and Converse Showcase. BLACK TUSK will be taking part in an exclusive in store signing event on March 19th in Hollywood, CA at 6:00 PM. The signing will take place at Sound Check Hollywood, which is located at 8872 Sunset Blvd. For more information visit: http://www.soundcheckhollywood.com/ The guys cannot wait to hit the road: "We're getting ready to put some miles on the van and have some good times playing shows and meeting new friends and seeing old ones! SXSW is going to be pretty awesome this year, we are doing three shows in one day and playing with some amazing bands and good friends. We are super stoked to get out to the west coast again and we will hopefully see y'all at the shows!" Following the North America dates, BLACK TUSK will be heading over to Europe providing direct support to label mates RED FANG The tour will kick off April 5th in Segrate, Italy and wraps up on May 5th in Essen, Germany. A teaser video for the tour can be viewed HERE. A complete list of dates can be found below. BLACK TUSK is currently streaming Set The Dial at this location. The album is available for purchase via Relapse.com here and iTunes here. BLACK TUSK is available for interviews upon request. To speak with the band, please contact the relevant publicity contact listed below. Updated BLACK TUSK news and tour information will be made available at the Relapse Records website and BLACK TUSK Facebook page. BLACK TUSK Tour Dates: WITH ROYAL THUNDER, EAST OF THE WALL, HULL 3/8: Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone 3/9: Chicago, IL @ Ultra Lounge 3/10: Detroit, MI @ I ROCK 3/11: Portage, IN Camelot Arean 3/12: St Louis, MO @ Fubar 3/13: Fayetteville, AR @ Stone Pony SXSW 3/14: Austin, TX @ ND Venue (Pitchfork / Show No Mercy SXSW Showcase) 3/14: Austin, TX @ Metalsucks SXSW Showcase 3/14: Austin, TX @ Converse SXSW Showcase WITH INTRONAUT AND EAST OF THE WALL 3/16: Scottsdale, AZ @ Chaser's 3/17: Tucson, AZ @ The Rock 3/19: West Hollywood, CA @ The Whiskey WITH PRONG 3/21: San Diego, CA @ Ruby Room 3/22: West Hollywood, CA @ Viper Room 3/23: Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS 3/24: Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse 3/25: Fresno, CA @ Starline 3/26: Fullerton, CA @ Slidebar WITH EAST OF THE WALL 3/27: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill 3/28: Portland, OR @ Rotture 3/29: Tacoma, WA @ Hell's Kitchen 3/30: Seattle, WA @ Highline 3/31: Boise, ID @ The Venue 4/1: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court 4/2: Englewood, CO @ Moe's 4/3: Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room EUROPEAN TOUR W/ RED FANG 4/5: Segrate, Italy (MI) @ Magnolia 4/6: Roma, Italy @ Traffic 4/7: Montecchio Maggiore, Italy (VI) @ E20 Underground 4/8: Bulle, Switzerland @ Ebullition 4/9: Lyon, France @ TBA 4/10: Nantes, France @ Le Ferrailleur 4/11: Paris, France @ Les Combustibles 4/12: Tilburg, Holland @ Roadburn Festival 4/13: Torhout, Belgium @ Club de B 4/14: Marbehan , Belgium @ Bois Des Isles 4/15: Southampton, UK @ Joiners 4/16: Manchester, UK @ Star and Garter 4/17:Wrexham, UK @ Central Station 4/18: London, UK @ Underworld 4/19: Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje 4/20: Leeuwarden, Netherlands @ Asteriks 4/21: Berlin, Germany @ Desertfest 4/24: Helsinki, Finland @ Tavastia 4/26: Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang 4/27: Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof 4/28: Winterthur, Schweiz @ Gaswerk 4/29: Salzburg, Austria @ Rockhouse Bar 4/30: Bozen, Italy @ Halle 28 5/1: Wien, Austria @ Arena 5/2: München, Germany @ Feierwerk 5/3: Wroclaw, Poland @ Asymetry Festival 5/4: Kiel, Germany @ Schaubude 5/5: Essen, Germany @ Cafe Nova "Orion Music All That Music and More Festival /23: Atlantic City, NJ Bader Field
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
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.”
(from left) Kate Buddeke is small town redneck Tanya Shepke, Kevin Stark plays wrongly imprisoned U.S. State Department bureaucrat Carlton Berg, reluctantly guarded by Shonda, played by Lucy Sandy, in Theater Wit’s The North Plan
by Jason Wells, directed by Kimberly Senior, playing now through Apr.
1, 2012 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets: theaterwit.org or 773.975.8150. Photo by Liz Lauren.
SENIOR, BUDDEKE MAKE THEATER WIT DEBUTS IN CHICAGO PREMIERE OF JASON WELLS’ HILARIOUS, SCARY, APOCALPYTIC COMEDY THE NORTH PLAN, THROUGH APR. 1
On Kevin Stark's actual birthday this year, he was wrongfully imprisoned, beaten, tortured with an electric prod, and ultimately shot...then serenaded in the lobby with chocolate cake and champagne. Where else could this dichotomy exist but the fabulous Theater Wit?! Yes, opening night of The North Plan was off with a bang and a birthday. We had the great pleasure of checking out opening night and now we're stoked to be giving away a pair of tixs to one lucky teen.
The revolution will not be televised, but it will end up on stage! From now through April fools day, no foolin', you can check out this action packed, dark comedy. Kate Buddeke steals the show as accidental anarchist, Tanya Shepke. Every time I think Theatre Wit's creativity has peaked, they manage to surprise and delight. I was amused by the press kits--manila envelopes stamped TOP SECRET and Classified, and far more impressed with the show. Despite the bloody subject matter, the audience was laughing enthusiastically by final curtain call. The dialogue and plot were simultaneously thought provoking and deeply funny. Casting was spot on. Highly recommended for older teens & adults.
ENTER HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN
**UNDER 21? We're giving away a pair of tickets to a lucky teen, this week. Enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often and spread the word. This one's short n sweet. Enter through midnight this Wednesday. Winner gets 2 tickets for The North Plan Saturday, March 10th, including pre show snacks at 7pm and a pizza party to follow!**
Theater Wit is reaching out to Chicago’s teens and crafting some unique experiences around The North Plan and their upcoming production of Tigers be Still. These evenings are designed to provide a forum for young adults to gather, exchange views, and meet the artists and each other. For Jason Wells’ The North Plan Theater Wit is making a special night for teens. On Saturday, March 10, Wit will open its doors at 7 pm and have a pre-show reception that will have snacks and drinks before the 8 pm show. After the show teens are invited to stay for pizza and a talk back with the actors. The tickets are just $15. Just use the code word TEEN when reserving a ticket online or via phone.
*Wait
for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through
RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on
the actual page title and it should pop right up).Entries are easy. Winning rocks!
Check out our original show shots from The El Circo Cheapo-7pm Family Friendly Show on 3/3/2012. We highly recommend this monthly celebration of circus arts at Aloft Loft. They perform the first Saturday of every month and sell out, so plan ahead. Tickets are a reasonable $10 for floor seating or $15 to splurge on a chair. 7pm is family friendly and 10pm is 18+. Both are BYOB. After the show, our kids gave a little impromptu circus skills demo, just for the pure joy of it. (The kids take classes at CircEsteem, and were so jazzed to see some of their instructors perform, who are regulars in El Circo Cheapo!) For tickets and more info, including adult classes, check out Aloft's main site right here.
Check it out! ChiIL Live Shows has a gorgeous, free single for you. Chicago singer-songwriter Xoe Wise is dropping the first single from her upcoming Archive of Illusions today, March 6.
Archives of Illusion will be released on Tuesday, May 1 and Xoe will be performing live on WGN-TV on Friday, May 25. Her record release show is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 29 @ Schuba’s.
Under the Gaslight, Aloft's student show on February 25th, was truly impressive. Check out our original show shots above. It's exciting to see aerial acts within a larger story line or plot, rather than just an exhibition of skills. We were especially excited that they chose to explore the subjective elements of mental illness.
Gaslighting, by definition, is a term for psychological abuse where the victim is led to doubt their own memory and perception. Here's the Wikipedia definition:
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt his or her own memory and perception. It may simply be the denial
by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, or it could
be the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.
The term "gaslighting" comes from the play Gas Light
and its film adaptations. In those works a character uses a variety of
tricks to convince his spouse that she is crazy, so that she won't be
believed when she reports strange things that are genuinely occuring,
including the dimming of the gas lamps
in the house (which happens when her husband turns on the normally
unused gas lamps in the attic to conduct clandestine activities there).
Since then, it has become a colloquial expression that is now also used in clinical and research literature.
Earlier that night, I was shooting Emilie Autumn's amazing show at The House of Blues. It was an eerily appropriate pairing, as Emilie's concerts are a music/ performance art hybrid that take place in a Victorian era asylum! She even performed a song entitled...you guessed it, Gaslight! Our photo filled recap is coming soon.
Here's Aloft's show premise:
Under the Gaslight
The Aloft Loft Chicago, IL
The Aloft Student Ensemble Performance group presents a full length
contemporary circus show exploring the line between sane and "crazy".
Aloft's signature style of using traditional circus apparatus in new and
surprising ways, and spinning clear narrative through movement and risk
come alive again through this group of 10 up-coming acrobats, studying
at the Aloft Loft, the Midwest's premiere contemporary circus school.
Trained by some of the top instructors in the country, and directed by
Aloft's Artistic Director, Shayna Swanson, the performers have created a
show based in consensus building which questions weather mental illness
is just one tragedy away from everyone.
All proceeds from the seat reservation fee for this show will go into a new scholarship fund to assist current Aloft Loft students who lose their incomes due to the economy in continuing their acrobatic training. Some money will also be
directed into mirco-grants to help professional artists-in-residence at
the Aloft Loft develop new work.
We were back there tonight to shoot El Circo Cheapo and celebrate Du-Jay's 11th birthday with family. They've been doing the show for 3 years and sell out every show! Some of their talented performers also work as teachers at CircEsteem, so the kids were extra stoked to see folks they know perform. We caught El Circo Cheapo back at Brilliant Corners Fest and were thoroughly entertained. They run a fabulous, monthly circus at Aloft's space, on the first Saturday of every month for just $10 floor seats & $15 for a chair. Tickets tend to be in high demand and sell out, so plan ahead. Check out Aloft's main site here for more details.
El Circo Cheapo!
“The only thing cheap is the admission!”-Santa Fe Reporter
Like circus? Like awesome things that are crazy cheap? Then have we
got just the thing for you. El Circo Cheapo Cabaret is an amazing circus
show like nothing you have ever seen. An ever changing cast of some of
the world’s most talented circus performers, as well as other
performance artists, ensures no two shows are ever the same…and seat
reservation fees are low!
Make your seat reservation for El Circo Cheapo Cabaret now by heading here.
*The 7 PM show is family friendly. The 10 PM is 18+. Both are BYOB.
